25585

1 hour ago, John said:

Thats quite large for an F/5 250mm

Orion Optics use a 63mm one with their 250mm F/4.8.

Shorter focal length the reason perhaps? Or a typo possibly, maybe it's 64 mis-typed. 

I think there is a Gary Seronik page about secondary sizes. At least less worry about losing light from slight misalignment. In reality does about 1cm make much difference for visual use. 

The benefit of that Bresser is, as for OO UK dobs, their OTAs can be removed from the rocker assemblies completely, allowing mounting on equatorial etc. 

12 minutes ago, Gerry Casa Christiana said:

 

Hi Alacant

I think I'm almost sold. Do you have some pictures done on your Bresser. What about the focuser any good. I notice the tube weight is 13kg seems light? No problems with flexure? I'm guess I'm asking what will I need to change!  

Thanks 

Gerry

No pix at present but the only things I did were replace the puny 6x30 finder with a Telrad sight & an Altair RACI 60mm finder. I also bought a couple of Astrozap 10 inch tube covers from FLO. 

Peace of mind is what counts for happy carefree use. 

Whatever you personally feel is adequate to secure and protect your scope regardless of any other person's choice. It was your money that bought it!

Manufacturers provide what is the bare minimum. 1 cylindrical clamp with 1 bolt or 2 narrow rings with a bolt each. Adding to, upgrading, modifying is often done on other astro kit. There should be no stigma attached to an individual's choice. 

And that includes chopping off 55mm of OTA!

Just now, John said:

What evidence or experience, either personal or from third party experience is there to back up this suggestion ?

There is no evidence of the Takahashi clamps / lock bolts being problematical, deficient, not up to the task, failing or poorly manufactured as far as I am aware

If you just don't like the ergonomics or aesthetics of the accessory then thats your cheoice of course but thats a bit different from veiled suggestions that they are inadequate I feel.

 

I simply feel that for securing anything valuable, one lock, however strong may not be enough because it is the only one. 

Whether by user, or mechanical error, or both, a failsafe secondary independent securing mechanism is never ever a bad idea. 

As for aesthetics, beautiful OTAs retained by a crude industrial device. Beauty & the beast. 

2 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

If I were you I'd sell those green clamshells quickly and get more primuluce rings. Those long DL's need as much support as possible to prevent their lightweight, slimline tubes from drooping. 

If only rings were sold singly. Anyone want to go 50/50 on a pair? Or maybe @FLO could split boxes. 

Dropping my Tak is a nightmare scenario which is why she is armoured-up. 

3 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

Use oversize cable ties or a jubilee clip or two, they'll do the job just as well ?

Those are more for holding a homemade dewshield extension in place. Jubilee clips can scratch nice paintwork. Cable ties need cutting off & replacing each time so impractical. 

However users of the OE clamshell clamp, with its single bolt lock might wish to consider your suggestion as a secondary fastening, which 2 (or more) rings provides. 

Just now, alacant said:

No, but I wish I did. I have a SkyWatcher 250. I needed to upgrade the -hopeless- single speed focuser to the -equally hopeless- dual speed Crayford, replace the 60mm secondary with a 70mm and I also needed a 50cm dovetail to prevent tube flex. The Bresser reflectors I have are head and shoulders above it.

Cheers and HTH.

Reduced to €420 the Messier is a bargain! 

8 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Rings when Tak offer a superb, beautiful, matching and superior clamshell? And the rings are red for goodness sake. What would possess anyone with a modicum of good taste to put red rings on a beautiful, elegant, white, blue and silver Tak tube assembly? It would be like putting Micra wheels on a Porche. 

I have not seen such a clamshell. Certainly not the bathroom green plumber's pipe clamp that came with my DL, or in the Takahashi catalogue. I have a couple of the former in my garage as garden hose conduits. 

But if your taste does not run to pretty Primaluce lovely red anodised hardware, there are bog standard black Parallax rings that Ian King sells, white Vixen rings that FLO does not sell, or very expensive silver rings from Japan you need to Google for. 

