F15Rules

Great stuff, Neil.

Back in my youth in the 70's, any of your scopes would have been aspirational for most of us.

The Swift 831 is an absolute classic and of great optical quality..and still highly regarded today.

The 5" achro from Bresser has been around for years under the Meade AR 127l F9 badging and is a very capable all rounder👍.

Dave

25 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Bit warmer than Skye, eh Dave!

Well, Jeremy, the Scottish Isles were surprisingly sunny and warm..20-21 degrees most days..

Kefalonia has been a little warmer, 22-24 degrees, but we also had a big storm last night and heavy rain..

To be honest, it's difficult to get a handle on it all..

Dave

12 minutes ago, Telescope40 said:

Hello.  Just home following a few hours at the show.  Was also thinking the attendance was a bit low compared to a previous visit I made. Sure will be different tomorrow. Purchased a couple if items and tempted by quite a few more. Good chat with the Rowan team about to motor kit for my AZ100.  Should hopefully be a Christmas present for myself. 

Also got to physically see a TSA 120 in ze flesh.  Very nice it is too. Now looking for a darkened room to have a long lie down in. 🤫   John 

Oops...John's gone down with Takvid 120...I believe it's incurable!😂

Dave

I'd have loved to attend the IAS event as well...I went to the first event in Leamington Spa, in June 2014 and thoroughly enjoyed it: I first met Mark Turner from Moonraker there and he went on to rebuild my wonderful D&G USA 5" F15 refractor as a result of our discussions.

Sadly I'm currently on holiday in Kefalonia and will be travelling home tomorrow while the show is on, so can't go this time..

This retirement lark isn't such a bad thing though..😁

Have a great time if you're going to the show 👍😊

Dave

Welcome back Ron..you won't know or remember me, but I recall you being a regular contributor a good few years ago.

I wish you good health and many clear nights.

Dave

On 11/10/2022 at 01:23, RobertI said:

Binoviewers definitely helps me, somehow my brain seems to deal with them better in stereo

+1 for that.. Binoviewing definitely reduces the floaters I see.

My right (observing) eye began to noticeably deteriorate c 5 years ago..the eye went "foggy" and I had an emergency appointment as I did a lot of driving for my work at the time, and it was very worrying.

The optician advised that I'd had some flaking and loosening of the lining inside my eye which then mixed with the vitreous fluid to act rather like a Christmas Toy Snow scene, where you shake it and watch the snow fall..

He said it should settle in a few weeks, and so it did, but the eye has never been the same again, to the point that I've had to train my left eye to be my main Cyclops observing eye. My left eye is definitely sharper and less prone to floaters than my right. I'm told it's part of the ageing process and there's nothing to do about it medically. 

I also find more glare when driving at night, from oncoming car headlights.

Thankfully, binoviewing does definitely help me with floaters, although bv's I find not suited to all viewing for me, so I think I'll always need/want to be able to Cyclops view too..just with my left eye, so long as it holds up..🙏

Decent eyesight is such a precious gift!

Dave

On 08/10/2022 at 21:40, JeremyS said:

Think I’m done on Ethos’s, Alan. Next logical is 17 mm, but in my mind the ultra wide fields are most beneficial for me at medium to high mags (longer run time in undriven mounts)

I am, however, left with a E10 and Apollo 11 which might be slightly redundant 🤔

On 08/10/2022 at 21:40, JeremyS said:

I am, however, left with a E10 and Apollo 11 which might be slightly redundant 🤔

Can't have that, Jeremy...🤔

I'll take the Apollo 11 off your hands...shall we say £50 posted? (signed for, of course..)🙃

Dave

1 hour ago, Alan White said:

Still room at the base of that case Mr S..... any more to follow at all??

Several Handles with which to lift said monster Ethoi, perhaps??😊

Dave

2 hours ago, SzabiB said:

Thanks Dave, 

 

I am currently looking an USB chargeable air duster. It can be used on my drones as well... 

