FLO

At ours they are £24, have you seen it costing less elsewhere? Extension Tube for AZ5

Done The Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi Wi-Fi Alt-Azimuth mount is now available to buy from our website.

Apologies for not having more info. Details arrived only earlier today but we were stock-taking so have been unable to give it our full attention. We will assess it properly Monday HTH, Steve

Following the two new Sky-Watcher Alt-Azimuth mounts released yesterday, Sky-Watcher have today released details of another new Alt-Azimuth mount! The Sky-Watcher AZ-GTi Wi-Fi Alt-Azimuth mount is not like the others. It features include a built-in WiFi module, enabling it to to be controlled wirelessly via your Smartphone or Tablet using Sky-Watcher's free SynScan App for iOS or Android. The AZ-GTi creates it’s own Wi-Fi network so is not reliant on other WiFi networks. The mount and SynScan App together provide full computerised GO-TO. It also features Sky-Watcher’s Freedom-Find™ patented dual-encoder technology so your telescope can be moved manually in either axis without the mount losing its positional information - which is rather convenient Sky-Watcher say the mount is quiet in operation, has a payload capacity of up to 5kg and accepts telescopes via a regular 45mm dovetail bar. Stock is available in the UK and the price looks set to be £285 for mount and tripod (we will add it to our website Monday). Manufacturer's specification: Controller: Free SynScan App for iOS and Android mobile device or Synscan Hand Controller (available separately) SynScan App Database: Total 10,000+ Objects. Deep Sky Objects: 10759, including Messier, NGC, IC, Caldwell Catalogues, Named DSOs, Named Stars: 305, Double Stars: 55, Solar system objects: 7 planets, Sun , Moon. (Unlimited objects when working with a 3rd party planetarium software). SynScan App Alignment Method: Brightest Star Alignment, North-Level Alignment SynScan App's Other Features: Tonight's Best Sky Tour, Point and Go with a mobile device, Identification of Celestial Objects, Remote control over Internet, User defined objects, Pointing Accuracy Enhancement (PAE) Pointing Accuracy: Up to 10 arc-minute (RMS) Resolution: 2073600 Counts/Rev., 0.625 arc-second Resolution of Aux. R.A./Dec. Axis Encoders: 1068 Counts/Rev., approx. 20 arc-minutes Tracking Technology: Freedom-Find™ Dual-Encoder Tracking Rates: Sidereal, Lunar, Solar, Alignment-Free Solar Tracking Slewing Speeds: 0.5X, 1.0x, 8.0x, 16x, 32x, 64x, 128x, 400x, 800x Tracking Mode: Dual Axis Tracking Motor: DC Servo Motor, Gear Ratio 6480 Payload Capacity: 5kg Saddle: Accepts 45mm Sky-Watcher/Vixen type dovetail Interface: SynScan Hand Control Port, DSLR Shutter Release Port (optional cables available separately), Built-in Wi-Fi Module Connectivity: ASCOM platform for Windows PC, Mobile planetarium App for iOS and Android ( SkySafari Plus/Pro, more are coming). Network Protocol: UDP, Port 11880 Tripod/Mount Fitting: 3/8" Screw Fitting Tripod: Adjustable Aluminium with Accessory Tray Height of Tripod/Mount (excl. OTA): 80.5cm - 152cm Mount Head Weight: 1.3kg Total Weight with Tripod: 3.9kg Power Requirement: 8 AA Size Batteries (not supplied) or External Power Supply (DC 7.5~14V, 0.75A) Tip Positive.

We also received details today and will almost certainly be stocking it but we are all in the warehouse today stock-taking(!) so are unable to assess it. We will check it out Monday then add it to our website, we will also post details here at SGL. Thanks for asking Steve

It is a different mount, not related to the Sky-Watcher AZ5. We considered sourcing the same from the manufacturer in China but when we heard the Sky-Watcher's AZ5 was in the pipeline we chose not to.

