Trentend

So sorry to hear this. Met David and his wife briefly a few years ago when collecting a beautifully made dob. Such a friendly and accommodating man. Thoughts with his family and friends.

With rubbish recent viewing conditions and a seemingly constant  “poor” forecast on the weather app, I’m considering upgrading my lunar/planetary visual set up for those occasional 10 minute clear windows in the back garden. Currently have a mak127, M2 Stellarvue mount and Gitzo series 5 tripod. Great little scope and punches well above its weight but looking for more brightness and contrast. Have always wanted to scratch the mak180 “planet killer” itch but already have a C11 on a planet/AZ100 which is a beast to carry and cool-down and I think the mak180 would get little use hauling all that weight out for a quick session.

So was flicking through the pages here the other day and stumbled across the Stellalyra 6” CC which I’d never heard of but seems to tick the boxes. Long focal length (similar to the mak150), good for visual, quick cool down and relatively light. Question is would this sit ok on the M2 with diagonal and binoviewers (I think so as the M2 has a c.9kg load limit) but not so sure about the Gitzo tripod. Any thoughts? Would this be much of an upgrade?

No wiggle whatsoever. Visual observations are like the scope is attached directly to Mother Earth (I think that’s why Berlebach call their tripod the “planet”…)

I would go with an alt-az and recommend the M2 stellarvue. 20lbs capacity, rock solid and US made so no import fees for you.

https://www.stellarvue.com/m2/

Down the line if you get lazy like me you can add encoders. Perfect grab and go set up on a lightweight tripod.

No need for any counter weight in my experience. I’ve loaded a C11 on one side with lots of heavy kit (binoviewers, eyepieces etc) and it was as solid as a rock. Zero movement. I’ve also stuck a 102 frac on the other side which was great once aligned on the dual saddle. You can also just about reach zenith with the tilt handle, albeit requires a little guiding between the planet legs.

Hope that helps.

Is the above set up likely to be secure? I know the tripod and mount (a stellarvue M2) can take the weight but wondering if c.8kg on a fibreglass tripod is asking too much in terms of stability. Would prefer not to have to lug out the Berlebach planet/AZ100 for quick grab and go.

Evening, does anyone know which size I need for a Baader clicklock to go on the end of the stock skywatcher focuser for the Startravel 102 T? Looks like it might be this one. Prefer these to thumb screws.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/baader-click-lock-2956256-m56-celestron-skywatcher.html

Thanks

8 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Is there a particular reason your Tak is installed upside down?

The Taks fine it’s everything else out…

I picked up a C11 last year. It is a bit of a beast but by far the best lunar and planetary visual views compared to all of my other current and previous scopes (FC100, Mak127, 18” dob). Covered mine in B and Q radiator foil and always found it usable straight out the box with minimal cool-down. Having said all that the scope I use the most is a humble skywatcher 127mak. Pin sharp on solar system, no collimation, light as a feather and view much brighter (which I prefer) to my frac.

Have though always hankered after a Mak180 “planet killer”…

2”

Joko, I currently place my OVNI-B in to the 55mm pan eyepiece and then the eyepiece in to the filterwheel which the goes in to my telescope focuser for afocal viewing. Are we saying I’m likely to get better(?) results if I place in filterwheel in between the eyepiece and B?

What are the views like?

I'm not a man of faith but wow what an experience last night - by far the best ever session in all my years looking up. Quite emotional!

I made the 45 minute journey out of the city to a local bortle 3/4 site. It was a perfectly still night, little wind, cool but not too cold, beautifully clear skies and (importantly for Scotland) consistent conditions for more than the usual 30 minute window. Also no moon - I was here a few months ago during the quarter moon and then last weekend when nearly full and boy what a difference with no moon at all. I ended up at the site a full 4 hours!

Usual kit; C11, FC100, 55/67 combo, various filters (3.5, 7, 12, 642 & 685) plus Carson and OVNI-B gear.

First up just looking skyward soaking up the stars. The milky-way was more noticeable than my previous two visits stretching all the way from the North, directly overhead, running just left of Orion and to the horizon in the South.

