LukeSkywatcher

Wouldn't Skype be as easy and less costly. You can made video calls, voice only calls or even just IM's. Mind you, such a system would mainly be used by imagers because i wouldnt say many purely observational types would have a laptop outside with them. Then again.................most people would have a smart phone in their pocket.

Great stuff. The larger image is a real treat.

Well done lads.

I recently gave my Bresser 10x50 bins to a kid across the road. I have just replaced them with a set of Strathspey 10x50 and tonight i saw comet Lovejoy with the new 10x50.

More then happy with them.

Ive never set out to see it, but i either have seen it and just not known it or i have missed it (the longest session i spent observing Jupiter was 5hr ............half its rotation period). 

Mind you that was with a 90mm refractor and i was new to scopes, so very inexperienced . Not sure either my eyes or the scope were up to the job. 

I tend now not to spend too much time observing planets. I'm more of a DSO (nebulae in particular) hunter using my 8 inch SCT. 

I just found this thread and read both the PDF files. Collimation is not something i spend too much time doing or even worrying about but the file was a really good informative read. I loved the other file about locating objects. Having spent the best part of 30 yrs locating objects under my own steam, i must agree and have said it before that most of the fun of star hopping is "The Hunt". 

Well done Shane. 

What a great idea. Love the look of what you did with yours.

I agree. The 4SE scope and the 4mm or 6.5mm eyepiece is simply pushing the scope/magnification way above what is usable in this part of the world. The 9mm will be fine on its own. The 25mm will be pretty good for widefield views.

I'd really only use the barlow with the 25mm which will give you an eyepiece of 12.5mm.

9mm,12.5mm and 25mm is a pretty good range to have.   

I was outside the other day/evening with my pair of 10X50 Bresser which i bought in Lidl for about £18. I'm still blown away with the quality and clarity of image that these bins have. Absolutely must be the best astronomy bargain i have ever gotten.

Good and honest review. The Heritage 76 to me does seem like a kiddies scope compared to the Heritage 130P. It (76mm) should give nice lunar views but i'd imagine that's where the fun stops.

Its a very small aperture Dob. Its not the same as say a 70mm widefield refrac such as the Celestron Travelscope70.

For an adult user, the Heritage 130P would be a better scope. It punches way above its size.

I'm going to go along with the eyeball theory. It can and does happen that when in the dark we see minute flashes of light. Its very annoying while observing a meteor shower because every time it happens,i think i missed a meteor in my peripheral vision. I usually see red or white flashes.

Really isn't huge, but still hesitant about the weight though..

Visit a shop and get up close and personal with one and that will let you know.

Aha, that doesn't look that big.

Famous last words.

Ive dealt with:

FLO (telescopes,filters,tshirt,dew prevention system etc)

TelescopeHouse (8115 tripod)

Strathspey Binoculars (20x90 bins)

Some American company (450D spare battery and universal digital camera adapter)

Scopes'n'Skies/astronomy and wildlife centre (barlolw lens)

Astronomy Ireland (telescopes and EP's)

Warehouse Express (Canon 450D)

Let's just say getting my barlow lens and my 450D camera were a nighmare. The rest were/are a joy to deal with. FLO just have to be the best because of their after sales care. But they are so much more then just that. Most obliging company i have ever dealt with in any regard.

I mainly use a pair of Bresser 10x50 and a pair of Strathspey 20x90 (on an 8115 tripod).

When i was about 7 yrs old i was out in the gartden with my dad looking at the moon with my eyes and i noticed 3 stars in a line in the sky. I asked my dad what they were and he had no idea. The next day he went out and bought me a pair of 2nd hand 10x50 bins and a planisphere. Ive never looked back, only up. Having a childhood crush on Heather Couper didnt help either,LOL.

I still have those bins............but man are they heavy.

I'm sorry, but i have to leave a second comment on here.

I have read each and every single post and i'm still numbed by Patrick's death.

However.................the love,feelings,compassion,respect shown for him here really has touched me and tears have been shed.

I talked about his legend/legacy living on for eternity........................(as it will).

However, i failed to consider the fact that each and every single one of us here is part of his legend/legacy.

SPM will live on through each and everyone of us.

WOW!!!

R.I.P Patrick. Your legend will live on for all eternity.

Thanks.

Cath, to be honest i dont think they are actually turning in a different direction. The explanations above go a long way to explaining closer to the truth as to what is happening.........ie 2 meteors crossing paths a fraction of a second apart and our brains seeing them as one meteor changing direction. During the Geminid shower a couple of years ago,i saw what looked like a meteor going in one direction and then it seemed to go back in exactly the same direction that it just came from. Obviously it was 2 meteors heading towards each other from my perspective and as soon as the first one vanished the second one hit the atmosphere and went in the direction of the first. It REALLY looked like a single meteor doubled back on itself.

I'm going to back Gaz up here and say that i have also seen what appeared to be a meteor changing direction. It happened a couple of yrs ago during the Geminid's shower. Some good explanations here as to the cause.

Take care and keep looking upwards with your Mk I eyeballs.

I have both my Celestron 7Ah packs on charge as we speak. I think its about 6 weeks since i charged them without using them.

It sounds like the retaining ring is loose.

Its an easy fix but i have not used these EP's so i dont want to instruct you on how to fix it. The retaining ring just needs a tweak to tighten it.

Another trick for seeing faint objects (the Veil Nebula comes to mind here) is gently to tap the telescope, to make the view shake. This is because, as you saw with the pens, your rods are much better at seeing things that are in motion than they are at seeing unmoving objects. The extra little bit of motion really helps your rods detect the object.

I'd never heard of this before. Would i be correct in assuming that tapping the scope to make the image shake, increases the apparent size of the object and allows your eyes to detect it better and once you have found it then you can stop tapping the scope and zero in on it.

Thats a very good tip for locating faint fuzzies such as galaxies. Galaxies etc, once located look better with averted vision.

"Telescope Tapping"....................i've learned something new today.

Lidl Ireland:

April 5th

Rocktrail 10-30 x 60mm bins 19.99

So they are not 10X50?????.

My mistake.

also

Bresser night vision scope (5x mag) 129.99

I might take a punt on this to observe wildlife at night in my garden.

Lidl Ireland are now selling the "Bresser" 10X50 bins once again. They have been rebranded as Rocktrail bins. The cost is 20 euros. Great bins if you get a well collimated set.

They are also selling a Bresser night vision scope for 140 euros. I'd love to try night vision (for wildlife) but dont think it would be worth the gamble.

Just a heads up incase Lidl UK are also selling the 10X50 bins.