RT65CB-SWL

Hi @Ned and welcome to SGL. As others have said, the focus knob takes a lot of turns. One thing that no one seems to have suggested is, did it come from a warm room in the house? ...and how long did you leave it before viewing? I give mine between 30-60 minutes, visual back pointing up to the sky. This allows any heat in the tube to escape, if it has been stored in the house, (or vehicle if attending a star party), and to acclimatise to the outside temperature before putting in an eyepiece. When finished and everything indoors, setup indoors and leave caps off everything, (including eyepieces and accessories in a dish/draining rack), and corrector plate/secondary mirror at an angle pointing towards the floor, allowing any condensation/dew to run off; while I rest and sleep. Then pack away when I know everything is dry.

Hi @Debo. As @John says, it is the clutch lever when the RA motor is fitted to the mount. Many years ago I had the Astro Engineering table top EQ mount. It could be fitted to my photo/video tripod as well if I did not use the supplied table top/triangular base.

One other thing to bear in mind is the GB/UK climate.. You may need to consider things like dew, temperature fluctuations, etc., if it is not used/setup in a dry environment. I am not into astro-imaging at the time of writing, but I use one of these... It is a Panasonic Toughbook CF19. They are expensive new or refurbished for the 'newer' models... but they are very rugged. I have owned mine for several years and it has survived everything, (apart from dropping it into the Mariana Trench/Marianas Trench, or a nuclear reactor), etc.

Hi @Jjmorris90 and welcome to SGL. I have a version running [plus a few other astronomy apps] on an old Apple iBook G4... PPC... not Intel processor. And the best thing about Stellarium for PC/Mac/Linux is that it is FREE!

Hi @istari greenman and welcome to SGL.

Hi @GrillBoss and welcome to SGL. Though I don't own any of them, these are popular e/p's with some SGL'ers if you are on a tight budget... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/bst-starguider-eyepieces.html

I have one of the 'DwarfStar' mounts, (imaage below), that I purchased from fellow SGL-er @heliumstar. It is the perfect travel mount when I am away from home and travelling light. It is so small, that can fit into the palm of an adult hand.

I think the Baader Neodymium would work. That said, I have not tried both the UHC & Neodymium, (i.e. one in the diagonal and one in the eyepiece), combined for a long time and the Neodymium is my most used filter. My sky is between Bortle 6 & 5.

M45 never fails to impress!

Hi @dazzystar and welcome to SGL. Not sure whether you can access the Astro classifieds section, but there is a tripod for sale. If not, then have a look here... https://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/

Hi @CruzanGazer and welcome to SGL. Guess where 99.9% of SGL'ers are going for clear skies once this pandemic is no longer an issue for travel restrictions, quarantine, etc? Your place! 😜

Since my local authority [Wokingham] changed to LED streetlighting a few years ago, things are a little better. When they replaced the streetlights in my area, my first target was M42 and the Trapezium. Things certainly improved once I purchased an Explore Scientific UHC filter, though still hoping to see the E & F stars. From my communal garden at the back of my property, I have to contend with this... that damn streetlight illuminating the footpath!

Hi @BEC0MM and welcome to SGL.

A ‘scope is no good without eyepieces!

My 'classic' e/p's... <--- TeleVue 13mm Nagler Type 1. <--- Meade 8.8mm UWA series 4000. <---Sky-Watcher 2"/28mm LET|LER Apex.

Hi @Firaxia and weelcome to SGL. When travelling lightweight, I use my photo/video tripod... a Manfrotto PROB and either a ball head or a small and lightweight alt-az mount. (images below). note: the eyepiece tray in the third image can be removed from the centre column. <--- with ball head. <--- with alt-az mount. For dual-mounting, I use these alt-az mounts ---> ...and they can be attached to the photo/video tripod too.

Hi @jehujones and welcome to SGL. My blessings to you [and everyone else that is reading this] for clear skies too! +🔭=

Here's some of what I watch [or have subscribed to] on Youtube... SGL's @rorymultistorey a.k.a. Astrobiscuit* on YouTube. Adriano Lolli* - dialogue is in Italian 🇮🇹 [goto 'Subtiltles/closed captions (c)' --> click 'Settings' [the cog wheel icon] then click 'Subtitles/CC' and scroll to English 🇬🇧 or language of choice. Astronomy and Nature TV Tele Vue Optics Inc Questar Zone* [though I do not own one]. Ed Ting* astronomyshed Eyes on the Sky Jenham's Astro AstroBackyard Scott Manley Veritasium * = YouTube channels I am subscribed to.

I forgot to mention that with the 1.25" filter set it does separate into three components. The filters are threaded to screw into 99.9% of eyepieces [the only eyepiece I have a thread issue is a TeleVue 6mm Radian]. The eyepiece holder is optional if you want to use it without the faff and fuss of unscrewing the filter and the risk of dropping it and/or screwing into another e/p for use if the other filter is in a star diagonal or other 1.25" accessory. All I do is loosen the thumbscrew on the e/p holder hold the eyepiece with one hand and with my free hand and turn/twist the eyepiece holder with my free hand until I get the desired brightness 'volume'. [It's the only 'volume control' I know that goes from 0 to 360 without the distortion... ].

G'day @gman69 / Stephen and welcome to SGL.

I think as we get older, everything in the human body starts breaking down, eyesight included [and as for those damn 'floaters']… Same here too!

As above… plus you will need to add/purchase some weights.

Yes! I forgot to mention the use of flocking or felt to prevent scratching of the OTA. I did use it on mine. I am thinking about drilling a few holes in the Jubilee/hose rings and bolting them directly to the dovetail bar. At the time of writing, I cannot use my ETX105 with my AOK-AYO mount. The idea is to drill a 1/4" hole in each and use the 1/4" BSW machine screws or drill two 4mm holes in each and attach at each end of the dovetail bar. I have also thought about drilling the ETX105 and securing the dovetail bar directly, minus the Jubilee/hose rings. It will mean a total strip-down and safely storing the primary mirror and meniscus cell in a dust free area whilst carrying out the job and then reassembly.

This where a variable polarising filter comes to the rescue... <--- 1.25" <--- 2" Images above showing the ones I use.

Many years ago, I purchased an American astronomy book and one chapter/section near the end featured an article on building/constructing ‘pipe mounts’. Another useful ‘everyday’ item that is/maybe useful, is the Jubilee/hose ring if you cannot find suitable diameter tube rings. Below are two images securing the dovetail bar to my ETX105.