nicoscy

What's the ID of the mounting rings? Perhaps you can add a 3rd ring (not the same, something a bit rounded thank you) to mount your RDF. Re the Lunt steeltrack - it is the earlier model. I had this on one of my scopes. Yours is the latest iteration.

The steeltrack requires a bit of fine tuning every few months but it is quite smooth overall if you maintain it. The craftmanship is not up to FTF levels, but it is much lighter. Not the same lifting capacity - it being a crayford focuser, but it is a pretty good unit and looks good. My only "objection" to it is the placement of the finderbase!!!

Stretching to a FTF will cost an additional EUR 731 if it is installed by Baader. I asked Thomas Baader when I got on the list for the Baader 95.

Duly noted Sir! Given NV work, this might work better I'm really hoping for a pre-Christmas delivery so fingers crossed!

That would be me getting on the list for the Baader. I was also on the AP list, thinking I would get whichever was made available to me first. Having snagged one of the AP92 Stowaways which hopefully will be delivered before Christmas, I have no intention of getting the Baader. But yes, one year was the quoted time @GavStar, that's a lovely looking scope mate!

Agree on a travel dob with lightweight accessories, but that's a personal choice. Bill chooses to go the whole nine yards, so any help we can provide and all...

Re eyepiece height, I definitely needed to use an observing chair as a 12" is not a very tall Dob. Travelling though makes taking such a chair challenging, but at least something like a Walk stool might come in handy. Scroll down the page - they come out in varying heights between 50 cm - 75cm.

Quick addition: F4 Vs F5: Means that the trusses are 300mm longer at f5, meaning greater torque on the bungee cords...

Hi Bill, I had a 12" f4 Sumerian but not the Alkaid (it was its slightly beefier cousin) in the past. Some feedback: 1. More bungee cords will definitely be required and the best thing is to actually email Michael of Sumerian with the weight measurement of your Binos with eyepieces and corrector so that he can inform you as to the best way to go about it. 2. There is no difference in where focusing will take place either in f4 or f5 in terms of using the scope, as depending on what you order, the trusses will be cut to the right length to facilitate focusing an eyepiece at either ratio. The decision you need to make is if you want to use the binoviewers natively or not. Using them without a corrector means that you need to let Michael know the lightpath of your binoviewers to shorten the trusses accordingly, be it f4 or f5. Binoviewers need significantly more in-travel than eyepieces due to the internal folding of light from the prisms inside. You need to keep in mind though, that using binoviewers in native configuration and regular eyepieces, means also getting a focuser extension tube as your eyepieces will focus further away as a result. Another option is to get in touch with Harry Siebert and get one of his binoviewer zero or 1.3x OCS units for your binos. 3. F4 Vs f5. Coma becomes an annoyance for most people at anything below f5, resulting in the purchase of a Paracorr. It is up to personal preference, but I for one, always used a Paracorr with my dobs to make sure I get the best image fidelity and quality. Since you will be travelling with the scope, a Paracorr is extra weight. However, going from f4 to f5 results in longer trusses by about 30cm - so something to consider. Hopes this helps a bit

I asked a friend who sells astrogear and the thread after you remove the green bit is M53. This whole situation is ridiculous! SW comes out with a very attractively priced, good looking, FPL53 50mm scope and they couldn't just shave off 30mm from the tube and have a longer extension at the back. Had they done so, these things would fly off the shelf like hotcakes! I applaud all those who are fighting the good fight to adapt this thing for visual but I think I'll stick to reading this thread and give up on the idea of the SW as a mini grab n' go

Derek, By any chance, do you have calipers at home? I'd be most interested in a measurement of the ID of the OTA once the entire back assembly is removed. The OD is 56mm according to FLO so I suppose the ID is probably M54 or so. In any case, it would be relatively easy to find an adapter from whatever thread to a T2 connection and then just shove a T2 non rotating short helical focuser and then a Baader T2 to 1.25" short adapter and use any regular diagonal. If the threading is "reasonable" here's what I am thinking (it's your fault for pursuing this and making this finderscope so interesting!): Say it's M54: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p203_TS-Optics-M54x1-to-T2-Adapter-fo-Skywatcher-Crayford-focusers.html (2.5mm) Then this focuser: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4591_TS-Optics-short-T2-Helical-Focuser---Adapter---camera-does-not-twist.html (18mm) Then this T2 to 1.25" adapter: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p9743_Baader-2458121-Ultrashort-1-25----T2-Clamp.html (12mm) I would really appreciate it if you could measure it and let me know. As things stand, I have a wonderful Borg 55FL as a finderscope on my FS-128. I wouldn't mind selling the Borg and getting this one to use, and money to spare for further astronomical purchases The quality of the optics is of interest of course and I really look forward to reading your detailed observations later on EDIT: The pitch of the thread is also important

Sigh... very disappointing that SW didn’t make it as a split tube model... Thanks for the photos - puts the whole thing into perspective.

If I am reading you correctly, you removed the extension, installed this and there is still not enough in travel to reach focus with a 1.25” 90 degree Prism?

The point is to remove the extension after the focuser which is quite long and use this one which only eats 12mm...

Possibly removing the extension tube, replacing with the below and using a 1.25” 90 degreee Baader T2 prism or a Tak Prism is the only way to reach focus... https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p9743_Baader-2458121-Ultrashort-1-25----T2-Clamp.html

I wonder what the threading on the back of the OTA is.. if it’s something “sensible”, possibly a Borg helical focuser could go there and really reduce the length of the finderscope, permitting the use of a diagonal without a Barlow....

Thanks Slomoe, Looks like I will soon pay a visit to a shop that sells fishing gear!

And suddenly it is tempting again!

Was tempted till I saw the M10 connection

Which extension is that by the way? Love the scope - got the same myself

Nice! And where would one find such lovely repurposed filter cases?

Paul, I'd promised Tom Peters of DiscMounts some cameo shots of the mount and well, I went wild with my DSLR

Takahashi FC76DC with 2"FTF and Borg Series 80mm rings, mounted on a Discmount DM-4 and a Sirui R-5214X tripod

Here's my 1.25" kit eyepiece bag. Celestron 40mm Kellner for maximum exit pupil in 1.25" format, a Pan 24mm, 13mm and 7mm Nagler T6 and a Nagler Zoom 3-6mm. The finderscope is a 50mm with interchangeable eyepieces and the finderstalk is the only one in the market available for these type of finderscopes (sold under the Teleskop Service, William Optics and Stellarvue names among many) - a Vixen finderstalk. I wanted to avoid using rings for this. Comes with a 23mm cross hair eyepiece. Also a Baader 1.25" Sital BBHS diagonal (I LOVE the click lock mechanism) and a Celestron Starsense RDF. The top of the camera bag houses an anti-dew heater that runs on a 9V battery (Tech2000 brand) and UHC, O III, Hb, #21, #80A, Tele Vue Planetary Filter, Baader Moon & Skyglow, Baader Solar Continuum and Lumicon Comet Filter, as well as a single prism ADC. Only upgrade left to this kit is getting Lumicon UHC and OIII filters - on the list of things to get in the next month or so. All very compact and easy to carry. On the side of the bag there is a led light torch as well

Photos of the adapter. The SM II 40 has a 52mm thread at the back.