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F15Rules

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Posts posted by F15Rules

  1. Just spent a very enjoyable hour and a half with Superfox, my lovely new to me Vixen SD115s, observing Tegmine and Theta Aurigae.

    I found that the seeing did improve over the 90 minutes, and it was fascinating to try different permutations of eyepieces and barlows. 

    My findings were as follows; (all at F7.7, 890mm Focal length).

    1. Vixen LVW 5mm at 178x -  Split and Resolved intermittently..this was when the seeing was at its most unsteady earlier on. Contrast was good. Edge sharpness was good across virtually the whole 65 degree field. No false colour noted. I'm so pleased now to own almost the full set of these fine classic eyepieces.

    2. Tak Abbe ortho 12.5mm with stacked Baader zoom 2.25x barlow and short WO 1.6x barlow to give c263x.

    This was the first and most consistent split. I could see little or no visible image deterioration from the stacked barlows , no false colour and excellent sharpness across the fov (admittedly only a modest 44 degrees, but using an eq mount with RA drive the image hardly moves anyway!).

    These Tak Abbes have wonderful contrast and my 12.5mm pair are supremely comfortable for binoviewing.

    3. Pentax XL Zoom 8-24mm with Baader 2.25x zoom threaded in to give a high power zoom from 3.55mm (250x in my scope) to 10.66mm (83x).

    This eyepiece wouldn't be my first choice for high power on close doubles, but it gave an early session resolved view at 250x on Tegmine..I suspect it would have done even better later in the session but I didnt get time to try it again. 

    The Pentax really comes into it's own on short sessions of changeable skies and seeing, where I can simply dial in the best power for the conditions..on such nights, or short sessions, I can often manage with the Baader 2.25  barlow, the Pentax zoom, and my Axiom LX 23mm 84 degree UWA for low power wide field.

    For the last part of my session I spent some time on Theta Aurigae, an old favourite of mine..as a lad in the 70s I used to struggle to split this unequal pair..at mags 2.7 and 7.2 and just  a 3" split, my little 60mm refractor rarely, if ever, split them. But in a modern 80-100mm scope the pair is a delightful sight, with the tiny, faint companion twinkling next to its very bright prime star close by.

    The Vixen made short work of this pair and I easily split it at 70x. If you haven't looked at this lately do check it out while it is still very well placed high up in our skies..

    It was SO good to be out again at last  tonight, and thanks to John for pointing to Tegmine, a real jewel of a double!👍😀.

    Dave

    20240327_194239.thumb.jpg.e28fd690b834eb6d067e1b5419a267f4.jpg

     

     

    20240327_194759.thumb.jpg.ee8091f7d606436681607adda95baddc.jpg

    Orion, Sirius and Procyon slowly sinking west over our house twilight turns to night..

    20240327_193929.thumb.jpg.1219286a2462f9c0fcea20a5380c2248.jpg

    Superfox ready for some tight doubles action!

     

    • Like 8
    • Thanks 1
  2. 1 hour ago, tomato said:

    Certain telescope brands just love their red anodising, but as far as I am aware it doesn't improve optical performance one iota.

    Agreed..I confess I'm not a fan of gaudy colours and "bling"...but each to their own, of course. I'll stick to white or white and black scopes, thanks.😇😄

    P.S. I did make an "Honourable Exception" when I owned a Tak FS128...😂

    Dave

  3. 1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

     It isn't Coventry I have a problem with Dave, it's just that peddling up hill all the way home again to Pendle Witch Country which is a nightmare. It really is an arduous drive with the only nice bit being the Toll road. May be next time I should fly down, with my wife's permission of course. I'd hate to find my scope had suddenly been turned into one of those Schmidt thingies! 😲

    20240324_121136.thumb.jpg.711c43dc1d898d3b5cfbe734fb00cb59.jpg

    Hi Mike,

    I remember when I lived in the Midlands and was working, I used to drive 30-40k miles a year on business, and the Toll Road was quite new then..it was definitely my route of choice to go north and bypassed all of the M6 "carpark" and Spaghetti Junction, with all it's concrete 'humps' every 20 metres or so!

