Alan White

I saw the advert and your response Fozzie. As you say Astro Fate, sometimes it is just meant to be. I hope the lad enjoys your hard work when the time comes. Nothing like parent child Astro time.

Something I look forward too JamesF, but as you can see no apples for a couple of years yet perhaps.

Well final installment for 2019. The final gardening has happened, top soil in and levelled for a seed bed, grass seed sown after a wait and its now germinating and a bed of green. The single small Crab Apple is in the corner, awaits a small Cherry to join it on the opposite corner. As for 2020, well, I have ideas but need funds to do this as well as the Domestic Managers approval. I will update this thread in 2020 I hope. Best thing I have done in a long time, very pleased, makes me a happy camper indeed. Thanks for your kind comments and encouragement over time in this and previous threads.

Time to get measuring I think.

Looks a super project, very neat finish too. As JamesF says above, video of opening would be interesting to watch.

Funny how stripping things back makes things easy and enjoyable. I with my terrestrial photography often take camera and one lens fitted and work with it rather than fussing over which lens to use etc, makes it challenging but great fun. With Astronomy, when many start, it’s simply two or three eyepieces at most, things are simple, it’s just when the want monster strikes and you find a case full of nice eyepieces and things and start to fuss over what to use. At this point it can become challenging.

So true. What we need is an observing area above the cloud 😀

If it's clear and it fits with me I observe. If it's clear and it does not fit with me I don't observe. Do I worry about this, in all honesty, yes sometimes, but not for 90% of the time as the sky will wait.

Very nice indeed. I would love a nice watch like this, but cannot be trusted with one.

Thanks Paul Let's hope it is as forecast.

That was quite some story with a very fine ending. The scope looks wonderful, wish you many many happy nights observing with it.

Seeing was great, placement of Jupiter in middle of trees not so hot, but between limbs got a good look at the GRS, great stuff.

Nice one Gus, looks great. Your heads up had me struggling as the view is via tress, but I got a peep at the GRS. 👍 .

I have been out using the Observing Area while it has been clear. Very happy indeed, brought many targets onto the menu, that I just was unable to find due to the light. One downside to having a hedge in front of the fence line, as it's new and it is very dry, constant flipping watering twice a day! I bet no one else has to water the observatory 😂 I am now so in love with my 10" OOUK Dobsonian, which was an away from home scope only. So much so it may become 'THE' scope!

Welcome to the world of Green & Black Jon. A road you may regret sometimes financially, but boy I doubt you will ever doubt it when observing. I have almost gone all Green & Black these days. Don't regret it at all, just when I want another EP as they are at a premium price. Naglers, love them, Panoptic love them too.

Yes Winter skies are on the way 😀 Not that Summer ones (when available) have been anything but enjoyable. No lights at 4am! Wow, you are lucky. My sky is still lit by the many spots all night - even though the street lights go off.

Grumpy I also believe that Telescope House sold them under one of the brands they run. Saw a ABS advert recently by no other Than Es Reid for one of the non Skywatcher Branded ones. That in itself says quite a lot to me, he must have rated it to buy it in the first place. Somehow I think the 'we choose the best of the batch' to be marketing speak for we just buy a big batch.

In the bottom of the page you can switch between Sterling, Euros and US Dollars David. You may have clicked on something by mistake. I don't think it has anything to do with the Big B!

Very nice job indeed, worth all the work by all concerned. Hate to tell you, Toolstation just round the corner to Lakeside!! Motherwell Way RM20 3EH

Those 5" and 6" Achromats look to be great double star scopes in both @Wookie and @cotterless45 hands.

This is drifting into a cooking thread, not What did the Postman Bring 🤣

Does that equate to: I have too many eyepieces??

I agree with John on this David. When buying I like the original box etc. but in reality should only make at most £10 or so reduction in price. You are not really buying the box to use after all. But as said above, it is all in the mind of the buyer and it does sometimes make a sale harder.

Well progress has been made for this Idiot after a guide 😀 The Auzeuner RTL SDR arrived while I was on holiday Progress point 1. But then life (well a death) then got tangled in the way. Yesterday sat down with the USB dongle and plugged in, downloaded the drivers and then nothing, didn't even show as a drive, darn it! Look on the web and find its driver related, loaded some software and reset the USB driver, instantly found. Progress point 2 Have downloaded software to try running the dongle. SDR Console v3, this worked and I can see and play with the dongle. Progress point 3. This may sound stupid to many, but I really have no idea what I am doing and each of these to me is a big step forward. Off to the DIY shed when it opens to buy some pipe for the S@N Aerial build. Hope to start on that later or tomorrow. Keep you posted.......Graves Radio and Meteors, here I come!

As always, you make it all sound wonderful and easy Nick. Clouded last night, so leaving it with fingers crossed for tonight. Made me smile about the occasional foray of Mr Nick to the Eyepiece, sounds like Mrs White here. Were you using your 6" Celestron F8 Achro Nick? If so what mount is it hung upon?