Alan White

This is great to see the AZ75 being so well used with such a variety of scopes. And to think the noise made to me and @Stu over no slow motions etc. I still love my AZ75 and it’s the mount of choice for me.

Congratulation Nigella. You will soon need a trophy cabinet for them, clearly not going to be used.

Ed, As you said looked good, It was clear as it got dark, then clouds all over as darkness fell. I am not so fed up with my lot now, I couldn't have observed even if I wanted to 😉

I feel your pain, I am in the same situation, but could not observe anyway as I have a back issue flared up at the minute, which is not much fun. So there is someone more upset than you out here.

Just found the thread. I do no science when observing, it’s just for pleasure and my well-being. If the term Star-Gazer was good enough for Leslie C Peltier, then perhaps it’s too good for me, but I have no issue, to gaze is to look steadily and carefully, I do that when observing.

David, are the Nagler 22's not a 2" barrel?

Never too late to ask and your most welcome to do so. The project has stalled, the mirror is sat wrapped carefully stored for a project one day, but not that soon. I would still soak it off and have an adjustable cell myself, but that will not all fit in the existing tube, due to the length and also wanting to change the spider to a thinner 4 vane job. My present thinking is buy a SW 150 f8 with a messed up secondary and shorten the tube and use all the bits to make the f6 hinds mirror live again. So far its got no further than this removal and thinking stage sadly. Good luck with what you do and please make a posting of progress.

I think the UK & Europe supply was running down the MK1 stock before supplying any MK2. The discounts is to clear the last of the MK1 stock. The foil spacers or a foil ring visually will make no difference, I think its Vixens chance to 'update' the existing scopes to a 'new' one for those who like the latest model.

I know of a circa 200mm APO set up near me, its of a very high quality from the US. The owner has publicised it in the very dimmest past. I was very lucky to look through it and wow what a peach. UK seeing does limit it, as does most UK pocket depths no doubt, he has a second observatory with a 120 instrument set up. Both of the above are visual use mainly instruments as well, warms my heart that.

I love my SD103, the sale is for the first SD such as my one and its super. They have brought out a SD103ii, the only change is no foil spacers between the two elements and its now a ring spacer now. These scopes are so under appreciated but they are a gem.

I think @JeremyS must have only shown one half of his Tak collection, That or else he has far more to add yet 😉 Those six Tec 180 made me have a similar reaction to @Sunshine Andromeda could have had a dome Steve, but it would be outsized for uk planing no doubt and not count as a temporary building. And so far thank goodness no one has started posting finders as an entry.......,ooops that has done it now.

How wrong you can be Jeremy....... I found this on Newt Lickers Anonymous! In all seriousness, I am a Refractor man too as many know, first scope was an Achromat and many more since, but I do dabble with Newts as well, but the true wow factor comes from my Refractors. At the minute I am pondering how to observe going forwards with an ongoing long term back issue that I have. If I had the means, health and location I would have an observatory and a large refractor.

I have just found this thread while sitting with my work PC updating itself. Perhaps with all this lens licking and eyepiece sucking going on, then a Therapist could specialise in such issues and help the Astro community no end.

As a visual observer, these mounts are outside my area of knowledge, but I must say it looks like SW have upped the game with bigger and even smaller mounts. Nice to see you Solar Imaging Nigella with the new mount. So is your night mount the EQ8 SW still? All of interest, but all very much outside of my knowledge area.

He is making a quad scope obviously, just two more to find now….

So who will fess up to being the FS128 buyer one wonders?

I had a feeling that might be the case, I had seen a kit list change somewhere else, the LVWs are a surprise though.

I am sitting carefully in anticipation of the reveal yet to come...... Best guess is Dave has launched a Cube Sat Mini Hubble via Space X!

What a super website, does you and your society proud.

Sounds like many of us, me included, are falling apart. Pondering my future way of doing things with 5 ruined discs and a curved spine, not allowing for my two messed up knees. But having read this thread, it’s clearly a case of finding what works for me, so cheered me up no end.

Sorry to see that no one answered you now long standing question, If this is the heritage scope, then I think the often tape fix is it, the plastic on which it forms part of the top of the scope is not big or strong enough to do anything else……unless of course someone has found a fix and stayed very quiet about it.

To be honest it’s a marmite thing with undercuts. Each of us have had differing experiences with them, the older shallower tv ones gave me little issue, the improved ones that feel deeper and have ab angle on one side, snag. When asked in what diagonal that was, simple, the TV one I had at the time!

I love to watch ISS passes with my manual scopes, how you manage to image it and with great success is outside my present skill set. Wonderful images and so very well done.

Thank you @JeremyS for showing me this rare book. I am now going to keep looking for one, you never know your luck.