    And best of all, I could reclaim the Toll costs as a legitimate business expense!👍😁.

    My son lives in the Hinckley area and my wife and I still hate going back from the quietness of rural Lincolnshire to the traffic mayhem of Leicestershire!

    Dave

    • Like 2
  4. 1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

    Not another one at Coventry! I don't think I have another drive to Coventry left in me for this year, or possibly ever.😩

    OY, Mr Night!!

    I'll have you know that's my home town you're dissing!😜🤪🤣..

    I suppose the venue could have been in a far worse place? Like "Burnleh", perhaps??😁😁

    Dave

    PS I couldn't get to PAS today as I was en route home from a city break to Porto..now that would make an excellent venue..even MikeDGRINCH would approve!!

    • Haha 4
  5. 4 minutes ago, John said:

    I've always wanted to own an Astro Physics refractor. They are like hens teeth to find over here though and command high prices when they do come up.

    I had the chance to buy an AP Star ED 120 around a decade back but I passed on it for one reason or another. I sometimes regret that decision 🤔

    Right now I seem to be very attracted to an Ernie Elliot brass 3.1 inch F/15 refractor which is currently being sold. That desire is totally illogical though, given the other scopes that I already own. It's just such a wonderful looking instrument though ........ 

    I know what you mean, John..

    I think it very irritating of Richard Day to offer that scope, in pristine condition, and with absolutely no good reason for me to want it other than the way it looks!

    Am a bit, er,  "brassed off" to be honest!!😁

    Dave

    • Haha 2
  6. I have had just two scopes for several years, although I have bought and sold literally dozens over the past 10 to 15 years.

    Until very recently the two were a  wonderful Tak FS128 which I owned for 7 years, and an excellent Vixen 80mm F15 achromat which I've had for perhaps 18 months or so.

    For reasons well documented elsewhere, I reluctantly sold my FS128 just over a month ago and downsized slightly to a superb Vixen SD115S Apo as my primary scope. Thanks to the appalling weather since I bought it, I've managed less than 2 hours viewing with the new Vixen, but already I know it will see me out for the rest of my observing days.

    I will keep the old 1980s 80mm Vixen achromat longer term also, I think, as a nod to the days of my youth and because it is a delightful double star splitting scope in it's own right.

    I do totally get why so many people on here own so many scopes. I used to love buying scopes, trying them, and then moving them on to try something else. I often owned up to 6 or 7 scopes at one time..

    But ultimately, (and this also applies to eyepieces), I realised that however many scopes I owned, I will only ever have one pair of eyes (and in my case slowly deteriorating eyes), so it no longer makes sense for me to waste time and money chasing the "perfect scope and the perfect view"..

    So I now have two great scopes for the kind of observing I want to do, some great eyepieces, and I will use them as much as conditions will allow, to their full potential, without being distracted by the "Green Grass" of the other side.

    My SNC phase (Scope Nirvana Chasing) is over, and I am content. 😊

    Dave

    • Like 9
  7. It's really interesting that this object seems so elusive or faint in relatively large 10-12" reflectors, but is visible in relatively (compared to the former) "small" 4" refractors.

    Why would that be?🤔 - better contrast in the refractors? Or something else?

    This isn't a "Refractors vs Reflectors" loaded question..I'm genuinely intrigued by this and keen to hear opinions on this😊..

    Thanks!

    Dave

    • Like 2
  8. Sorry, Paul, just teasing!😉.

    From the photos I doubt very much you will see any deterioration in the views as compared without the chips.

    I had a lens (also a Vixen achro) which I also managed to put a clam shell chip onto..it bugged me something rotten, but the views were indistinguishable from the pre-chip views..

