Geoff Barnes

Solid tube or flex tube Barry? Either way a great scope that will impress you with everything you view, particularly Jupiter and Saturn later in the year, but also DSO's if your skies are dark enough. If it is flex tube I highly recommend you get the Astrozap light shroud which collapses down with the scope so can stay on permanently.

Bear in mind Barry that you don't have to use the goto function, you can release the clutches and use it as a normal manual scope if you want to. Only drawback is the goto scope is heavier.

You're spoiled rotten Stu! 😂

I'd be happy to send you my 6.5mm Morpheus for a trial @John although postage might be an issue. Surely someone on SGL nearer home could oblige? In my 12 inch SW Dob it is simply stunning!

I'm very envious @John, Having purchased my Vixen SLV 2.5mm back in February (specifically to try and see the Vallis Alpes central rille and Plato craterlets), I still haven't had a clear night at the right lunar phase. I got very close a couple of nights ago but it was just one day too early. What I did manage to see though at an astonishing 600x blew me away! It really felt as if I was about to touch down on the lunar surface with incredible detail visible in rock steady seeing. It was the first time I have been able to clearly see individual mountain peaks rising above the smooth curve of the outer lunar disc. I'm really hungry now for a clear chance to see those tantalising details this month, given good seeing I think it will definitely be achievable! Fingers cossed!

If I may join in the fun, I had a rare evening of clear skies recently and had a go at finding a new target for me, NGC 3918 The Blue Planetary Nebula in Centaurus. I had tried once before with my Synscan GoTo but without success, but after studying the sky chart on StarWalk 2 (it isn't listed on my basic SkySafari app for some reason) I felt confident of finding it just above Crux. Using the !2 inch Dob manually I centred the finderscope in the required area and with the Baader zoom on 24mm could see what appeared to be a pale blue star, but it was bigger, more like Neptune but fuzzy. Changing to 8mm it was an obvious small round disc, pale bluish grey and about the size of Mars. Even with the Morpheus 6.5mm no other details visible but a pretty thing nonetheless and I always get a bit of a buzz out of seeing a new target.

Just so we know @LivK, is that you on the right???

Yes thanks Ricochet, I copy and pasted the url but it doesn't seem to work, I'll try again.

Hello Liv and welcome to the Lounge. I found this review online which sounds quite positive, a very good starter scope by the sound of it, enjoy! http://www.oasi.org.uk/Telescopes/ST80_review.php

Yes quite normal Stu. I have to (usually) tweak my primary mirror setting just a little to get it perfect each time I wheel my 12 inch Dob out onto our slightly bumpy lawn. Nothing drastic just a little adjustment only takes a minute or so and it's good to go.

Sorry for being off topic but I noticed you had 999 "likes" @Cosmic Geoff so I took the liberty of getting you the 1000! 👍

Unfortunately only Venus is visible in the evenings at the moment Jennifer. All the others are visible before sunrise if you want to get up really early. Later in the year Jupiter, Saturn and Mars will return to our evening skies.

No you are seeing Venus properly Jennifer. Look at Dave's photos above, Venus has phases like the moon.

Hi Mikey and welcome! Have a read through this thread to get some ideas about Dob storage..

Sounds pretty certain that you still haven't got your finderscope aligned with the telescope. First priority is to get your target in the centre of your view through your telescooe eyepiece and then centre it in the finderscooe with the adjusting screws. Once that is done you should be able to find everything especially with a 20mm or 25mm eyepiece. Good luck Jennifer!

I've just had a look at Izar on SkySafari and it won't be in good position for me until August. That's okay, nice dark winter skies then and Izar will be at its highest altitude at about 25 degrees above our northern horizon , so I'm fairly confident of splitting it with the 12 inch Dob so long as I can get a clear sky!

Hi Mikey, no difference in focus on anything you look at up there, it is all basically on infinity. So once you are sharply focussed on one object everything else will be too, no matter what telescope you are using.

Intriguing! If the scope is finding your second chosen star with no problem then your alignment must be okay. I have had a few instances of my Dob slewing crazily, certainly low battery power has caused it once or twice. On other occasions I found that simply redoing the alignment process rectified the problem. We will get to the bottom of this, have no worries!

Very impressive Avani. Any idea what magnification those views would translate to if it was through an eyepiece?

Hi @Michele Scotti It's been a long time since you've posted, any new developments with your amazing project? Regards, Geoff.

I've just taken my 4mm SLV apart and held each half up to the standard lamp on my desk (it's night time here) and saw no shiny reflections at all. I shall make a point of using the 4mm and my new 2.4mm SLV's next time I'm out with the Dob on the moon or Sirius and see what happens. Haven't had a clear night for weeks here, winter has set in very early again this year.

I'm of the mind that you really know pretty quickly when using astro equipment whether you like it or not. I remember when I bought my TV 3-6mm zoom that I just couldn't get on with it. The fairly small eye lens and relatively short eye relief were not to my liking even though the quality of the views were without fault, it just didn't feel comfortable to use. A bit like trying on a new pair of shoes or trousers, you know pretty quickly if you like them or not, even if they are good quality, if they don't feel good they are not for you.

Welcome aboard @Karen Bexley I'm Southampton born and bred so the New Forest is second home to me. I plan/hope to be back there in the not too distant future. Everyone on here is just so nice I feel like giving them all virtual hugs through my laptop!

Always nice and high in the sky here, but Betelgeuse was definitely a lot brighter a couple of nights ago than it was when it was at its dimmest. Almost back to its best I would venture to say.

Once the initial alignment is successful the tracking is really quite good. I have left it tracking Saturn and gone inside to have dinner and when I returned half an hour later it was still just on the edge of the viewfinder. No use for AP but fine for visual which is all I do anyway.