RT65CB-SWL

Hi @capeworks and welcome to SGL. Assuming your dovetail bar is the same width as ‘generic’ Vixen dovetail bars, you should be ok. According to Sky-Watcher USA, it says that the ‘hybrid’ saddle is Losmandy and Vixen compatible.

Ed Ting released a video on his YouTube channel on Sunday. I will leave it at that!

I have not tried my SV215 3-8mm zoom or Nagler 3-6mm Zoom with my Lunt solar wedge. I tend use my Plossls or 6mm UWA 'goldline' or 'redline'. Perhaps I should give it a go and see what I am missing!

Hi @Lung First off, my condolences on the passing of your friend. 🙏 I hardly bother with a Barlow lens with my C6/SCT or ‘re-modded’ ETX-105. With regards to a star diagonal, I personally would opt for a 2” one with an SCT thread. Not sure whether your Mak has an SCT thread already. If not FLO and other dealers sell adapter rings to make the conversion. Also handy if you wish to add a ‘Crayford’ focusser at a later date. I have added an ETX to SCT adapter ring to my ETX-105 as per the images below. The ETX to SCT adapter ring and 1.25” visual back… …and fitted to the backplate of my ETX-105……and with my 2” SCT star diagonal. I also have a 2" SCT extension tube that gives me an 'extra' bit of focal length too, as shown below, and is also close/near enough to the same length of the ETX-105 specs, with the plastic rear end/flip mirror housing. Mine got damaged following a fall from mount and damaged two of three mounting points. The aluminium backplate is not a ‘Wegat’ one or other commercially available brand. The aluminium backplate I designed/planned myself. After some rough sketches and plans on sheets of A4 paper, searching and enquiries of local engineering workshops close to my home, I found one that was prepared to make it. I left them the original backend as a template for the mounting holes, a hole for the focus shaft, and the threaded port, as per the original.

He also made one for me, but from aluminium. Nice to have ‘something old’ and be able to use it with ‘something new’.

Maybe the views are ‘mushy’ because it has not had long enough to acclimatise. I have a C6 and give it a minimum of thirty minutes before I start observing. The other thing I don’t get, why are Bob’s Knobs so damn expensive?

Another +1 for the https://www.firstlightoptics.com/other-collimation-tools/hubble-optics-5-star-artificial-star.html Useful tip!… So I don’t loose the small magnetic metal strip, I put a 1.25” vinyl end cap over the end of it when not in use/storage. It will also protect the mask from damage… and do remember to remove the batteries.

I think there was a similar topic started a few years ago. For that topic I chose my TeleVue Ranger. For this topic it will be the same. Simply because it can be used for astronomical and terrestrial viewing. Problem arises when deciding on which mount, eyepieces and accessories, etc., to keep as well.

Happy with what I have so far. The Meade DS-2102 is the cheapest at £20.00GBP. The views are ok… [not complaining at that price]. 🔭

Four… as per my signature. Five… if I/you include a brass WW1 sighting telescope. Six… if I/you include a 400mm Photax/Paragon telephoto camera lens when coupled with a M42 helical focusser and/or star diagonal and an eyepiece. 🔭

If you press the '@' ['at'] key on your keyboard/keypad and start to type the username, it will show a list of possible users and highlight the one you want and will end up something like this... @RT65CB-SWL or @Wanderers BTW... What is your budget? - Have a read here... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes.html if you don't already own a 'scope. There is an eight inch Dobsonian for a little bit more [plus P&P] than the secondhand one you have shown. It will show more and will last a lifetime. Your wallet will thank you. You and your family, friends, etc., will be in awe when they look through the eyepiece.

It has been years since I last visited Uffington White Horse. I agree with @icpn and the 'skyglow' of light pollution from Didcot and Wantage is pretty bad. One of the not so pleasant things about living down south is there is so much of it! Be interesting to see your images if you do go ahead with it and good luck.

