Alan64

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p2771_Skywatcher-Skymax-127T-OTA---127-1500mm-Maksutov-Cassegrain-scope-tube.html Or, you might prefer a longer-focus achromat... https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p11950_Celestron-OMNI-102-1000mm-Refractor-Telescope---OTA.html A fine alt-azimuth mount... https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p1753_TS-Optics-Altazimuth-Mount-GSAZ-with-fine-adjustment-and-tripod.html If you'd prefer an equatorial, an EQ5-class, and for motorised tracking in future... https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p7796_Bresser-4964250---equatorial-mount-EXOS-2.html https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p6693_Skywatcher-EQ5-equatorial-telescope-mount-with-tripod-for-telescopes-up-to-10-kg.html https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p9284_Orion-SkyView-Pro-Equatorial-Telescope-Mount.html

Oh, if you'd like to give that 4mm a whirl round the sky... https://www.aliexpress.com/i/32788749863.html I've ordered two eyepieces from that site. It took a while for each to arrive, but they did. They carry a lot of nice eyepieces, and on the cheap. The only thing is that it takes a while to get it, a month or more.

The 25mm and 9mm that came with your kit are most likely modified-achromats(MA), or Kellners; so-so performance. However, I got this 4mm, and of the same "series" as the aforementioned, with my Celestron 127mm "Bird Jones" kit... Folks either hate it, or love it. I love it, yea, adore it e'en. It produces a power of 250x with the "Bird". Jupiter and Saturn through both... Now, I saw far more detail, sharpness, during the live view. When attempting to photograph them, they were moving at a pretty fast clip through the field-of-view, hence those sub-standard shots. But then, I took a snapshot of the Moon, through the the 4mm and the "Bird". I set my camera's shutter to 1/45th of a second. As a result, the image was almost black, but then I brightened it, and was floored... Even at that sub-second shutter-speed, the Moon was nonetheless galloping across the field. What I saw during the live view, again, was tack-sharpness. But a reflector has to be collimated spot-on to get results like that, as precisely as the mechanical assemblies of the telescope will allow. But as my "Bird" arrived, that was not possible. I had to take the telescope completely apart to enable it to be collimated precisely, also to improve the contrast. My "Bird"... It is an economical alternative to a Celestron C5. Indeed, I call it my "C5".

All's well that ends well.

Incidentally, I had a relative who never removed the clear, protective covers from their electronics, and no matter how old the item was. They considered it sacrilege to do so, even.

It could have been a return, and with the controller being defective from the factory. It wouldn't be the first time that that has happened. If you can't return the kit, or if it's out of warranty, you can take the controller apart and attempt a repair; cleaning underneath the buttons, for example.

Page 12 and 13 of the manual details the alignment procedures quite clearly. It could be that the left/right buttons on the controller are worn out; wonky. Was this a previously used kit when you purchased it?

But when you're trying to center a star during the alignment procedure, you must be able to go left to right. There's something amiss there. You should also be able to slew left to right, as when moving from one part of the sky to the other.

Here's the front of the manual of my first telescope, a 60mm f/11 achromat, and illustrating its projection-screen at the rear of the telescope(look sharp, as I don't have a larger image at hand), which I did use on more than one occasion... The reason I'm showing you that is simple: get an old refractor like that one. That one is from the early 1970s, and all metal, fore to aft. It's the focusser, and the cell that holds the lenses, that need to be of metal, along with the optical-tube of course. If you use a diagonal, use an Amici- or star-prism with a metal housing; also, all-metal eyepieces. You can be assured that most if not all vintage .965" eyepieces are all-metal. eBay has quite a few vintage, all-metal, Japanese refractors like my own, but from the U.S. however, although they do tend to ship worldwide; for example... https://www.ebay.com/itm/234027361254?hash=item367d1e23e6:g:76gAAOSwLSVgpuKW#shpCntId In so far as current models, certain Synta refractors are all or mostly metal, the Sky-Watcher "Evostar" 102mm f/10 achromat, for example. Regrettably, the current 60mm, 70mm, 80mm and even the 90mm achromats for sale are going to contain plastic, quite a bit actually. Incidentally, do you have a telescope, or telescopes, and a mount or mounts?

