JOC

FWIW I think I prefer Port - what a lovely circular nebula

Ditto dual finders mounts being the best of both worlds - this is my setup: With it I can find anything I can see with the naked eye in the centre of the telescope in about 30 seconds flat. In fact I find that the RDF doesn't even need to be spot on with the optical finder, esp. if I have a mental note of what the difference is. If it's in the RDF it's usually in the optical path of the RACI and if the RACI is spot on with the telescope I just roughly use the RDF to find things then centre it into the RACI and then I'm in business. I find there isn't quite sufficient adjustment in the RDF on that mount to get it spot on, so I live with it, but it isn't an issue as I can get the RACI spot on. NB. In the UK laser finders are somewhat frowned upon for good reason.

I must admit that always makes me cross too. What can be useful is to create a throwaway email address on one of the free email accounts that abound in internet land and just use that throwaway email to signup for these things and then never look at it again. There is also nothing that says you have to give your full or real name.

I've got exactly the same combo on my Dob, I reckon it's amazing - anything I can see with the naked eye and therefore using the red-dot finder I can expect to have in the centre of the optical finder within about 30 seconds flat. When I used to only have the optical finder I could easily still be waving the scope around after twenty minutes and still would not have found the first calibration star for the goto. It also makes the scope useable when I just want a single target like a planet and don't need the tracking, i.e. jupiter or the moon.

@Marvin Jenkins FWIW I don't have a server in the basement or any fancy imaging kit - I have a telescope that I can attach a DSLR to afocally, a tripod to take the DSLR without a telescope, a cable release, and a fair sized memory card to fit in the camera. I also have a computer onto which I've downloaded some free stacking software that anyone can download. With such a set-up you can start to see what is possible - That thread above is one I started when I thought I'd see how difficult all this stuff was. Widefield is certainly possible without a telescope and I have a tracking Dob and afocally I can take pictures of suitable sized nebula if I want to (you could even take a number of shorter exposure without tracking). In addition if you only want specific stars and for them not to get lost amongst a sea of others then I sometimes think you can take exposures that are actually too long!! Now I've never taken it any further, but I have little doubt that with sufficient care and attention I could use what I have to take some quite pleasing shots, esp. of the moon - my avatar is one of my own efforts. OK, there are some things that I can't take competition quality shots of, but I see no reason why, with sufficient no-how, creative intent, time and no more kit than I currently have, that I can't produce pleasing images which I could at least take part in the competitions with. Indeed I have occasionally done so.

There were some comments regarding weights above. This issue is very valud and I have encountered problems with the motor in my goto SW not being capable of lifting the scope up when it is unevenly weighted with a large EP. I find the solution is to only add in the larger EP once the scope has arrived on target as I never got around to adding magnets and weights.

We'd better start looking after this green/blue ball a lot better if that lot is hitting the skies - we'll never escape on a rocket without it hitting something!

It might sound a daft notion, but I assume you are trying to use it outside and not through a window? In addition once taken outside are you giving it a chance to cool down and then you need to make sure that you don't have condensation all over the optics - which will def. make things blurry - you might find it you take it from a warm room straight outside and try to use it at this time of year that it almost instantly fogs up if the temperatures are all over the place and you are near dew point time. If you have managed to see a dark shape that suggests that you are looking at the centre of the 4 spider arms that hold the secondary mirror - the focus needs to turn way beyond that - if you can't drive the eyepiece in and out by turning that big knob someone pointed you to on the picture then as previously mentioned the focus locking screw is tight and will need loosening - though you have mentioned you think the EP is moving this is still worth saying again. Another important thing is to make sure you looking into the eyepiece properly. With some Eye-pieces you can be 1-2cm above them and still see into them, with others you need to be really close to them. You also need to look directly down their centres otherwise you get all sorts of interesting effects as you view the inside edges of the eyepieces. Put in the 20mm EP and take it outside in the daytime - if you can't succeed in the day you certainly won't at night. You need to point it at a distant roof - even without the finder look into the EP and move the telescope up and down until you clearly see the light that is the sky, become the dark of the roof and stop when you get it 50/50 sky/roof (NB - point in the opposite direction to the sun - the sun is very dangerous), then twiddle the focus wheel until you get the roof in focus. The collimation would need to be WAY out not to get a reasonable view of a roof. Keep twiddling that focus when more and more in each direction and I feel certain that at some point you will get the roof in focus. If you can't get the roof in focus come back here and someone will pick you up as this is more than I know, Once you've got the roof in focus pick something in the centre of the telescope eyepiece view, then leave the telescope alone and have a peep through the finder. The finder will have a way of adjusting where it points - probably some knobs to twiddle. You need to now move the finder so the view in the centre of the finderscope matches the view in the centre of the telescope. this means when you now put an object in the middle of the finder it will match the telescope view. You have to check this each time the telescope is used and if necessary adjust the finderscope - it will almost certainly change if the finderscope has been removed. Once the finderscope and telescope are seeing the correct thing (and you can leave the telescope outside from day into night) pick a moonlit night and find the moon in the finder - now twiddle the Eyepiece in and out with its wheel until the moon is in focus and you should be up and running.