I didn't know they did one, what a good idea We'll order some for stock. Steve

You have been actively bashing Crayford's since around 2011... Moonlite are faithful to the Crayford design and there are a lot of happy Moonlite owners here at SGL. It is okay for someone to own and like one Steve

I didn't realise you were still running your anti-Crayford campaign We offer all the brands discussed in this thread so are as neutral and objective as any retailer can be. I do understand why, Olly, in your circumstances a Starlight Instruments FeatherTouch R&P focuser is the right choice. It is beautifully engineered and bomb-proof but it's price (around £600) puts it out of reach for most astronomers. Fortunately, for most applications, it isn't necessary. I like the Crayford design because it can be made to a high standard at an affordable price (it isn't possible to make a good R&P focuser at the prices most Crayfords sell at). And, when done properly, a Crayford is a delight to use and is more than enough focuser for most astronomers. Even Starlight Instruments acknowledge this - their more affordable focusers (around £400) are Crayfords. HTH, Steve

Our thanks to Chris Vaughan at Space.com for mentioning Clear Outside in his article Turn Your Smartphone into an Astronomy Toolbox with Mobile Apps. ?️?️⛅️☀️?✨?

The scrolling issue on some Android devices should now be fixed. You may need to completely close the app and reopen. The issue was due to an update to one of the system components of Android that caused a conflict with the way scrolling works in Clear Outside. For now we just wanted to fix this issue but we are working on improvements and new features to the app

Grant has replicated the problem so will soon have a fix for it, probably sometime tomorrow. HTH

Grant mentioned this earlier, something about an update to the Android OS causing a problem with Clear outside. We use IOS here at FLO so only noticed it when Android users started posting negative reviews. Grant is working on a fix. HTH, Steve

Please see this notice regarding cloud data displayed at Clear Outside

No, but the arrangement between Es and ourselves is working well so we will probably obtain a small sticker that he can apply to telescopes he has tested, or something along those lines. It will happen. It involves pixie dust. Lots and lost of pixie dust The testing is done on a 12 inch aperture collimator with a reflecting ball source at the focus of an F9 parabolic mirror. A telescope under test is pointed at the collimated beam and a short, 4 or 5mm, eyepiece used to assess image symmetry, longitudinal correction, residual colour, coma and astigmatism. He also checks with a 25 lines/mm Ronchi grating and sometimes a knife edge Foucault test. The scopes are rotated to check for consistent images around the edge of the field of view and adjustments made, where possible, to reduce variations. Not all aberrations can be adjusted out. Sometimes it is not possible to achieve a decent image due to, say, colour errors where the individual lens element powers are not balanced correctly. If the surfaces are not figured spherical, as most optical designs would require, there can be over or under-correction and this can rarely be adjusted out. In situations like this the telescope is rejected. No telescope is perfect, regardless of price or brand, and optical tests are subjective. But over time, and enough samples, we will gain an increasingly clear understanding of what is/isn't acceptable and ensure the ones sold by us (and tested by Es) perform well. That is the purpose of this exercise HTH, Steve

Our first delivery of new William Optics Star 71 II 4-element telescopes has arrived. We will dispatch them to Es Reid today for testing. They will be listed at our website tomorrow with price and specs. Meanwhile, here's a couple of photos

You are being mischievous. Carole placed her order Friday evening, we dispatched all three items Tuesday for delivery Wednesday. That's only three working days. Steve

I meant all three items (I wasn't aware of the third item until you mentioned it). I only called out from my desk "Carole is chasing her order" then heard a response from the warehouse "already packed!"

Don't worry Carole, all three items are already packed for dispatch so will be with you tomorrow HTH, Steve

We have ordered a quantity of the new 4-element Star 71 but we have not yet been given an ETA. (Apparently there is also a triplet model scheduled for launch next month). Thank-You for your patience, Steve

A number of people have requested this service be made available for Skywatcher Esprit telescopes. Esprit triplet optics are rarely faulty (quite the opposite, in fact) but we understand someone wanting the peace-of-mind that comes with having Es Reid check a telescope prior to dispatch, and we are here to serve With WO triplets we 'only' offer Es Reid checked telescopes but for the Esprits we have made it an option. To select the service simply tick the 'Pre-Dispatch Optical Bench Test' box before adding the telescope to your shopping cart. HTH, Steve

Mert's Stargate 450p is now setup at our premises in Exeter, if anyone would like to come take a look they will be welcome Steve

James has chased them for an update but, based on what we last heard, we will have a price and ETA in a week or two. HTH, Steve

I think we put Ozone in because we had it available in the data we use We don't have it in the mobile app and it doesn't play a role in the traffic light rating system. I guess you could argue, more Ozone in the column above you would affect seeing but I don't know by how much or when/if that would be a real issue. We will remove it completely next time we do an update.

To be fair to your Dad, a Stargate-450p is a lot of telescope for a beginner I am sure he'll get the hang of it. Steve