Something like this:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electric-Compressed-Air-Duster-Cleaner/dp/B0B2DLZF8L/?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_w=laKm8&content-id=amzn1.sym.31c9090c-9b65-4f91-bf37-04dd92281172&pf_rd_p=31c9090c-9b65-4f91-bf37-04dd92281172&pf_rd_r=D15YSWFT4WSTDWNPCP20&pd_rd_wg=avGvv&pd_rd_r=535046f9-24f3-401b-81a1-637474d922b0&ref_=pd_gw_ci_mcx_mi

I will have a look on the Baader stuff. 

That electric duster looks interesting 🤔..you should be ok if you use the lowest power setting and approach the lenses slowly and from a distance to start with..once you assess the power of the airstream, you should be able to find the optimum distance from which to activate the blower on your optics👍.

The Baader cleaning set is available from our SGL sponsor, First Light Optics (FLO).. see here:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/astronomy-optics-cleaning-protection/baader-optical-wonder-set-cleaning-fluid-and-cloth.html

Hope that helps.

Dave

On 04/10/2022 at 09:56, SzabiB said:

My understanding so far:

- compressed air

No, no, no!! Not if it comes from a super cold aerosol type can..you want a very gentle cleaning method like some of the others mentioned.

I have two pairs of binoculars and use them regularly. The coatings on the newer pair in particular seem as robust as on my astro eyepieces. I clean them now and again very gently with a Baader cloth lightly sprayed with Baader  Wonder Fluid (never spray directly on the lenses), and very gently dab the lenses from the centre, working out to the edge of each objective without pressure or hard rubbing.

If you cap the lenses after each use, you shouldn't need to do this very often😊.

Dave

3 hours ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't the Baader 8-24 zoom come with both 1.25 and 2" adapter?. Mine did.

Yes, Luke, you're correct, they do. However, mine came in great used condition, but without its' original 2" nosepiece..the price reflected that so I was happy to look for one and fortunate to find one quite quickly.

Dave

1 hour ago, sorrimen said:

Spot on! Triple coil tapped too so much more versatility than expected from a LP. What’s in your arsenal?

Ross

Just strumming at home these days..

1995 Fender Strat MIJ 57 reissue in Photoflame Cherry Sunburst and Maple neck..

..and Marlique Reborn Series Broken Wings Photoflame made in Indonesia. Twin Tesla II coil tapped humbuckers on Mahogany body with Rosewood neck..😊

Played only at home via 1986 Marshall Master Lead 30W solid state combo.

Dave

Placed a wanted ad for a 2" nosepiece compatible with my MKIII Baader zoom.

Thanks to Sheila, who came up with one for me..note-this is not the same as a standard Baader 2" nosepiece, this one is threaded specifically for insertion into the Baader Zoom body (all models).

I love Baader's connectivity solutions..I can now use the zoom as a 2", as a 1.25" and with or without the Hyperion Zoom barlow in both formats..👍

With 2" nosepiece..zoom barlow just threads up the inside onto the bottom of the zoom body.

With zoom lens in place inside 2" nosepiece..

Zoom with 2" nosepiece into 2" Clicklock into Baader Zeiss BBHS prism..

1.25" nosepiece with Zoom barlow threaded onto the bottom, for use in Baader T2 prism with my Vixen SP102 which can't take 2" fittings.

Dave

On 04/10/2022 at 14:58, sorrimen said:

Bargain Nikon AE 10x50s. Brief daytime testing shows them to be good optically, and seriously comfortable. 

Nice bins👍..

I'm liking the "Axe" as well.. Epiphone Les Paul?

Dave

Welcome David😊

I'm also close to the Lincolnshire Wolds and enjoy Bortle 4 skies..believe me, it's better here than in rural west Leicestershire (Bortle 5) or Leicester itself!

I also visited Denmark regularly with my job for 12 years and know there are some lovely little islands offshore, I would think at least Bortle 3, so skies should be great..worth getting a proper scope (refractor of course) now!!👍😂.

