Captain Scarlet

I have a 3mm DeLite, it’s quite a tall eyepiece. I’d assume your 4mm DeLite is also on the tall side, as is the Powermate IIRC. Going for a “powermated” option on top of a 4mm will give you a very long stack out of the diagonal on a scope that’s on the small side. Cheers, Magnus

Looking back at the post for the original sale here it seems the scope at one time was very much not a lemon, to the extent that Olly himself appreciated the quality of the images presented (assuming they were indeed taken with the sold scope). Hopefully it can be brought back to life. Magnus

Your first picture … is that a “cost meter” telling you how much you’ve spent so far perfecting your deluxe Finder setup ?

Yes indeed it was, just about, for me last night in SW Ireland

I was thinking more along the lines of one of my favourite films, Aliens: "Locked and loaded, covering all approaches"

The last observing session I’ve had worthy of its own report was back in August! The weather last Autumn and this winter has been terrible. But I haven’t been lazy. In that time I’ve managed to fettle quite a lot of things to improve my scopes. So last night’s two sessions amounted to First Light for a variety of modifications: I’ve replaced the 63mm secondary on my Orion/Helmerichs 8” newt, taking its CO down from 32% to 25%; I fitted a brand new Orion primary cell to replace the old Skywatcher 300p cell which I’d bolted to the end of a Helmerichs tube; in that process I turned the tube completely back to front and re-did the entire geometry of the scope to reduce to a practical minimum the out-focus point (100mm from the outside of the tube); I flocked all the important areas of the same 300mm scope; I “re-findered” both scopes to lose the Telrads (mention the word ‘dew’ and it’s fogged up, even in the Kalahari I’m sure) and to accept SkySurfer Vs, with extra capacity for finder-scopes too, if necessary. The forecast had been that it’d be clear last night for nearly a week ahead, and stayed constant, so I was confident enough to get both Newtonians out, the 200 and the 300. I’d planned to observe Jupiter, Mars and the 20% Moon starting at twilight using my new high-contrast low-CO 8”, then have dinner and move on to the 12” for the longer night session. I put the OH200 onto a Skytee2/Berlebach Uni and the OH300 onto my AZ-EQ6/Planet controlled by Nexus DSC. There has been a staggering amount of rain even for here (Ireland!) the last few months, almost certainly a result of the 1-month hosepipe ban we had in August, and I was convinced this night’s session would be affected or terminated by dew. In the event, it wasn’t, I was pleasantly surprised. My plan for the night’s session was simple: Orion and Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). The twilight session was essentially a waste of time. Seeing was appalling. Venus not unexpectedly, being so low, was a kaleidoscope. Jupiter was mostly a wobbly mush. Only fleetingly did anything other than the two main belts appear, at either 100x or 167x (Delos 10 and 6). Luna was more interesting, having more large-scale structure but everything was nonetheless shimmering all over the place. Mars showed hints of different shades but was also soft and lacking any clarity. Oh well, next time. Dinner happened, and I resumed around 2030 with the OH300. It was immediately evident seeing was much better, though still far from what I’d call “good”. Transparency was poor too. The Milky Way would normally be quite stark and even readily discernible threading past Orion and Betelguese. Last night it wasn’t evident anywhere, at least not until much later on. Nevertheless I pressed on, and started off at M42. That seeing was better was shown immediately by my ability to see the E and F stars in the Trapezium, though they were coming and going. The surrounding nebulosity was less impressive, though. I moved on to Sigma Orionis, where the faint fourth C star again was easily seen. It was odd. This system of stars, in good seeing and through a fine scope, can be achingly beautiful: an arrangement of fine pinpoints. Though tonight I could see the faint one rather easily, it wasn’t what I’d call a