Roy Challen

Set the alarm for 2:20am for a brief but worthwhile session before having to head off to work. I had left the Tal out all night to save time. 

I was rewarded with very good seeing - good enough to make out three craterlets in Plato. Spent the rest of the time traveling along the terminator. Short, but very, very sweet.

Pictures taken handheld, unprocessed.

I observed a prom disappear over about half an hour this afternoon, between 15:10 and 15:40. Seeing was poor though, so I hope I didn't imagine this!

These little Maks are great! I recently acquired a 90mm Skywatcher for lunar and planetary observing whilst abroad. Far more convenient than my long refractors.

I'm a happy owner of a Solar Scout 60mm. I use it for visual only and love the views it provides. However; it's my first Ha scope and I have nothing to compare it to.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B07HFBV1PX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Seems it's 2A max, but it does the job

Is the cable you're using adequate for the amperage? I bought one that handles at least 2.5A just to make sure.

Having a quick look on internet, the psu for the quark says it supplies 1.8A.

I do use USB, from a 20k mAh powerbank that can supply 2.1A. I think the Quark requires in the region of 1.7A, but I don't have the instructions at hand to confirm.

I hope your family are safe. I've enjoyed reading about your project, it's a pity you have to sell it, would've been good to see some images taken with it.

Sounds amazing, it's raining where I am but I don't have my Daystar with me anyway🙄

Good job! Did the mount come with it too? I can't remember my Japanese manufacturers marks right now, but it looks like a Yamamoto, perhaps someone with better memory than me can confirm. It should be pretty good at night too.

Very cute, if you feed it and look after it, it'll grow to be a TOA 150 one day😂

Great picture, and a lovely area too.

For overall quality and telescope holding ability, my Tak 90S has been is 100% reliable. Every time I think about selling it, a little voice says 'don't do it'! For when I don't feel like lugging the Tak out in three stages, my Vixen Polaris is my preferred option. And when I travel abroad, my Altair Mini AZ does a great job. Over the last year though, I've got really into Ha solar observing and my Solarquest mount has been perfect for that. You just turn it on and it works every time. 

I think that covers everything!

1 hour ago, Jonny_H said:

Hi Roy,

We both have an interest in Astronomy/Space hence asking on here initially about the Leicester Space Centre.

Fair enough. Mill Hill Observatory do tours, but possibly only in the evening. Well worth it though.

Does it have to be space-related? If not, ditch the car, take the train into London and go see HMS Belfast.

It's easily my favourite 'tourist attraction', and you can have a few drinkies afterwards for catching up.

On 08/02/2022 at 06:44, Marvin Jenkins said:

No such thing as too much telescope equipment. If you find you don’t have the room for more equipment then throw away furniture.

Organisation is the key. I too use a 150 pds and I have one of those aluminium brief cases which houses all the kit to go outside. Another smaller one for eye pieces and a bag over the shoulder for camera stuff and cables.

There is no easy way to say this. Unless you build a obs you are condemned to carrying kit outside and back in again, hence #elp using a well throughout travel setup.

It gets worse. To jump to the next stage (guiding) you will have more kit like a laptop and power supply. I find a simple task of running a 50 meter power cable up the garden each time really annoying. Then even worse having to coil it all up again when it is wet from dew and inadvertently drag it through some sticky mole hills.

There is nothing glamorous about observing. It requires work and dedication but I can assure you it is worth it and with practise and experience you will organise your equipment to your needs. Now remember with the furniture, less is more😂

Marv

Truest thing I ever heard! Although you don't need to throw the furniture out, just buy a bigger house!

Being visual only makes things easier, being lunar and solar (almost exclusively) makes things easier still. However, portability and seeing still determine what gear goes outside on any given night or day 

Ultimately, what you do is determined by your own circumstances, and you'll get to learn what they are through experience.

You could store non-critical items in a shed.

Is it a coincidence that the two Celestron 30mm Ultimas that were on ENS now seem to have sold? Was considering one myself, thought they were a bit pricey at £100 each, but maybe not. A fine eyepiece that I should have held onto...like many others😂

Tring Astronomy Centre is probably the nearest actual shop to London. Not in the tube zone but only 30mins on the London-Northwestern out of Euston. 

Harrisons are within the M25, but I'm not sure if they have a physical shop.

I don't have any vintage eyepieces at the moment, other than this lovely Meade RGO. The second one I've had, not had the chance to have a decent look through it yet, but the first one was a cracker, as was the 10.5mm I had too.

I truly regret selling my CZJs, best EPs I've ever owned.

15 hours ago, Justin P said:

 

Incidentally I also have a Tal 100r, I assume it would be good for both ?

thanks justin 

Probably not. The Tal 100R has a bespoke screw on diagonal IIRC. If you mean 100RS, then yes, it'll be fine.

11 hours ago, LDW1 said:

'lower end Televues'

 

What are these? 😉

Doesn't look too bad, I would try again on a night of good seeing allowing the scope to fully acclimate.

Is that 'bite' in your star test images due to the crack in the secondary? If so, I would change the mirror.

8 minutes ago, Saganite said:

I still have three Achromats at f15, f14, and f10

Ooh, lovely, Steve.

No need for anything faster than f10! Mine are f16+, f15ish and f10

Love a nice achro, although I must confess to having acquired a Mak, and last year I had a Tal 1 newt.