Alan White

Agree nice kit.
I really like my Lunt Herschel Wedge too.
You may in time get the 'urge' to buy a Solar Continuum filter,
when active shows more detail and all in a fetching Green hue.

 

12 hours ago, Greymouser said:

It is too cold, or maybe my tolerance for the cold has got less as I have got older. Certainly I used to go night fishing when the temperature would be -10, or worse, seemed to cope fine, but of course that was 30+ years ago!

Tonight though is super clear as was forecast, so I had to have a little look, didn't I? I have done my back in again a little bit and didn't plan ahead anyway, so did not have any big optics handy, so thought I would just go out for 40 minutes or so, with my eyeballs and my little ED monocular. I only had four layers on, with a hat and thin inner gloves, so only expected to last a short while, which turned out to be the case. My fingers are still slightly numb! But my little 8x42 monocular got me a glimpse of M42 and the Pleiades, so me is happy. ( My super light tripod helps here too. )

But it is cold out there, not sure how cold, but too cold for my fingers, with the thin gloves on. So what do you people do to keep fingers warm, but still fairly dexterous? I can easily keep them warm, just multiple layers of good gloves, but then of course I lose all dexterity, don't want to risk dropping an eyepiece. Is there a solution?

Still a good little session though, the views tonight sort of reminded me of back 40+ years ago, looking through my first scope a cheap 50mm one, which I still have by the way! One good thing about the cold, it makes you appreciate the warmth of the house!

I wear a pair of thin silk glove liners for dexterous moves, 
Over these I wear a thick thinsulate pair of fingerless gloves.
If it get very cold the fingerless ones swap for a pair with an over mitten bit on the finger tips.

That was stunning, even my wife thought so too and she is very much a non Astronomer.

Has set me wondering about the imaging side of things and that is quite something to achieve.

On 05/10/2016 at 20:52, Alan White said:

I bought a new 32mm TV Plossl from Simon at Widescreen Centre a week or so ago; last week of the London Store, I paid £143.
Anyway, finally a short first light tonight and I am dissapointed, had set my heart on it being great 

Such long eye relief it kidney beans on my 6" 150p Newtonian, I stuck in my 25mm Meade 4000 and although the clarity was better in the TV, I found it very easy to use.
Big shame as my Mrs bought it for my 50th birthday, so doubly sad.

Is this just too much for my scope, the EP or me.
Your thoughts and advice please.

I thought I should update this old thread of my making.

I have bought another 32mm TV Plossl for use with my OOUK OD150 f5 Newtonian.
It has had several uses now and I have come to a different conclusion.
The EP is great, you just need to be more experienced with not mashing your eye into the eyecup.

Very pleased with this now, just wish the original one had worked out at the time, 
but water under the bridge now.

Funny how these things work through over time.

 

Does this look familiar?

Two height of 800mm and 100mm will be available.
Infor from FB page of William Optics as posted by William Yang himself.

Jonathan,

Yes it does seem to have been worse weather over the last few years, but still observable.

I have managed a good number of observing sessions even though I have had serious light incursion
and notable ill health to deal with and it too has given me less Astro Mojo.
As you say Solar Minimum does not help as nothing much in daylight either.

In reality, I think we will have Astro ups and downs and its a case of go with the flow.

Wish you well with getting out, as starlight is rather therapeutic.

 

I went with chums to our darker observing site.
4 of us from CPAC (Castle Point Astronomy Club) had cabin fever and needed starlight,
so I arranged access to the site and we all had a fine time.

All prepared at home for the start of my 4" Refractor v 6" Reflector series I have promised to do.
Mount all set up for dual scope use and brackets altered so they could both be used.

Off to dark site with all* the kit and setting up talking to a fellow member when ......where is my diagonal*?
After a full search of the car realisation struck.........
Darn it, it's on the Dining Room Table where I put it as a got loaded up

So I was down to the OOUK OD150 f5, no harm in that t all.
Reset the tripod and mount to seated only height and had a great evening.

Walked between my 150 and a fellow OD250 set up.
We used comparable Televue EP and looked at the same targets.
I can report that the 150 held its head high and was punching well for it's size.
Fellow observer commented, you could live with one of those couldn't you.

I had one of the best if not the best view of the Orion Nebula, it was outstandingly detailed,the trapezium was great,
E star was observed and with averted imagination I am sure I saw the F star as well.
The seeing went to pants just after this, so it could not be confirmed by others sadly.

So watch this space and I may just get both scopes out together with all the right bits and start.
But as for my memory, well as per the thread title.....   What a chump am I!

Last night was cold observing at our club darker site, got down to -1

My scope was iced over as was other kit and the cars, in fact the cars were iced inside too.

