Alan White

Good luck with the build, looking forward to seeing your fruit of your labours.

Always nice to get out after a gap. 👍
I bet that was the best Saturn you have seen this Summer 😉

The fact it went left and behind the post, well made me chuckle and think, of all the luck.

Plenty more Space X to come of course.

Better luck next time.

Sorry you have had a tough time health wise and emotionally, something many of us will empathise with.

Glad to see even through this, that you have fond it in you to make tweaks.

Always admired your full on landscaping to make Astro work for you.

I expect you will update this again in years to come, just as I have with my Observing Area thread.

You take care now.

26 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I need an adapter before I can test, thought 

You will need a clear sky as well @JeremyS, good luck on that one 😉

Postie has been with a delivery from the classifieds, thanks Tim @Franklin for this next Vixen wonder 😁

7x50 ultimas, the build is sublime.

Why narrow the debate to Orthos and Naglers only? 😉

I do understand what you are saying about observation setting you thinking about who or what we are, 
clearly that debate here has a danger of straying into certain subjects that are discouraged on this forum.

Is that a Nexus on the front.

Nice one @PatientObserver 👍

How about a side on image and one with the phone in place? Please.

That way we can see how it all works.

Great to see an Indian sucess with this, regardless of any feelings on the socio economic situation.
Nice to see them do it so well, when others, more experienced have not.

On 16/08/2023 at 18:50, faulksy said:

You wouldn't of been jealous today when we got tha car wedged in a multistorey car park because of the roof box. Think chevy chase in European vacation 🤣

Oh goodness me, that bring back bad memories aka 'favourite family stories' to tell about Dad.
We did much the same so many years back while on Summer Holidays in The West Country.

Hope all was OK and that you are OK and the car and box survived too.

Looks great. worth the travel to get that fine scope out under a decent sky.
I await further positive trip reports.
 

I saw the picture and thought, nice and then the next thought was ah my back,

just takes the thought of sleeping in a tent on the ground and my whole body complains! 

Oh and Doombar in favour of Old Peculiar for me thanks, but to be honest prefer Cider these days.

Enjoy, lucky you being clear.
 

I am a visual only member of the clan, but I have dabbled in the 'art' side of the hobby for a trial and hated it.

I hated it for the very same reason that I started to dislike terestrial photography time,
which is too much technobabble, too much to give grief and too much time sat fiddling with software to manipulate the image from what it was to something else.

I find the sheer pleasure of sitting observing quietly, with nature (and others sometimes) for company most relaxing,
The photons hitting my eyeballs are mine alone and have travelled for quite some time for me to get in the way.
 

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Sounds like a few of us, Alan 😊

Indeed it does, me included, but more on the well padded side of things.

8 hours ago, cajen2 said:

And no doubt a reasonable price because it doesn't have the word "astro" in its name! 😛

Actually no, as its a Photographic case its afflicted by the same thing,
but in reality the price feels'reasonable' for the quaity, very well padded and very soildly built.

Post person aka Parcel Farce delivered my latest smaller purchase, a decent bag for my SD103.
Easier when lifted in and out with great access due to a wide aand a decent top opening, I struggle when tired with a single central zip as most cases have fitted (why?).

Well padded and ballistic type nylon material.

It is a Calumet lighting stand bag, others use them for tripods, next month I might be doing the same.

Welcome to the sketching road, it’s long and winding , but great pleasure can be had on the journey.
Don't do yourself down, the stars are in proportion and the correct pattern.

I sketch from time to time, just in pencil for record purposes, it’s still not artistic even after a few years.

You have to love The Coathanger or Brocchi's Cluster AKA Collinder 399.
Its a lovelly Binocular target and I can see why you have sketched it,
a very nice sketch indeed.
 

2 hours ago, John said:

Has anyone used one of these 2 inch format long focal length eyepieces in a refractor with a focal ratio of F/7 ish ?

I'm wondering how they do, edge correction and other distortions at that focal ratio, actual AFoV delivered etc, etc.

Can anyone shed any light (so to speak 🙂) on these ?

StellaLyra 40mm 2" KITAKARU RPL Eyepiece | First Light Optics

StellaLyra 45mm 2" KITAKARU RPL Eyepiece | First Light Optics

Many thanks in advance 🙂

I have not used these, looked at them often with similar thoughts.
They have been available I think with other branding as well.
Surely someone has tried them?

On 27/06/2023 at 21:19, stuy said:

228 F9 lzos big heavy and long but visually stunning!! 

Only just seen this posting and my oh my, What a Biggun.
Lookng through a scope like that on a good night (if only we had those) will be amazing.
I have looked through an 8" triplet in my locality and it was super, so speak with a kimited experience.

 

Prompted by two things, @jjohnson3803 post above and my desire to get a BB tripod again after many years absent.

Slow mo was done to death during the early parts of this and @Stu thread as well.
As designed, its smooth so I and others now think no need for SM, but others think otherwise.
Put it this way I use a 3mm ep with it, I find it just fine on Lunar etc.

I fitted my long in its wrap, pan handle and just wow, makes the AZ75 even more magic.
And I hope this answers the above question to.

It’s on the SW 1.75 for now, just working out height for either Uni18 or Uni28…

Thanks for the heads up, also cloudy tonight as well.

I do both, encouraged to give Binoviwers ago by some of the maestros here on SGL.

I find binoviweres harder to use than normal binoculars oddly, but not enough to cause an issue.
But as others have said if tired, then the Binoviewers stay in the box.

Lunar with a Binoviwer is very 3d and quite something.

If I had to give anything up, it would be the Binoviewer and BV eyepieces as its an addition rather than the main game for me.

Monoviews, well thats how I started and no doubt will end my Astro journey.