robbymain

22 hours ago, rl said:

If you want tickets for the lectures then book now....they're always sold out on the day.

You can still get in to the exhibition. 

Thanks for the headsup @rl

I'm surprised there's not more gossip about this event considering it's less than 2 weeks away? Am I posting in the wrong forum lol

Hi All

I’m seeing my wife off to South Africa at Heathrow on the 30th so I thought I would make the most of a rare trip to London and attend my first astronomy exhibition!

Is anyone else going this year? I will most likely be there on Friday morning.

Are FLO planning to attend? I didn’t see their name on the list of confirmed exhibitors...

All the best,

Rob 

I have this same issue - I'm going to drill out and tap the centre hole to 3/8"-16 UNC. If I need to convert back the other way, thread adapters are cheaply available.

I'm hoping to take my new (used) Megrez 72 to La Palma or Tenerife while my wife is in South Africa volunteering at a Game Reserve.

Dates in my calendar also! Happy New Year everybody 😃

Super writeup Gavin! I may be visiting Tenerife again in February and am planning to take my newly assembled travel kit (Megrez 72, Porta II mount and Manfrotto 055 tripod) with me for trips up to the crater.

I have been past the Parador hotel a few times in the past. Is it easy to setup somewhere away from lights on their grounds or did you park nearby off the road to the Teleferico?!

Cheers,

Rob

On 14/03/2017 at 17:36, scarp15 said:

My ADM clamp arrived today, unfortunately the supplied bolts are the smaller M8 type. The fixing holes compatible with the clamp are the larger type on a horizontal plane on the mount head. Would anyone be able to confirm this bolts spec please and if possible where I could obtain from?

 

Hi Iain

Thanks to your most informative thread I will be ordering one of these to upgrade my own Porta II for use with a used Megrez 72 that i picked up just prior to Christmas.

I'm looking forward to using my new travel setup home and abroad soon 😃

Best of the festive season to you,

Robin

Hello you helpful bunch

Might anyone know what size of screw fits the single finder shoe tapped hole on a WO Megrez 72?

Just picked up a used one on here and want to have it ready and working in time for my Christmas holidays during which I will be very near Dartmoor during the new moon 😃

All the best,

Rob

6 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Thanks for the heads up on this Manfrotto offer. I just went to the Wex website and they have a Black Friday deal with 25% on the 055. It also seems to say you get get the £50 cashback on top! This seems amazing if true!

I just placed an order with Wex after seeing this! 25% off a MT055XPRO3 (tripod only) which is usually £150 for the sweet price of £62 after the £50 cashback?! Thankyou!!!

Ok I’m going to Wellow near Bath tonight - Station Road car park (check it out on Google maps)

Never been before so may just take planisphere, my new binocs & a chair/picnic blanket 😃

Forecast is best in bloomin ages, all welcome lol

Okay I'm starting to think about New Moon weekends in early 2020 for this!

Hi there!

I'm also Bristol based and have been researching nearby dark sky spots. I haven't been to any of these yet but so far I have found out about:

Wellow which is a few miles South of Bath has public access to a field adjacent to a car park in the village without street lighting. I was planning to drop by tonight if the weather wasn't as rubbish as it is... (Bath Astro Society use it for public observing sessions)

Velvet Bottom near Cheddar (Charterhouse apparently have an observatory nearby)

Bristol Astronomy Society's observatory at Failand - only members can use the site so I'm planning to join up this month.

I'm actively looking for observing buddies so let me know if you would like to try any of these out!

Cheers,

Rob

I just wanted to say how useful I found the BAS Telescope Surgery last night - lots of interesting equipment to look at and plenty of friendly informative people to learn from! So a big thankyou for everyone involved in organising it.

Also it was very nice to meet you at last @John😃

Welcome to SGL! One day I hope to visit Chaco Culture Dark Sky Park during a New Moon!

If my budget stretched to a TV my choice would definitely be easier lol

Thanks for the recommendations - looks like the TS is well thought of and it sounds prefect for my needs!

I'm looking seriously at a TS Photo line 72 so will no doubt apply a similar engineering solution!

Hello all

I'm planning a trip to either the Canaries or Cape Verde islands in February and I'm seriously considering buying a hand luggage-transportable travel scope!

Does anyone have any experience of the Lacerta 72/432? Otherwise I have my eye on the TS Optics 72mm Photoline...? I'll be using it mainly for visual on a Porta 2.

Cheers,

Rob

What a shame! 2nd year in a row and I still haven't made it to Lucksall campsite yet, let alone peered at any Herefordshire DSOs  

Nevertheless I want to express my appreciation to everyone involved in setting up the event for all their hard work. You must be so disappointed and we do so appreciate your efforts!

The wife is currently googling for flights to La Palma....

PM on way 😃

Welcome to the forum! My wife and I (plus her parent's Big Brown Dog) stayed in an apartment overlooking Mullion Harbour last Christmas and we loved it down there. Come to think of it, my current profile pic is at Kynance Cove on the very same trip 😃

Welcome from North Bristol! Fascinating to hear about your situation - would absolutely love to come out to La Palma one day!

I was really looking forward to attending this on the Saturday, meeting some of you like minded folk and drooling over some shiny hardware (though with credit card held firmly in check as I'm buying a new guitar today) but it turns out we're going to be in Northumberland for a family get together that weekend!

Never mind - I will meet some of you at Lucksall soon instead 😃

Thanks all for the suggestions! The SW  72 or 80 ED certainly do seem to be highly recommended...

On 10/10/2019 at 12:48, Rob Sellent said:

 

I'm not sure what tripod your Porta II is mounted on, but I feel the mount and aluminium legs is a decent small scope mount and good for grab 'n go.

 

Good point - I picked up an APP-TL130 tripod for added stability.