The sky was variable but as Chris above, had a great observation of Orion Nebula, super structure and quite outstanding, even saw the E star not sure about F though, but as soon as I stated this the seeing went to pieces.

As to what’s cold, last night was chilly, but if wrapped up well and an adequate supply of warm tea is available then quite comfortable and pleasant.

Coldest I have been in was in Leningrad as it was -45 and windy, that’s cold.

3 minutes ago, John said:

Then there is the figure, polish, coating, spacing and mounting of the lens elements all of which need to be very precise to ensure that the objective functions well.
No wonder the good ones cost a lot !

In reality they don't of course, when many of us started in this hobby,
a decent 80mm Achromatic was a dream scope and way beyond our means.
These days far more fine scopes and many very affordable to many.

The 5 -15k scopes are for the few who have the means and in terms of build must be quite something.
In the 1980's it would have been a professional instrument if available at all as way beyond almost all of us.

Another wonderful bit of kit, 
sadly one I will never be able to own, even though it shows as 'in stock'.
To whoever owns one, enjoy it and please share the joy and the eyepiece with us all.
 

Steve, you got yourself a bargain.
I used to love my ED80, but my Vixen ED103s came along and could not be resisted.
If it hadn't the ED80 would still be with me, nice scopes, enjoy.

1 hour ago, Bob Curtiss said:

I have owned numerous SCTs, Newts, MAKS and Refractors of both varying size and focal lengths over the past 50 years. I purchased two GSO f:12 classic cassegrains, the 6" a year ago and an 8" very recently but long enough to draw some conclusions. The f:12 is free of coma and that is to the edges of an UWA 20mm Meade series 5000. Both scopes are 100% achromatic, they feature quartz mirrors with 96% reflectivity. This is just about equal to a 7" and a 9" in either configuration given the difference between standard reflectivity found in many scopes. There is no corrective lens, the tubes are fully baffled and while the secondary is present as are the spiders, the contrast is excellent with a velvety black background against fully corrected objects. I have heard the 14mm Meade UWA compromised in another forum but those who use it don't know how fine an eyepiece it truly is. Again, edge to edge sharpness with a huge field of view. The same holds true of the 8.8mm and 5.5mm. These are bargain basement eyepieces compared to TV and some others and yet the panorama and field flatness is negligible for the price. Collimation is critical in the classic cassegrains. Yet, if you find collimation of the secondary an issue, you will likely find the same with a reflector or SCT. I purchased Bob's Knobs for these fine scopes and precise collimation can be had with a collimation eyepiece and results in images that are incredibly sharp. I am confident that magnification on transparent skies at a decent altitude above the horizon will allow me to push these to 60x - 80x/inch on close doubles or planets with no more degradation than you'd get at the suggested 50x max. They are compact, lightweight for size and best of all, feature three large setback rings of 2" and to of 1" to be used alone or stacked or removed completely. I find the 2" incredibly well made. Taiwan GSOs are light years ahead of Synta/Chinese optics and the rings will allow the use of cameras, autoguiders and on the 8" it features a top Vixen rail for accessories. I paid tax free, $499 US with free shipping for the 6" and $899 US for the 8" from Agena Optical. They have a master optician check each and every GSO (only) scope they sell out for optical perfection, cosmetics and more. Also featured is a dual speed 10:1 Crayford focuser on the back of the OTA. They are about as good as you can get and a lot more for the money compared to what is on the market. No mirror flop because they are not a part of the focusing....GREAT TELESCOPES! I would know and if you want to compare field flatness, light gathering power and all of the things that a similar priced MAK or SCT can't beat...try a GSO classic cassegrain....you won't be displeased. In fact you'll wonder why you bought either the MAK or the SCT instead.....Oh, standard features also include  a full length Vixen dovetail on the 6" and a Losmandy D plate 20" long on the 8". If you have a Celestron mount that doesn't accept the wider Losamady, two adapters are available that allow the 8" to fit a Vixen dovetail. I used one from Orion that needed shimming to fit, a simple and easy way to go for about $5 in parts. 5 STAR RATING ON GSO and I own another GSO f:5 newt that performs marvelously with flat fields with the 82 degree UWA's and using an inexpensive GSO coma reducer. Enhanced mirrors in that scope as well! 

Bob, interesting feedback, thank you.

Have you replaced Celestron or Meade SCT's with these?

On 15/09/2018 at 10:38, iPeace said:

I keep looking at these; very much inclined to try one for visual.

So do I, we are too alike Mike!

It does sound an interesting telescope, very compact as well.
Good job I am trying hard to save my pennies for a new mount, otherwise my wallet would have flexed.

