Sunshine

2 minutes ago, RiponJas said:

Many thanks. And that is why I love using this forum. ?

Is that a 130mm? Bresser by the looks, planets must look sweet through a large frac.

6 minutes ago, RiponJas said:

And here's my frac watching jupiter whilst the light drops.  Was a stellar night for me. Best I've had. 

And what a cracking Frac you have there, have the greatest night, friend.

It's been a great summer so far for planetary, with Venus shining bright at dusk, then Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars all making their way past the large gap, between my home, and the next one over. I can't count the nights where i watched the planetary parade as it mede its way across the sky, this has been a real treat really. This is my first year with a Mak scope, and boy did it deliver, what a little gem it has been, i am happy at the moment, a bino viewer is in my near future and i can't wait. In the meantime, let the parade continue, watching our solar system literally revolve is the greatest show ever.

I see this post is years old, but i feel like blabbing anyway haha, i too have replaced all the cheap bits on my SW 150 Mak, i haven't felt the need for a crayford focuser since i have become quite good at using its focuser.I can say one thing though, regarding this 150, yes it's FOV is limited, yes they're not ideally suited for AP and deep sky, but if you accept it for what it does best (planetary/Lunar/doubles) then you won't be disappointed!.

Honestly, i have had some of the best planetary and lunar views i can remember with this 150, and i have had several scopes. The 150 is small enough to call grab and go, and boy does it reward you, given time to cool, and assuming you don't try to exceed its limitations. This is a niche scope, but what it can do it does brilliantly, I am impressed enough with this scope that i just may spring for the 180. I feel the 180 would be my permanent "never to be sold" scope cause frankly, short of a 7 inch frac which is ridiculous on many levels let alone price you can't beat Mak's on a price vs aperture vs performance level.

My Lunt 60 is 8 years old now and the BF is in pristine condition, maybe its not age so much as moisture entering slowly, Lunt has advised me to have a look at it last year when I inquired about regular maintenance.

I have had nothing short of excellent service from Lunt every time I called them when I bought the scope. 

On ‎30‎/‎05‎/‎2015 at 08:23, Lowjiber said:

the only "serious" thing that got wet was the Glock on my hip

You walk around your house packing heat? lol 

There's something so darn cool about watching a scope track in time lapse.

I have a Mak 150mm, Mak's are a fair bit less expensive than refractors per inch of aperture especially when you get into 4 inch triplets and larger refractors, my 6 inch mak costs less than most 3 inch triplets for example.

I enjoy larger aperture but then again there is a central obstruction (secondary mirror) which does affect contrast as in any SCT, the silver lining is that secondary is smaller than in SCT's therefore offering better contrast than an SCT of comparable size. 

Refractors offer the best contrast (among other benefits like shorter focal lengths for AP and wider fields of view) as they have no central obstruction but are as mentioned,  more expensive to manufacture quality refractors.

Maks are what I like to call the "poor man's large APO" lol, they will offer the closest views possible to a frac of similar size, and cost a good chunk less, I have only given a few examples, others here im sure can expand on what I wrote. I love my Mak, planetary and lunar views are beautiful, yes, they are a niche scope, mainly lunar, planetary, and brighter DSO's, for deep sky not so great.

That is an attractive little scope!

13 minutes ago, JohnSadlerAstro said:

It's nice that other people are interested in astronomy, too.

Yes, that interest usually turns to horror once they start asking about cost lol.

2 minutes ago, JohnSadlerAstro said:

Yes it was (almost) night, but the camera decided to do a 1 sec exposure not a flash. Hence the blurring.  

Thats quite a setup there, must earn you a good share of curious peeks out the windows from neighbours houses!

All excited here, getting set up for a night of Jupiter imaging, going to be a night of good seeing and transparency!

Maybe if you're lucky you'll dig up a horde of roman coins and put a Planewave scope in that observatory!

Last night I had the absolute most unforgettable dusk I have ever experienced with my SW 150 Mak. 

Seeing was just pristine, I have never had conditions so good as long as I can remember in my 20 years observing. It was as though the atmosphere cleared away for a few hours.

For two hours I discovered the moon as I never have before, details were so crisp, and however high I magnified the image held up, it was something else. I ran out of power with my 9mm but I could have gone down to 5 without issue. Multiple layers in sloping crater walls were visible where I hadn’t seen before. 

I took a hand held phone shot, it isn’t nearly as sharp as was the view at the eyepiece, neat still.

I soon won’t forget May 24, the day I saw the moon from orbit.

Welcome to SGL Lorenzo!

I live in a place, where for about 4 months straight, i can't think about my telescope, despite how much i would love to go out,  near arctic temperatures are forbidding.

What makes it worse is the crystal clear winter skies which tease the hell out of me, yes i felt like you many times, hang in there, it is worth it when you have your time under the stars. 

Strangest looking eyepiece i have ever seen, why is it so long?

Oh my word what a write up that was! I’ll have lots O fun reading through it over the weekend, thanks!

Yes no problem! It’s a fantastic documentary, one of my fav’s from NOVA which like I said in my post, NOVA, has been religion for me for 30 of my 42 years alive so far haha. 

The sheer staggering genius behind this device to quote one of the researchers “rewrites technology textbooks” I’ve watched a panel interview on YouTube with several historians and some agree this discovery is like finding a combustion engine in the pyramids lol.

Hello everyone!! i thought i would share a documentary which is one episode of a 40 year long incredible series from NOVA, i am sure many of you may know of PBS stations "NOVA" series.

i have practically been weened on NOVA since i was a wee lad ( just had to say that cause it sounds funny) as long as my memory reaches back NOVA has been a part of my life. 

NOVA has been producing documentaries of just exquisite quality, this one, titles Ancient Computer follows the scientific unravelling of one of histories biggest technological conundrums.

It shows, just how brilliant the ancients were, at mapping and understanding celestial bodies, every amateur astronomer would greatly enjoy this! 

for the first 3.5 min the sound is a tad muffled but then opens up clearly.

On 2018-01-08 at 03:21, Davenn said:

my current solar observing setup

LOL there's no counterweight on that EQ5/6 it probably thinks a pesky bug landed on its back haha!

On 2018-01-16 at 11:14, LukeSkywatcher said:

Im very excited about the imminent arrival of  my Quark

So im assuming you got your Quark? i was scrolling backwards looking at different setups and noticed you mentioned your Quark arriving soon, well whats your experience like?.

Wow, i have a 60 and have always drooled for an 80, that looks like something you just want to look at more than look through lol, beautiful scope!!

Hmmm, the views through that Tak and Quark must me epic, i wish i lived near you so i could sneak a peak but unfortunately i feel i would get into a wrestling match with my wife over the next credit card bill

and she's tougher than me so i better stay where i am haha.

Sounds like the EQ6R is a bit of a beast to move around, i'm sure the pro's will quickly outweigh the cons in practical use though, maybe you may want to explore some kind of dolly to lug it around? enjoy it while you can lug it around, i myself bought a CPC1100 last year and when i opened the box i was absolutely floored and could not take it out of the box without cutting the box open.

Sometimes the scopes we buy ultimately defeat us as i sold the CPC1100, outright dangerous to carry up and down my staircase.