Alan White

I have now got past the Green Beer Gordon and read this entire thread. Wow, that is quite some project. A far cry from your SkyPod and quite a serious improvement.....understatement of the day. Best I start my retirement plan soon then as I turn 53 in September, food for thought indeed. Good luck with all those building jobs and keep on updating the thread when back on the domes etc.

That answers my burning question that I have had for months Gordon. Green Beer, who would have thought!

Watched the Moon Special yesterday. I agree it was great that they went to the varying locations in the US. But it was named STARGAZING with no live involved or titled, so perhaps a new avenue for the duo yet!

To the OP. Why do you need such a large and heavy rig / scope if AP is the game? I would have thought a smaller lighter Refractor would be suitable and more portable. For visual a good 4" refractor on an alt az makes it a very easy scope combo to own.

Indeed out to observe this tonight with Castle Point Astronomy Club, however it is arranged by Ed NGC 1502 on here. He arranged one last year and it was clouded out, he did however manage a full on Thunderstorm for entertainment 😁 Let us hope we fare better this year. Celebrating the 50th of Apollo 11 is most apt. My dear old Dad set me observing the Moon in the latter missions, but at 3 years old was too small / young to remember the real event. But it has set me up for a lifetime of observing and a fascination about the weather.

Ant You sold it because you are an Astronomer and on the Merry Go Round of ever changing kit! Funny how you return to old favourites though, sometimes an item is only truly appreciated when it’s gone.

Thanks Stu for the initial post. I decided to have ago, missed the earlier transit due to cloud, but cleared and got a great view of the GRS, which was great. As you say dodgy seeing, but who cares. First Light with the 15 mm Panoptic and 5mm Nagler, so a great short session, then a little very bright Lunar. Back in as have an early appointment at work.

Yes Magnus, I have noted this is White light Solar in previous years. No idea what the objects were or are, so will be intrigued to find out. Let's hope someone in the SGL family knows.

Good luck with that Stu, still clouded out further East in Essex.

Nice one. Great when things happen that are for the positive.

Interesting shed choice, look forward to your build or assembly thread. Good luck with this.

You know how sensitive we are Stu, after all how the kit looks is so important in the dark 🤣

Telrad and lower the Finder for me Stu. I would be breaking my neck or back with the finder high like that from my observing stool.

Great Innit!

Clouded out in my bit of Essex. Looked on weather satellite images and it was a narrow band from the North to South, right over where I live. Inevitable really as my Panoptic 15mm had arrived. Great that some of you have got a look and enjoyed your astronomy, because enjoying it is what it is all about. Cloud, Grrrrrr! But gives you something to look forward to

Well flying in the face of the thread title - Post-person did not deliver this, but neither did Yodel! Had to collect because HM Border Force had been and opened the parcel, then rewrapped the many layers that the sender had applied, now all in nice Home Office White and Purple tape. This Eyepiece has been sitting with its former owner awaiting my return to a semblance of normal health. The time was now right for it to wing its way across the North Sea to me. Many thanks Mike (iPeace) for being a good friend and holding onto it for so long 😀 Mike leant me this in 2018, before he had even received it himself. I was smitten with it and told him so and hoped to find such a nice one myself, well I have now, but I did not it expect to be the wonderful one I had borrowed. Joins the wonderful 19mm and 27mm Panoptics that I already own. All in my case bar one EP (Vixen) is all TeleVue now. Of course it is cloudy today. Oh yes, funniest bit was I genuinely forgot to tell my wife I had bought it, so the parcel was a surprise to her. I always talk to her on kit purchases, but was otherwise engaged with things that I plain forgot.

Nice to see it arrived with Beer as well, shame it's been opened before you could get at it 😉 Something about Vixen kit, keeps you coming back to it, as you say decent Japanese build.

I should think from the picture that the OOUK ones are just cut from an alloy tube.

I saw that f6 on ENS Stu, what you have done is super. Know someone else on here who has similar and sings its praises.

Looking even more finished each posting Francis, Not looking better as it's been fantastic from the get go. How I wish my Wood Butchery could be to even 25% of your skill level!

Wow, that is a great sketch. Some drawing and observing skills being exhibited here.

Interesting and clearly shows how things improve with processing. Is this shot on a webcam or derivative type set up?

Can you send hime round to me as well please 😂

Looking good Ahmed. That neighbour, what a kind fella, superman for 1 1/2 hours to get that all done.

Well the nice Post Person has delivered while I was out at the Doctors (yet again) and a new bundle of joy has arrived. Please say welcome to my (new to me) Pre-Loved 5mm Nagler t6, it is joining my 11mm t6 and 7mm t6, which I enjoy using very much. I just need the 9mm and a few others to join it one day when funds allow.