    If you can just have a good session through the scope as it is, I think it will be fine.

    All the best with it Paul👍

    Dave

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1
  9. 3 hours ago, Don Pensack said:

    I used the XL Zoom on nebulae and galaxies, and it rendered invisible many features I could see in the XW fixed focal lengths at the same focal lengths.

    I didn't have the capability of measuring transmission, but I think the XL Zoom must have 15-20% or more less transmission than in the XWs.

    I also used, a few years later, the same XL Zoom/XWs combination in a Pentax 80mm ED spotting scope, and the brightness difference at the same focal lengths was profound

    in daylight use.  The XL Zoom was noticeably darker.  One of our testers commented that the XWs with sunglasses matched the XL Zoom without.  I saw that too.

    Well, thank goodness that:

    - I don't use small spotting scopes or big reflectors

    - I dont wear sunglasses for astronomy observations, and

    - the Japanese clearly sent their premier stock to the UK!

    Your absolute right to draw your conclusions and give your opinions.

    Same for me😉

    Dave

    • Like 2
  10. I went to an event last summer, organised by a club which promised a session about one of the Meteor showers (the Lyrids, I think), followed by an observing session.

    I got my wife to go (yes, really) and there was a session first about Meteors, what they are etc, which was quite interesting. 

    We then decamped to a local dark sky site a couple of miles away in the hope of spotting some meteors, sitting on a mat or rug or in our case on folding chairs..

    There was a guy nearby setting up a scope, and honestly, it was hilarious..a couple of clearly non astro types walked past him and were promptly regaled with every fact and feature of his scope, how brilliant it was, the best 4" apochromat money can buy, blah blah.  It was a Televue 4"...a nice scope.

    Remember, these were people who knew nothing about astronomy, scopes or anything else, and they were clearly nonplussed by this guy's overbearing manner. Not once did he ask them about themselves or their interests or why they had come that night.

    My wife thought it all quite amusing, whereas I found it very irritating! She said I should go over and tell him about my scope. 

    I said I'd love to, but I didn't want to spoil his evening, and pop his bubble, so to speak, as my scope at the time was a Tak FS128!

    I later met a nice friendly chap who offered to let me look through his 20" Dob...and then the clouds rolled in..typical!!!

    It did illustrate to me how easy it is to both impress (and scare half to death!) newbies with knowledge, but also how important it is not to assume that everyone knows much about our hobby, or really wants to be "droned to death" about our equipment!

    Dont think I'm cut out for clubs.. especially Mensa!!😠😁

    Dave

     

    • Like 3
    • Haha 2
  11. 17 hours ago, Don Pensack said:

    I tried the Pentax XF zoom and it was not sharp, had serious astigmatism at the edge, and was darker than fixed eyepieces of the same focal lengths.  That was at f/6.

    So then I tried the Pentax XL and though it had slightly less astigmatism at the edge, and a trace wider field, it was even darker than the XF.

    Comparing to Pentax XW eyepieces, the XL Zoom seemed to have a 25% neutral density filter added.

    I do not recommend Pentax Zooms at all, though the XL might be OK as a Moon/planets observing eyepiece.

    The Baader Hyperion Mk.IV was better in every way--wider, brighter, and sharper, and was the same price as the XL!

    I didn't remark on the XF zoom, only on the XW. I did use one (XF) for a short time and found it awful, literally, with huge amounts of false colour in night use. Others have sung its praises for solar observing, however (I dont do solar).

    Regarding the XL zoom, which I have used quite extensively on and off over many night sessions, most recently in high end Takahashi and Vixen refractors at F8.1 and F7.7 respectively, I have never seen noticeable darkening of the XL zoom versus XWs : indeed, I actually let go an XW7mm and XL10.5mm simply because I felt I could see everything in the zoom that I could see in the fixed length eyepieces. A test of the quality of seeing I use very regularly is the visibility of the E & F stars in M42's Trapezium in Orion: I can see both on good seeing nights in the XL zoom at a magnificaion of c 100x..the same as with my fixed length eyepieces at the same magnification.

