mikeDnight

It's only a possible maybe for me at this stage on the Saturday.I won't be going to any talks though!

That would look impressive, and be stunning on the Moon & planets. You've talked me into it Alan. 😊 I'm secretly hoping that Peter Drew will permanently loan me his 8.5" refractor, but I may be hoping against hope!

If someone would Photoshop a nice German EQ and rotating tube rings on the image, I think I'd be happier.😊

It does show some nice views Doug, but ive only used it a few times since it arrived. I find the OO dob mount an awful contraption though, so it puts me off using it. I've probably used it around five or six times so far.

Hi Glob, Unless we're really fortunate, I think most amateurs are affected by either street lighting or flood lighting to some degree. It helps if you can find pleasure in observing things that wouldn't normally be your number one choice. I know a few astronomers who used to be keen deep sky observers, but because of the massive increase in both light pollution and aircraft vapour trails destroying our view, some now lean towards lunar and planetary observing from town. There's still a great deal to see even with a small scope in the deep sky, if you can find a way of blocking out the light sources that affect you most. Ive found that the biggest problem for me is the light entering my eye from my surroundings. Covering your head and eyepiece with a blackout hood of some sort will massively improve your dark adaption. Some on SGL have constructed high fences that act as light shields and wind breaks, while others have built small observatories, the simplest being a run-off roof shed. Personally I love the moon and planets and find them to be an endless source of interest and wonder. They are dynamic and you never know what delights you're going to see if you observe carefully. And light pollution doesn't affect them to the same degree as it does the deep sky. Attached is a pic of the flood lights thoughtfully placed by the council, which light up a football pitch near to me. Nobody uses the pitch at night! Thankfully they do go off at 10pm. My answer to the problem was to build a small run-off roof observatory, from which even deep sky objects can be observed successfully despite the lighting problem.

I'd certainly like to observe through a DZ over a few nights, as I'm intrigued as to how any 4" refractor could possibly give a better visual image than that produced by the DL. Perhaps imaging is where the DZ will shine over the other versions. In any case, my little DC is staying right where it is!

There are a good number of Takahashi FC 100 fans here on SGL. With the introduction of the new FC100DZ F8.2 by Takahashi, I'm wondering how others feel about this new scope? The DZ has a retractable dew shield, which is a positive move, but other than that, I'm at a bit of a loss as to any advantages over the DC/DF or the DL. It may of course be that Tak are phasing out the F7.4 and F9 models, or could it be Canon Optron calling the shots?

The Orion nebula appears green in a 4" and the colour intensifies as aperture increases, especially when you're well dark adapted. Also, the double cluster in Perseus is a colourful and pleasing object to study. One of the pass times I enjoy, is choosing a constellation, and examining each of its more obvious stars for binaries and their contrasting colours.

That crossed my mind too Scott. The old Vixen custom D would handle a 100mm F7.4. I suppose that if the mount is Tak quality, it may be worth buying the full outfit just for the mount?

You could try constructing a decking area from which to observe, and which could double as a seating area for every day use.

Remaining comfortable and dark adapted under a black-out hood for upto an hour can be a challenge, but I've seen some difficult targets by doing so. I also find that just gently nudging the field fractionally and regularly, can draw my eyes attention to the faintest wisps of nebulosity. And letting my eye scan the field naturally rather than forcing just one area of the retina to do all the work, can help me to remain visually relaxed.

My wife often tells me that patience is a virtue, seldom possessed by women and never possessed by men. You've just proved her so wrong! Patiently waiting for a Vixen FL102 has definitely paid off. The AZ4 has been spray painted Rob. The mount is easy to strip down and its surface lends itself to spray painting, so it's easy to get a close match to Vixen or Takahashi colours. Below is one I painted to closely match both my Vixen tripod and Takahashi clam shell. It's not an exact match with either, but I like it better than the standard black of the AZ4. I also have one in a duckegg blue colour, which seems to go well with the blue on my Tak.

Definitely one of the best 4" refractors ever made! Congratulations on finding such a gem of a scope Rob.

I'd say that things are just starting to get interesting at X150 Rob. Personally I'd choose a 5mm over a 6mm for your excellent refractor. A 5mm Pentax XW would give stunning views, but I wouldn't leave it at that. I'd suggest you also buy the 3.5mm. Your scope will cruise along at 100X per inch on the Moon on a good night, because it is such a high quality instrument. I'm quite comfortable with short eye relief eyepieces, and so I'm fond of the Vixen HR eyepieces, and find even the 2mm comes in handy. I've even barlowed it on my Tak FC100DC with pleasing results. I never consider exit pupil or eyepiece calculators. If it works for me I'll use it! I do like bino viewing though, and get amazing views using cheap longer focal length eyepieces along with a barlow, that are every bit as good as the views through high end mono eyepiece views. Stu mentioned above, that he'd seen the alpine valley through his 100mm refractor, and I too have seen it several times through my own 100mm scope. Your Vixen will definitely show it also Rob, when the lunation and a steady atmosphere allows. To me I appears as a subtle, broken white line, just slightly brighter than the mare floor of the valley. The best I ever saw it was when I was using a pair of 15mm Vixen Lanthanum eyepieces in my barlowed binoviewer. So don't be afraid of pushing your scope well over the 50X per inch limit. It will thank you for it!

