Trikeflyer

2 hours ago, johninderby said:

Been using it on just lunar / planets so far but would imagine it would also do well on small DSOs.

Colliimation is very easy once you realise how it collimates. Didn’t need colimating but played around with it just to learn how it was done. Once you've checked rhat the primary is aligned then it’s like adjusting a newt secondary. About as hard as collimating a newt except it holds collimation really well and shouldn’t need doing very often.

Not found any downsides. It is F12 so not far off an SCT and less than the 180.: One thing I really like is having a refractor type focuser with long travel. The stock focuser has only 40mm travel but the Baader Steeltrack has nearly twice as much and still fits.Does come with extensions to move the focuser back for extra out focus but with the Steeltrack not needed them. Actually that’s the one improvement I would make. The stock focuser is not bad at all but is no Steeltrack.

It has a Vixen dovetail on the top and a Losmandy on the bottom. I did add tube rings and a carry handle. The tube rings so Incould mount the dovetail on the side to make it more convient on an Alt Az mount. 

 

Was the steel track focuser easy to fit without any fettling? 

Steve 

Yes the focuser is the key to great viewing I think.  Might have to consider the upgrade to the steel track as well based on what you are saying.  Mmmm thanks John, this scope is now firmly on my radar.  I’d have to sell the Equinox 120 to fund it but that could happen when all the madness is over.

Thanks

Steve 

Now I want one of those TS classic cassegrain scopes John.  They seem like great lunar / planetary scopes.  How do they do on globular clusters and planetary nebulae? Is collimating easy? I might consider selling my 120 equinox if they are as good as you say! I like the fact that there is no image shift as well.  Are there any downsides?? 

Steve 

I’m pretty sure sky safari allows you to produce and sort an observing list by magnitude.

Steve 

You can find some bargains on the used market and if your budget is limited, you might get more bang for buck.  I have no affiliation to this link and it may not even be still available, but it’s an example of what you can get used.

https://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=158446

Steve 

Welcome to the hobby.  Great start on the moon.  Views of planets are greatly influenced by how high in the sky they are.  In the UK at the moment, Jupiter and Saturn are pretty low down meaning you have a lot of atmosphere to look through and this generally spoils the levels of detail you can see.  They are going to be low for a few years here so, yes you will be able to see them but perhaps not in great detail.  The scope you have should perform well in the 100x mag range - using the 10mm supplied eyepiece and this should allow you to see the gas giant planets but as I say due to their position, you may not get stunning views like you have of the moon.  That said, best way to find out is to have a look.

Good luck and enjoy.

Steve 

Well I wish my ‘long’ sketches were as good as your quick ones. Great work and thanks for sharing.  I enjoyed reading about the DZ as well. Look forward to hearing and seeing more. 

Steve 

Probably best to measure them to check. You are right, they don’t look centred but it’s tricky to judge with camera angles etc. Either use a ruler or draw a circle on some card, that’s the same diameter as the end of the tube where the wires are mounted and with the centre marked on the card, check if it lines up with where the wires cross.

Steve 

I have the Es 24 82. It’s good but not amazing. The optics are nice and I enjoy the wide field, but it’s very heavy and quite bulky.  I wear glasses when observing and the eye relief is tight because the eyepiece lens is a little recessed into the barrel so I find I’m always right up against the rubber eyecup when observing.  This may not be a problem for you, but I just point it out. If I had the money and was starting again, knowing what I know now, I probably wouldnt buy this eyepiece again.  I haven’t used any of the green and blacks so can’t really comment on them. 

Steve 

1 hour ago, AdeKing said:

Specs state 15kg primary and 4.5kg secondary payload. 

I will be using ED120 or an ED100, though I've only tried it with the ED100 at the moment.

Im pretty sure that @Trikeflyer uses an Equinox 120ED quite happily.  I suspect tube length rather than weight will be the deciding factor. 

I will try it with my 102 f/11 which is fairly light but I suspect that it might be a bit long for the mount based on other reviews that I've read. 

As long as it handles the ED120 I'll be happy. 

 

Thanks Ade, yes I use this mount with a 120 equinox which I think weighs about 9kg+ with all the paraphernalia - weight for this scope is not a problem.  With this scope I do need the ioptron pier extension otherwise the scope would hit the tripod on initial mount auto alignment. I have actually used it with an 8 inch revelation newt that all up weighs about 13kg and it is ok apart from taking time to get the balance point right and the slight vibration when adjusting focus which does settle pretty quickly but is annoying it works pretty well. 