I too have the WiFi dongle. Again I've never actually tested the range, but if the info. is any use to anyone I use it with the bone-fide SW app on my Samsung android mobile and I think for purely driving the scope it's a great addition and far more convenient than the original hand-held controller. The only thing I have to ensure is that the phone is well charged before starting.

Absolutely rock solid you need not worry on that account - they kind of click into place. FWIW here is my 8" flex tube just so you can see it: I've since added the SW WiFi dongle which I think is a good upgrade from the original hand-held unit and a RACI/RDF finder combo. HTH

Here is the topic showing what can be made from Baader solar film

Take advice on what to get - you can get some that screw onto Eye pieces, but they are considered unsafe. Best plan would be to check any solar based purchases for safety by asking questions on SGL before spending any money.

Many people who are just starting out buy a brand new sheet of Baader solar film (I imagine you could use the A4 size) and make their own filter housing from Baader's easy to follow instructions. That said no two end up looking the same as I found out one day when I suggested we all posted pictures of what we had all made LOL IMPORTANT - If your friend is going solar viewing he had best look up some of the solar threads - there is a complete solar section of SGL so they do it safely and they must make sure that they remove their finderscope unless they have also given that a suitable protector - there are special solar finders based on shadows and light dots on projected backgrounds that are used instead. If they don't do it safely they could end up melting their eyes and also bits of their scope!

I suppose it depends on what form of truss tube you are talking about - I know some of the really big ones fold up and sort of stash in a box. However, anyone like myself who is storing their scope within a house doorway, or three really needs something that isn't that difficult to get outside. I've got mind behind the porch door, but even then it feels a concerted effort to lug it outside. Size and convenience of movement, esp. if you are only an interested bystander like me, is a real issue I can get mine outside in about 15 minutes too (as all the rest of my peripheral gear is stored deeper in the house), but that is 10 minutes longer than I really want to spend most nights. You might just as well get a decent pair of binoculars if you aren't going to use it because it turns out too much aggravation to shift it all outside.

After a lot of SGL advice I bought an 8" collapsible Skywatcher goto 200P scope on the dob base brand new. Having used it I'd never want a solid body Dob. and would buy the same scope again. It's easy to store in one piece taking up about as much space as a dining chair. Easy to transport in two pieces taking about 20 seconds to take apart and rejoin. I drive an Estate Octavia - the tube sits across the back seat, the base lays in the boot. It holds collimation fine as far as I can see. The focusser is fine for a bit of everything - I added a larger knob to one side for finer control, but it isn't critical. Unless DSO's are your 'thing' you won't need more than 8" - it isn't aperture that gives you magnification - the EP does that - it just gives you more light going in for DSO's and in the UK you won't get much joy out of more than 200-250 times mag anyway. the collapsible nature makes the tube very easy to handle with one person.