    Here is the actual review I posted of the Pentax XL zoom I bought new from FLO in 2016..(my review follows the FLO product description and specifications).

     

    Home  >  Eyepieces & Barlows  >  Pentax

    Pentax XL 8-24mm Zoom
     
        Zoom

    Pentax XL 8-24mm Zoom

    £398
    Model:  PentaxXLzoomPart Number:  70509

    This premium quality six-element zoom eyepiece with ED and Lanthanum glass can be used in any telescope that accepts 1.25" accessories.

    Mechanically and optically this is a benchmark zoom eyepiece! 

    Zoom eyepieces enable the observer to match magnification to changing lighting or seeing conditions. This together with Pentax-grade optics results in an exceptionally useful eyepiece for terrestrial or astronomical observing. 

    For astronomical use, the zoom is usable for medium to high power observing with telescopes of all optical designs – from long focal ratio refractors down to fast f/4.5 Dobsonian reflectors. 

    Like most other Zoom eyepieces the FOV varies across the zoom range (from 38° at 24mm, to 60° at 8mm). 

    Features:

    • Premium optical design with six lenses in four groups.
    • ED (extra low dispersion) glass lens elements that include Lanthanum glass minimise chromatic aberrations and astigmatism. The result is very high contrast and centre resolution, with very little ghosting.
    • All air-to-glass surfaces are fully multi-coated with proprietary Pentax SMC (Super Multi-Coated) anti-reflection coatings for high light transmission.
    • For optimum contrast, lens edges and interior mechanical surfaces are all blackened to minimise reflections and ghosting.
    • A rubber eyecup twists in and out of eyepiece body to optimise shield your eye from ambient light.
    • The knurled rubber grip is turned to change magnifications.
    • When the twist-up rubber eyecup is fully retracted for eyeglass use, the eye-relief ranges from 18mm (at 8mm setting) to 22mm (at 24mm). This enables observers with eyeglasses to see the entire field of view at low magnifications. When observing at high magnifications while wearing eyeglasses some vignetting of the outer field will occur (at these high magnifications you will likely be observing smaller objects that do not fill the FOV so minor edge vignetting is rarely a concern).
    • The barrel of the eyepiece is marked in both magnifications (when used an 80mm Pentax spotting scope) and in focal lengths for astronomical observing. An index mark shows the power in use.
    • The 1.25" nosepiece is threaded to accept 1.25" astronomy filters. 
    • JIS-4 weatherproof construction for protection against wet weather and night-time dew.

    Weight: 550g (1.2lb)
    Length: 114mm (4.5")
    Width: 69mm (2.7")

    Customer reviews

     
     
     
    Big Zoom, Big Performance, Big Price!
    19 April 2016  |  David

    Having owned several Baader 8-24mm zooms, and having always hankered after a premium Pentax one, I finally took the plunge in early 2016.

    FLO service was excellent, as always and I received the eyepiece 24 hours after ordering it.

    First impressions, (with all too few later sessions due to weather and work commitments):
    Size: This is a Big zoom, considerably bigger than the Baader, but looks fantastic and comes with branded eyeglass cover and bomb proof bolt case for storage.

    Build quality - superb, exemplary:
    Zoom mechanism is quite stiff, due to the O Seal JIS waterproofing, but it does ease off and I have found that the best results come when using a Baader Click Lock 1.25" adapter in my 2" scope focuser. This holds the ep rock solid and enables plenty of torque to allow the smooth rotation of the zoom mechanism. A real, tangible step up on the build of the Baader zoom.

    Optics: The optics are very, very good for a zoom. In comparison to a world class Meade Japan UWA 14mm, I would say the Meade ever so slightly edged it in terms of faint stars visible, but it was a very slight advantage: from darker skies than mine this might disappear as a factor, and a tiny price to pay for having several eyepieces in one unit.

