Cleetus

What about a metal pier on wheels with brakes. No digging required.

I think it was me who posted some pictures of cheap paint I used to paint a Tak clamshell from the new colour to the old. The thread was closed. I think the paint cost me less than £2 per bottle. It has lasted well. Tamiya Colour XF21

Looks fantastic but I guess you will not have as many clears skies as you had in the desert?

For a moment there I thought you might be moving to Birmingham! Are you staying in Finland or moving further afield?

I wouldn't have the courage to try that.

I would imagine Autoglym Super Resin Polish would be a safe bet in this instance. Available everywhere. "The famous bottle can be found in garages all over the world, and has been lovingly applied on everything from hyper cars and priceless classics to family cars. It will not only restore gloss to dull surfaces, but is also ideal for removing small scuffs and scratches on new or old paintwork. Use every few months as needed to maintain a superb shine. The undefeated, 4 time winner of Detailing World’s Polish of the Year award."

Thanks for posting this. The March 2039 opposition will present the rings at + 00.6 but I assume there must be occasions when the rings are actually "edge on" and invisible in smaller telescopes?

I have never used a Celestron but I had a 12" GPS Meade for many years. It was a great telescope and never broke down in over 20 years. However, it is huge and and I eventually sold it because I wanted to downsize to something more manageable. Furthermore, it was housed in an observatory and I still felt the need for something smaller so if you are going to set up and take down every session then you have to ask yourself how long before you get tired of this. Only you can answer that question. Also, had I bought the 10" instead I have a feeling I would never have got rid of it. You should consider this as well as taking into account your skies, what type of objects you will mainly observe, and the difference a 10" compared to the 12" would be. Of course, a bigger aperture will be capable of showing more but will your seeing conditions allow you to take full advantage?

My Vixen HAL will be heading to the classifieds as soon as I get my act together. Its had an equatorial on it once and has never seen a starry sky. No longer needed by me now but am sure I can tempt someone around these parts when the time comes.

That's very interesting news as I'm very close to buying a 210 and very nearly bought on recently. I have already bought the mount but decided to wait for a house move to complete before ordering. Now, depending on what we get, I may change my plans. However, assuming we get the usual Tak quality and the new models are an improvement, I cannot see that happening to be honest. I'll just have to make do with my DF in the meantime.

It might be a good idea to post on CN about this - they have a whole section dedicated to Meade telescopes - as there are a few Meade experts who regularly contribute. I had a spare (never used) hand set for the GPS but recently passed it on.

Yes, I bought a nice Vixen mount from them recently at a very nice 20% discount.

Wasn't sure whether to go vertical or horizontal but the same principle applies re cutting. Much better than pluck foam.

1. Use a fine black marker pen and draw circle using eyepiece barrel. 2. With a very sharp craft knife cut slightly inside the circle. 3. Sit back and admire your results.

It really depends on the weight of the telescope plus all the other stuff you attach to it, I've listed a few below. I would have thought your counterweight is a bit on the heavy side. You can, of course, obtain lighter Vixen counterweights, which might be more suitable. Accessories I would recommend are a 6x30 Tak finder on a quick release bracket. The MEF 7:1 fine focuser. The Baader quick release 2" diagonal if you intend on using 2" eyepieces. I believe you will also need a Baader adapter (M64) if you go down this route. Televue Equaliser and a 2 inch extender if some of your eyepieces don't come to focus. None of these are essential and their absence won't prevent you from enjoying a wonderful telescope.