Steve 

5 hours ago, Switch10 said:

Managed a few pics today before the clouds set in. This was the first transit I've observed so was really interesting!

Glad you got to see it. It was the first for me too. Sadly I won’t be around to see the next Venus transit and I missed the last one as i5 was way before my Astro hobby started. Thanks for posting the pic. 

I have an Altair starwave 80mm Ed and that has 53 glass - it cost more than the 102 above so I think yes this must be 51 glass. 

Here is the 53 glass version

https://www.altairastro.com/Starwave-102ED-FPL53-Refractor.html

Steve 

Sorry to hear about your experience with the mount Ade.  Mine has been pretty good so far so I may have been lucky.  I had the whole Ioptron set up including the tripod so maybe mine just fitted together well because it was all Ioptron kit.  The  sky safari 6 working is because the firmware is the last but one on your mount - mine worked fine with sf6 until I upgraded the firmware to the latest. So if you want to continue with sf6 don’t upgrade the firmware. The new firmware is fine with sf5. I must admit if I had seen the Rowan mount pre buying the Ioptron, I might have held out for one - they do look well put together even the prototype.  Like everyone I’m waiting to hear more from the tests being carried out. That said, my ioptron mount has performed well except for the sf6 hiccup so I can’t say I’m unhappy with it.  It pretty much hits the target every time once it’s aligned and it tracks pretty well too. 

Like others have said, I’m sure FLO will either fix or exchange it for you and hopefully soon. 

Steve 

I just got these https://www.firstlightoptics.com/opticron-binoculars/opticron-imagic-tga-wp-7x50-binoculars.html

For the money they are a good all rounder, light weight, easily hand held. Not bad during the day or at night. I’m very pleased with them. Obviously not 10x50 so if you’ve set your heart on 10x50 they won’t be what you want, that said, if your open to other options, at this price you can’t go wrong.

Good luck in the final decision.

Steve 

20 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

I know its a 80mm to 102mm under consideration, but perhaps the 120ED Pro should be thrown into the mix. They are no longer physically than the 102ED Pro and are terrific visual refractors! 

+1 for the Ed 120. I have an equinox 120 and it’s nice. I only do visual. Second hand you could get one for the price of a new 80mm if you look out and are not in a rush to get one.

steve 

20 hours ago, AdeKing said:

I've still got it at the moment, I think the mini pier is being exchanged but the mount makes a squealing noise when slewing at speed on AZ axis so Rob from FLO wants to look at the mount and everything is being picked up on Monday to go back. 

I have used the mount and apart from the squealing noise I was very impressed by the mount itself.  The finish on parts on the mini pier was however not what I expected given the cost. 

Hopefully it'll all be sorted by SGL SP 🤞

You might just need some adjustment on the tensions. There is a thread about this on cloudy nights but let Rob check it out. Glad your impressed. Enjoy SGL

1 hour ago, AdeKing said:

Depends on the forecast but either the ED100 or ED120 on the AZ Pro then definitely the LS60 double stack on the SolarQuest and the ZS66SD for grab & go. 

Sorry @Jonk I don't think the 102 f/11 will come along as the AZ Pro doesn't like it very much, it's a bit too long and I won't have room for the EQ5.

@Stu I'd love a look through the FC100 to see what all the fuss is about 😉 though that will probably result in me selling most of my kit 😂

The better the forecast the more gear I'll bring. 

Did you get your AZ Pro mount sorted Ade?

Steve 

I looked this afternoon in white light and couldn’t see it. Hopefully, it will be visible at some point before the weather breaks.

Steve 

I want to test if AP is Something to consider investing time and money into. 😂😱🤔

Before I get into image capture and all the financial, emotional and time investment that entails, I thought it’d be a good idea to try processing first to see if I get the same “buzz” that others do. I know that this isn’t full AP and that for true imagers, the capture is part of the experience and fulfilment. That said, it is for me a potentially low cost and interesting way to enter the world of AP. I believe there is a wealth of online raw data from many sources these days? Including NASA! I have no experience of anything AP related whatsoever though so can anyone recommend good raw data sources and secondly, the “simplest” processing software to start with that comes with a free trial and reasonable youtube (or other explanatory) lessons and that would allow me to test out whether AP is something I want to invest time and money into. 

Thanks

Steve 

Thanks Ian for taking time to provide such a detailed review. I also have some 15x70’s which I use on a parallelogram mount. Sounds like you are happy with them and now I’m looking forward to giving them a go. 

