Alan White

I played courier and collected, so not what the postie brought at all.

In an attempt to out Vixen, the Vixen King himself aka @Franklin…..

I now have a second Vixen HAL tripod, really nice bit of kit and has a favoured name on it too

Mind you, got talking about SX mounts while collecting from a fellow SGLer and it’s wafted the flames

28 minutes ago, IB20 said:

😁 Arrived 7:30 this morning! First impressions are it’s very nice aesthetic with a fantastic focuser. It is significantly larger than my 4” but not significantly heavier, probably 1-1.5kg heavier and the AZ75 handles it extremely easily! Balance is fine once the rings are shuffled towards the front end a tad. 

Now I just need some clear skies…

Congratulations on the new scope, one that often tempts me

How it was on the AZ75, which I expect to be good was my only blocker that I kept dreaming up to stop me, darn it now it’s just cash.

Enjoy the scope when it clears 

Nice arrival @Sunshine 👍
The purchase I fully expected from your initial posting, congratulations.

As to the Manhole Cover lens cap, I have never understood why they made or fitted them,
perhaps the tube is old drain pipe and the cover fitted 😉 I joke obviously....pleas Tak mob forgive my humour.

I look forward to the enthusiastic first light report.

 

I am not sure the turnout was poor, it was the first one after Covid and paid entry.
This is neither of those.
The PAS has good  turnout and has always been free.

We shall see what happens, I hope it's that we have two great shows away from London.

Indeed memories of times thankfully past

I worked in an engineering office where everyone but me smoked, so stained that the wallpaper was brown and the windows looked tinted.

Suffice to say I only stayed 18 months.

10 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Conflict between my and my friends work schedule is what stands in my way. Having a look at it and shaking hands os about all that is left.

Thats great.
I and I am sure we look towards the reveal and first light.

This was a Validation post of course @Sunshine😉
so when do you collect the 128?

4 minutes ago, RobertI said:

What a great day out Alan, I must do the same sometime, they look really interesting. Last time I went shopping in Cambridge there was a shop full of various vintage computers, running classic games, which you could play for a modest fee. Pretty cool. 

You could play a selection of consoles and a few select computers, but many were static sadly.
A great fun and blast from the past.

They had a 1970's into early 80's office set up, all looked right from wallpaper to furniture, all it lacked was the lingering cigarette smoke.

 

http://scopeviews.co.uk/TakFS128.htm may be of help, or not

I and fellow members of my Astro Club, had a grand day out to Cambridge last Friday 1st December.
It was nerdy heaven for most of us.

Club is Castle Point Astronomy Club.

Museum 1 - The Centre for Computing History
https://www.computinghistory.org.uk/

A real blast from the past with Spectrums, BBC Micro and Atari and Commodores all calling me.
Oddly the real blast of the visit was a working Binatone Tennis Game.

and the afternoon a little trip into Town proper and.

The Whipple Museum.
https://www.whipplemuseum.cam.ac.uk/

For me the Refractor at the entrance had a certain attraction, a mere £170 in 1910, or about £24K if it was now.

But the Globe Collection really floated my boat, Lunar and Mars were super and showed how our knowledge and technology to know 
has grown over time.

We had a great time, nice to spend a day with Astro folks and also to get a peaceful museum trip without boredom setting in for others.

I see we have one now for 2024, but a new location as the old one has gone to the PAS that has moved from Kettering.
The IAS is now free entry and free talks, so good as an attendee, hope ist good for the long standing organisers though.

IAS website: https://www.ukastroshow.com/

PAS website: https://practicalastroshow.com/

I cannot comment from any knowledge of either scope, I feel your pain.
But I do also have an inkling what Mr S aka @JeremyS might have to say.
Good luck in making that call my friend, good luck.

Looks a really super set up, very transportable.

I hope you post a review after some use with what you find from prolonged use, perhaps in 2026 or 27 when the cloud passes might be long enough 😉

Delivered yesterday but been too busy to open or show and tell

Another Vixen goodie from the classifieds and @Franklin the covert uk Vixen supplier 😉

For my Solar portable small set up.

I have a Vixen tripod to collect to mount it upon as well.

Thanks for sharing your report,
wonderful that you shared it with your daughter, always nice to share an observation.

I watched the same withouth knowing it was due last night, my seeing was off but all the same enjoyed it.
 

On 26/11/2023 at 21:20, Franklin said:

Is the blocking filter the same as what comes with the current Lunt40?

It looks the same as my 40 one, but the older scope has a helical focuser on the blocking filter, the new one does not as the focuser is before the filter.

Welcome back, I had noticed you were quiet, but then again we all are from time to time

I have had a short and chilly cloud dodging session tonight.
All a bit time constarined too as I am on Taxi duty for Mrs W tonight.

But a Jupiter, Pleiades, some doubles and Lunar managed.
Try out of the new to me DeLites 13 and 7 and my old and trusty 32mm TV Plossl.

All with the ED103 Vixen on my AZ75, lovelly and easy session and greatly pleased to get out tonight.

 

On 20/11/2023 at 18:13, Astroscot2 said:

Love this little book, brings back so many memories.  Robert Aytons artwork is excellent. 

It was and is a much treasured volume for me, bought a used one to replace the long worn one of childhood

I sometimes refer to the book and the images in my Astro Club monthly talks I do.

Enjoy your book.

Dear All, I cannot help myself, I have slipped off the non buying mode and bought a pair of DeLites from @The60mmKid, Siddhesh.

Very plesed with them too, had the same before so knew what to expect.

Oh this is a slippery slope with the @FLO clearance items on offer!

Another 4" ED devotee here. owned a number, varying focal lengths but all super and all so versatile.
All the reasons others have said.
My 4" scope/s would like others be the last scopes to ever be gone, just too versatile and work for me and my location.

 

Love it, garages are most definitely not for cars in my book.

The Guzzi pair look super, how old are they?

Good luck with the Not an Observatory project.

Just one scope is something I think we all try or ponder at some point.
I have done it myself.

What I found was that I cannot control myself when nice kit shows up for sale and I curate kit.
But my most used telescope is my Vixen ED103, so capable and so immediately usable.
If it was truly just 1, then the 103 would be it.

But as I bought a new shed to house mounts etc this year, I must resist this idea to keep harmony at home,
not a case that I am a dedicated collector of nice astro kit at all!
 

36 minutes ago, Peter Drew said:

I've probably had more telescopes than Mike.  My problem is that I still have them!    🙂

And that's a problem Peter?