Hi Raph, You really don't need to be a good artist to make valuable sketches at the telescope. Simple line drawings can serve as a great way of recording changes in detail on the moon and planets. All you need are a few graphite pencils, a sharpener, a putty rubber and a sketch pad. I find cotton buds are a very good tool for smudging the graphite when you want a soft or nebulous effect, and the putty rubber can lift the graphite off the page to lighten the detail, or it can be used to harden an edge or create lunar rays. In the attached drawings, you'll notice the Orion nebula drawn by lifting graphite from the page so as to lighten the nebulosity. Also, there's a China white pencil sketch of the same nebula drawn on black paper. Alternatively, there's a simple graphite sketch of the Orion nebula that's been imaged and presented in negative. Which is best? It's just down to personal preference, but the more you play around doodling at the eyepiece the better you'll get at it. Sometimes you'll come across features that are so subtle that you have to exaggerate the size, or the intensity of the detail. Venus being a case in point! Mars can also be a bit of an awkward subject, but most seasoned observers understand the only way to record such detail is to exaggerate its intensity. As long as its representative of what can be seen at the eyepiece, it's a great way to record observations. The lunar crater Linne is exaggerated in scale as it is so tiny that to do it anyother way would make it valueless.

I think that for me, the time I spend looking and studying an object is very important. It doesn't matter whether its a faint fuzzy or the Moon, the longer you observe it the more you'll generally be able to tease out the detail. Taking notes or making a sketch also focuses the concentration.

For me, a binoviewer has been the best purchase I've ever made. It transforms the resolution detail in my 4" apo refractor to something akin to that of a 5". Obviously, light grasp doesn't increase but the ease with which super-fine detail reveals itself is definitely enhanced. The only problems I've encountered are really mechanical in nature. Rotating the diopters can demerge the images and eyepieces with undercuts or tapered barrels can be fractionally pushed out of alignment with a locking screw. Overcoming the mechanics can take time but its well worth the effort.

From the garden: North. North east. East. South West. West. South

I couldn't honestly say, as the scope and tripod belonged to a friend. Sorry!

With regard to Barlow choice, you may be paying more than you need to with the Celestron. I use a 2X Skywatcher Delux barlow with my takahashi apo and it gives a truly colour free, high contrast image, even at extreme high power. The SW Delux is not going to break the bank either!

Pentax XW's are another option. Wonderfully transparent and sharp but no 6mm, only 5mm & 7mm close to the focal lengths you're wanting. Eyepieces are a personal choice, but I feel the XW's are some of the very best planetary eyepieces available, and I've owned a lot of top end brands. They make great DSO eyepieces too, showing amazing contrast, so be careful, as you might want the entire set! I feel that to get a better planetary eyepiece for mono planetary use you'd need to be looking at narrow field, minimal glass designs, such as Super Monocentrics or some high end orthoscopics.

It may be you're a terminal case I'm afraid. It should be an absolutely terrific DSO eyepiece though, which might ease your suffering!

I have no real regrets, though sometimes I wonder if I'd benefit from a dome rather than my run-off roof observatory. I like the advantages both types offer, so perhaps a run-off dome would be the ticket for me! Anyhow, the comfort of a dry, clean and somewhat cosy room that protects me from the cold biting winter breeze, and who's walls are high enough to block out stray light, greatly increases my desire to observe. I set the wall height at 6' 6" as the horizon offers generally poor seeing, and so local lighting is blocked from direct view. At 8' by 7' it offers enough room for me and a couple of friends to observe together.

I'm not sure I'm understanding the problem, but what I will say is that I've seen many scopes let down by inadequate low quality diagonals. I've never set them free among the astro community, but rather promptly executed them. If I'd have had my witts about me, I should have posted their remains back to the manufacturer's, namely Meade with their 1.25" mirrors, Celestron 1.25" prisms & Vixen flip mirrors.

Perhaps she just needs a clean! You could buy some Caloclean lens cleaning spray and a Calocloth lens cloth from a local optician for just a few pounds. It will last for years! Also, any eyepieces you have may benefit from their eye lenses cleaning, as oil from eyelashes will affect their performance over time. After doing that the scope should perform as good as new.