I’ll post an update once I’ve given them a good workout.

Steve 

Just decided to take advantage of these Opticron 7x50 Imagic as FLO have them on offer.  Hopefully they’ll do an ok job, I’m not expecting miracles for that money but thought I’d take a punt. Anybody have any feedback on them - good or bad? I’m hoping to get some nice Nikon’s for Xmas but couldn’t turn these down at that price.

Steve 

On 23/09/2019 at 20:07, Skywatcher130 said:

Thanks for the replies.  I guess I should just try it and see how it goes.  Perhaps I should have just asked if any SGL members are also members of Rosliston Astronomy Group which is my nearest club.  It looks like they are at a science day at the forestry centre where they hold their meetings next month so I might go along and have a chat.  Thing is,  I don't know anyone else with a telescope so it would be great to meet like-minded people and hopefully get to have a look through a bigger set up than mine 😀

Yes I am. There are others on here who are members too and I sure they will reply to this post if they see it. I don’t get along to all the meetings but if you want to come along let me know and I can at least put you in touch with someone who will be there when you come along. We pretty much always get scopes out if the weather permits. We have 2 meetings each month, one mid month for observing and one at the end of the month for a talk and some observing.

Hope that helps

Steve 

Hi and you have Chosen a great all round scope.

Regarding accessories

1. 6mm eyepiece - If you can stretch to it, I recommend the vixen slv for lunar and planetary

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/vixen-eyepieces/vixen-slv-eyepieces.html

It will give you a magnification of 200x which is more than enough and may even be too much. A 3mm will probably be overkill at this stage. If you get a 2x Barlow, then you will be able to turn your 6mm into a 3mm on nights of exceptional seeing.

Regarding moon filters, there are many opinions about the value - or not- of an neutral density filter. I have one but never really use it. They are good to cut out light from a full moon but you’ll soon get to know that full moon observing with a scope doesn’t show lots of detail. I Would suggest try viewing without any filters and see how it goes.

Although there are many brands of collimators and Cheshire’s, a basic one will do the job pretty well (as per your link above) if you want something slightly “better” then this is the option 

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/other-collimation-tools/premium-cheshire-collimating-eyepiece.html

either will do the job pretty well, the slightly more expensive one has some extra features that are nice butnot essential. 

Barlows again there is a wide range, like all thinks Astro, the law of dismissing returns applies meaning that you can pay a lot more for little improvements. 

You could get either of these depending on your budget

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/barlows/bst-starguider-2x-short-barlow-lens.html

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/barlows/astro-essentials-125-2x-barlow-with-t-thread.html

Hope that helps

Steve 

On 17/09/2019 at 11:18, scarp15 said:

Attending an appointment at the opticians, I asked the optometrist if he could measure my dark adapted pupil size. He said that he was unable to do as they did not have the specific equipment, would be possible only at a private eye clinic. Can only speculate on exit pupil size between 5mm and 6mm perhaps. Even when approaching or in your fifties, sixties, perhaps beyond there are some accounts for observers retaining good dark adapted pupil size. Unclear how many are able to measure their dilated pupil. Under mag 21+ skies particularly with a filter, always a good plan to experiment with varied focal lengths. As you have stated Stu, it was interesting that for much of my most recent dark sky trip I continually used my 31mm Nagler, 6.7mm exit pupil. 

Here is a scientific paper that might help give you an idea of your pupil size based on age. Might not be perfect but should give you a good idea.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20506961

Steve 

6 hours ago, Whistlin Bob said:

Having been away with work and other commitment through several clear nights this week I was itching to get out last night and had the kit set up before it was properly dark. I set the cameras going for some imaging then concentrated on the visual with the 14” Dob and Baader Zoom. I didn’t really have a plan, but instead spent the time wandering through Sky Safari and just going for stuff that might be interesting.

 

So…

 

Double-double: This is a regular starting point for me- I align the Rigel and Finderscope on Vega then check out the double double to see what the seeing is like. It wasn’t the best and the sky was clearly a bit milky too, but even without the aperture mask there was clear separation on both pairs which augured well.

 

M13: Just a short hop down and I almost go there out of habit. A nice view with good resolution into the core; couldn’t see the propeller though. Never quite sure whether it’s the conditions or me- but I can only see it about half the time.