It’s either the Meade DS-2114 or DS-2130... or the same models, but with an ‘S’ tagged on the end. I have a Meade DS-2102 [refractor] and the eyepiece port is a piece of crap! I know this is a family friendly site and I could have used stronger word or expletive, but I won’t. Anyway the reason I used that word is because the two retaining screws are nylon plastic and they easily break or snap when over tightened. It happened with mine. Fortunately I asked one of my astro-society/club members if he could or replace with brass or stainless steel threaded inserts and replace the thumbscrews, as he has a lathe in his workshop/garden shed and enjoys a bit of light engineering for fellow members. Depending on how much the seller is asking for it, I personally would give at miss... unless it is going for a silly price... ie <£50.00GBP and that is being over generous. I paid £20.00GBP for my DS-2102 [just the OTA] early last year [2023]. If you need or want to read the user manual before purchase and then decide, then the link is here... https://www.meade.com/downloadEntityFile/assets/product_files/instructions/DS2000_TS_manual.pdf BTW... it is a discontinued model, so don’t expect any after sales support from Meade.

They should have asked @timwetherell to design and build it... Images above of his ‘steampunk’ telescope. https://wetherellart.co.uk/

Same happened to me when I gave the rear element of my Photax/Paragon 400mm telephoto camera lens a clean. Quick unscrew of the retaining ring and flip the lens over, reassemble and hey presto!

An update to my previous entries...

I like the 'safety line' [image #1 & #5] to stop the star diagonal and any attached accessory falling out and getting damaged when it hits the ground. Don't sell the rights ...or let a father and son [ie Al & Dave] see it!

When I observed the 1999 solar eclipse from BG🇧🇬 one of our group bought along his ETX-90 and homemade Baader solar filter. He said he preferred the view from my TeleVue Ranger. Whether having a Thousand Oaks glass solar filter made the difference, I don’t know. Always get into the habit of checking full aperture filters before each and every use. If in doubt, do not use and discard it. My full aperture filter has a few microscopic pin-holes when I hold it up to a source of bright light and I don’t use it. I now use a Herschel wedge when I observe the Sun. [images below]. note: Herschel wedges can only be used with refractor ‘scopes. Do not use with any reflecting or Petzval designs/types of telescope or camera lens.

I personally would use any refractor than a catadioptric for solar observation/viewing. Catadioptric ‘scopes tend to be ’sealed’ tubes and may well hold the heat longer. There have been instances where the adhesive/glue that holds the secondary baffle in place on some ETX’s has melted and fallen off.

BTW… if you have one of these solar filters… and don’t even contemplate using it! Instead invest in a ready made full aperture solar filter, or if you enjoy DIY, you can make with a sheet of Baader Solar Safety Film, some card, and strong adhesive tape… and make one for the finder scope too!

Hi @shinebug777 and welcome to SGL. 😱 I do hope that you have a solar filter! Nice artwork. Maybe the best place to post your artwork would be Community —> The Astro Lounge hopefully one of the admins will see this and advise.

I use the Baader Optical Wonder fluid on my TeleVue Ranger objective element, though I have not gone and done the whole thing... just the outer surface. If I pluck up enough courage, I may consider it. @NGC 1502 My Ranger also has US-imperial🇺🇸 screw-threads.

I have never seen a ‘white’ Mars either in my 50+ years of owning various ‘scopes. I do find that when using a Baader Neodymium filter, it can appear as a pale pastel pink at times.

Bit late to the welcome party @EliinAfrica [and daughter] but welcome to SGL.

I agree with @The60mmKid The C6 is an under-rated telescope. I think even on one of Ed Tings YouTube videos, he also said it was under-rated, as everyone wants the C8 or C9.25, then regret it later because of the extra weight. Though not an ideal comparison to the question asked, I have a C6 and ETX-105. They are about the same focal length. I cannot find any difference in performance. The only ‘real’ difference are the focal ratios... C6 = 1500mm @f10 and the ETX-105 = 1470mm @f14