The lists above are quite amazing. As a new telescope owner just a scant few years ago my take on the above is: Coloured filters - got them, never used them - tried them and they are a lot of faffing with screwing on and off for very little gain esp. with such a tiny telescope. Baader wonder fluid - some people swear by it, but unless you are cleaning mirrors which is recommended only as a last resort it probably won't see a lot of us and providing they are looked after you rarely need to clean EP or filter lenses - they tend to be recessed in their housings and EP's tend to be kept with caps on - I've never had a bottle and can't think I'd have used it even if I'd had it. Turn left at Orion - I have a copy and have never used it - for finding stars and things to look at Stellarium on your mobile - a free download is much more useful. Ditto for a manual planetarium. Zoom EP - some folks like them, but I've got separate EPs and I think these are better as a zoom lens is only going to be a compromise in performance between the difference lengths. What I have found useful: A Medium size plastic storage container for putting everything in to carry out in the garden - not too big to get through internal doors. Those oblong metallic 'flight cases' full of pluckable foam (you can also buy the foam separately to fit your case if not supplied) - you don't need a full blown quality flight case the lookalikes are quite useable. I've got a lot of my stuff in those - not only for EP's A right angled optical finder, but even better and for sheer ease of use a cheap red dot finder is a far easier thing to use - this might be the most useful thing you could buy for your friend IMHO - or both and a Y style mount to use both - which is what I have, but if only room for one on the scope I think a red dot finder is the best ever purchase. A red light torch A folding table to take outside An adjustable stool like a bar stool A Chiminea cover for the telescope if it's standing around somewhere - even inside it helps keeps it dust free.

I don't think I'd re-collimate - I don't use the reduced hole very often (some people might find it takes some of the brightness out of things like the moon, but I've never had issues with the moon anyway) and re-collimation is a lot of fiddling about if you immediately take the cover off as you decide you are probably better off without it. I just drop the cover on and off again without worrying and don't see any difference that re-collimation would solve.

@Skipper Billy I've started to look through your talk. It looks great for adults, but for an audience of 10-14 year olds it might be politically correct to remove the bit about long cold nights spent imaging passing quicker with a bottle of Scotch!! You might want to change that to a mug of hot chocolate!!! 😉

Vaguely related - I've just discovered that you can buy an inflatable solar system kit - they look great fun as a teaching aid.

Sounds like pure luxury to me - go for it, I hope you get it sorted 😄

@Helen Ha, ha I've just noticed this Science is wonderfully equipped to answer the question "How?" but it gets terribly confused when you ask the question "Why?" I've always maintain that the most important thing a teacher should do is to explain the "Why". @Skipper Billy don't forget how important the "Why" is when you speak to your Scouts. 😄

That's the right sort of idea I think. I took my 200P to the Basildon street fair with a sun filter - the sun didn't make an appearance all day (rolling eyes smiley needed), but the children and a good number of adults were still really interested to see an aerial on top of a distant building and I had great fun explaining why it was upside down - it's funny how many people didn't even spot that it was!! A good clear night would be the icing on the cake, but even if you only set it up inside the hall I doubt that many of them will have even seen a 'real live' telescope, much less realised that you can buy these things for a back garden. Just because your talk is astro-imaging doesn't mean it has to stop there. Why not ask the scout master if they can be asked to all bring a cereal box, some small amount of tin foil and a white sheet of paper, take some sticky tape and get them all making pin-hole viewers to see the sun through the next time it makes an appearance? Anything related and practical will grab and keep their attention.

I know the OP wants to use a telescope, but I would second a look towards the west around 6pm on a clear night, when the brightest thing, not a huge distance above the horizon is Venus and TBH I think it looks just a dazzling with the naked eye as viewing the small pinpoint white disc through a telescope. It was really dazzling on Monday night hanging next to the small slip of moon that was out then. Free beauty for all to see.

At that age its got to be delivered in a dynamic way, although they shouldn't be logged into social media sites at that age I can imagine many of them having mobile phones and data - you either ban the phones from the talk or get them to use them - give them something to do - something like Stellarium or Skymap apps. might be a useful diversion to show them if things start to flag. They will appreciate 'hands-on' things - do you have any older kit things that you would be happy to pass round and give them something to look at. It might seem mundane, but even an old plossl EP could be handed around to effect. I expect they will be interested in the computing aspects too, perhaps even something a bit niche, Maybe if you have something like a RPi in use to drive some of your systems - some of the audience may have used these at school. I think the thing to do is to make it relevant to them. I def. know from STEM events that things you can pick up and hand round work wonders. These are picture of the last STEM event I went to. I try to make the content of the boards relevant to the students and they love picking up and handing round all the molecule nets that I have bought over the years.

Hi, I have no idea what KStars is, but I have the official SynScan wifi controller and the official partner App on my Android mobile phone. With this combination it is pretty seamless to get the connections to work, but you do obviously have to be within Wifi range. Maybe go back to basics and try just the same combination as I'm running and I don't think you will have any issues.