F15Rules

Thanks Stu😉.

Yes, 2" Barlows aren't that common it seems, but I do think they can be useful.

I had a GSO Revelation 2" a few years back..it was quite good optically, but the aluminium tube was very thin and could "flex" somewhat in the focuser..I wouldn't trust it with a heavy 2" eyepiece!

The AP is so much more robustly made, and I'm looking forward to trying the various permutations with and without the main extension tube, and so on..

Dave

I've posted a picture of my ep case before, but this time I've filled the last available space with a nice 2" Astro Physics Convertible Barlow (front row, centre right).

I'm looking forward to playing with it and my main eyepieces, 2 Morpheus (9mm and 17.5mm), Nagler T2 12mm, and Axiom LX 23mm and 31mm,.and a Carton 7-21mm zoom.

The AP barlow nosepiece has M48 and T2 male threads and can be threaded straight into my Baader Zeiss T2 prism diagonal, so some interesting permutations should be possible😉.

Dave

What a lovely set, Mark, congratulations👏.

Very like the Baader Genuine orthos, when I had a set of these I used to find winged eyeguards really helpful in keeping out stray light.

Just superb on doubles, lunar and planets..enjoy!👍

Dave

43 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Following my disappointing observing boot purchase earlier this month, I went with a third pair of these fleece lined snow boots 

Using those champagne bottles for comparison Jeremy I'm estimating that your Boot size is about a 26??

Ah, well, at least you can drown your sorrows in style..🙂👍

Dave

39 minutes ago, Saganite said:

I'm with Jeremy on this one.  If I can't use them at night time I prefer not to think about them.....   Today, SHMBO turfed my scopes out of the conservatory , so they are all with me in my room, sulking !

I am allowed back after January 6th apparently.

I rather suspect that, with those two amazing, long and irreplaceable tubes apparently standing unsupported in that corner, you'll be thinking about them quite a lot!!😱🤔.

Dave

30 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

You can bring them over here if you like, Steve.

..beware, Steve..that would be a one way trip!!😱😂😂

Dave

37 minutes ago, Saganite said:

Excellent book Jeremy.  My copy sits in my bedside bookshelf and lulls me to sleep many a night...

...and there was I, Steve, thinking it was drooling over your fabulous pair of long fracs that did that..

Dave

On 15/12/2021 at 10:01, malc-c said:

Prinz Astral was Dixons "own brand".  In reality they all came out of the same factory that made the cheaper Tasco scopes that would often appear in Argos or Grattons catalogues. 

I'm afraid that is factually incorrect..please see my posts above.

Prinz branded scopes were made by at least 2, and probably 3 manufacturers over the period of c 15 years they were available..🙂

Dave

Sorry I'm late seeing this thread🙂.

As a 15 year old in early 1971 I was a big fan of Prinz scopes from Dixon's Photographic on the high street. I used to gaze at the range on display in their window, clutching my Observers Book of Astronomy and wishing to get one.

The top of the range was the 76mm F16 660 model, the only "full 3" aperture refractor they offered, all the rest were 60mm. The 76mm F16 looked huge compared to the rest!

In descending order (and from dearest to cheapest), the models were: 660, 550, 440, 330, 220 and 100. I owned the 100, a variable zoom power shorter focus (around F11) which was on a rickety Altaz and yolk mount. It was poor, but better than no scope, which is what I had before!

Next I had the 330, which was on an equatorial mount, a very nice miniature version of the 660, very nice optics and I had my first proper look at Saturn within it..as John said, NO later view with however big a scope will IMHO better the sheer thrill of that first view of Saturn and it's rings..and Titan of course.

Finally, I had the 550. Finished in white Tube, longer at F15, and a decent grey painted eq mount (think "Swift" grey), decent finder, lovely optics, so so eyepieces and diagonal prism all 0.965" so small and narrow view. The tripod was ok but not particularly steady, especially at high powers, but again, everything at that time was relative. The Prinz 330 and up were definitely "proper scopes" and introduced many people of my generation to our hobby.

