Alan White

A gap in the cloud, lucky you. Nice to see what dear old Sol is up to this week. Thanks for sharing the images 👍

Nice to get your Mojo back, we all have ups and downs of enthusiasm. Like the image and gives sense of scale and place for a number of objects for thos trying to find them.

Nigella, You will be fine, your enthusiasm will shine through 🙂 A couple of years back I found myself our clubs 'Observing Director' grand title eh, but it comes with a need for monthly talks. Suddenly I had to talk on Astronomy every month and sound like I knew what I was doing.... So far I have got away with it and not been drummed out of the club. I work on enthusiasm, a wining smile and interaction. Good luck and keep calm, you will suprise yourself how much you know, one golden rule, if you dont know, say so and then look it up afterwards.

Nice gifting that

Wow indeed, a very memorable night.

I have Astronomy only glasses for Astigmatism at the Eyepiece and so I can also pick out stars to point my finder / telrad /rigel at as well. Yes single lens, no readers in, even though I need them, but thye get in the EP view. No coatings as advised by my optician, they scratch she told me, had to laugh as its anti scratch coating. The lenses and style like @Paz are not my fashion (ahem) choice, but have a bigger rounder EP lens covering size. My dioptre is 0.75 and the lens is set a 1.00, i wish I had tried 1.25 as some slight astigmatism shows, oddly in middle range FL eyepieces, not at the largest exit pupils, but nearer the cusp of it not supposedly showing. So thanks to this thread, I may get a differing set of lenses made up and fitted.

NIce eyepieces, the 16 and 20 are as nice in my opinion, but sadly not enough eyerelief for me now I have to wear glasses to observe.

Nice that you photographed it in UK weather conditions for us to get a full appreciation. Nice job.

That hits the nail on the head. The 103 does what I want well or very well, the faint fuzzies are just smaller fainter fuzzies from home anyway, due to the excess LP. The one scope also makes EP and mount choices simpler as well.

The Vixen obsession grows…..mind you not a bad thing that. I like Vixen kit as well.

Nice to see it being fettled and more importantly used, nice one. 👍👍👍

Experiences like this are so uplifting and a gentle reminder of how small we are as well. Reading your description felt like I was stood alongside you Nick, thank you for inviting me.

Used the mount most of last week for Solar and used all day most days at that too. I managed a Teams meeting at the scope, just had a camera issue so could only use sound of course 😉 Anyway the ED103 and SV50 were dual mounted and all working well, still super smooth and no issues, the mount has been outside undercover for a month and nothing changed, which is good. During this testing period, I have become so happy with using my 103 that I sold my 10” OOUK Dobson and am now sold on the smaller refractor route for my observing. I know some will think this a sensible move and others will think I am nuts. So one thing the testing has done is focus my mind on where I am going (for now). The AZ75 just vanishes in use with the above scopes, it could clearly handle larger longer scopes in my opinion, but not owning these and no one sending me ones to test with, it remains an opinion. The mount is sitting on a Skywatcher EQ5 steel tripod and Skywatcher Riser that was cut down by me to 8” a number of years ago, the whole set up is rock solid, very smooth and being a joy to use. The only issue is not mount related, but my eyes, when using the DSC Nexus I need readers to see the screen, when I look at the sky I need my distance glasses…..such a royal pain in the rear end. So would using a link to my phone or tablet help? Or would I have the same issues? One to find out I suppose. And I have been out in the dark too

Don't be so sure @JeremyS 🤣.... I joke of course @paulastro would miss him.

That was really cool, thank you

Great Images and reflects what I have seen today. Is it just me or has the Sun got a Snowman Face on it?

Nice one Paul. So you got gaps in the cloud today.

Still using it (oops testing it) and the mount just gets out of the way, so working well. Been Solar, more WL with the 103 and Lunt wedge than the SV50, trying to wean myself from Ha for now as cannot afford an Ha scope and although enjoying the loan, know it’s out of my reach for now. Also Lunar with mono view and binoview, loved it. Then double stars and bits that take my interest at the time. Each and every session the mount does what it should, just work with smoothness and ease, the altitude lock works a treat, the clutches are smooth and the mount just moves so smoothly. I do wish to try the Nexus DSC with sky safari or similar and phone or tablet, but struggling in how to do this, but await the Roman box for testing as this will be set up to do this. I know the AZ75 is close to be marketed, it’s exciting, so many more can share this experience that I have been lucky to test, I just hope folks think it’s a nice as I do.

Indeed a serious subject for many, torture for some. My real concern about the Oscars, is who gets slapped!

That looks nice and well made, I read you post about it and weighting with interest.

Pete the postie has been and delivered again And even better something long desired… Centrepoint gain a nice donation in payment for this book, which makes me doubly happy.

Nice collection Franklin, something tells me you like Vixen products.... So do I as well.

It sounds to me as if you already have made your mind up and trying to test that 'call' with this thread, which based on the money involved makes sense to me. Reading through the thread, you clearly want the Takahashi, so why not just go with it? A 4" sized scope is a very versatile thing, I know as I love my Vixen ED103s. I use it as 'the' scope and rarely use my 10" Dobson, so much so that I will sell the 10" this year.

Nice arrival Ags, this Ha observing is contagious. I am using a borrowed Ha scope at present and the Scout is a ? on my list, a list that may remain just that for a while, but a list all the same. Look forwards to reading the postings on what you have seen. Oh and dont resisst the Vixen SLV, they are very nice EP.

Postie Pete's buddy today, only just opened everything later this afternoon as busy with life. Two Classified purchases to make one TV Bino Pair at 25mm And a @FLO purchase of a new DeLite at 9mm. Just a couple more to go when funds allow or Mrs W allows extra spending, which at the present time is unlikely due to 1000’s of reasons.