Racey

That's fantastic. 

How's rigidity @Chriske ?

7 hours ago, Uplooker said:

Keep at it, you are obviously inspiring the next generation, well done and good on ya!!!

Not just the next generation...

Both @Mrs Racey and I are enjoying this thread enormously 

12 minutes ago, iPeace said:

Sorry, can't afford a phone.

Leave it with me...  You've been so helpful to us, @Mrs Racey and I will start one of those crowdfunding exercises !! We'll get you through this buddy... ?

On 20/05/2017 at 14:38, iPeace said:

You don't have to admit it. I know you were wondering.

Well actually... I wasn't wondering  

But seeing as you felt the need to confess I'd like to try and reassure that help is available  by pointing out there are helplines for such afflictions...

?

24 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

Next problem - Baader has discontinued the MaxBright range, and no idea when the new model will be release.

Told you this wouldn't be as straightforward as first thought ?

You'll crack it... 

36 minutes ago, tooth_dr said:

How awkward would this be for actually viewing through the scope? 

incredibly... I give it 10 minutes max... 

Adam

I have a 70mm INED Carbon Refractor, SW ED80, SW 350 FlexTube, 8" EdgeHD and the Lunt LS50. I also have the WO Binoviewers. So I've faced the same question and have practical experience...

 It provided quite a challenge to get them to work with our scopes. It isn't a case of what arrives in the box working easily...

Your issue is going to be inward focus. In addition to the supplied 1.6x Barlow I bought the WO 2x and a 2.6x Barlow from Teleskop Express to make things work in some setups. But be aware of the effect the Binoviewers have on magnification. Ours increase the power of each Barlow used by a factor of roughly 2x...

My conclusions thus far:

ED80 and 70mm INED: I had to press an old 1.25" Celestron Star Diagonal into service as the light path in that is less than our 1.25" WO Durabright Diagonal. And this then has to be combined with the supplied 1.6x Barlow. And you can forget about using a 2" diagonal. If you don't have a cheap short path 1.25" Diagonal you'll have to use the 2x Barlow.

Lunt LS50 with B600 Blocking Filter: After a long exchange with Harry Siebert we decided the only feasible solution was disproportionately expensive given costs of his parts and import duties etc. May work with LS60 and a B1200 filter. But cost is still the same...

350 Flextube: Gets really tight on inward focus but with some jiggling with either the 1.6 Barlow and certain eyepieces focus can just be achieved. But the magnification becomes a significant factor. As stated earlier using no barlow gives roughly 2x the usual magnification of any eyepiece, a 1.6x barlow gives roughly 3.2x and a 2x barlow gives 4... 

If you can find a solution, I find the magnification and views best in the refractors and the SCT to be honest. And once you get them working the effect, for me and @Mrs Racey, is brilliant.

Hope you find a solution. I hadn't realised it was going to be as thought provoking to get them to work when i bought them... 

PM me if you want more detail on exact solutions and eyepieces... By the way, the WO solution provides a great pair of 20mm that might work to plug a gap in your range.

At the moment we use 40mm Plossls, 32mm Plossls, 20mm Plossls and occasionally 12mm. The less powerful the eyepieces the better given the multiplication factor of the barlow and viewers...

Simon

I'm part way through my Summer Triangle Lists.

Here's the first part of 3.

Summer Triangle Highlights - Cygnus: Summer Triangle Highlights - Cygnus.skylist

(There's a couple of rogue entries I just noticed. Sorry. Either fat fingers or left in there after I used another list as a template. Easily found and deleted if you organise the list by Constellation). 

And another two I did for friends.

Most Beautiful Double Stars: Most Beautiful Double Stars.skylist

DSOs For Less Than Perfect Urban Locations: DSO's for Urban Locations.skylist

@Helen, Thanks for doing this. I have created several in SkyTools that I've shared with Susie since she found out how such lists can be shared between programs. I'm happy to share these with others too.

Here's the first two.

Northern Hemisphere Globular Clusters: Globular Clusters.skylist

Northern Hemisphere Open Clusters: Open Clusters.skylist

6 minutes ago, iPeace said:

Susie has exceptional powers not to be discussed here.

I know..!! I know..!! ?