I did eventually, and many years later, buy an original 660. This was white with black painted eq mount, and with a 1.25" adapter.pprobed to be an excellent scope on lunar and  double stars. However, with such a long scope at F15 (1140mm!!), the supplied tripod was too flimsy to give the best platform for the scopes optics to really shine.

I fixed that by getting a CG5 class steel tripod which matched the tube well.

In summary, I'd say the original Prinz tubes are worth considering for the optics, but the tripods are not.

Also, later Prinz models numbered 500, ,400, 300 instead of 550, 440, 330 were much less robustly constructed, with many more plastic parts, unlike the original 550 & co range which used metal focuser wheels, not plastic ones, for example.

Here's a link to a CN post with some comparisons of the earlier Kenko 550 Vs the later Circle T scopes, and some pics from the same thread clearly I think showing the difference in the 550 Kenko build quality (all metal) Vs the later Circle T 500 (much more plastic).

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/337451-prinz-optics-550-anybody-have-one/

Also a link to a thread I started in 2010 about the Prinz 660 I acquired..

Prinz 550 original box

Prinz 550 focuser. Notice similarity to Swift scopes colour scheme..

Later, 1980s model Prinz 500 focuser. Optics were generally ok, but note altogether more flimsy looking focuser build, plastic wheels etc..

Earlier Prinz (Kenko 550) on original eq mount and tripod..

Original, robustly built Prinz 550 mount..no plastic here!!

Prinz 660 76mm F16.5 on original eq mount and Celestron CG5 tripod

1 hour ago, John said:

Tim Wetherell's masterpiece is one of my all time favourite scopes !

This is even more impractical and unlikely for me but I still admire it - one of John Pon's achromats, this one is a Zeiss 10 inch F/15:

 

If you ask me, you can't beat a big F15 in the sheer "good looks" category!😊👍

Do Oklop holdalls run to that size though??🤔😂

Dave

On 14/12/2021 at 23:13, Sunshine said:

 

On 14/12/2021 at 23:13, Sunshine said:

 

On 14/12/2021 at 23:13, Sunshine said:

Do you have all the telescopes you want?

Truthfully? I think I do!

My FS128 is as near to my all around scope as I think I could get, and I have a nice old Vixen 102m F10 which I enjoy for that "retro" observing feel (other children of the 1960s era might understand what I mean😊).

I think the only other "things" I could want, and which might enhance my enjoyment of the hobby (which after all is the most important thing?) would be:

- a modern Tak mount such as the EM200

- a high quality adjustable Berlebach tripod

- a garden with a flat 360 degree unobstructed view

- a Tak 10x60 RACI finder (if it were ever to exist!)

- a new set of Mk II eyeballs

The first two items on my wish list might at some point become a possibility, I think the last 3 are wishful thinking!

But seriously, I'm just very fortunate to have the kit I now have, and scopewise I'm very content 👍.

Dave

Great setup and enjoyable read, Tim👍😊.

I think the fact that it's 17 years old just adds to it's appeal..IMHO the FS series were/are real modern classics, and still stand up visually to pretty much anything on the market today..

I also love the Tak clamshells and much prefer the one on my FS128 to a pair of rings..so easy to adjust, and the scope just feels "planted" when held by the solid clamshell.

I look forward to a night time first light when conditions allow.

Dave

20 hours ago, JeremyS said:

I must be a fool then😊

There's no way you're a fool, using a straight through finder, Jeremy!!🤗..

..a "pain in the neck",  perhaps??

Dave

Hello Daz,

If you go for Gordon's solution, you could add extra weather/damp protection with one of these Oklop flexible storage holdalls.

I have one for my scope and it's excellent. I think this one might fit your proposed Startravel scope:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescope-bags-cases-storage/oklop-padded-bag-for-small-telescopes.html

Hope that helps😉

Dave

6 hours ago, F15Rules said:

also think the nosepiece can thread straight into my Baader Zeiss T2 BBHS prism, but haven't checked that yet..

