Alan White

@Moonshane did you get the observatory completed?

Welcome back Shane, had been wondering where you had gone.

I often ponder about IS binoculars, but the cost is always too rich for me. Having looked at this particular model, perhaps, just perhaps I might be tempted. Thanks for the post though Jeremy as very much food for thought and very apt as on holiday with Binos in Pembrokeshire at the minute.

The advantage of the flanged pier is that it’s easily removed, Hobbies change, folks move etc. I have had 2 flanged piers as it’s not the forever house, so it can move with me, glad I did a pier 1 was removed in fit of change and then replace with pier 2 that’s actually taller. Both worked well and no regrets.

I too am a one scope user Vixen ED103, I have two favourite eyepieces, Vixen 22 LVW and Pentax 10 XW, the 10 until now has been the White Light hero and will remain so, but i have just acquired a Vixen LV zoom for trying in WL solar.

NO, you missed it @JeremyS, it was on page 3 of @Stu list 🤣

I don't astro on holiday other thah by naked eye or birding binos. Holiday is a break from home life which includes astronomy. Mind you Meteor watches and solar eclipses have sneaked in on our breaks in the past. Good luck with making space for some kit, I hope it works for you.

Oh dear oh dear Jeremy, That is terrible. I recognise the screen shot, courier that changed its name recently I beleive.

Oh no, another case, then it has more room for the future....handy that 😉

40-60 with8-24 range, but all I want it for is Solar in WL and in the future in Ha. Vixen did make wider FOV eyepieces.

Postie has been and delivered another purchase c/o @Franklin, clearly Vixen of course. LV Zoom for solar observation, means all solar kit sits in one box in 'The Khazi', ready to use, just wander out with a scope and a key. Has the Magic words Vixen and Japan.

@Stu With how the weather has been, world and uk issues and your now driving west to east each week, we’ll your mojo struggling is very understandable. I think @F15Rules described a similar outcome for some of the same reason for him and many of us all. A rest and recharge of the Astro enthusiasm is part of the hobby as far as I am concerned, makes the jump back in in Mid August all the better. Nice car, a bit brightly coloured for my taste though, looks like fun and I can see why you had a return to an old hobby now.

A case of you reap what you sow I think.

Postie has been with a recent purchase from @Franklin in his recent Vixen sale 12mm SLV for WL Solar and outreach.

Good luck with this build, something I ponder on my observing area is adding walls and a roof. Timber prices have gone insane so that has tempered my enthusiasm for now.

They as said above are the forum sponsor, one of if not the largest uk Astro retailers and I use them as a supplier, throughly decent reliable, knowledgeable and above all trustworthy folks. @FLO might wish to make comment directly of course….

Yes me too.

Bigger Alt AZ are around and available, the Rowan AZ100, The APM MaxLoad, Track The Stars etc. Because of the qulity engineering they cost more than some hope, you do get what you pay for in this hobby. The issue now is that astronomy has biased towards imaging, not us visual obserevers and the market feeds the bigger demand. Imagers if you look spend a Princely Sum on mounts before they even start erally spending, but for imaging its equatorial mounting, so the visual alt az is less well served. I can see why larger newtonians are mounted on dobson mounts, but I did find that a frustration at higher powere and the difraction spikes, just messed with my head too much, so I am just a refractor only observer now and accept my lot for the spike free view, mind you one day I hope for a 5" or 6" refractor.

Great report and nice to see some shared observing of the ISS. ISS tracked with Alt Az is great fun in a small scope, but being able to track and see much detail, well there is the challenge. You stayed up later than I might on a week day, good on you. Summer observing can be great fun, especially nice to be lightly dressed of course. Thank you for sharing, nudged me to make the time for a later one, if only the cloud would oblige.

My new case with some familiar friends They may have some additions at a later date and may go all 1 1/4 for simplicity of kit.

Well Postie came knocking early as I was going out this morning, so had to wait until now. I have been sitting with this in the @FLO offers area and my inbox, waiting for the next price drop, but patience would not last and I have a new EP case. Made for Morphoi of which at present I own none, will be remedied once my back pay gets sorted out. A very well made Baader Morpheus and Hyperion case, its far more solid than my old Maplin case, very sure and solid locks, and the cut outs are just perfect for Morpheus, Pentax XW and Vixen LVW and I expect TeleVue Delos as well.

Good point on astigmatism. I would also keep the magnification at 8x or 10x otherwise you will need a monopod or tripod as well. A reasonable but not the best would be 10x50 Olympus DP-S 1, were sold on Amazon and under £100, but Ithink they are no longer available, better at not much more available elsewhere. Many of the 10x50 on the forums sponsor page are also good for the price and I am sure @FLO post to France, unless your outside of France at the minute. examples would be: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/classic-binoculars/opticron-oregon-10x50-wa-binocular.html https://www.firstlightoptics.com/classic-binoculars/opticron-adventurer-10x50-t-wp-binocular.html https://www.firstlightoptics.com/classic-binoculars/pentax-sp-50mm-binoculars.html Have a look for Binocular Sky (Steve Tonin) on this forum, he is very engaged and has lots of reviews online, linked here on the forum if memory serves me OK.

58 degrees Arnaud? or do you mean 38, otherwise your having a true Heatwave.

As well as your thermal shorts Paul, remember the bobble hat 😉

Its been nearly 40 here in Essex, I feel like I have melted into my own socks! It was too hot for solar at 8.45am this morning.