 

NGC7331 and Stephan’s Quintet: This was my first imaging target for the night and I wanted to see what I could get visually as well. NGC7331 is a nice target- quite easy to see the core, and then with a bit of time and some averted vision more of the shape becomes clear. I’ve had quite a few goes at this and always feel it’s right on the edge of my vision. I spent a long time on it last night- moving the scope, looking around the object, just relaxing and trying to let it float into view. There was definitely something there- a faint mottling of the sky. But not distinct. I have 2 dark sky trips coming up where, with a bit of luck with the weather, I’ll have more of a chance. It’ll be great to finally tick this one off.

 

M15: It’s a couple of years since I put this one in the eyepiece and I’d forgotten what a wonderful target it is. To me the core seemed to appear slightly below centre (so I guess above centre as I’m using a Newt)- but I’m guessing that’s an effect of local atmosphere as it certainly doesn’t appear on any photos that I’ve checked online this morning. I also tried the Binoviewers; I’m a huge fan of globs in Binoviewers- they both seem to add an extra dimension and support seeing more detail in the object; but on this occasion it didn’t really seem to add anything. No worse, just no better either.

 

M2: This was a nice view, but being a bit lower in the sky than M15 it was a bit murkier and harder to resolve, so suffered a bit by comparison. I probably did them in the wrong order!

 

NGC891: In Sky Safari this looks reminiscent of the Needle Galaxy so I was keen to have a look, but I really couldn’t see anything at all. I spent a long time on this- trying averted vision, and then dropping the magnification right down with a 30mm eyepiece- but nothing at all. Then, as I had the 30mm in…

 

M31/32/110: This I COULD see! Lovely to sit back on the chair and just drink it in. I find that it reveals itself in the same sequence each time. The core of M31 leaps out at you and then M32 is right there as well. Gradually some of the dark lanes appear and I then have to work a bit to get to M110. On really good nights I can see the edges spilling over the field of view, but the sky was too milky last night for that. It really is an awesome thing to contemplate: the light of a trillion stars travelling for  millions of years and landing in my back garden. I hope it wasn’t too disappointed in the state of my lawn.

 

Caroline’s Rose: Next, and with the low power still in, I wandered up to Cassiopeia. I could see the dark lanes in this open cluster; I sort of get it as a rose but it doesn’t quite leap out and grab me.

 

M52: I much prefer this open cluster- not really sure why. The odd brighter star (not sure if it’s foreground) reminds me a bit of the Wild Duck Cluster- a pleasure to look at. I went back to the Baader zoom and quickly dropped back down to 8mm for the best view.

 

Blue Snowball Nebula – I love the colour of this, it’s great to have something that’s not grey. I can never make out any details on this, but I always enjoy the blinky thing that PNs do. This inspired me to jump across to…

 

Blinking Planetary Nebula- which always sounds like an exclamation to me. Strangely it didn’t blink as much for me as the Blue Snowball.

 

M57 – The Ring nebula. Always a favourite; I decided to try some filters and also the BV’s on this. In the end reached the conclusion that it’s bright enough that none of these approaches really added anything. In the Baader, at 8mm/206x it’s a lovely view with a darker section (although the central star was beyond me last night) in the middle and variations in shading around the ring. Always good to experiment, but in this case the simple view is the best for me.

 

M27- The Dumbell. In this case it really was worth experimenting. In the zoom it’s only a faint wispy thing at any magnification, and only really the apple core shape is visible. Dropping to the 30mm and it appears much more strongly, standing out a little against the star field. Popping the Baader back in with the UHC filter on it made it stand out a little further against the background, although at the expense of a little detail. Putting the Oiii filter on- turbo charged this effect: in monochrome green the full extent of the object was visible against the pitch background, there was a lot of shape as well, although it was quite blurry and you could only really focus by sidestepping to a nearby star.

 

M71 – Nice, but quite faint and small compared with the other globs in the session.

 

The Moon was up now and bed was calling, but like a kid left alone with the biscuit tin I was unable to resist a few more targets. The moon itself was in a really wobbly bit of the sky so I didn’t spend too much time on that, and switched back up to Cepheus.

 

The Garnet Star- always a beauty, nice and sharp with the aperture mask on it!

 

Delta Cepheus – A nice easy split; and almost Albireo like with the contrasting colours.

 

Kemble’s Cascade – Too bright to find in the moonlight; no stars to hop from.

 

Double Cluster – A wonderful place to finish!

 

Glad you had a good night. Many great targets with some challenges. Certainly feels good when you can bag as many as that in a session after not being out for a few days.  As I read your report, it sounded familiar as the targets you listed are many of those I seem to choose. 

Steve