    Stellar images are pinpoint to the edge in my F7.7 apo doublet, with very good contrast.

    Field of view. The range of this zoom is 24mm, at which the specs say the view is 38degrees, going up to the highest 8mm power, at which the view is 60 degrees. On the face of it, the 24mm setting is quite narrow, but it never feels tunnel like, and the quality of the views are excellent. I have a wide 68 deg 24mm for that purpose anyway, so I do tend to look at this (and Baaders are the same fov) as an 8mm-20mm eyepiece. At 20mm the field is approximately 45degrees, and at 16mm about 50 degrees (same as most plossls). But, unlike many cheaper fixed eyepieces, the whole field of view is very sharp right to the edge. At 14mm and above, the field increases steadily up to the very healthy 60 degrees at 8mm. And, of course, you can increase or decrease the magnification in very small increments/decrements as conditions dictate.

    The zoom is NOT 100% parfocal. As you move from the 24mm setting to the highest 8mm setting, you need about a 2mm further in-focus setting on my focuser to achieve perfect focus. This is not a deal breaker at all for me, but just something to be aware of.

    Perhaps the best feature optically of the Pentax zoom is it's versatility. On any given night the seeing can vary quite significantly, and, when using fixed length eyepieces it can be very tiresome to have to keep swapping eyepieces to get the best view at a given moment.

    With the Pentax, you just dial in the magnification that gives the best view, simple, with just one eyepiece. So, you can observe for longer and see more.

    This is not a cheap eyepiece. But, it is of superb quality in all respects, and will last you a lifetime if you want it to. The Baader is an excellent unit to be sure, but in my honest opinion the Pentax has it comfortably beaten on all counts. And, at about twice the price of the Baader, so it should!

    Highly recommended.

     

    Quote: The Baader Hyperion Mk.IV was better in every way--wider, brighter, and sharper, and was the same price as the XL!

    The Uk price of the Pentax zoom when I bought it from FLO in April 2016 was £400. The Baader (I think it was the MkIII then) was around £150 - £170). 

    Today (I've checked!), the Pentax zoom is £398 from FLO and the Baader MKIV is £237 from FLO.

    These 2 fine eyepieces have never been the same price here in the UK. And that reflects the different class of build quality and labour/manufacturing costs of the Japanese Pentax and the Chinese made Baader. You might prefer the lighter weight and the cheaper price of the Baader, just as you might prefer, say, a Tele Vue Delos to a Celestron Xcel LX, but you'd have to acknowledge the difference in build quality.

    I  myself am a fan of Baader equipment, and use a number of their products, including their Maxbright II binoviewers and have owned and liked their Morpheus range very much..but any fair minded person, having handled a Pentax XL zoom and a Baader zoom would, IMHO, have to say that the Pentax build quality is a significant step above the Baader..and that is reflected in the price! The Pentax will be intact and working perfectly in 30 or 40 years time or more..not sure that will be the case for the Baader zoom, which have been known for rattles, looseness, etc?

    Dave

     

    • Like 3
  12. On 09/03/2024 at 09:21, NGC 1502 said:

    My TeleVue Pronto objective was a bit grubby and in need of a clean. This included the rearmost lens surface, inaccessible without removing the lens cell.  Some folk worry about removing a TV refractor lens cell but it’s really no problem.

    I don’t know if it matters, but I placed small stickers on the tube and adjacent lens cell to enable the cell to be replaced in the original orientation.

    All TV refractor lens cells are secured to the tube with 3 hex head screws filled with a semi-hard substance. It’s not difficult to clean out the hex heads to enable removal with an allen key.  As I’d done this years ago, it was a 2 minute job to remove the screws and separate lens cell from the tube. Note- the lens cell complete with elements remain intact as a unit.

