Cleetus

19 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Looks a very nice job. Congratulations!

Do you know which colour it is? Looking at their colour chart, Holly would be closest to my current colour. I would like a gloss finish.

I dread doing the whole thing and not liking it. I wonder if I could try a small area at the back to test. 

Yes, it was Holly. I had the same idea and chose a colour which I thought was closest to the Pulsar green. When I finished painting it looked lighter in colour but I liked it. Perhaps you could ask if they would supply a sample?

Found a picture but unfortunately it has me in it!

Anyway, I bought two tins of the MSP for about £70. Slightly lighter green than existing and chose the matt finish.

I had the same problem a few years back when my fibreglass dome was about 25 years old. Having looked into the possibilities re boat builders and fibre glass coatings, in the end I decided to apply two coats of Bedec Multi Surface Paint. After a light sanding I applied this using a small paint roller and I have to say I was very impressed with the results.

So Impressed that I am about to do it all again but only because my dome suffered a lot of rough handling during last year's house move and I fancy a change anyway. I will see if I can dig up a photo.

https://bedec.co.uk/multi-surface-paint/

And you might find this company useful. Great advice and have paint for many situations.

https://www.promain.co.uk/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwjLGyBhCYARIsAPqTz19I9qtyjKhPT7SjedkEBEN07ThwkDqv4cRyo_3hjT8xV6lq3m_fptEaAvPlEALw_wcB

 

Welcome to SGL. I remember those poles when I was growing up (Wexford). I presume they are hardwood. As I'm sure you know wood is less popular than piers for mountings - I presume this is because of the possibility of movement - but what you have there looks like a tank.

Wonder why he said it was clean when it wasn't? Anyway, fingermarks on the corrector plate is not that serious in itself but I would need to see it if I was you and, if possible, have a look through it at a star. You'll know if something 's not right. You could also ask for another photo of the mirror.

OK. There's a 10 inch Meade in the For Sale section. I know you are in Ireland but have a look and compare. 

The other thing is that you already have a 12 inch so what exactly are you going to use it for?

I think that's a little on the high side to be honest. Ask for a photo of the corrector plate.

Looks like a Classic. Anyway,  yes you could use it manually as there are slo motion controls on it. I think you need to see it. Is it far from you?

EDIT: Definitely a Classic.

Depends. Is it a Classic or GPS? If the electronics are fried but the optics are good then it could be deforked and used on a different mount. Depends on how much it costs. A lot of known unknowns here.

Many thanks. Have been told Vixen tray is approx 26cm so that should work just fine.

Just wondering if anyone has a Tak equatorial with wooden tripod? I do, but I have lost the accessory tray after a house move and was thinking of obtaining the Vixen tray which is available from Telescope House. I have a feeling this will fit and TH kindly gave me the measurements but I just wanted to confirm the size of the Tak tray before purchase.

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

On 10/11/2023 at 19:29, Marvin Jenkins said:

I am not the oldest member on this site by a long long shot but I clearly remember this question coming up in 2019 maybe.

I distinctly remember the thread being shut down as some members “got hand bags at dawn” about owning a Tak and then getting cheap on paint.

I don’t care one way or the other but it does make me giggle. What should be be taken more seriously is the term “handbags at dawn” which I suspect many people across the pond and farther afield may find confusing.

It basically describes a fight outside a pub (bar) or disco tech (nightclub) between drunken ladies hitting each other with handbags.

The truth which I have witnessed in Skegness (don’t ask) is actually far more violent and traumatic.

M.   I just use the single letter in moments of stress.

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?

On 20/09/2023 at 20:45, 900SL said:

Getting ready for darker nights here now summer has faded.

 

Moving in a month to B5 location, can't wait!

 

 

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

1 hour ago, Elp said:

If someone wants to try it out on a different product first, a very high grit (higher the number the smoother less gritty it is) wet and dry paper with water might achieve the same. If it works on car lacquer, no reason it can't work on 

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.

14 hours ago, Franklin said:

Bresser Uk are the main Vixen dealer now.

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.