4 hours ago, kirkster501 said:

It really is utterly dire in UK at the moment. 
When you think about it, AP really is a crazy hobby to get involved in in the UK

I think this should be broadened to just 'Astronomy' as a whole at present 

To be clear, I refer to the long run of cloud, not the hobby itself.

I took advantage and added the 18.2mm DeLite to my growing DeLIte collection.
Just wish I had more available cash to have added further.
 

I hope you have this printed and on your wall.
Each time I look at this and smile.

I thinks it's a good idea,
but, most local authorities only remove them because they have been hit and
flattened by a vehicle, normally at the base - unless the vehicle was airborne!
Therefore the numbers for use will be very limited.
Also many LA's use lighting sub-contractors.
 

As promised from a 'What the Postman delivered' thread.
Curiosity got the better of me about torches and I have a Celestron and  a Rigel one to compare.
Price points differ.

Celestron

Price £15 
2 x LED
9v PP type battery
Variable output
Flat plain glass / plastic lens
LED's set to one side of unit.

In use the variable brightness works, but feels rough and ready to snap at any minute.
However as I have had the torch a number of years, this concern is unfounded to date.

The whole unit does feel very cheap and plastic and ready to fall apart, the light output is good,
but the LED offset and the red colour both make for too bright and uneven light in use at a dark site.
This torch is used at home with my local LP issues only.

The LED's clearly seen offset to the side of the torch.

The battery fitting is very tight, so much so that some batteries will not fit in the case.
Too tight a tolerance in the case molding.

The light has a definite shape to the output and is very uneven.

See comparison pictures at end for light against light.

Rigel

Price £25 
2 x LED
9v PP type battery
Variable output
Shaped plastic lens
LED's set to centre of unit.
 

In use the variable brightness works, feels solid and reliable.
However as I have had the torch 1 day, this point is unfounded to date.

The whole unit does feel very solid, yet it too is plastic, the light output is good,
but the LED and the darker red colour both make for even light in use.
Looks good in a very dark room and adapted eyes, so good for a dark site.

The centred LED's and the lens design show in this image.

The battery fitting is very good, the plastic case very solid and well engineered against the Celestron,
But, it's does not feel like a decent LED torch does.


Light output is much more evenly spread, no odd shapes or major bright spots,
however the centre does show a brighter spot in images, but not to my eyes.

See comparison pictures at end for light against light.

Comparison of Lights

The units next to each other.

Celestron on left.
Rigel on Right.
The offset of LED's clearly seen in the Celestron.
The lens differences equally obvious.

The lights shining onto a star chart while sitting on it - the lights not me!

Rigel on left
Celestron on Right.

Celestron shon onto star chart.
The uneven light becomes obvious.


 

Rigel shon onto star chart.
The more even light is obvious.







Conclusion

Time will tell, but I forsee the Rigel being a favoured item.

I think the better build, better light evenness and control will win out.
The comparison is skewed by the price difference,
but I think in this case you do get what you pay for.

The Rigel would have been in my ownership a long time ago, however no one had them.
365Astronomy had them in stock this week, so I pounced.
@FLO is this something you could stock?

As with many things in this hobby, it is very personal and what one person loves another loathes.
So as said elsewhere, you mileage may vary.

I will update the post in a few months to report back on how it is going,
well if the permacloud clears that is!


PS. The brightness should not be assessed from the images in anyway.
The camera needed lights up a bit to focus and also makes them brighter than to the eye in use.
 

Post person been and delivered my curiosity item for this month.
Having read about torches and headlights on recent posts, one person mentioned these as super dim.

The quality is much better than the Celestron / Skywatcher offerings and all sealed with o rings etc.
Very nice indeed.
But in defence of the others at about £10, the cost has a big part in this as its £25.
Bought via 365Astronomy as my favoured supplier FLO does not list these.

I will do a short comparison with the Celestron offering and post it up soon.



 

2 hours ago, knobby said:

Good news and bad news rolled into one ! maybe now there is evidence that light pollution WILL change or lives someone will start taking it seriously.

Silly idea, but if Mr Johnson or Corbyn are listening perhaps they could introduce an after hours light pollution tax 🙂

I'd vote for them 

Politics? Tssk, Tssk!
But I do get what you mean knobby.

That is a worrying article indeed.
Something far more serious than us Sky Surfers losing our view to be honest.
Thanks for posting this up.
 

To the OP, that's a great question.

I believe yes is the answer, but I cannot for the life of me back it up,
so take my answer for what it's worth.

Merlin66 above gives a great pointer and a wonderful image too.

 

I would like to think it is Santa in training myself.
 

Thanks for sharing this, costs always help others in negotiations.
Sounds a reasonable cost for what you have built.

Your making progress, nice to see the oby in warm up mode.
As to cloud, I know what you mean about Clear Outside, same here for the next week too.