F15Rules

1 hour ago, John said:

I'm going to feed my Vixen ED102SS some starlight this evening, I hope 😀

Will you be pointing your Vixen at a Mount Palomar photographic star atlas then, John?.. 🤔🤭😅

Dave

14 minutes ago, osbourne one-nil said:

Here’s my new dedicated SD103S visual scope…with my SD81SII on top for scale. The reduced price was too good to miss. 
 

I’ve had one before but I’d forgotten how big they were (compared to a 3” scope). 

Pure, elegant, simple beauty..

Sublime.

Dave

4 minutes ago, Franklin said:

I'm an ALDI man myself😁.

Achtung!! Du bist ein cheapskate, mein freund!! 😅🤣😂

23 hours ago, JeremyS said:

The Nagler 31 isn’t that big, Sunshine (sorry, we don’t eat Baked Beans in this household)
 

Again, for the Penniless Ones..I can recommend JS Tomato & Basil 🍲, (sans the Balsamic Vinegar😝)..just 62p a can!👍

20 hours ago, plyscope said:

Recived a new K-Astec ring set from Japan. 

 

This one weighs only 1.53kg complete, compared to 2.85kg for the original.

 

A nice birthday present for my FS152 which is 20 years old this year. 🙂 

 

Can we see a pic(s) of the said FS152 please? 😊

Superb image..in some respects your top one looks sharper than the orbiter's!

Dave

Wow!! I just checked the Terminagler current new price..!!🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️😱

Trust me Mike..

Having recently bought the Vixen SD115S and a case of 6 Vixen LVWs and booked short spring breaks in the coming weeks to take my lovely wife to visit 2 European cities, "Penniless" feels like an accurate description!

But joking apart, both those Axiom LX's in mint used condition cost me less than one new Morpheus!!😄👍..so probably c 1/4 the cost or less for the pair, of a new 31mm Nagler?

Dave

I've seen it with 4 scopes in the past c 9 or 10 years..

-First  (and cleanest view) with "Andromeda" - D&G 5" F15 achromat..subsequently bought by Steve above (@@Saganite). In Bortle 5 skies.

2nd and 3rd scopes were Vixen ED103swt and ED103s F7.7 apo refractors. In Bortle 4 and 5 skies

4th and most recently, Tak FS128 F8.1 apo in Bortle 4 skies.

I'm sure my new Vixen SD115S.F7.7 will show it readily, but even it can't see through the endless 5 mile thick clouds and rain we have had in the month since I bought it!!🙄🤪🤦‍♂️😭😂

Dave

On 28/02/2024 at 21:49, Geoff Barnes said:

Indeed! 😜

Er..before you get too smug, Geoff..we have the double double up here, easy peasy..

🎶🎶Nah nah nay nah nah!!😜😋😁😂

Dave

On 25/02/2024 at 19:32, Mumia said:

In recent days, after positive opinions about this eyepiece, I managed to buy it. In the coming days I will see how it compares to Tele Vue 3-6. There's going to be a duel between a first-league team and a second-league . We'll see what comes out of this comparison.

What makes you think the Tele Vue is Second League?😁🙃

Dave

11 hours ago, DirkSteele said:

The Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch!

and snap!  It spent a lot of time in the fc-100 during my session in Oldcroft (see observing reports) and I was rather impressed for its first light.  I am really looking forward to using it with my FS-60.  Almost a 7-degree field at 11.5x.  That would be class leading for 10x50 bins but I will have 15% more power and 44% more light gathering...

For us Penniless Ones.. the Poor Man's Terminagler...next to an Aero 30mm for scale..

Celestron Axiom LX 31mm, claimed 82deg fov, but its actually wider, c84-85 degrees. It's also heavier than the Nagler, which is why I decloaked mine (and also it's 23mm little brother)..

Both are superb eyepieces for low power viewing.

Here's a shot of the 23 and 31mm decloaked next to a Nagler T2 12mm for comparison..

I don't ever plan to let this great pair of UWA's go!

Dave

On 25/02/2024 at 18:43, JeremyS said:

Apart from general haziness, the Scots seem to be celebrating their 6 nations victory this evening 

(the “star” is Jupiter)

Glad you got a handle on what it was Jeremy! 🙃😊

Dave

+1 for Morpheus option. Great eyepieces, hard to fault. The 14mm has minor field curvature, but much less than the Pentax XW14 which I sold having tried the Morpheus.

My main set now is Vixen LVWs, but that's another story..no longer made, and rare as hen's teeth secondhand.

Go for the Morpheus set!👍😁

Dave

I ordered this Move Shoot Move smartphone adapter last week, having seen Stu's excellent Lunar shots using this device to get proper alignment rather than than handholding, which is truly an exercise in frustration!

It arrived today, a few days after Steve (@Saganite) received his..

As Steve remarked, this looks a very well made item, all anodised aluminium and with very smooth, precise feeling adjustment screws.

I haven't had a chance to try it yet, but so far I am impressed. I also ordered the remote Bluetooth shutter, to allow smooth, remote shutter release on my phone. 

A few pictures to show you the key features..🙂

The informative printed outer carton..