    My preferred lens cleaner is Lens Bright as supplied by Specsaver opticians. Used with a clean micro fibre cloth I’ve found it works better than any other lens cleaner I’ve used. This includes 99% pure IPA.

    Having used a bulb type puffer to remove any dust I carefully cleaned the rearmost and front optical surface.  A couple of tries left pristine optical surfaces.

    I refitted the cell to tube with the 3 allen head screws. Before tightening, the cell can be adjusted for collimation. However I have previously found that if I pull the cell back onto the tube, then tighten the screws, collimation is spot on. Presumably that’s because everything was accurately and squarely constructed. So, a 2 minute job to replace the cell.

    Last evening was unexpectedly clear at my location, so I set up the Pronto at dusk. First up was Jupiter as darkness fell. Nice and crisp at up to 120x, although 96x was even crisper. 150x and above was too much as I’ve always found with the Pronto.
    My test object for collimation was Zeta Orionis- Alnitak, the easternmost belt star. At 120x split suspected, 150x split confirmed.  I tried my 2.5mm Vixen LV for 192x.  In the not great seeing split definitely observed in steady moments. I’d estimate the secondary star was seen about 30% of the time in steady moments, but a blur most of the time.

    Castor. Using 150x, Castor A & B were 2 hard Airy disks with perfectly concentric first diffraction rings, beautiful sight😊

    Now, I fully realise that my objective cleaning hardly improved the view. But it did satisfy my OCD with a pristine objective lens!

    Ed.

    Note- All allen heads on my Pronto accept Imperial allen keys. I don’t know if that applies to all TV refractors.

     

    Some photos please, Ed?? 😊

    Dave

    • Like 1
  13. Thanks John.

    I first bought a Pentax zoom 8-24mm in 2016 from FLO. They had a sale on and the zoom was as I recall marked down to c£300 from £400..they aren't cheap zooms!

    Circumstances led me to have to sell that one after only a few months, but I managed to find one about 9 months ago in great condition, with all original packaging etc.

    It's especially good for short sessions where conditions may not be the best, but where the Pentax zoom, a baader zoom barlow and my Axiom LX 23mm UWA can be all I need to cover high magnifications to low power wide angle viewing.

    Dave

    • Like 2
  14. 22 hours ago, Zermelo said:

    Don has previously linked to this bench review of zooms by Ernest Maratovich.

    The Svbony 7-21mm comes out particularly well. I have this, and the 9-27mm, and the (identical, OVL version of) the 7.2-21.5mm, and I find all three perform very well. The AFOV does vary a lot with magnification though, which is where the APM wins out.

    Svbony also do a 8-24mm, but I've not seen any reviews of that one. The Baader mk IV is widely liked.

    To be honest, I found the spreadsheet referenced  above totally confusing and user unfriendly, especially on my Smartphone.

    What really bemused me were the claims that the Hyperion Zoom and Pentax XL 8-24mm zooms both had had "terrible image quality". That assertion is completely at odds with my experience with both these zoom eyepieces..

    I have owned both of these and still have the Pentax Zoom. Both showed very good image quality: you might not like the narrower field at the lower power settings versus fixed length eyepieces, but the actual image quality (which by the way I judge by the pleasure I derive from what the eyepiece shows me, NOT this "spot" or that "aberration"), and the build quality of the units are excellent.

    I can say with certainty that the Pentax zoom build quality is exemplary, and the images it delivers in terms of sharpness and contrast are very good indeed..very close to the fixed length XL and XW ranges.

    Dave

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1
  15. 1 hour ago, Franklin said:

    Yes that's right, most Vixen refractors have that style but the SD115S comes with different knobs and they fit to the shaft via a grubscrew. The bolts are 6mm and have a flat-edge tip, the same as the Vixen focuser pinion shaft, so @F15Rules has fitted these instead because they're easier to grip, being larger. The AX103S, being the Vixen premium scope, may well come with this style off the shelf.

