Louis D

I guess I'll have to pick one up some day to compare to my AT AF70 and NT4 22mm eyepieces. I might even have to pick up a Pan 22mm to complete the shootout. Lots of folks over here rave about the latter as well.

Check out the weight difference between an 8" f/5 Newt on an EQ-6 and a 10" f/5 Dob. Roughly 100 pounds versus 60 to 65 pounds. If you've got to move the scope around to dodge trees and buildings to see various parts of the sky as I do, those extra 40 pounds are a killer unless you're built like a tank. That, and every EQ mount is really top heavy fully assembled and wants to turn turtle the moment you try to pick it up and move it. Dobs are inherently bottom heavy and very stable during moves. If GEM style EQ mounts didn't require counterweights like a split ring Newtonian EQ mount, then the gap would be somewhat narrower.

@Dannomiss You've probably already figured this out already, but the best way to use a planisphere is to hold it over your head, aligning N-S-E-W with the sky, and match the diagram with the sky. Looking down at the planisphere and then up at the sky repeatedly never worked as well for me.

I look at the 127 Maks this way. In the US, if you've got $200 to spend on a travel scope (and have a mount of some sort already), a used 127 Mak is the way to go over a new 90 or 102 Mak for similar money. Why the used/new comparison? Because so many 127 Maks turn up used over here compared to 90 and 102 Maks, and for not a lot more money. I'm guessing a lot of newbies buy them new, grow disinterested or want to move up in aperture, and then sell them rather than keep them as a travel scope. This tends to flood the used market and drive down used prices. I don't see near as many C5s or C6s turning up in the classifieds, either. Perhaps they don't sell as well new, or people like to hold onto them longer?

Thankfully, we have buried utilities in our neighborhood, so that's never been an issue for me. On the other hand, we'll never get gigabit fiber optic internet because it would mean tearing up everyone's backyards to install it. So, we're stuck with twisted pair DSL and coax cable internet.

Once you get a design like this working, the mount just gets out of the way and you can enjoy observing.

They're also good at resolving more details in planets and globular clusters at higher powers, both of which are doable under light polluted skies. However, weight and bulk do figure prominently into the trade-off equation.

Nice and false-color free like a Newtonian should be. So far, it appears to be a winner. Try focusing on an artificial star indoors in a darkened room for another test (you might need an extension tube for this). A mirror finish Christmas ornament or glossy ball bearing with a bright flashlight (torch) shining on it from next to you can make for a decent facsimile of one.

I have quite a few narrower angle eyepieces and generally only use them when binoviewing. I just don't see them providing any advantage over premium wide field eyepieces monoviewing.

Agreed, even on the used market, the C6 goes for 50% more than the 127 Maks over here. The OTA is also a few inches longer than the 127 Maks, so compactness relative to a backpack may become an issue for travel.

I think you might be the first person on SGL to buy one. We expect a full report when the skies clear. 😉 Until then, you can try out the mechanics and focusing on distant objects while aligning the RDF.

Yep, a well known issue with the BHZ. It cannot be used with winged eye cups and binoviewers. I prefer the Celestron Regal 8-24mm zoom for this reason and others.

Yep, along with fully charged batteries, I always keep a few extra memory cards in my camera bag. I've even sold some at fairs to other old geezers who see my camera bag and ask if I could sell them a spare because they left theirs home.

Unless your Dob is on an equatorial platform, you are going to want at least a 65 degree AFOV for any eyepiece yielding powers above 200x for manual tracking purposes. I have a Pentax XW 3.5mm for this purpose that works really well. Try out your existing 2.5x Barlow with your eyepieces to see if you like the combinations. Going to a 52 degree eyepiece at high power after using that 92 degree eyepiece will feel almost suffocating. The Morpheus 4.5mm might be another option. It has a bit of EOFB from what I've read, but is otherwise very nice.

I only buy local from Fry's because they monitor their supply chain. I've gotten too many counterfeit cards from online sellers to ever go back. Hopefully you have a local electronics discounter there to buy from as well.

YeeHaw and Howdy from Texas! 🤠 The 127 Maks make good travel scopes because they don't take up much space and hold collimation extremely well. If you check the classifieds, you can probably find one used for a fraction of the new price in excellent condition.

The GSO/Revelation Plossl 32mm is quite good as well. However, I've never looked through a Vixen NPL, so it might be better as @John suggests above. The BST Starguider 25mm is good over the inner 30 degrees, gradually degrading to the edges. The Meade HD-60 25mm is better, but discontinued and more expensive. If you could double your budget, the 35mm Aero ED is quite nice and takes advantage of your 2" focuser to max out your true field of view.

I bought a cheap red dot finder off ebay for a small scope. It is compact and can be made very bright for daytime usage. After all, they started out as gun sights. Make sure to get the correct foot/shoe for your mounting needs. There's a vendor on CN Classifieds selling 3D printed camera flash shoe to Vixen finder mount adapters:

I remember the Keck scopes covering their apertures with solar filter film when a solar eclipse passed over Hawaii some years back. Can you imagine one of those beasts doing solar projection? 😱

Assuming your f/4.7 scope is a Newtonian, I'd recommend getting a coma corrector. If you don't have deep pockets, the Revelation CC works well once you put a 25mm M48 spacer ring between the optics section and the eyepiece holder. It will improve the edge performance of your Panaview 38mm by flattening the field and removing most of the coma. Even your Nirvanas will have improved edge performance.

I'd go with a BST Starguider/HD-60/XCel LX over a Tele Vue Plossl except possibly at 18mm and 25mm in an f/4.7 scope.

You jest, but lots of folks swear by these observing hoods:

That is pretty brutal. I'm around Bortle 5/6 depending on the direction from my backyard. It used to be much better before tens of thousands of people, two toll roads, and lots of strips malls opened up nearby.

Turn off the GOTO and unplug the power. Are these GOTO mounts as smooth in manual motion as your DM-6? What I was attempting to say was if you start with a superb manual mount and then add encoders and motors, it is equally adept in any of the three modes, full manual, DSC-only, or full-GOTO. By full GOTO, I was thinking of the AZ-GTi mount you like to recommend. How does it compare in manual usage to a DSV-1 or similar for instance? Does it have decently variable clutches on both axes with roller bearings to allow smooth manual tracking at high powers? If it does, I might think about getting one because it would be nice to have GOTO available occasionally without having to swap mounts entirely.

I just wouldn't want that amount of concentrated sunlight on my secondary mirror. I've got to think it would get mighty hot which can't be good for the coatings or the holder. The actual glass of the mirror would probably be okay.