Och_Aye

Thanks Alexander. I'd already tried that but have just used the unistall method of right-clicking on the icon in the Start menu, didn't save any settings then re-installed. That's done the job 👍

Since updating Stellarium to v0.20.0 and v0.21.1 (64 bit) I've found the starlore loads inconsistently, sometime not at all. I can rarely get the art to load, the Starlore list changes every time I load up. I've attached a couple of examples, taken a few seconds apart where I took a screenshot, closed & immediately reopened the app. Does anyone know what's going on & more importantly how I can fix it - explained in a Janet & John fashion 😛 I thought using a more recent version would do the trick but the problem persisted. Sorry that the screenshots are a bit faint. Windows & my drivers are entirely up to date so it ought not to be that. thanks Paul

Thanks guys, appreciated. Looks like £3k isn't going to be enough but I can get smaller parts & filters through christmas pressies!

Cheers, I'm glad I asked now!

I've got my eye on a 12" dob and would like someone to tell me if my thinking is sensible or if they have any better ideas! The background is that I live just outside of York, so 54 degrees north in a bortle 4 area. I'd like a scope purely for observation of DSOs but can also do some planetary. It'll be put away every night and regularly put in the car to get outside of my village, which isn't far but a necessary trip none the less. I'm thinking a 12" flex tube dob is the best combination of cost, aperture, portability & storage based on an overall budget of £3k. The ES option seems to be better for my needs than what SW offer. I'm also thinking that I can go mad and get a 21mm Ethos to maximise glass quality and get that FOV, using 2x and 4x 2" powermates in place of other EPs. I'd get a ND filter for use on the moon, but what others should I get? Is this a sensible approach? Are there any other approached I should consider? What other gear will I need? I'm thinking I'll need a laser collimator and a self-built levelling platform (for when I'm out & about). Will I need (or disappointed if I don't get) a coma corrector, and if I do is ES' own a sensible option or should I stump up a bit more for a paracorr, or is that just burning money? One last question, can I use a 90 degree diagonal with a dob to make looking near the horizon easier? cheers