Alan White

I had wondered where that chart and layout had come from, saved ages ago and not noted where. So thanks from me too.

I will add that I used the Equatorial as if it were an alt az with both clutches loose to find target, then used the RA to track onece set on target. Is this the Alz Az is more natural or is that how others use a manual equatorial?

Did you miss the Orange one earlier Dave?

I have again deviated back to my Astro Roots of recent years, Simple manual mount with a nice 3-4" Refractor onboard, a few eyepieces and me. Wonderful on the good nights, frustrationg on the bad, but highly rewarding. I started Astro so long ago with my Dad and a pair of Binoculars, started with Moon watching (still a deep seated love) and then 'discovering' that the Moon floats in a Sea of Stars! Then after later teenage life, A.K.A Beer, Stupidity and Girls, well settled down and purchsed a first real telescope. Bresser, Achromat 90mm F10 or so on a wooden legged Equatorial Mount of EQ3 size, all a bit rough, but boy did I have fun. The night I first saw Saturn and calling my Mum and Dad to tell them, how they delighted with that 1 am phone call! Anyway wind on so many years and here I am a trail of so many Eyepieces, Mounts and Scopes that it makes me look indecisive, which in all honesty I am towards hobby kit, I like shiney and I like to try other options in kit. So I have landed at a 103mm ED Vixen, which is super, really love this scope, I have a mixed bag of Vixen, TeleVue and Pentax Eyepieces and a fixed Pier on a dedicated observig area at home. The pier was to stop me looking for the correct spot at home, there is no such spot, its been looked for for 21 years now. Mount wise Alt Az has been my thing and perhaps always will be, its simple, but I have had a nagging this is not how the sky works in my head for months. So I bought a very nice used Vixen GP mount, unmolested and in original manual only and dusty form, I mounted it on the pier in a very rough manner of allignment yesterday and used it. Well, wow, that came back a little more easiy than I thought, still have Alt Az way of thinking and a desitre for a driven Alt Az (Rowan AZ100), but this was simple, tracked the sun in one twiddle and then Lunar and then when dark, well rude not to do a tour of Casseiopea, Cygnus, Vega and Hercules. and did I have fun, heck yes, I am still grinning this morning. Simple, back to basics once again, I reccomend it, well for now until the GAS kicks in. So whats your simples story on kit, I would love to know?

This is perhaps for another thread though, as this is a show me thread, how we all love a drift off...me included.

I think everything has gone up since I last looked!

Yep, sounded like a rusty hinge on the set of a Horror Film

Have to share 'First Light' of the roughly set up, new to me, yet quite old Vixen GP (manual only) at present and my most trusty Vixen ED103 in White Light mode. Oh and a 12mm Vixen SLV for good measure.

@Stu great your scopes so low, but have you managed to get back up from being down so low yourself yet? 🤣

Nice postings so far, and such a pleasure to see so many on Vixen mounts 😉

I hear what you say Stu and agree, much of my comments are light hearted banter and I am very excited to be living through manned Moon shots for a second time in my life. But they have raided the parts bin for SLS and then ‘fixed’ issues to pull a very big project together, if that’s a good or bad move, we’ll time will tell. NASA and let’s not forget ESA are building on many of our hopes and dreams to return to The Moon.

Did Boeing build the shuttle?

You are watching a Space Shuttle launch, just more engines and no Shuttle!

I have to say I see where you are coming from on this. HMS Prince of Wales looks like the pumps are going at full pelt, another leak perhaps? Was HMS Queen Elizabeth not in dock over a faulty sealing on drive shafts? Or am I dreaming that one up. On the Artemis 1 front, well the kits well known, half of it came from the Shuttle era after all!

I am glad I went and just made lunch and a drink. Popcorn, now that's an idea.

Indeed it was. Shall I go get lunch while I wait??

In the foam insulation layer.

🤞

No thread on Tak’s on here, No one owns them or wants to show them proudly to others 😉 Clearly if there was a thread @Stu would know straight away 🤣

Nice scopes Kev, SP 102M, what’s not to like, SP mount, again what’s not to like, Solarscope 50, wow, nice, have used my clubs one, really great Ha scope.

I do think Rowan had a go with imaging to see how things went, surely if your a serious imager you would be using an equatorial mount? The above is said as an observer in visual mode only, I do not image.

Sound perfect, what a place to live. Having the Dob as a roll out in that sky will I hope be stunning.

A late comment, congratulations on the move, super location. Have often observed in Wales and the skies have often been super. Enjoy.

Thanks @Stu, most kind of you to do so, stabilised ones OK? 😉

To add to Ed’s very clear answer, The speeding of the drift through a higher magnification eyepiece is an illusion, the world is spinning past the point in space that you are observing at the same rate. What makes it look faster, is the narrower view given by the eyepiece used. Tracking wise, you either move the scope at the same rate or motors do this for you.