Alan White

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.

 

I have followed this little ones flights and news with interest from the start.
To have done as much as it has is far more than the test flights it was due.
An over achiever is in fact an understatement.
 

Yes and my bug bear of undercuts has a question within the survey.
Interesting that a notable group dont like them and comment more fully than any other group.

I do hope the message has settled in Nagler family ears.

3) Having safety undercuts in the eyepiece barrel?
Our chrome plated 2″ and 1.25″eyepiece barrels include safety undercuts. It turns out only a trivial percentage of respondents had “No Opinion” on the utility of safety undercuts. This left the results evenly split into two camps: the “Very important” and “Somewhat important” respondents versus the “Not Important.” The “Very important” and “Somewhat important” camp has a slim 0.4% lead – but we’ll call it a tie. The “Not Important” group though was distinguished by submitting many more comments on the subject.

3 hours ago, Nigella Bryant said:

Sooo disappointed it didn't contain snow. They shouldn't say, " may contain snow" if there's not a chance, but I guess their get out clause is, "May." 

Nigella, I fully understand, but how would you feel if the snow had melted and
made all the new kit wet through?    
Always a positive outcome 😉

Postie has been with a little bundle of joy this morning.

Adding to my slowly returning and growing DeLite collection, thanks to @Stridor for this one.

and sat with its friends in my Oklop eyepiece bag, that I highly recommend for flexibility and price.

and yesterday a little gift from my friend up north to put my Vixen Porta and tripod in

8 hours ago, John said:

Is there an Impractical Astronomy Show I wonder ? 🤔😁

 

Yes, on my observing area each time I observe.
If you wish to see things go wrong, ham fisted workings etc.
then it's the Exemplary showing of Impractical Astronomy!  🤣

This is the Practical Astronomy Show, that has moved venue from Kettering. 
This is not the IAS that is run by another team and has also moved venue.

Both are fine shows and in reality a shame they are both now close in location, the geographic locations in the past influenced some.

The PAS was attended by a group from SGL last year, we met up, talked Astronomy and twaddle and encouraged one another to buy things.

4 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

The only thing that puzzled me was Mallas's sketch of M27  (The Dumbbell nebula). He drew it as a misty rectangle and to this day his portrayal of it remains a mystery. M27 has always appeared to me as an Apple core enshrouded in a nebulous bubble, and that's in every instrument I've ever used, even binoculars.

That made me hobble to the book case and take a look (dodgy back at the mo).
Oh yes, what a strange observation he made, curious now.

The books were all curiosity and my Luddite wanting books not displays to look at.

 

Drooling, not temped etc. come on folks let's be honest.
Unless our funds are drained or we are restrained by others at these things,
temptation of a new 'thing' always gets us!

Postie or in fact DPD has been from @FLO and I have a third Oklop bag.

Also tucked in was little old Tak TOE 4mm, that I don’t know I have yet as it’s a surprise present for me?

So being a surprise I have not opened it yet 😉

Not that I can use it at the minute as I have done my back in and finding moving a touch of a challenge.

https://practicalastroshow.com/
 

For clarification it’s at Stoneleigh, the Kettering site closed down.

21 hours ago, Ouroboros said:

Worth pointing out that the Practical Astronomy Show is advertised for Saturday 23rd of March 2024! not the 9th. @mikeDnight
 

Practical Astro Show

Indeed it now is, the date set last year for this was the 9th and then changed.

The venue also moved.

Unfortunate that I posted the date and location last year before the change was made.

I have asked the mods to alter the title 😀

Postie called yesterday with a package of joy, lots of happy reading ahead. 
OK the Nortons was a curiosity for me to see what I had missed.

Interesting and pleasing that it is not me touched by this fine read and the Astronomer behind the pen and telescope.

I have since looked about and found what I believe was his last book, that looks to have been a deliberate legacy.

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Forget the comets, Alan - we’ll have you as a variable star observer! 👍🏻

Jeremy, the main thing variable at the moment is clear skies 🤪

I do ponder variables, but that feels scientific to me…. And as a true Luddite I am torn, but as I am unlikely to discover my own Comet from my light pollution, then perhaps variable may be a sensible option after all.

It is always saddening to read of people’s passing.
David was a very well known figure in our little world and his absence will be felt,
however his creations will live on.

Been at my Astro club tonight, it was cloudy at the start so we had a talk on observing, then it cleared and we observed with some newer members and introduces them to Orion and more.

My only problem was I forgot my gloves and froze my bits off, so now home and warming through.

Fun though.

11 hours ago, 900SL said:

Think I've got a handle on this now 😆 

I should wear my reading glasses. My initial thought was wow that’s a lot of wiring for a simple observing set up!

I was fortunate to get a copy of the Leslie Peltier book Starlight Nights for Christmas. 

I have read it at my normal slow pace each night and then reread it in the day as I nodded off reading, no reflection on the book or author.

What a really nice story, of quite an astronomers life, in his own words.

This has really charmed me and reflects some facets of my own observing journey in many ways.

Not that I was born in the US on a farm and I have discovered no Comets as yet.

The book really shows why he did and I do observe and I am equally sure many of us on here will feel the same.

I sometimes find books very hard work, this was anything but hard work. In fact it was an utter joy to read,

His closing remarks on the high number of satellites and space debris becoming an issue in the late 1960’s made me grin, he was right in his prediction it would get far worse. In the text he talks about one particular satellite as ‘our satellite’ that made me chuckle, if only we could do so now.

I know many others will have been equally moved by this well known book as it’s been talked about before.

Perhaps I need to plant Strawberries or keep Cows near the Observing Pad and Khazi!

18 hours ago, Nakedgun said:

~

I can state that my GAS is under control - I have not ordered anything during the entire 2024.

Yet 

Just helping 😀

Have you made any progress since you last posting? 
The base has piqued my interest, last time I looked the Guzzis got my attention.