Alan White

Disappointed that a certain Knob has the name of Altitude Lock, this rather lacks the twang of Stu’s Knob that I so wished the lads had boldly used 😉

That's how I felt John when I had a good old look and try at the IAS. Pleased you have the first one and are happy, looks great my friend, so pleased for you.

Glad you got First Light and are as pleased as I thought you would be. Clear Outside said it was solid cloud so carried on imbibing (which is not normal for me at all) and then looked out at 8pm, nd it was of course clear unlike my head by this point. I didn't trust myself with expensive astro kit, so I had an hour with the binoculars, wonderful stuff indeed. It was so quiet and the sky was darker than normal, everyone at home and no cars moving about I suppose.

I have a lurk several times each day, don’t always post. SGL is certainly a nice place with a decent community spirit, Happy Christmas, Wednesday or however you wish to name today. All I can say is, a far better day than a year ago, back then I found myself in hospital with a viral problem that did things to my Heart, this year, back to normalish and enjoying the day.

Nice video Chris, Nice to see you back with a scope again. Happy Christmas to you and the family.

Looks like your signature now needs changing Chris, nice scope choice. I really like and sometimes get to enjoy my 150mm f5 Newtonian.

Wow Garry, two very nice scopes you have added. So now you have a 5" and 6" sorted, what's the next size to buy 😉

Very nice, snazzy case too.

But sadly she was left at home this time as they didn't trust the tech enough to risk a human payload, shame they didn't do this with the planes before they so disastrously nose dived terra firma.

Very interesting to read your findings, these mirror my own observations over the years and varying diagonals. My worse ones, were much older cheapies that came with poorer quality kit than I now purchase. I at present have a WO and a TeleVue diagonal and performance wise can see no difference, build wise the TeleVue has the edge as it should do based on cost. A while back my SW ED Pro scopes came with nice and well performing SW diagonals.

It certainly is a very interesting mount, as is the potential sibling one talked about. Rowan have a very good engineering reputation and things look promising. I just wish it didn't require a new tripod as well, this makes a whole set up quite an investment.

Now that looks to be stockings in my ladder......

We have a chap round the corner in exactly that circumstance, but he lives in an old and non mobile motorhome.

Welcome Andreas Coming back into this hobby is very common after a break. I did the same, stopped observing as much when my daughters were small, had a break for 15 years, 14 years longer than I expected.

Wow, nearly 8 years to the day and the thread gets resus, amazing.

So how goes the observatory Shane?

Just noticed our fine forum sponsor also sells one under the Astro Essentials range at £69 and no printed plastic looks to be involved. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/astro-essentials-right-angled-eyepiece-for-polar-scopes.html

Oh my goodness me Gordon, I was shocked at the tree down, then scrolled down further. Share your pain and you have my fullest sympathies on the damage caused. As you say, luckily the domes are OK.

Chris Very sorry to read of Marc's passing and your loss, my condolences to all. Your completing his scope is a very fitting tribute.

I always get this behaviour with Parcel Force and DHL. Either not in, when I am and waiting or we cannot find your house, odd my house is 130+ years old and not moved in that time, unlike Jeremy's that's 30 years up the road 😉

Firstly, welcome to SGL as a poster, no one bites, all are happy t help, just ask away. As to the condensation on the eyepiece, I doubt you need a new one. You will no doubt be breathing onto it in the cold and causing the problem and not realise you are doing it. It's a hard learnt art keeping your breath from the eyepiece in the damp laden air.

That is great news Avtar, Nothing worse than thinking you have bought a Friday Afternoon version of something. Very pleased for you.

I thought the same Peter, but not having owned one was using the old grey matter, which is a dangerous thing these days! Looks worth a re-coat. I think the Russian angle is being determined from the orange / red light fitted by a previous owner. That light looks like something off a life belt or vest.

Eye placement and comfort, just didn't work for me. Kidney bean hell, but wow what clarity. The DeLites are more comfortable for me, don't kidney bean with me and deliver great clarity too. As I said, we are all different and what suits one, does not suit another.

I would go for a 9mm TeleVue DeLite and use similar FL scopes as well as a 1200mm FL Dobsonian. I have had a Pentax XW 10mm, very nice indeed, but it and I did not gel. We will all recommend something different, we all have differing eyes, scopes and opinions after all.