I then picked up the Carson handheld x1 with the filter wheel and that really blew my socks off! I've seen the phrase "filthy with stars" in NV forums before but the milky-way was just "filthy with nebula" - and I'm not talking small grey splodges - they were all along the spine and really bright. Not 100% sure what I was looking at but suspect Elephant trunk, Heart & Soul, California, Cone and Rosetta along the way. Barnard's loop was also spectacular (just like the photos Gavster and Co have posted on this site). I tried various filters and just a tweak to the manual gain to get eyepiece like views. I think my favourite filters were the 7 & 12. Then changed over to the OVNI-B and whilst not as sharp/bright (understandable given the difference in tube specs) still very impressive and a definite "upgrade" compared to the views from back-home in the city.

Giddy with excitement I then loaded the 55/67 in to the C11 with the Carson for a tour. The usual suspects really impressed (notably M42, Flame and a crystal clear Horsehead nebula). Firsts for me though were the Crab and Rosetta - both brilliant. Not as clear/bright as the photo's on this forum but could clearly make out structure. Most of the targets I'd set up though were too large for the FOV so I then had a go with the Tak for the first time - what a surprise - was neat seeing both M42 and Horsehead in the same frame. Rosetta was stunning as was Pacman and Jellyfish. I think at this point I had another go handheld with the filter wheel - I really must get one of those photo-lenses...

Finally (non NV related), I picked up some Denkmeier 21mm LOA (the 3D eyepieces) a few years ago but had never got around to using them. Last night was the first time and they were really neat. Pointed the Tak at Pleiades and there was a definite 3D effect with what looked like real depth. Suspect these will be great on globular clusters but I'll save that for another day (need to see if Russ can make these for NV!).

So all in all a stunning night with all of the kit working like clockwork - feels like years of planning and "kit collecting" all came together.

Drove home with a smile on my face trying to work out how to get the big Dob in the back of the car for even brighter views next time....

A bit ocd, but to get focus on all 3 levels on the Binotron powerswitch and FC100 I need just under 1cm additional outward travel to reach focus on the low power setting. This works fine by either slightly pulling out the diagonal or stock extension tube from the stack (per the picture below). But I’d prefer to plug the gap with something so the set up is more secure (and looks better…). Is there a ring or slightly longer extension tube I could use?

3.5nm Antlia, 7nm & 695 baader, 12nm and 642 Astronomik. The chroma (if I went down that route) would be a replacement for the Antlia.

Any more thoughts on the TS?

Will do thanks. Crystal clear views last night with a near full and high moon getting crisp x250 mag but also an eye-full of annoying dust particles!

Thanks I’ll take a further look

Dumb/newbie question, but when viewing anything above a certain magnification with a diagonal and binoviewer (probably same for mono) I can see lots of dust that’s sitting on the diagonal mirror and it’s spoiling the view. Not talking floaters here but the diagonal glass itself. I’ve tried a blower to remove items before viewing but there’s always something there. Not so much an issue if looking at DSO but is for lunar with a white background.

Any cures?

Sorted. Blasted with a hair dryer for a minute then put on some rubber gloves and managed to remove the reducer safe and sound.

Pressure as in downward towards the back of the C11 then turn?

Thanks all. I’ll perhaps let it defrost (it was very cold last night) and pick up a strap wrench from screwfix tomorrow to try. The reducer comes in two parts. The bit with the lens fortunately screwed out easily enough. What’s left is an extension adapter thing on the SCT thread. 

3 hours ago, Second Time Around said:

What an excellent report!

My own brain has frostbite and I may not be reading it correctly.  Does your OVNI-B not have gain control?

No I think mine was the last one before they were added (so a collectors item!). Still very happy with it though and the views last night at the site were a big improvement with significantly less scintillation compared to when I use it in the light polluted back garden (the higher spec PVS though seems MUCH better able to cut through the city gloom). I can see why Gavster ended up with two of them in one of those fancy Pegasus binocular beasts!

Thanks Stu. Might have been frostbite setting in on my brain but pretty sure when I clicked on the sky safari app I had a “cannot connect” message nand couldn’t see anything. Perhaps I need to check the setting?

I swapped a 2” visual back on my C11 with a focal reducer last night when out in the cold and this morning I can’t for the life of me get the reducer off. It’s not crossed threads but feels locked solid. Any thoughts? Don’t want to take a hammer or blow touch to it…