beautiful sight. The brighter stars were a bit wobbly and not pinpoint even though everything was on view. Widening out the view to include the extra stars to the West made the point. It just wasn’t “refractor-like”, though I have had lovely such views through this scope before. It was just the seeing. Trapezium similarly. I went to Rigel, which I couldn’t split earlier through the 8”, and yes I split it easily Rigel was not pleasingly tight. But in contrast, Sirius wasn’t wobbling too much. Perhaps it was damped by the milky veil of cloud, but although I tried for the Pup, there was no sign. Alnitak similarly was readily split. By now the transparency was looking better. My naked eye could see stars within Orion apart from the main ones and Sigma Orionis, so I took a break from that area and tapped in M1 (Crab Nebula). I can’t recall having observed M1 through a telescope before. I’ve _detected_ it a few times with 10x50 and 15x56 binoculars, and it was a slightly enhanced version of that which I was expecting through this 12”. So I was pleasantly surprised to see a vivid brightish patch with hints of structure. My first “pleased” observation this night! Looking over my shoulder to the North-ish, I noticed that the thin cloud had disappeared from there too. I was ready for the Comet. Knowing it was close to RR Umi, first with 15x56 binoculars I found it immediately. As others have said, rather like an unresolved version of M13. I put in the Nagler 31 to my scope giving me my minimum 59x magnification and again found it readily. It’s a largeish object, and I suspect even 59x is on the high side for such an extended object. All I got was a bright core, not unlike say M31. The overall view I found was more satisfying through the binoculars. Later on, as I was packing up, I brought out my Zeiss 8x56s, and the impression was, I felt, even better. Definite colour (greenish, obviously) and some shape, and roughly triangular wide fan. Also, by that time I could see it naked eye too, likely helped by the fact it was close to RR Umi which is itself part of a “mini-Hyades” sideways V-shape, the whole clearly making for quite a bright patch in that area. I was pleased with that, my first Comet since Neowise. I’ve run ahead too far. After the first Comet viewings, I returned to Orion and now the nebulosity around M42 was lovely (still at minimum mag with Nag31). E and F were better too. Emboldened, I went to the Flame Nebula. No chance. I couldn’t be bothered to go inside and get my filters so I let it be. I was ready for some doubles, though. I started with Meissa, a favourite which I discovered as double without knowing in advance. I decided to use a feature I like about the Nexus DSC: its “Tour” function. From its 50-odd catalogues I selected just Planetaries and Struve Doubles, and an area within 4 degrees of current position. It came up with 30 such objects, and I slewed to each in turn. I had my Delos 10 in giving me 183x. These included NGC 2022, a bright PN. I should have upped the magnification and donned a filter, its brightness seemed to warrant it. But I did neither: another time. Besides, I’d decided that NGC 2022 was so Last Year and moved on. I went through a succession of doubles none of whose names I can remember, but I do recall thinking my limiting magnitude this night with this scope seems to be about 11-12. Any stars fainter than about 11.5 I just could not see. Most of the doubles were faint but I could see colour in almost all of them, even the dim ones. I’ve not _systematically_ done doubles before, aside from some favourites, but I plan to, and to find a way of recording what I’ve seen (“Do you use a Dictaphone?” “No, darling, just a normal telephone like everyone else” [sorry]). Not the most sensational of nights, but certainly worth having, especially after nearly 4 months of prohibitive weather. The first session was not a proper test of my new low-Central Obstruction 8”, so I look forward to that. I noted Leo rising and am excited to anticipate the Leo/Coma galaxy season coming on! And, or course, not least, the imminent arrival of my new 140mm Stellarvue refractor. Thanks for getting this far, Cheers, Magnus