Hmm, I'm seeing that there are four directional keys on the hand-controller. But your controller's screen is telling you only up or down? If so, that doesn't make sense. You should be able to go up and down, and left to right with those keys. It may be the AA batteries causing that glitch. Also, are you having this problem when performing a one-star, two-star, or three-star alignment? Do research about using a lithium-ion power pack, as it will power the mount for a long time without a hiccough. For example... https://www.amazon.co.uk/TalentCell-Rechargeable-11000mAh-20000mAh-Portable/dp/B06Y5G3C8Z/ref=sr_1_6?crid=14PBWBFSJF761&dchild=1&keywords=lithium+ion+battery+12v&qid=1623325074&sprefix=litium+ion+battery+%2Caps%2C302&sr=8-6 That one can be attached to the mount with Velcro®. You do want to get the polarities, +/-, correct at the C12V connection at the mount-head, whether you use an external battery source or the AC adaptor.

The review... https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/reviews/telescopes/national-geographic-90mm-automatic-telescope/ Specs, manual and user-reviews... https://www.bresser.de/en/Junior/NATIONAL-GEOGRAPHIC-Automatic-Telescope-90-mm.html Make certain that the Daylight Savings Time entry is correct. You don't want to use AA-batteries to power the mount. It uses six, and for a total of 9V. Use the AC adaptor if you have one, or get one if you don't. You can also connect a 12V lithium-ion battery-pack or power-tank. You'll need to research that... Best wishes for your success.

A 130mm to 150mm Newtonian or Newtonian-Dobson will be the best bang per pound, aperture-wise. The more aperture, the brighter an object, and the greater the resolution(or detail). But as with all things in life, there's a caveat: a Newtonian must be collimated regularly, on occasion, in order to maintain sharp images at the eyepiece, particularly at the higher powers where the accuracy of the collimation becomes critical. Refractors require virtually no collimation, no maintenance, but the aperture decreases per pound spent. For example, with the price paid for a 150mm Newtonian, you might get a 102mm or 80mm refractor, an achromat. Your budget will not accommodate a Schmidt-Cassegrain of any size, yet the only Maksutov with a mount may be limited up to 90mm only.

Don't sweat about getting a zoom-ocular in future. I'm not a big fan, but I had to have one, to see what all the hoopla was about, so I bought one. If you get a good one, it shan't be wasted. It won't cover your lowest power, so you may want a 32mm Plossl for that. Think long and hard as to a finder, particularly with a non-goto mount. I'm not cobbling together a 70mm optical-finder for my own just to show off, but it will be a wonder in its own right nonetheless.

When outdoors working and playing into the night and early morning, the trees above come alive, their boughs swaying here and there, to and fro. Thus far, nothing has dropped down in front of or on top of me. Imagine my surprise if one did; then imagine their surprise upon my reaction. Not long ago, at night of course, something was rustling, scrabbling about in the brush, just a few yards away. It sounded larger than a raccoon, but it wasn't a dog either. Whatever it was I shooed it away, with a light and vocalisations. No, I didn't cut loose and yodel at it.

https://www.harborfreight.com/24-in-x-36-in-folding-platform-truck-68894.html You can customise/modify it, and to cradle your baby just how you'd like. If it's not quite wide enough, attach a sheet of treated-plywood to it, with its corners rounded off. You can use these to help secure it... https://www.harborfreight.com/search?q=bungee cords There are so many possibilities. You can make "shoes" for the tripod-legs' feet to set into, attached to the platform with a single stainless-steel screw... https://www.homedepot.com/p/Charlotte-Pipe-2-in-PVC-Schedule-40-FPT-Cap-PVC021171800HD/203811728 Then, batten the kit down with the bungee cords. Again, so many possibilities; imagine, Imagine, IMAGINE.

