mikeDnight

Well that's nothing fresh! 🐎

"Nayglers"? 😂

I'm not sure Andy - statistics don't lie! And what was it that good old Patrick used to say - "Every nut thinks Every other nut's a nut'! That's quoted from the book Bureaucrats and How to Annoy Them, by R. T. Fishal. (Patrick Moore). Which incidentally I've loaned to some lower than life individual who I've just remembered hasn't returned it. If only I could remember which lower than life individual I loaned it to??😕

That's great! Using Venn diagram and bringing the discussion into the mathematical world really clinches it for me. We all now know without doubt where we stand in the greater scheme of things.

Unfortunately Vlaiv, my tablet won't allow me to open your link, which I'm sure would be highly informative as usual. 😆

I've never been so insulted - middle class nerd indeed! I'll have you know I'm a working class nerd and proud of it. 😉

Yes, eyeglass cleaner is fine and safe to use. Only spray it onto the tissue and nor directly onto the lens just in case it seeps between the elements.

Which eyepiece are you using? Is it one particular eyepiece or do different eyepieces show the same effect?Sometimes oily residue from eyelashes, oran accidental touch of the eye lens on the eyepiece can create a bluring effect on the image. Perhaps try cleaning the eyelens with a lens tissue or cloth.

Amazing and a great way to make the sketch more than just a pretty picture. It's a nice deep dive into M44.

Not sure if its still available, but there's a Meade 127 triplet on AB&S. It's a terrific scope and colour free. Though it is heavier than a Equinox 120, it is better corrected, yet can be carried on a Vixen GP providing the tripod is very strong. It's very well designed with retractable dew shield and a finder that rotated around the focuser so it would always be accessible. Here's the one I used many times from some 13 years ago with my friend Phil standing alongside. It was his scope.

Photography/imaging is far too stressful for me, but I struggle with a TV remote. Just reading the OP stressed me out and I needed to lie down. It's little wonder that all the imagers I'm familiar with tend to be stress heads and complain continually as they seek a long enough clear spell, or destructively criticise their own efforts. Better to buy a good book with lots of astro pictures, and spend time contemplating the real thing at length through the eyepiece.

I've an even better idea Jeremy. Give your old counterweight to me, then order yourself some nice polished stainless steel weights. Problem solved! 🙂

I'd give it a clean up with some steel wool then wash off any dust. You can use warm water and fairy liquid, then dry with paper towel and allow to dry on a radiator for a few minutes. Duraglit wool is also good to help clean up any bare metal but also needs cleaning off afterwards. Rust-Oleum sage green spray paying gives a nice finish. It's not an exact match but its close enough not to be obvious. It's also pretty hard wearing once completely dry. It's also cheap, so weights etc can be resprayed whenever necessary.

P.S. Had a great time on the moon tonight!

Having used a number of old ED's, even from long established top end manufacturers, knowing the glass type isn't a big thing to be honest. The old Vixen 102ED didn't disclose the glass type as far as I'm aware, yet when my friend Derek bought a 102ED F9 we were both blown away by its stunning definition on Saturn (c2004). The colour correction on that scope was equally impressive and almost indistinguishable from the legendary FL102. When Derek told me he was about to exchange his 102 ED F9 for a 102SS ED F6.5 I was convinced he was making the biggest mistake of his life. He made the change anyway and I was proved wrong yet again. The 102EDSS was stunning both as a rich field scope and for lunar and planetary. I'm not sure if the Vixen ED's used FPL51 or an equivalent but the point is it didn't make a jot of difference. The scope was a jewel. So I think we should trust the choices made by the optical designers and the skill of the optical engineers and just enjoy the great scopes they provide us with.