Just in from session no2 tonight. Seeing was much better than earlier in the evening but still prob only 6/10. Transparency was poor, MW not evident when it normally is stark. Trap E and F were seen, as clearly was the C in sigma Ori. Alnitak just about split, but no Pup despite trying hard. Comet was the main goal, and was easily found just next to rr Umi through my 15x56s, in the 300 newt at 59x with Nag31, and best of all funnily enough through the 8x56 bins: distinctly green and comet-shaped. But perhaps even better, by the time I was packing up at 1am just now, it was naked eye (with sky measured at 21.4). But transparency having been hazy all night had suddenly improved. Quite a long session with many more observations and the first such in three months, so look to the Obs Reports for a full write-up tomorrow hopefully. Magnus

The first properly forecast clear night tonight for months. So I spent late afternoon setting up not one but two scopes, my 300 newt and its smaller sibling the 200 newt, with First Light for the 200’s newly-installed 50mm secondary. Pre-dinner session with the 200 to get Jupiter and Luna was frustrating. Seeing absolutely terrible. Let’s see how after dinner with the 300 goes. I shall be trying to get my first proper view this season of M42 and region.

So did you get to see Tuc 47 and the Southern Cross 😄 ?

Triplet. The letter-clature of scopes intrigue me. Generally all the letters around a scope’s number do seem to mean something. In this case I’ve worked out that SV = Stellarvue (obvs); X = extreme, excellent? T = Triplet. At least, that’s my theory and I’m sticking to it

The weather was suddenly clear late afternoon and I got my hopes up. Then about 30 minutes later pea-soup descended and dashed them. They all about a tease! Grrr

I’ve just told Mrs Captain Scarlet 😬. The scope order has survived 😮‍💨

I did ask if they could do the FT focuser but that put the wait time out by a couple of months they said, so I went for their native option. Which still looks quite good, we’ll see. I also considered their “Raptor” version for a couple of hundred extra with carbon-fiber tube, but I hanker after a white scope for some silly reason.

Photos certainly @HollyHound in due course! Try to stop me ! @Space Hopper yes directly from US to Ireland. I expect it to be reasonably smooth but not especially cheap. I’m not certain how much Customs will be but I’ve budgeted for worst-case. And VAT of course. I have a 105mm refractor, and that extra increment over having, say, a 100mm is what pushed me to 140 rather than 130 (which SV also do). 140 just the right step up.

Five years ago, shortly after I got my first scope as a total starter in this pastime, I added my name to the waiting list for an Astro-Physics 130, on the basis that at that time I certainly wouldn’t be able to appreciate it with nothing and no experience to compare it to, but by the time my number came up I was likely to have gained that experience Well my number has not come up, but I am now ready. So I’ve given up on the AP, and committed myself to a Stellarvue SVX140T, which should be with me in a month or so. I understand that in the US at the very top refractor level, there are currently three names: AP, TEC and Stellarvue, with Stellarvue a relative newcomer to the top tier and therefore a little less wait-listed. I await with much excitement… Magnus

Thanks Stu. I’ve had this in my diary. I think closest is tomorrow 22nd. But I’m enveloped in deep fog and low cloud which is set to continue for some days so I reckon there’s no chance for me unfortunately. Good luck everyone else. L Magnus

Very nice, I hope you have luck with the Flame. I see also you've lined up a spot of Badminton to help keep warm if it gets too cold ? Magnus

In my 12” f/5 newt I was on the point of selling my 35mm Panoptic (then my widest eyepiece), the stars in the outer field being so bad (I’m visual only). Views were very far from the “field of fine points” described by so many for such as the Double Cluster and Pleiades. Then, separately, I got a Paracorr2, and it all magically sharpened up! I found the CC made a huge difference. Magnus

The Glatter Parallizer is designed to solve that problem, I think. I have one, use it as my standard 2”-1.25” adapter, and think it’s a very clever design. Magnus

When weather permits, I tend to default to using the “HR” designation, listed as Bright Stars in the Nexus catalogues, roughly intended to be the brightest stars in the sky, mag 7 or brighter. H stands for Harvard I think. Magnus

My understanding is that the term “push-pull” refers to the whole arrangement of a larger “locating” bolt which will end up in tension, and a smaller locking bolt that locks the position of what the larger bolt is threaded through, and which ends up in compression. As you turn the larger bolt, which you can only do by unscrewing the smaller one to release it and give it room to move, whatever the larger bolt is threaded through (in this case, a plate which supports the baffle tubes and primary mirror assembly) moves up or down the thread of the larger bolt. With three, you can point the assembly around inside the OTA wherever you like. Once happy, the smaller bolts can then be tightened against the internal plate, preventing further movement. In practice, the tightening-up may change things a little, so you have yo anticipate and compensate in the collimation process. Cheers, M

I found in one of my bags a SW 6x30 straight-through yesterday, actually. I think it came with a Skymax 127 I used to have. Will that do? You can have it gratis. I’ll be in uk shortly. M

Good heavens no . I plan to use it as a super-finder in much the same way that @markse68 has done. I now need to get hold of a T-2 1.25” diagonal to screw onto the FF, plus a short-path focuser on the other side, and I should be good to go with my Panoptic 24 to give me very nice 10x50 finder views. Magnus

My first ever ABS transaction, a field flattener for my Evoguide 50: Magnus

What you’ve described and what SW describe are what I understand as “push/pull”. IE once finished, one bolt is in tension the other In compression. What’s going on is that those three big bolts are directly attached to the entire primary mirror assembly inside. By screwing or unscrewing those bolts, you are pointing that mirror assembly, together with the baffle tubes, around the inside of the tube. The smaller screws lock the positions in place. A very small degree of tension is provided by three small rubber rings between the plate inside and the back of the cell (see pics in the thread). So to collimate, yes you must unscrew the smaller ones to unlock, but all in small increments and not re-checking except when locked back up again. If that makes sense . Cheers, Magnus (OP)