Oh, the felt, and the dense foam-sheet, should be the self-adhesive type.

I made one of Reflectix®, Velcro®, and lined it with thick felt, dense foam for gripping, and for my relation's C90 Maksutov... The metallic bubble-wrap is also used for wrapping the tube itself. You can research that.

My ES/Bresser(JOC) 127mm Maksutov has a 1900mm focal-length, an increase of 360mm. Now, that's insane. As a result, I got this Barska 70/300 achromat... It arrived only as an effective 30mm f/10, but I've since opened it up to where it's supposed to be, a 70mm f/4.3. It will be the 70mm finderscope for the Maksutov. Yes, you do need a good finder for a blind-as-a-bat Maksutov.

Oh, yes, a dew-shield; that's an absolute must. I didn't take my new Maksutov outdoors until I made one of black art-paper... I made do with that until I received a proper one... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/dew-prevention/astrozap-flexible-dew-shield.html Yours is listed there, "127-SLT / Skymax-127 / ETX-125: £28". Now, you won't find a dew-shield recommended or suggested within any listing for a Schmidt- or Maksutov-Cassegrain online. That is because their short tubes are a selling-point, an advertisement. These telescopes appear longer with a dew-shield attached, more cumbersome, bulkier in appearance, therefore the manufacturers prefer to make no mention at all of a dew-shield, yet it is one of if not the most important accessory you can buy for one. A dew-shield serves two purposes... 1. To keep dew, dust, dirt, pollen, and bugs off of the "lens" at the front of the telescope; you want to keep that meniscus as squeaky-clean as possible. 2. It will help to block stray sources of light, natural and artificial, from reaching the "lens" whilst observing: Moonlight, passing automobiles, porch and street lights. A word about zoom-oculars; I look upon one primarily as a teaching-tool. Let's say that you find yourself observing mostly at the 12mm setting of the zoom. You may then wish to acquire a dedicated 12mm eyepiece. The eyepiece will be sharper, likely more contrasty, and over the zoom's equivalent. Then, others prefer another aspect: a zoom is convenient, particularly for impromptu sessions, also when pressed for time. Instead of lugging out a case of eyepieces, you carry out only a single zoom-ocular.

The BST "StarGuider" series represents a great value, particularly the 8mm and 12mm. I have a 127mm Maksutov myself. The one thing you should know is that inexpensive eyepieces play very well with longer and long focal-length telescopes, like a Maksutov. This 20mm has a 68° AFOV... https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/revelation-20mm-superview-eyepiece-125.html (77x) I have the same eyepiece, actually belonging to a relation, although I've tried it out a few times... For your lowest power and widest view of the sky, a 32mm Plossl is suggested... https://www.365astronomy.com/32mm-gso-plossl-eyepiece (48x) I have that one as well... Our Maksutovs are well-known for having narrow views of the sky, even at the lower powers. Maksutovs are like microscopes, but for the sky. Therefore, you want the widest view possible when selecting eyepieces. I have this 10mm 70° eyepiece(154x)... I've had it for many years. The view is most spacious through my longer-focus telescopes; delightful. It is still manufactured and sold... https://agenaastro.com/agena-10mm-super-wide-angle-swa-eyepiece.html Astroshop.eu carries it, but for twice the price. It does not play well with shorter focal-length telescopes, however, but it's exquisitely small and light in weight, yet powerful, and well-made. A Maksutov already has two mirrors within its light-path. To keep light-scattering to a minimum whilst observing brighter objects, a star-prism diagonal is suggested, and best for longer and long focal-length telescopes... https://www.harrisontelescopes.co.uk/acatalog/celestron-star-diagonal.html If you really want to try out a barlow in future, some examples... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/barlow-eyepieces/baader-classic-q-225x-barlow.html I have this one, and it's a keeper... https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/antares-x2-achromat-fmc-barlow-lens-125.html There may be an occasion or two when a barlow becomes useful, but wait until a situation arises when you feel that it might be of benefit, before deciding. Planetary eyepieces, from 2.3mm to 6mm, generally negate the need for barlows. Those, especially, should offer the widest view possible, of all. To ensure the sharpest images with whichever eyepiece and accessories you choose, check the collimation of your telescope. You can do that by conducting a star-test... https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/advice/how-to-star-test-a-telescope/ Polaris, the North Star, doesn't move, and therefore an ideal, but it's not particularly bright. You can also use an artificial-star to check... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/other-collimation-tools/hubble-optics-5-star-artificial-star.html Never assume that your new telescope is well-collimated, particularly after a trip from overseas. Collimation instructions for Synta's Maksutovs... https://www.telescope.com/assets/product_files/instructions/IN_183C_Mak-Cass_Collimation.pdf