Good luck with your move.

Dave

On 29/09/2022 at 23:33, Mr Spock said:

The 'big lad' lit up by the living room light - and my neighbour's new insecurity light 🤬

Bonus points if you can recognise the constellations 😜

I'm going to take a wild guess at Draco?🤔

Dave

On 29/09/2022 at 22:35, VNA said:

Hello, just before night, but the view is pretty nice? (I think!)

Lovely! 6" Celestron/Synta CDR F8 achromat ? A real "Yard Cannon" and a lot of scope for the money!👍😊

Dave

10 hours ago, TheThing said:

Wow, your images are absolutely stunning.  Loads of detail and so clear.  Please keep posting them. 

Good to see TheThing posting again..I remember you posting a lot on SGL years ago.

Welcome back!👍😊

Dave

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

It’s my favourite constellation too, Dave

Hmm...I have to say Jeremy, I do fear some of your "handle links" are becoming a little, er, tenuous?

Dave

6 hours ago, Saganite said:

It is without doubt a superb time to observe, and, like yourself Dave, I have had stunning views of Jupiter and the Trapezium recently.  I have even managed a couple of hours sleep afterwards..

The joys of retirement.

Thanks Steve, yes, it was so good to see my favourite constellation once again..and a good reminder that Orion is always there, every day, just that we can't see it at some times of the year!😁

Dave

4 hours ago, RobertI said:

Superb. I wonder whether you were still reasonably dark adapted after a long sleep? Never done early morning observing, must give it a go….

Thanks Rob..it's an interesting point..I did put minimal lights on to avoid disturbing my wife, but I was only outside for perhaps 8 or 9 minutes. I did also notice that some neighbouring lights a little way away, but which I can usually detect by a glow at 11pm or so at night, had been put out, so that may have helped.

Also, I do think, just from chatting with other neighbours in the village, that many more people are really trying to cut back their electricity consumption due to the huge price increases..perhaps a small silver lining to a very large cloud?🤔😊

Dave

I got up very early this morning (4am!), having woken up with a start and realizing that I hadn't put our bin out for collection (they pick up early, often at 06.30 am)! 

So I popped on my dressing gown and went quietly outside to the back garden to fetch the bin..

WOW!! I was greeted by the most beautifully clear, dark morning, with Jupiter still brilliant in the west..but what really caught my attention was Orion, rising majestically in the south east, with Sirius about 10 -15 degrees above the horizon. Fabulous.

I was just rivetted..even fresh out of the house I could see a large section of the Milky Way running almost north-south, and hundreds and hundreds of faint stars everywhere.

I decided to count the stars I could see inside the Orion Quadrilateral..I managed 29 in total with direct and averted vision, including the Belt trio but not counting Betelgeuse, Bellatrix, Saiph and Rigel at the corners of the Quadrilateral..

I've never managed that many before, so delighted at that👍🙂

Dave

PS It's now wall to wall foggy here, after a really heavy dew!🤦😂

Thanks very much for all the replies guys!

So far, no one has mentioned using a dew band on finders or eps? With my finder I just wipe it gently with a Baader cloth, same with eps..and it's rare to have to do this, thankfully.

I like the idea of wrapping the lead around the ota, and going into a battery box.. I already have a battery box on my EQ mount for my RA drive, so to be able to keep them separate appeals..

Thanks again,

Dave

I feel your pain, Louis!

We can grow into GOGs (Grumpy Old Guys) together!😂

Dave

Hi all,

Bit of a rookie's question, perhaps?😁..if so, the answers might help others as well as me👍.

I've never used a dew heater/controller before, but on occasion I've had dewed up objective and finder or eyepiece, or both..

Can someone explain or show pictorially how such a setup could work on a 5" apo, what parts would be needed etc?

..and also recommended and affordable brands to look at?

Many thanks 👍

Dave