JOC

It's the 7 with orange swirls which kind of draw the eye ;-)

Piero, that is an admirable collection and a fine photo of them :-D Doug that's a fair grouping - though its a bit 50/50 in terms of whether it matches or not LOL Good efforts both!

Now this is what I do find useful. If all mine were the same design I'd need a torch to find them in the dark. As it is, so far, I've been able to tell which focal length I've got hold of just by the shape of the EP - there are certain advantages to being able to do this :-D

That's right, that's kind of what I had in mind. I guess a single set has the advantage of nearly being parfocal, but is every set perfect across the whole range or does every set have it's 'ringer' - do people just collect them all just because they look fabulous or are they all worth owning. John has been kind enough to note that I have already found some nice glass in amongst what I have, is there anything to be said for picking the best from a number of different ranges?

happy-kat - that's a fine effort and at least yours are better spaced size range wise than mine Yup, but I think I'd have pushed the plastic cap more squarely onto 28mm to get it upright ;-) Great effort nonetheless NB. Timebandit I think you are possibly winning on physical size range!

Paz - Ouch, that BST starguider certainly grates in that case doesn't it. I sense you need a request to Santa! furrysocks2 - I think that is an excellent effort - nearly as many as I have! Well done!

Mind you I must admit I was rather astonished at how many I had, esp. As I sold 5 the other day. I honestly didn't think I had that many until I got them all from their various locations and set them out next to each other. I think what I need is something like a bandolier belt to hold them all in between uses.

Excellent pictures folks - that's what I had in mind - it's a bit like those tidy rooms - nature abhors order! LOL

LOL, it has a lot to do with me picking up several of those over the last month or so whilst the weather has been so wretchedly uncooperative. There has been little else to do except buy interesting Ep's!

Well they are in descending order! LOL

I love looking at the neatness all those EP boxes filled with perfectly matched EP ranges - there is def. a touch of OCD about some of beautiful collections on show in the photograph threads. However, it's amazing how many different ranges of EP's are on sale. I think my own collection is entirely the opposite end of the OCD spectrum - I wonder whether anyone else has such a mismatched collection? I guess the advantage of a matched collection is that they are all reasonably parfocal - I think I shall be forever re-focussing, but I should be getting good views nonetheless LOL So here we have from left to right: Generic x2 Barlow Celestron 32mm Omni-plossl 26mm Plossl as supplied with the telescope - actually is not at all bad - need to hang onto it in case I ever sell the scope 15mm Meade super plossl - I kept this as it Barlows really well 14mm Baader Morpheus - you can walk just above the moon with this one 12mm Meade HD-60 - clouds haven't let me play with this yet 10mm Vixen SLV - arrived today! 10mm Plossl as supplied with the telescope - actually is not at all bad either - need to hang onto it in case I ever sell the scope 8mm BST starguider - clouds haven't let me play with this yet 5mm Pentax XW - clouds haven't let me play with this yet Aren't there a complete range of sizes and forms of EP - from really dinky to hulking great big lumps of glass? I guess this is because they all contain differnt technology. I have tried to collect ones which will give me a decent amount of eye relief. I let the 11mm TV Plossl go as I couldn't cope with the eye relief and was running out of funds. It will be interesting as I use them to see if I gravitate to certain ones and I am interested to see if some give me a 'brighter' image than others. So that's where I am at the moment, has anyone else got a more mismatched collection? Show me yours please :-D

I know this is bumped thread, but I must admit I keep seeing the title in the index listing and thinking "Probably more than I do!" LOL

If what you are describing is one of the open sided flex tube type telescope designs that you pull open to their full length. Then if you want to view solar I think most on SGLwould recommend covering the gap up for safety. You can buy a purpose made shroud. I made my own from some vinyl fabric and stiffeners. Some folks use cheap neoprene exercise mats. You could even fashion one from stiff black card for use on a dry day (well the sun would be out!? ), or wrap a couple of turns of blanket around it, but whatever you use make sure it is light tight. You don't want to mess with the sun. Oh yes, and take your finderscope off too if it doesn't also have solar protection. NB. I also use bungees on my homemade solar filter. I bought a small eye kit from ebay and 10 mini bungees in a pack. Combined cost about a fiver. Four eyes and four bungees do a good job at holding on my filter.

Wow! what a busy month of images - I wouldn't want to be the judges for this lot!

LOL! Well if it makes you feel any better I'm a beginner (well I've had about a dozen viewing sessions in the last year and against the ages that some of you have spent at it I still feel like a beginner) and I'm hoping that the investment in some good kit will give me views good enough and easy enough to see (re: eye relief) to inspire me to continue - keep and eye on buy and sell, you never know, my clutch might give in one day (but I hope it doesn't!).

I got one of these ^^^ the other week too :-D This morning it got even better - courtesy of faulksy's broken clutch I got one of these \/\/\/\/ Aren't I a lucky person?

That's the bit you need. Just for future reference I have been amazed at the sheer number of interesting bits that I can divide larger objects up into. Big objects that post into focuser units are often sneakily filled with threads that allow you to dismantle them into lovely useful looking lumps covered in useable threads. Even if they don't look like they come apart at first glance. I've even discovered a certain amount of useful dismantlement in my Barlow unit! It's well worth giving apparently conjoined lumps a bit of a twist to see if they unexpectedly unscrew!

So will this be the most popular event? LOL It sounds like you will all have a great time. Wish I was coming. Clear skies all.

Yes, as John says when you buy the telescope it comes with everything that is in my first photo above. A chair is def. useful to have and I have several. I got a couple of rotating white plastic bar stools (a tenner each from the well known auction site) and an ironing stool. I have one of the bar stools set low, one set high and the ironing stool even higher. The 8" can be little back aching on targets closer to horizontal and the chairs are useful. I also have a little folding table that I take out with me. I have also made a platform from a water butt stand, a sheet of plyboard and some bolts. Now the stand is a Good thing - it makes using the telescope much more comfortable - I just sit entire set-up in the photo onto it. The slight issue with it that I've found is that it isn't robust enough. I quite like the added height, but the sides give a wobble that dumping the entire setup directly on my gravel doesn't so I have reluctantly gone back to using it from the ground where things are much more stable. If you do get the same telescope and Goto you won't regret it. To come in under £500 you might need to go second-hand. I hope this helps.

Paging Gina - I think your expertise if required judging by the pictures above! LOL Seriously, I bet Gina can help - check out her 3D printed long case clock thread

Somethiñg to hide under so you don't roast in the sun?

The postman bought me a Vixen 80S courtesy of SGL user Debo - many thanks for first class wrapping and packing job and speedy turn around. So much for saying I'd never own more than one telescope! It's a real grab and go job to the top of finderscope from its stand its 54cm and it 40 cm along the length of the scope!

As a genuine suggestion could it have been an airplane flying directly towards you?

It's a pity the holes in DVD's are so big..................

I'm into 'makes' - always have been, but contrary to best Blue Peter principles I don't think I've ever used a bit of sticky backed plastic in anything I've ever done LOL However, I have just walked round the back of my Bro's metal working shed and discovered a stray section of 6" aluminium right angle which I might ask him if I can....errr.........' appropriate' (I think is the word I am looking for), mind you it's currently washed and sitting next to me (so given that possession is 9/10ths of the law.....). I might now need a more capable hacksaw...... Will there be an optimal distance for the two disks or does it depend on the size of the hole / can it be worked out?