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Cleetus

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Everything posted by Cleetus

  1. What about a metal pier on wheels with brakes. No digging required.
  2. 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
  3. Looks fantastic but I guess you will not have as many clears skies as you had in the desert?
  4. For a moment there I thought you might be moving to Birmingham! Are you staying in Finland or moving further afield?
  5. 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."
  6. 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?
  7. 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?
  8. 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.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Yes, I bought a nice Vixen mount from them recently at a very nice 20% discount.
  12. Wasn't sure whether to go vertical or horizontal but the same principle applies re cutting. Much better than pluck foam.
  13. 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.
  14. 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.
  15. 20% off at Telescope House at the moment so fill your boots, or empty your wallet.
  16. Interesting story in today's paper. IN COURT Share Astronomic row over comet explorer’s ‘best mate’ will INDIA MCTAGGART ASTRONOMERS are locked in a battle over a legacy after a man who discovered a comet left his entire estate to his “best mate”. Roy Panther, an amateur stargazer who found fame when he discovered “Comet Panther” in 1980, had planned to leave his £400,000 fortune to the British Astronomical Association (BAA). However, a month before his death in 2016, he allegedly dictated a new will leaving everything to “my best mate”, without clarifying who that was. Now the BAA and one of Mr Panther’s oldest friends, also a keen amateur astronomer, are embroiled in a court row over whether the new will is valid. Mr Panther had written a will in 1986, leaving almost all of his fortune – including his home in Walgrave, West Northants – to the BAA, of which he was a long-standing member. But Alan Gibbs is fighting to prove that he is the rightful heir, arguing that he was not named on the handwritten document because Mr Panther dictated it to him and it was written colloquially. Mr Panther, who was 90 when he died in Northampton General Hospital, spotted the comet with his homemade telescope at his home on Christmas Day, 1980. The discovery earned him a mention in the record books and an appearance on the BBC’s The Sky at Night, during which he was interviewed by Sir Patrick Moore. He spotted the faint signs of what would become “Comet Panther” within the constellation of Draco while conducting a “systematic search” of the night sky. He left his estate to the BAA, along with small cash sums to two friends and £10,000, plus his stargazing equipment, to the executor of his will, Colin Eaton. But Mr Gibbs says when Mr Panther was in hospital, in 2016, he dictated a new will stating “if I die” the estate should go to “my best mate,” which Mr Gibbs argues can only refer to him. The battle over the 2016 will be heard at a trial at Central London County Court next year, but at a short planning hearing, Judge Alan Johns KC granted an application for medical evidence relating to Mr Panther’s capacity to make a will at the time he was in hospital to be given at the trial by doctors.
  17. Looking for a Berlebach tripod head to fit a Vixen SXP2. I already have an old Berlebach and was hoping to swap out the tripod head but cannot see anything on the website where I can buy one without buying the tripod too.
  18. For the last three or four years I was waiting around for the electronics in my Meade to go belly up in order for me to justify de-forking. It never did, and I felt a bit guilty about de-forking a perfect working scope so I sold the whole lot. My idea was to use it with one of those fancy Vixen mounts. Have ordered the Vixen but now nothing to put on top of it. 😆 I also used a Moonlite and was really impressed with it. Great views using a Nag 22 and Pan 35. Tried an Ethos but sold it on as I just couldn't get used to it. Hope my next telescope, whatever it is, is equally impressive. Anyway, your plan sounds a good one and best of luck with it.
  19. Good job. Hope your mattress didn't suffer too much!! I was going to do the same to my 12 inch but decided to sell it in the end. What are your plans for the OTA? EDIT: just read about your plans.
  20. So universal you can even use it on your lawn.
  21. I used Bedec MSP for my Pulsar. Easy to work with and won't cost a fortune. https://bedec.co.uk/multi-surface-paint/
  22. I was in the Sinai Peninsula a few years back and we arrived at the dark sky location just before sunset. The sun goes down and it's not long before the sky is inky black. Someone comes up to me and says "that's unlucky, looks like clouds are rolling in". He had mistaken the milky way for thin cloud! That was an awesome starry sky with so many stars it was confusing. On another occasion I was near the equator in the Seychelles with a sea horizon. That was also special. Dubai was horrendous for light pollution and humidity. They have an astro group there but they have to drive into the desert to escape the lights.
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