She puts up with me... ?

48 minutes ago, iPeace said:

Does sound like fun. Still wary, but appreciative.

If Susie can happily do it...

1 minute ago, mapstar said:

The views are a pleasure to share and don't hesitate to ask if we're ever at the same star party.

 

That'll be splendid... But after one of the comments you made in my "Paging the Dob Mob" thread, I'll ensure we form an orderly queue BEHIND you Sir !! ?

@mapstar

Damian, in doing yet more on going research about our potential Dob purchase, I happened upon this thread. I've been in awe reading the thread in it's entirety. It had me captivated to a point several cups of coffee went cold as I was so engrossed...

I'm envious of not only your scope but your talents. Truly stunning.

And there was me thinking stepping up to a 14" was a big step !!!

Simon

4 hours ago, Droogie 2001 said:

I have a bit of a strange request. A friend of mine has been trying to sell a property in Spain for a while now. Having visited the location a while back I know one of its potential selling points is its Dark Sky location.
I wasn’t really into Astronomy at the time though I remember how dark the skies were. It’s not far from a National Park and the properties location is also ideal for Astronomy.
Any ideas in trying to promote this aspect aside from adding these details to the existing advert?

Are there any Astronomy or property websites that may be useful in trying to target a potential buyer who maybe has Astronomy on their interests in selecting a suitable property?

Thanks

PM me... There's more than one way to skin a 

I have mates working in International Property markets. I have brains that can be picked...

1 minute ago, Stu said:

Thanks Simon, but that's exactly what we don't want, selling houses on the forum! No problem asking for advice, but please let's keep it at that

Thanks all!

Well that's me told... 

2 hours ago, Droogie 2001 said:

I have a bit of a strange request. A friend of mine has been trying to sell a property in Spain for a while now. Having visited the location a while back I know one of its potential selling points is its Dark Sky location.
I wasn’t really into Astronomy at the time though I remember how dark the skies were. It’s not far from a National Park and the properties location is also ideal for Astronomy.
Any ideas in trying to promote this aspect aside from adding these details to the existing advert?

Are there any Astronomy or property websites that may be useful in trying to target a potential buyer who maybe has Astronomy on their interests in selecting a suitable property?

Thanks

How about telling us all where it may be, how big it is and what he might want for it ?? Put it in the dangerous position of generating interest !! After all; you may be talking to that small percentile of potentially interested folk and we know now't... 

@iPeace I felt the same, until Canon refused to take them in for a simple recollimation task. "Sorry Sir, we will only take the most recent versions in for service". 

Given the parts required weren't even available to self service they were passed on at zero cost to a friend who lost his sight in one eye after a head injury. 

At least he can get use from a wonky pair of unserviceable, over complicated monoculars...

Thats why we had to buy the Pentax 10x50 and 20x60s...

While mates still service or get their old conventional bins serviced, I had to toss mine because Canon wouldn't resit the prisms because mine were one version older than they'd accept for service... ?

May yours never go out of collimation after Canon change their service policy on a whim... Up to that point I'd have agreed with you...

13 minutes ago, iPeace said:

Yes that looks like fun.

You'll be doing Solar next... ?

Careful ?

5 hours ago, iPeace said:

Just don't tell anyone I'm trying one. People tend to get the wrong idea, and I can't afford a spin doctor...

That therapist is cheap. I keep telling you...

Go big or go home my rugby coach used to say. Get an 8" or 9.25" SCT...,

4 hours ago, iPeace said:

elrad riser is screwed onto base. Dovetail clamp screwed to side of block of wood. Dovetail clamp clamps (as it would) to bit of dovetail forward of clamp which holds scope on mount.

"Screwed on to a block of wood"...

said the man who claims he doesn't know one end of a screwdriver from another !!!

or did you commission someone to turn said screwdriver ??

?

7 hours ago, iPeace said:

TS do a nice one - see pic:

Mike, might I enquire as to where you sourced the "tripod extension pier" (between tripod and mount) please ? 

Apply for the PI trial. Then you have 45 days to form your own view...

Nadeem, install it in compatibility mode for windows 7. Works with Windows 10 when you install that way. In downloads, find the installation software you want to run. Right click and select compatibility mode...