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I just bought a new Newt. Farmers (who were right about last year) are shaking their heads about this one. Cold & wetter April even more means good weather for This era of global warming & clouds means less planning & more opportunism. See what is there to be seen rather than what you want to see. Most constellations have doubles, variables, DSOs and different coloured stars. All have loads more everything than naked eyes, binoculars and smaller scopes can show. See a smudge in the sky, an interesting asterism - look 'em up! Re-visit what started the wonder.

Vixen NLV 50mm. About same weight as the TV 55mm Plossl or 35mm Panoptic, perhaps a bit less. Nice to hold with its chequered rubber grip band. Slippery otherwise. No problem with eye relief. As the photo shows however, eye lens is deeply recessed, so effective just right for wearing glasses, but too long without. Eye cup is fixed but a comfortably deep cushion. Coatings are greenish as photos show. Tube, as for NLV/W eps is a thinner inner, with air space between it and it's gold jacket. All lenses are in that assembly, the chrome bottom tube contains none, unlike NLVW 30mm. Of the 2 inch fit eps, this 50 is biggest and comfiest to use. LV 30mm comes 4th, LVW 42mm is 3rd, NLVW 30mm is 2nd and NLV 50mm is 1st. (I do not have a LV 50mm, but comparing the two 30mm Vixens above, I think a LV 50 would be heavier due to its thicker tube and have a less good eye cup)

Sat & failed most of my A levels that year. Gym with closed windows wearing a sticky clammy BryNylon shirt.

I feel sorry for all the people with expensive dedicated gear in fixed locations especially. Apart from work fatigue, and too much street & neighbour lighting, what killed off my big scope stargazing was weather. Been less good for about 20 years now. Milder but cloudy & wet for longer.

From August where I live! But that's normally the first month of autumn these years. More sense to buy dual purpose scopes & eye pieces now. So terrestial use covered as well. Better value for money generally.

Night viewing in T-shirt, shorts & sandals (but with much insect repellent on). Never mind astronomical twilight, if there is anything shining & viewable I'll be out there!

On a lot of stuff. Very few nights when weather, wakefulness, health and inclination have all prevailed together. I think a lot of gear buying is astro related retail therapy as a result of disappointment.

My TAL 115mm has been delivered. Hopefully some Primaluce tube rings for the Tak tomorrow (then at least I have everything to mount it securely enough for peace of mind).

I have wondered if the VMC200L is better than SCTs for visual. A half way between SC and MC?

Tak dovetail is Vixen. My Primaluce Losmandy is M6. So presumably I will have some customisation to do. Or forget Tak clamshells altogether - a shame as I have 2 of them.

@Pierowhat size bolts for attaching your dovetail to the Tak clamp do you use please? I am also considering using washers between clamshell base & my dove bar.

Japan is across the IDL (International Date Line) Perhaps a 50 Plossl with built-in Barlow 2x? If it's real. Note it's got Made in China on it. Or a Freudian competition with Masuyama

8.4mm eye relief. Pass.

But if you put it half way up, is the heat not then too far away to work?

I think weight displacement makes a difference, as also do how dimensions allow you to carry it, and lift etc.

Fujifilm 16mm f1.4 lens for my X-T2 camera. Pre-owned but great optic, the equivalent of 24mm wide angle for a 35mm film camera.

Clamps are heavier than rings, sure, but I only needed one. DL Taks are heavier and longer than DF or DC so GnG is less a given there. But the Primaluce bar is only aluminium. What is heavy is my Skytee 2 mount on top of pillar on top of tripod. About 60 lbs.

Of course SW Esprit owners are the toffs of that lot. While Equinox owners are the top doublet dudes & dudettes. ???

Didn't there used to be one? Maybe too elitist, but then Tak ownership seems fairly commonplace here. Its other makes, excluding SW, that seem rarer.

Many thanks. 14mm is too short. I will look into the 10x50 waterproof cf model instead. My best smaller bins are Swift Osprey 7.5x42. Eye relief of 19mm. Got several pairs and a Derby version which is IF instead. 80s Bk7 but the best Swifts I have owned.

Purists ? Glad go be bucking a trend ? Strictly black and silver for my Equinoxes though ?

Its partly because the Tak clamps (2 for my DL) are so sturdy, have larger footprint and are heavier, that I decided on Losmandy D. Vixen width might have put too much strain on a narrower bar and bolts leading to mishaps ? Bit of a colour combination, white tube, white mount, pale green clamps and Primaluce clamp + bar. Have to post a photo.... ?

For added security and stability in mounting an expensive refractor, I do! Whatever its uses. ?

For such I recommend Losmandy D clamp and dovetail. They are wider, accommodating the whole Tak clamp base, and are so more stable. @Stuwas selling a clamp, might still be. @FLOsell D dovetails https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adm-losmandy-type-d-series/adm-losmandy-style-universal-dovetail-bars.html

A tube handle is a good thing. Two hands handling as well.