JOC

You'd never guess I wrote that ^^^ on the phone would you? If only I had the same control of my thumbs on a phone as my daughter!!!

Hete is a set to look at, you can get all sorts of wrights for gazebos https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-4-x-GAZEBO-FEET-FOOT-LEG-POLE-SANDBAG-ANCHOR-WEIGHTS-MARQUEE-STALL-SAND-BAGS/263525170695?hash=item3d5b52fe07:g:2GkAAOSwoddadsoV

If you want travel friendly counterweights I wonder if what I bought for my new gazebo would work. For about £12 you can buy 4 empty double sandbags designed to be filled and velcroed around the gazebo legs. Providing these telescope bars had an ultimate stop thing sliding off back plate, I see no reason why you couldn't take one of these purpose made sacks, fill it at your destination (sand, stones earth etc) zip it closed and just velcro it to the counterweight arm. Then empty it to come home.

Given the problems with dew I am often surprised that astronomers don't try mirrors with anti fogging treatments. When I ski I have been really amazed at the streak free finish you get by applying just a spot dish detergent to the inside of goggle lenses and then literally polishing them with a dry soft cloth to a high and streak free shine. The finish you end up with is stunning and it completely solves the fogging issue on the goggle lenses by the faint residue busting the surface residue when the water vapour decides to fall out of air onto a convenient surface. Such a concept is not a million miles away from that mentioned above

I've got this one too, and although I don't get out much when I do I find myself reaching for it a lot.

That's rather neat and tidy as a set-up isn't it? The baby C5 is rather neat. So many photos and ads on SGL are about big telescopes, huge tripods and mounts it quite nice to see something that compact in comparison.

Given that you'd have to buy a suitable bracket and can buy a second-hand cheap, but functional, RDF for about a tenner I don't think I'd bother with a phone esp. as they might be a bit bright?

Although it's an old scope (and obviously you would need a modern day equivalent) I have been really impressed with the performance of this: Which I think is about as grab and go as it gets - all the legs store inside the tripod centre. Whilst it might not look a planet scope I have had good views of the planets with it and it cope with other sky objects too.

PM sent

It is a good job my postie is not the suspicious type ( well actually it was a courier!). I got what looked like a missile for a shoulder launcher (like you see on the TV) wrapped in loads of bubble wrap and a black bin sack. The contents of which were a nice chunky tripod that I am going to fix the baby vixen to.

Possibly, though the bigger the mirror, the more costly the accident if something did go wrong. Maybe the owners of them know more than me, but I don't know if I'd risk it. The CO2 in an extinguisher is v. Cold!

Well noting OP here, I just wanted to say that even though someone hadn't really played 'the game' with emadmoussa, it hasn't made him bitter or meant that he has given up wanting to do someone a good deal. I've just purchased an item from him and he went out of his way to help me with the purchase. He is a 'good egg' in my book, many thanks emadmoussa.

CO2 ext. !!!!! I would thought such a sudden and severe temperature change would have the potential to cause irrepairable damage to a mirror. My grandmother once shattered a thick lead crystal vase by bringing in into a warm louge from an unheated winter conservatory!!

http://www.astro-baby.com/astrobaby/help/collimation-guide-newtonian-reflector/ This^^^ is Astro Baby's guide FWIW I bought a laser as it seemed to sound like a good idea. Like you I was unimpressed with it and bought a Cheshire and followed Astro Baby's guide and didn't look back.

Have you downloaded and followed literally the letter Astrobabys collimation guide? She uses a Cheshire collimator and I did absolutely everything that was suggested, regardless of how odd it sounded and I got a perfectly collimated telescope. I was having kittens at the thought of doing the job before I read hhe guide.. I have seen it written that a symmetrical turn of insulating tape can make the fit of collimators a bit tighter.