10 minutes ago, alacant said:

You have the mount, yes? This one has a rigid aluminium tube, a decent fat focuser and a secondary sized for AP. The SW doesn't;)

HTH

I have the Bresser in that link. It has the best Dobsonian mount, big rockers, easy assembly and good optics for F5. The focuser takes heavy eye pieces. I bought mine from Telescope House. @FLO sell the 8 inch & I am sure get the 10 if you asked them.

Carbon tubes are nice & don't dent. Teleskop Express sell Newts with them. 

16 minutes ago, Alan White said:

All I need for now too Michael......                                                    Sorry its not all eyepieces! ?

What shop is that Alan?

16 hours ago, Saganite said:

Here she is, much shortened, but ready for action !

Bino viewers colour compliment what remains of the green nicely. Very neat altogether. ?

I expect more to do with ease of manufacture and assembly than genius, but sometimes that is genius in the rough. 

DCs & DFs do look like a DL with a chunk sawn off. ?

1 hour ago, jock1958 said:

Do you know if it’s just the DC & DF that comes with that green extension tube?  And what’s the length?

My DL came without it but came with a black 52mm extension tube? 

My second run DL had the same pale green focuser as DFs, but thankfully still a black extension tube.

Clamshell when FLO sell 95mm rings now ? 

Vixen LV 5mm (pre-owned) & 8-24mm zoom (new) eps. For my Equinox 80 case. With a Eudiascopic 35mm, now complete.

42 minutes ago, John said:

These are the details of the tripod and head that I am currently using:

http://www.slik.com/PS-MASTER_CLASSIC.html

Looking around, without sacrificing stability, I suspect the best I'm going to be able to do is to save around 500g and at some expense. Not sure that's worth the bother given that the current tripod/head are doing rather well

If its just pod & head photo gear, you could buy it when you get to Australia. Plenty of photo shops I expect. Less weight and bulk to take.

1 minute ago, JG777 said:

Very neat and 4 kilos, that's excellent. Forgot to add my lunt 1.25 to the mix thanks for the reminder! 

For your journey to Oz John 

My Equinox 80 in SW case.  Eps to be added Vixen LV 10mm, 5mm, 8-24 zoom & a Baader Eudiascopic 35mm. WO RACI diagonal so use as terrestrial spotter possible. 

Pod & mount undecided. But I have decided to budget in weight surcharge for peace of mind in strong packing. 

Interesting tripod head. Not seen those before. 

Just decided not to sell my XW 7mm. Only needed a daylight look-through. 

1 hour ago, parallaxerr said:

WARNING - THIS POST DOES NOT CONTAIN TAKAHASHI

Filling in the gaps in my ES line-up of EP's

82° 4.7mm, 68° 24mm & 62° 32mm

Very nice. Good to complete sets.

5 minutes ago, Timebandit said:

 

Nice. You have all 3 now. I am sure you know the specs of this 80 better than me. But I think the equinox 80 may have the ohara  elements also, like its bigger brothers.

I hope for your sake that SW don't do the new SW150 ed version in an " Equinox " or you will need to start saving to complete the family.

Hope you enjoy??

 

 

 

The SW man on CN said the 150 will be only in standard ED PRO trim .

This pre-owned 80 Equinox was sold by ENS, so at least its from a reputable dealer i.e. who will take returns. Optics look clean. Focuser fine. Retractable hood a bit loose in travel but no trouble otherwise. Came with the RDF. Most of my travel is surface, so weight not an issue, but I may paint the case or put it in a larger darker one.

2 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

They are chunky, but they still sit quite happily on a light camera tripod and giro mount. Attached pic was taken in Tenerife a couple of years ago when Mars was last prominent - still sharp at 170x. 

Looks a good mount & tripod combo. What I need is a suitable mount, black preferably, for stealth stargazing. 

1 minute ago, JeremyS said:

I hope not so heavy that it scuppers your travelscope plans, 25885?

The (rotatable) focuser might have to be detatched & packed separately & a lighter carrier needed. I have not weighed the whole OTA yet. But at the price not complaining. In its case I estimate 1/2 cwt with diagonal & a couple of eps.