Stu1smartcookie

Hi , One thing you havent considered is the weight issue . An ED80 is quite a heavy scope ... i had one and although it worked , a 2" diagonal and a 2" EP made it a bit clumsy on the AZ-Gti mount ... in fact i sold the scope and the buyer had the same issues as me . The ED 80 is a fine scope and deserves its place in anyones collection but the AZ-GTi takes 5kgs max... there is a reason they are supplied with scopes that weigh around 3-3.5 kgs

That’s a very pragmatic and calm way of dealing with it lol … frustrating though isn’t it ?

So , it’s like a spell cast by the weather gods who deem it funny to have lovely blue sky all day but for the second night in a row thick cloud approaching from the west ! Will I EVER get to use my new scope ? Oh hang on .. it will be clear again at 3am!!!! Talk about taking the p***! Lol 😂

Don't get me wrong , John ... i agree entirely with your explination . I had a sneak peak last night using a cheshire and it was ever so slightly out , certainly not enough to fret over for visual . It Yes a star test is a must , Thanks

thanks john.... i was waiting for that answer , so why does the blurb tell us to remove the extension tubes?

Hi , i am a very happy owner of an 8" Classical Cassegrain , although its not been used in anger yet as the weather is , shall we say , unpredictable . I have a question about collimation . I have printed off the instructions that deal with collimation for this type of scope and understand them fully ( after reading them 6 times !! ) . Ok , so , apparently when one of these scopes needs to be collimated i take all extension tubes off the scope and just replace the focuser . Doesn't that mean that replacing the extension tubes after collimation actually mean that the scope would not appear to be collimated ? Surely the scope should be collimated with all the imaging/viewing train in place . It does seem counter productive if by collimating the scope with no extension pieces in place ( i need at least two of these to achieve focus) will , although correct for that set up will indeed not be correct when i use the scope . Any thoughts please Stu

I think its good to share the bad with the good so here goes ... Set up the new motors on the EQ5 and was preparing to go outside but i was in a rush and as we all know , astronomy shouldn't be rushed .. from that moment most things went wrong,dropping bits and pieces as my hands were frozen ,polar aligning issues, random car lights ! . The wind was a bit too keen and the sky briefly clouded over and at that point i decided to bring everything in ... of course once that was done the sky cleared and the moon looked like it was grinning at me through the living room window !!!!! Damn you moon , i'll get you tonight !

I thought you would have done that lol

Hi John .. lol I like them on there to be honest and let’s face it when they are fixed to the scope they ain’t getting lost

So , yesterday I took ownership of a 8” TS Optics CC and an EQ5 . As it’s raining outside ( for the last 3 days.. grrr) I set up the EQ5 indoors .. a couple of minor issues but was delighted to see that skywatcher provide a polar scope in the deluxe model ( the polar scope I bought at the same time will be returned ) so here is the mount .. and the scope . Thank you @callistoand the Widescreen Centre

Firstly I have to congratulate everyone who is able to get outside and at least see something in a scope or Binos … in the east we have had persistent rain and drizzle for the last 3 nights . It’s so rewarding but at the same time a bit frustrating to read wonderful comments . I too hope that Sunday will bring an end to cloudy skies so I set up my new mount and scope .. hang on , maybe it’s my fault that it’s cloudy here 😕 Great read and a great thread and thanks to everyone for brightening my day as at least I can share in all your stories .

Yes , I suppose so .

Doh !! I’ve used enough newts on eq mounts that I should have known that , but on the other hand the EP is at the back of the scope so Is that a necessity?

Yes I was just looking at that , John . So what is the purpose of the rings?

Go on , you know you want to John loving the little knob on the scope cover

Thank you both for your comments , I bought the mount … I’ve just unboxed the scope … wow ! What a beauty.

Hi ... i have just taken delivery although i havent opened it yet , of a TS Optics 8" CC .. would it be ok on an EQ5 ? or should i go for a skytee ... i would like the EQ mount as its very practical > Anything larger is unfortunately out of the question for me at this time.

Actually if you want to dispose of them in my direction please do so !!!!!!!! .... In all seriousness please keep them and use them , Mike . I'm sure others will say the same .

Thanks John , Nice one .

Hi , I have a 3/8" steel tripod , but i want to fit a skytee mount . Ive been told that the thread isnt right , is there a way to accomplish this ?... ie a thread adapter or maybe just drilling out the hole . Any thoughts welcome Stu

Does anyone else have a feeling of guilt when on a clear evening one doesn’t go outside and set up ? I’ve got that tonight and actually trying to justify it by acknowledging the wind being a bit strong ! Clear nights are at a premium … luckily I will definitely be out tomorrow night ! Promise

So , last night i hastily set up the mount and used the 130pds . Now , i didnt properly level the tripod and only roughly pointed north and only did a one star alignment !! thats three bad marks for me ! Have to report that , as you would expect , the goto was a few degrees off but completely manageable . I viewd the favourites ie Orion , Plaides , Hyades... a few doubles , andromeda , Starfish Cluster and the Beehive cluster . The beehive was a lovely sight . I did notice that after centering Beetlguese the star had drifted towards the edge of view ( i left it for about 25minutes for this to happen ) I put this down to my laziness and its a lesson to everyone that preparation is key when using a Goto mount . I used just one EP , the 2" 28mm Ep that came with the scope . First i thought collimation was well out but in reality the scope just needed to cool down and stars were pin point . Another point is the extension pier from skywatcher that i used was probably not a good idea . The mount sitting directly on the tripod would certainly give a better centre of gravity and stop any potential unwanted instability although that in itself may bring into play the issue of the scope coming rather close to the tripod legs when pointing near the Zenith . The 130pds really sits well on the AZ-Gti and i have no problems reccommending this scope . I am going to try it with a dslr at the weekend , when i have more time . All in all , a very nice hour and a half .

As above, i think the length will be the issue of the 102mm f7 scope rather than the weight . I am using an AZ-Gti with a WO ZS73 , and a 130pds f/5 which is 650mm long . It works very well. What i do use is a counterweight on the side of the mount , which offsets the weight . ( when in ALt Az mode )

I have a WO ZS73 and i have just bought a 130PDS so in relation to your question its about the same difference in aperture . i like to think that both scopes compliment each other rather than directly compete . My zs73 will be used for observing and for photograhy , as will my 130. But the increased aperture will come in handy on the 130 . Stu

I think the counterweight " z bracket " (see photo 2) for the want of a better term helps , especially as the scope sits directly above the mount , when the scope points to the zenith , as long as the balance is correct it performs admirably . Also a strong tripod makes a lot of difference and , to be honest i probably could get away without the extension tube to make the whole mount even more solid .