Yes, they "threw me for a loop" when I first laid eyes upon them.

They should still be available for purchase... http://www.jimsmobile.com/buy_rb.htm A user's showcasing of the largest model, and from 2017... https://astromart.com/forums/astronomy-equipment/astro-binoculars/jmi-rb-16-16-inch-binoculars-61146 Per the 50x-per-inch maxim for reflector telescopes, 800x, which would require two 2.3mm eyepieces.

Almost 20 years ago I got a Tele Vue 40mm Plossl, instead of their 32mm, and simply because I didn't know any better. I still have it. A few years ago, I got a Vixen NPL 30mm, which is okay, and then later, most recently, a GSO 32mm Plossl... I can't tell you how relieved I am in getting that much further away from the 40mm, and there you are with a 32mm, yet contemplating a 40mm. You can go ahead and get a 40mm, and compare it to your 32mm. It wouldn't break the bank... https://agenaastro.com/gso-40mm-plossl-eyepiece.html But there is one important difference: whilst the field-of-view of a 40mm is practically the same as that through a 32mm, the background sky will be darker, blacker, more contrasty, through the 32mm. The object being observed, therefore, stands out better. So there you are. Leave the 40mm Plossls on the stores' shelves, gathering dust. With all your telescopes and eyepieces, ideally, you want a background sky of jet-blackness, black as coal, all the way up to the edges of the planets, the stars, whatever.

Indeed, my Meade 8-24 zoom-ocular, same as the Celestron, has a T-thread connection... The 1.25"/T-2 adaptor... https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1405310-REG/alpine_astronomical_eyehold_1_1_25_t_2_budget.html/?ap=y&ap=y&smp=y&smp=y&lsft=BI%3A514&gclid=Cj0KCQjw--GFBhDeARIsACH_kdabCnVDQkq06YXRJgGJKchG-oUHMXMMtYPs6YK7lbr9VS7W99pLDz4aAuVuEALw_wcB You would screw the adaptor onto the eyepiece, then insert the SVBONY camera into the adaptor's 1.25" visual-back. However, it is known that the higher-power settings of these entry-level zooms are not as sharp as a dedicated eyepiece; for example, the 8mm setting of the zoom versus an 8mm eyepiece. Then, there is always the Baader Mark IV zoom to consider, and sharper, but at a price... https://agenaastro.com/baader-8-24mm-mark-iv-hyperion-zoom-eyepiece-2454826.html https://agenaastro.com/baader-hyperion-universal-mark-iv-8-24mm-zoom-eyepiece-with-2-25x-hyperion-barlow-2454827.html

Great shots. 3x... http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_eba3.htm 5x... http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_eba6.htm Barlows over 2x are becoming increasingly scarce. Get them whilst you can. I would like to get a 5x myself. In theory, so don't hold me to it, you can try and combine a 2x with a 3x, for a 5x. Then, a 2x with a 5x for a 10x, and dare I suggest, a 3x with a 5x for a 15x. I've never done that myself, as I've used eyepieces to magnify.