JOC

Scroll down and look at the pictures here The small pictures are with a telescope nearly twice the size of yours. You may need to re-evaluate your expectations?

That's a fine image isn't it. It seems I've got all the kit I need. Its just a case of the right settings and some clear nights needed!

Well I think I've got some shot's - could someone recommend some software that I can use on the phone to stack them please - I think they are 'stackable' - how exciting!

I found it. It was stuck to the OTA and fell off and broke in two when I shifted the telescope tonight!

Errr.......Let me try.......... A slow scope is a 16" OTA that takes 45 minutes to lug out of the shed with a willing neighbour to where you want it and by the time you get it there the clouds have rolled over and you need to take it inside again. A fast scope is one that you can race in, grab and dump on the table/ground outside to take advantage of that 10 minute break in the clouds. Yes??

I get the balance problem - Since I got some of these grenade style EP's I've had some issues with the Goto objecting to the unbalanced weight. Somewhere around I've got a huge magnet from an old speaker - I was going to try this stuck to the other end of the tube when I trip over it next.

The eyepieces might be that good it will be worth buying a new scope!! LOL

I find it's often a bit on its 'side' with two long trailing 'legs' running from Castor and Pollux - yes? I can usually spot these long lines if nothing else!

Said tree still gets in the way That and a bit of light pollution from the factory behind me and I still feel it's not the easiest star in the sky to pick out. Castor and Pollux I'm usually OK with. Capella (if I've found those two is a logical progression more of less up above them. Orion is a real 'belter' (sorry!) though absolutely unmistakable. The daft thing is the plough I don't have problems with, I can also often find U. minor (baby plough), but even with those two in the bag Polaris still often gets away - even knowing its a double doesn't seem to help! Therefore @SilverAstro is probably correct to put some instructions on Orion for me - it's a bit more fool proof, and given the fool at this end it probably needs to be ;-) I am also better with Winter stars than summer ones!

As and when I finally get it outside hopefully I'll report back on this. Not that I know much about such things, but I was under the impression that such scopes had some sort of correcting lens system built in? I guess something like the moon would show it if it was present, since the view of said moon would probably go from one side of the FOV to the other?

I bought the one advertised in this thread: It's a really cute little telescope. What I didn't appreciate before I bought it is that the 3 little legs actually store inside the vertical bit of the stand which is a rather neat system. What I really like is the action of the movement - it is just so absolutely smooth with just the correct degree of sticktion - it stays exactly where it is put when the movement stops. The only problem is that I haven't really used it yet - I thought I'd have it in my room and look through the windows (perhaps with it on a camera tripod), but I can't get them open wide enough and if I take it outside I tend to have the Dob out too and then I use the Dob. I also envisaged that I might take it camping, but when I went last year I couldn't fit it in. I've got a lovely Revelation diagonal for it (it has an adaptor to take 1.25") and all those lovely EP's I bought that would work in it. I really should make use of it - it's such a lovely well made instrument

That fabulous Stu many thanks - I'd often wondered whether I was poor for light or otherwise. I have a factory behind me with it's own cluster of lights, but in most places on my land have a hedge between me and those lights. I am three and a half miles away from the nearest larger town (Which is North) and if I am looking East in particular there is nothing of consequence light wise between my and the open sea. Looking south-South East I finally hit the large connurbations of Southend and the A127 corridor, but not for about 7 miles in a straight line. My worse direction seems to be Westerly and although they are a long way away I think it's Chelmsford and to a lesser extent Woodham Ferrers that cause a somewhat yellow glow in the distance in that direction. I took that shot of Orion (which isn't brilliant I'll be the first to admit) when it was in South-SouthEast at about 45 degrees to the horizontal a couple of nights ago - so def. out in my best direction. I hadn't considered that it might be useful to take a stab at how dark I am. I had been really hoping that I did have the fairly decent conditions that I thought I enjoyed so I am really pleased that you've been able to take a stab at this determination for me . Unfortunately I am not aware that I can really see the Milky Way, but I do sometimes see an awful lot of stars up there.

Agreed, clouds allowing I don't think I can recall being anywhere in the UK and not being able to see the top two, the bottom two and the three in the belt. From my location I was also quite amazed that I could also see a fair cluster of light in the area where the trapezium is. In fact I had a go with my camera at taking a straight DSLR picture of Orion with my 18-55mm lens about as wide as it gets with about 10 seconds exposure at about ISO800 and got this picture - its not brilliant (and I'd like to take far better shots than this), but it's not a bad approximation of what I can actually see (stars wise) with my eyes. I don't know if this helps to work out how dark my sky is?

I'm only a beginner and I have a fair assortment of brands. I have tried both the 8mm and 11mm televue Plossl, but I couldn't get with the short eye relief, esp. with spectacles and I sold both these for higher eye relief alternatives. I no longer hanker after televue at the moment, but of course wouldn't say no if someone gifted me a case full!

I have previously taken some interesting photos of the sky using my mobile phone, I assume from the description of the competition that it isn't 100% necessary to include the use of a telescope, but assume that the intent is for the subject to have an astronomy basis?

I had an 8mm and an 11mm TV plossl, I sold both as I couldn't get on with the short eye relief. I do wear glasses.

So Santa has bought the Wifi device. All i now need is some clear skies to try it out. :-D

Apparently Santa has got a delivery to the North Pole :-D

I think I shall be saying 'yes' to Santa - maybe I should go and sit on his knee!

Thanks Dave, I've just looked online, neither one of those looks like it will break the bank - so with one on a phone and the wifi device I should be ready to go - yes? What sort of range does it have please?

Santa has offered to buy me the Wifi unit for my Skywatcher Goto Dob mount - as noted previously I own a modern android telephone (in fact I actually own two ) - currently I don't own Sky Safari. In words not longer than a couple of syllables do I have what I need for it to work, should I take Santa up his offer (I think I'll send him to Bristol Cameras) and will I need Sky Safari to make it work and if so I assume the free version will do?

I have a 200P collapsible OTA and the motorised mount - taking the OTA off the mount and re-installing it is a work of <30 seconds each way. There is big knurled hand driven screw which you loosen on one side on the otherside is wedge shaped arrangement - a female version on the mount the male on the OTA. So I undo the screw then a hand on each end of the OTA - there is a ridge just big enough for the fingers at the Primary mirror end and lift it straight up off the mount. Then just reverse to remount it - align the wedges sit the OTA into the base and re-tighten the hand screw - 'job's a good-'un' as they say. I expect the mechanism is similar on similar systems.

Hi Dave, an interesting read - it's certainly within my budget (though probably after Crimble) and I'm all for something that's simpler to use - I won't touch Apple with a barge-pole so I am firmly in the android camp - my life should be easy with it.

(I don't know if we'll call it 'cheating' though ;-) )

Not a bad effort at all I think that qualifies for getting there, you do have some set matches in that lot as does YKSE, but like YKSE and Doug its a good effort :-D