Stu1smartcookie

Not my first one of these , but a very timely purchase all the same . Thank you @TerryJ. All in excellent condition and well packed too .

Lowering , by definition will be easier as gravity gives you a hand . Those bolts are not the best and some people change them . You could loosen both bolts then unscrew one of them and manually raise the mount . Its not ideal but it works , then you can tighten them enough so you can make fine adjustment . ( sorry if i havent't explained this very well ... its easier to say it rather than write it )

I generally have two scopes , although i do tend to change scopes quite a lot . My Sharpstar is for widefield , my 8SCT is for planets . But ive no "middle " scope so another purchase may be necessary , especially as i have 3, soon to become 4 mounts !! Damn this thread ... its encouraging me to buy 🤣

Ian ... what a refreshingly honest assessment , and one which i certainly understand . Buying the AZ5 is a great idea as it gives you the freedom to just set up in a few minutes . I wish you well with your new direction . The key is , you are still into astronomy . Good luck mate .

Nice clean shot . Small fracs are more and more popular these days ( I'm a big fan , owning a sharpstar 61 ) . Really portable and fun to use visually and of course for widefield photography. Gives the op another reason to consider the 72ED .

Yeah it seems a high price in the States , which is a shame .

I have owned a 72ED and its a loverly little scope , but , as has been pointed out there are some shortcomings , a slippy focuser and the said focuser not having much travel . A 127 Mak has a real sweetspot when it comes to Lunar .But the Evo 72ED is very well priced and gives very clear views , and sits very well on a photo tripod or star tracker . For a quick G&G its a great buy .

So , come on , lets end the disagreement here , and now ... this is becoming akin to being on Cloudy Nights !!!! I'm sure the op didnt bargain for what has been written . BTW the OP asked for help in choosing a starter set up . I do understand that people , including me , have different opinions to give and we may all get a little irked when people disagree with our opinions , but , in the scheme of things we should be helping the OP .

FAB SCOTT

lol , Andy ... i'm doing just that , sitting here at work 🤣

Many thanks Paul ... it really is surprising how much one misses the simple joy of looking through an EP ... hence the set up in the bedroom plan for tonight ... need to enlist Elena to set everything up though lol

i am getting the itch to get another ST120 , and posts like yours are only encouraging me , Ian .. which is both bad for the wallet and for marital relations ... still its only a short scope ... may be able to hide it away . Of course i would like the evostar too... omg . where does it all end ?

many many thanks ... cant believe im back at work only 24 hrs after but its better to moan here than to myself back at home , anyway the way things go with me , i should have ensured clear skies for everyone for the next week 🤣

Under the surgeons knife yesterday , and of course missed a fairly clear night last night , pleased that a lot of people were able to take advantage though . Tonight is looking crystal clear but , alas , im not able to lift anything remmotely weighty for a couple of weeks , maybe my little sharpstar on an AZ4 peeping out the east facing upstairs window will work ?... got to be better than watching tv .

The aerial is too close to achieve focus , try an object that is further away . I assume it’s to line up the finder with the scope why you are trying this .

I like those scopes ... along with the big brother evostar 120

That looks really neat

deleted due to me being confused ... it happens a lot these days 🤣

Absolutely , Olly ... hence my Sharpstar purchase ( you have given me justification for buying it ... i will show it to the wife 🤣 )

I am not an imager Mandy so cant comment , but visually ES FE loses nothing in brightness giving clear concise views

I've had chance to test mine over the last couple of nights , you won't be disapointed , Mandy

That one sentence is enough to know what ameteur astronomy is all about ... enjoyment .

Whilst i certainly accept your opion here Olly , my opinion why small fracs have their place for visual is the varied magnification they can achieve by using EPs of differing focal lengths ... although primarily using mine for widefield viewing , sometimes , just looking at the moon with up to 100x magnification gives breathtaking views . Also of course , they cry out for a bit of widefield photography , but , thats another topic altogether

I second this as it's built like a tank despite its diminutive size , however the st102 is a great option and 100mm of aperture is a really nice size . I have owned one of those and it's bigger brother the 120 and in all honesty despite the size difference I preferred the 102

The age old saying " the best telescope is the one you use the most " comes to mind .