Stu1smartcookie

Yes , its unfortunate when there seems to be a difference in a mass produced product . I think my initial enthusiasm was enhanced by the price i paid lol

Why was it disappointing , Geoff ? Obviously one has to see it for what it is

Alan ... that is brilliant ...lol , i never even thought of that . Many thanks

The longer it looks and the further it goes away from earth the less people it sees ... until the dot is seen as an uninhabited sphere ... maybe humanity can start again

Blancmange ...that takes me back

My DIY skills are non existent lol so i will look for a bargain Alt Az mount head ... some great finds there though .

The one i have is the blue tube with the black dew shield , but i would go along with the fact that the eq mount seems fairly decent . I just need to get a couple of fixing brackets for the spreader plate , 3d printed

Amazing pics ... welcome to the forum

Nice one . Binos are something missing from my astronomy armoury ... must fix that

Brilliant er "buy" for free ... i have just asked a question if anyone else has picked up a bargain , seems like there is no better bargain than one thats free

Last night , an unexpected clear spell meant i had the chance to try out my newly acquired Bresser skylux 70/700 , on its EQ mount . SET UP So , no dramas here ... just a quick , plonk the mount down , attach the scope and visual accessories and point to target . Whole process took less than 5 minutes . I could do with an Alt Az manual mount rather than the EQ mount , but hey , i am not complaining . FIRST VIEWS Not entirely true ( i did look at a couple of terrestrial targets on Sunday ) , but first astronomical views , were of Arcturus , where i did a star test ... everything seemed spot on . Focusing was very tight ( the focuser isn't the scopes strongest point) there was a very small sweet spot which took me a little while to get right but in the end the stars were as pin point as my older eyes needed them to be . I then switched to Vega before looking at Mizar and its companion ... and then onto Albireo which showed the colour difference between the stars well. I was only using a 25mm EP . Finally i was lucky to catch Antares , which for me , is between two houses in the SSW . It was the first time i had seen this giant star , it was a wonderfully bright orange colour . I was amazed that i had seen it at all CONCLUSION Ok , so lets be realistic ... this scope is literally a quick set up , look at the moon and bright objects F10 which will not win any awards against the fantastic APO's that adorn our wonderful hobby . But , as a 'grab and go' it gives respectably clear views . The real bonus was , the scope and mount were bought for £ 5 !!! . I'm sure this scope is classified as a beginners scope but I for one will get a lot of use from it . Telescopes come in all price ranges and sizes , but their worth is calculated by the usage and the enjoyment they give , and as such ... this is a little gem . Anyone else picked up any "little gems" and total bargains that they wish to share ?... Thanks for reading , Stu

Basically it’s filters that fix over the aperture .

Welcome to SGL . Loved the report on the planet parade

Reckon you could put a mirror at the base and a diagonal on the spout ... . Could be a new scope design If you are looking for a positive ... the colour is nice

Hi Cloudy ... great report , the thing that shines brighter than those planets is your enthusiasm . A really enjoyable read that anyone branching into astronomy would do well to look up . Well Done

agree 100% ... my glass solar filter cost £70 but i am delighted with it . Yes , i know if i drop it , it will break ... but , thats down to me , nothing to do with the construction of it . Its an expensive option in an expensive hobby . I for one am happy with the advice i received from a very reputable Astronomy company . I really do get why people wax lyrical regarding Baader film. But i am a bit perplexed at the hostility ( probably the wrong word to use ) of glass filters . I am pleased for @Lotinsh that his question has provided such a great response . A lesson for all , if in doubt , ask ... then sit back and enjoy the fireworks

Hi Have you had success with the mount ? ...

Where do we start with this ? Please remember that , whatever you buy , its not indestructible . As long as you are buying from a reputable site then you are more than halfway there .

Agree 100% ... i think these types of programs tend to leave amateur astronomers behind. I really like the part of the show where Pete gets to concentrate on backyard astronomy . It brings the program back to us . I think the techie stuff should be shoehorned into a news section and the majority of the program turned over to actual astronomy ... i would also value some reviews of products . Seems like i'm complaining but i am grateful we at least have this 25 minutes of astro stuff on our screens every month ( p.s ...it isn't enough though )

Well done for A; Staying up B: Reaping the reward of viewing the GG's I am really envious of people being able to stay out well into the night , as i am up quite early in the morning and cant really afford to stay out any later than around midnight Loved reading your report though . I can't wait for when the planets are visible at around 10pm from my garden . Isn't Astronomy exciting ? Always something to see and to look forward to .

As the postman doesn’t work on Sunday ( probably in church ) I went to collect this little scope and mount from a Facebook buy and sell ad . A Bresser 70/700 which needs a bit of TLC but the optics are great . This might be sold on at a later date but for now it’s a really quick set up that will work fine on the moon.Oh , I forgot to mention the price paid …. £5 … for everything ! A real bargain

I bought a glass filter only the other week . Bought from one of the main astronomy retailers who gave me advice . It’s an important purchase after all . So, maybe call or email either Rother Valley optics or the sponsors of this site First Light Optics . They will give you advice . Whilst some solar filters are less expensive , like most things you generally get what you pay for . But with solar filters it’s imperative to get it right .

Hi Richard ... i have an eq1 tripod you can have if you like ... you would need to collect it though , im in Bishops Stortford .. pm me if you like Stu

Lots of recommendations for the skymax 102 ... i can only go along with those ( i actually own a celestron 102 Maksutov , and i love it ) . In the end you will buy what you feel is right for you , despite all the useful advice you receive on here. The trouble will come when you decide to get your second scope ... as you realise that one scope is seldom enough

Asoor , having read through the entire post i can honestly say i will NEVER moan about shortages of astronomy gear in this country again . As Heather wrote earlier , the worst we deal with is bad weather in the UK . I really wish you success in the construction of your scope .