The informative printed outer carton.. A solidly built device oozing quality, even has its' own cloth pouch.

A useful user manual with specs sheet showing key dimensions re for example the maximum eyepiece and smartphone dimensions which the device can accommodate.

Dave

I'm chuffed to bits with my Vixen SD115S and Takahashi equatorial mount combination.

The only components that I felt looked in any way a little flimsy and small were the plastic tube rings securing knobs..see below..

..then it struck me that the spare original focuser knob, (made redundant by the Moreblue microfocuser upgrade), which is much larger and more solid (metal or aluminium) than the plastic tube ring knob, might just have the same thread locking grub screw..and it did!

I then fitted the spare focuser knob to one of the tube rings..a lovely fit. And then, in online chat with Tim, (@Franklin) who sold me this scope, he said that because he had also upgraded his SD81S scope to a Moreblue microfocuser, he had a spare focuser knob from that too!

Tim promptly offered me his spare for a pittance (all the SD apos have the same sized focuser knobs), and it arrived yesterday. 

These larger knobs could have been made for the scope rings, and I do think they look great, as well as feeling much more solid👍☺️..

Dave

I couldn't resist this lovely old c1980s Celestron Japan 30mm Plossl, complete with original box..

It looks virtually identical to the later Ultima 30mm, with very solid build and a lovely large eyelens...and a smooth barrel!!👍😁

Shown here next to a modern Vixen NPL 30mm 50 degree plossl for scale..

The Celestron was supposed to have a 52 degree fov rather than the more usual 50 degrees of most plossls. Comparing the daytime view through both eyepieces, the Celestron definitely has a wider field - perhaps even slightly more than 52 degrees. Both eps have a very sharp field stop.

Can't wait to try it out!

Dave

On 26/02/2024 at 11:40, Saganite said:

Impressed with Dave's  ( f15 Rules) Moon image recently, and Stu's recommendation, this arrived this morning and I have to say it so well made, all anodised aluminium, it feels high quality.  I look forward to taking a few smart phone images.

Looks good Steve👍..

Mine hasn't arrived yet but is with the delivery agent apparently..I have watched an online "unboxing" video and it does seem to be well thought out and designed..🤞🤞😉

Dave

2 hours ago, Tiny Clanger said:

If the focuser of your 127 annoys you as much as mine did, a relatively cheap way to get fine focus at the same time as buying a new diagonal is to get one of these :

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/diagonals/baader-t-2-90-prism-star-diagonal-with-focusing-eyepiece-holder-125-nosepiece.html

I find it works well .

+10 for that option..a great piece of kit!

Dave

45 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

The undersize issue is due to the fact that light passing through the corrector diverges on its way to the primary mirror, so to achieve the full entrance aperture the primary mirror needs to be oversize.    

I think that was the point being made on the CN site Peter..several primary mirrors being physically measured as 118mm diameter,  not the 127mm advertised.

We have seen similar misleading specs in chinese Binoculars.. Steve Tonkin of Binocular Sky fame has reported on a number of allegedly 50mm or 60mm aperture binoculars being significantly stopped down, leading to inferior performance.

It might also be worth noting the following, as posted on the USA site..

"I found that the few Chinese Mak-Cass I tested were roughly 1/2" smaller in true aperture than advertised. They are probably the same optical system with different branding/packaging. The culprits are the undersized 2nd surface on the corrector and the undersized primary mirror."

It does seem that  these entry level Maks from China have a 127mm corrector plate, but that the primary mirror is only c 118mm in diameter, so a noticeable difference. Add to that the poor quality (and possibly also stopped down) erecting prism, your Mak might only be operating more like a 4 -4.5" scope..

I've used several high quality Russian Maksutovs of 150mm aperture (not stopped down) and their planetary performance rivalled a 5" apo refractor..but they do cost a lot more to buy.

Dave

+1 for the Vixen SD115S F7.7, barebones tube weight 4.4kg. A good deal lighter, shorter, slimmer than my wonderful ex Tak FS128.

Cheaper than some 4" Taks with almost 1/3 additional aperture..very noticeable.

Dave

36 minutes ago, John said:

Antidote to a "ship's funnel" 🙂

U.K. Astronomy Buy & Sell (astrobuysell.com)

Thats beautiful John..and with a Carton OG too! I wonder if Richard might accept a cheeky offer for the objective only, to try out versus my Vixen 80mm F15??😂

20 minutes ago, Saganite said:

Never thought I would hear you say that ...ever, about 'ship's funnels'  Dave....🙂

Well, Steve I'm nothing if not open minded!!🤭😋

On 20/02/2024 at 18:44, John said:

I have enough refractors so I'd go for the F/8 6 inch newtonian I think.

I always liked the classic looks of  the TAL 2M 🙂

 

Thats the only Newt I've ever found attractive to look at. But I'd still have to stand up to view most objects and tilt my head at an awkward angle to view through it🤪!! A literal pain in the neck!😂

On 20/02/2024 at 18:27, vlaiv said:

Out of interest, what is the purpose of this inquiry?

I suspect David's original thread starter post was somewhat, er, mischievous..😉🙄.

Dave