Dave

Just checked, and it threads into the Baader prism body and/or the Baader 2" nosepiece front end..and of course via the main barlow body.

I believe the magnification factor is between 1.8x and 2.5x depending on the spacing and how you configure the whole barlow or just the nosepiece..will be fun trying the various permutations and estimating the magnification possibilities!

Dave

Just arrived having only been ordered on Sunday👍.

Astro Physics Convertible Barlow in 2" fitting with compression ring and detachable nosepiece.

I'm looking forward to trying this with my large 23mm and 32mm Axiom LXs.

I also think the nosepiece can thread straight into my Baader Zeiss T2 BBHS prism, but haven't checked that yet..

Dave

15 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/opticron-binoculars/opticron-adventurer-10x50-t-wp-binocular.html

Highly recommended. Sit back on a reclining garden chair to keep them steady or go with Mr Vader's popular trigger grip (mine is under the Christmas tree woohoo 😁).

Yep, would be hard to beat these, and as recommended by our own SGL bino expert, Steve Tonkin..

"We are confident this is the best binocular for astronomy available <£100. 

Currently in stock  

“If there is a better 10x50 for under £125, I’ve not seen it.  Everything works as it should, the image in the sweet spot is extremely good, it has decent coatings, it is lightweight and comfortable to use, the strap is good quality and comfortable, unusually for a budget binocular it is not significantly stopped down, and it will suit a wide range of faces."   Steve Tonkin's review for the BinocularSky website. 

Opticron Adventurer 10x50 T WP

Dave 😉

That was some heavy stuff, man!😊☮️✌️💊

Dave

2 hours ago, Voyager 3 said:

Wonderful pun . 😁

Yep...you've got to handle it to Jeremy..🙃

Dave

2 hours ago, johninderby said:

Describing it as a hand grenade might not be the best idea. 🤔. 😁😁😁

Agreed, John..but maybe you're just blowing it up out of all proportion? 

Dave

55 minutes ago, Dantooine said:

Come to think of it I was getting funny looks from my village post office. 😂

I've got so fed up of trying to explain, in answer to the question "what's in the package?" at the P.O. what a telescope eyepiece or accessory is, that nowadays I just say "it's a small, metal based telescope component"...

If I ever sell my 1.4kg Celestron Axiom LX 31mm beast, however, I doubt that explanation will work!

Dave

Real "What Counts factors" for me:

- A lightweight 5" apo that can do anything I want it to

- Binoviewing ( on selected targets)

- a decent pair of binoculars (on most targets)

- a good tracking mount for high power, no-nudge stability

- discovering good, affordable zoom eyepieces, in my case the first was a Baader MkII, the best so far a Pentax XL SMC

- getting a decent observing seat (Nadira)

- Learning that suffering from "eyepiece acquisition-itis" does NOT make me a good observer, practice and getting to know my equipment does!

- learning from others who are so much skilled at observing than I am..

Dave 😉

1 hour ago, Stardaze said:

I only had the bins out early on and it seemed ok here in the midlands. Works night the night before put paid to any late night, but the clouds had rolled in by 10 anyway. Shame though as forecast poor all week again. 

I wish I'd tried my bins too last night..

I think that last night really brought home to me the difference between transparency and seeing quality in a way I've not seen before..

In the finders on my two scopes I had out, the views were crisp and clear. But these were both of course very low magnification, at 9x50 and 6x30, both RACI.

The lowest scope power I used in the Tak 5" and Vixen 4" was approximately 40x, and that was just too much for my local conditions.. I can usually go to at least double that and see half decent views.

I think there was just too much going on in the atmosphere, lots of gusty wind, fast falling temperature and moisture combining to make an exceptionally unstable local situation.

In future, if I see something as extreme as this again, I'll either stick to my binoculars for the night or stay in with a good astro book..but it was good to hear that at least some of you got some better sessions😊👍

Dave