    Hi Alan, Tim is correct, the knobs shown on your ED103S manual are different (and I think, better), than the round ones which seem to come as standard on the newer SD range.

    I've been in touch with Bresser UK asking about availability of the focuser knobs from the SD, for the benefit of other SD owners, as I found that they are much more solid and easier to use in the dark when rotating the tube in it's rings..

    Bresser's representative firstly disputed that the focuser knobs are metal (! - said "as far as she was concerned, they are made of ABS!), so then took 2 days to confirm with Vixen that they are in fact metal (specifically, aluminium!).

    I then had to chase her and she did confirm that it is possible to buy a set of knobs (which has to include the pinion) at a cost of £51plus £5.95.UK delivery..so, not cheap!

    If I wasn't already sorted with a pair, thanks to Tim's (@Franklin) help, I think I'd be inclined to go for the set referenced above by @The60mmKid.. here:

    https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/325409930148

    Finally..quote by Tim above..

    The AX103S, being the Vixen premium scope

    Er, that's not a scope, it's an Astrograph!! 

    Now THIS is Vixen's Premium refractor...

    20240206_190507.thumb.jpg.6909a7c6db4feea0be54815f143466a2.jpg

    (IMHO, of course!! 😁🤪😂🤣)..

    Dave

    • Like 3
    • Haha 1
  16. 15 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

    In my 7 or so years of observing I’ve never got organized enough to put together a seasonal List _before_ the season. Occasionally I’ve compiled a list more or less after the event, then forgotten it for the next year.

    Now, thanks to @Stu’s latest session, I have already got a good list going. I want to add some PNs, a session for which I’ve never actually done.

    See the screengrab below. What else should I add, and please share your list!

    Cheers, Magnus

    IMG_3757.thumb.png.d4bcee9179e5d27420cb8943d1bd8aeb.png

    Sorry for my rather flippant response to your very worthwhile plan..I think I'm suffering from "new scope" syndrome, whereby the act of acquiring a new scope immediately guarantees endless clouds for weeks to come! I've had my new Vixen for about a month, and have managed barely 2 hours outside with it, and most of that was getting it set up and fettled properly!

    I'm actually quite optimistic by nature, but this year, (in fact since late October 23), I could literally count on both hands the number of nights with any chance to observe and half that for decent nights. 

    I fear that our climate change is going to bring us even more cloud and wind going forward..lets hope I'm wrong!

    And if I am right, it makes even more sense for us to plan carefully which targets to go for, as you are!👍

    Dave

    • Like 1
  17. I fitted the MEF3 to my recently sold Tak FS128 several years ago.

    I took the time to research the net to learn from other Tak R&P and MEF3 users, and fitted the new part in 10 minutes with zero issues.

    Perhaps the "issues" are simply due to the fact that scopes are all individually used, with great variances in how, and with what accessories (eyepieces, diagonals, filters, barlows, binoviewers etc etc) they are used.

    If you get into a new car, you spend a few minutes adjusting the seat, steering wheel and controls to your shape and comfort preferences and needs. 

    I think the same approach should hold true when "fettling" a new scope focuser and/or microfocuser 🙂.

    There is a huge weight difference between using say a Tak 1.25" diagonal prism with a 10mm BCO, and a 2" Everbright Diagonal, loaded with  2" Clicklock and Maxbright II Binoviewers..so it shouldnt be a surprise if your focuser may need some adjustment!

    Dave

    PS: My Tak FS128 is now with a delighted new owner. My new Vixen SD115S, recently acquired in "as new" condition from Tim (@Franklin), had a More Blue 12:1 reduction fitted by him. Its a wonderful addition to the already excellent original fit Vixen R&P unit, and I heartily recommend it!

    Dave

    20240204_152924.thumb.jpg.728d67dae0943299f928328ec75350e42.jpg.1ed9fdddfd81aa27cfbf09086947943a.jpg

     

    • Like 7
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