Astro-Geek

Thanks to the good advice and ideas I received on here after starting this thread, I've now made the purchases and I'm very pleased with them. I bought an R-Sky hood that John linked to https://r-sky.org/en/products/observing-hood It was from Russia, and the product is excellent, with service to match, very quick delivery (10 days) and prompt and detailed order progress communication from 'Roman'. I bought the Solar version, (you were right Paz), with the white exterior and black lining, so that I can use it for nocturnal viewing and daytime solar with my Lunt (when the damn clouds clear away again). As for the eyepatch, I bought a two "handed" versions from Amazon, https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=FCAROLYN+3D+Eye+Patch&ref=nb_sb_noss They were a touch more expensive than the cheapest, (£7.99 each), but exactly what I had hoped for, comfortable, full blackout and the strap is shaped to be comfortable without dropping down over the other eye. My research beforehand had revealed that some had rigid "cones" and others pressed on the eye, but these are very comfortable, shaped but still flexible and much larger, blacking the vision out completely. I now have full flexibility, day and night, without screwing my face up during long sessions... 👍

My eyepiece case earlier in this thread has now been modified to the mark two version, (though in truth it's probably my mark 99 of cases !). It was the one with the wooden platform in a Peli case, with 1.25 inch and 2 inch holes to take standard eyepieces standing up, and give maximum flexibility without needing to re-cut foam. It worked well for me for some time, but my only reservation was that "suitcase" style cases are tipped up vertical when carried, which complicated the way that smaller eyepieces were stored in it. If I could find a case that was stored and carried in an upright position then my simple "egg box" holding method would be fine for any size eyepiece with just gravity holding them safely in place. (I only move my eyepiece collection around my home, so I don't need a fully lined foam case to withstand rougher handling by third parties.) I've searched around for many years now for a flight case with a suitable aspect ratio (shallow, wide and long) with a top handle. They all seem to be "suitcase" style though. There are some cantilever style, but still nothing suitable presented itself. The quest, mostly via Amazon and Ebay is tricky, (especially the latter) because of the widely scattered sections that flight cases appear in, (musical instruments, disco gear, photo etc..) My standing search suddenly turned up trumps though, with a used flight case with drawers. It was actually advertised as a cosmetics and make up case for beauticians ! It turned out to be extremely well made, (sturdier than most budget new flight cases) and even had telescopic ball bearing drawer runners etc.. This has proved to be ideal, taking my "holy" wooden eyepiece tray in the top compartment and most of my other bits and pieces in the two drawers. There was no need to fit dividers in the drawers, since they are never tipped up either. It was sufficient to just line them with 4mm neoprene mat (yoga mat !), to prevent them from rolling around. When fully loaded, it's fairly heavy so rather than trust the central handle on top when carrying any distance or down stairs etc., I fitted a couple of heavy duty strap d rings to each end (with bolts), and can carry it safely with a heavy duty carabiner style shoulder strap.

This fault may be very rare, or maybe not..... (I'd never seen it before). I've been tinkering with a secondhand Meade LX200 classic fork mount where the original owner had de-forked it when it stopped working. I bought it to make a very sturdy motorised mount for my monster 40x100 Helios Bins that weigh 7kg., ( and anything else for testing etc.) I fixed the fuse blowing problem easily, thanks to all of the advice on the web about replacing the exploding tantalum capacitors ( 😲 ). Anyway.... back to the reason for this thread, it had another annoying fault of having a temperamental power connection. The coax plug could only be pushed about halfway in and was prone to losing connection if touched. I examined the chassis coax power socket closely and could see that the outer "prong" wiper that presses against the sleeve of the coax plug wasn't moving outwards. After removing the front plate I found that the coax power socket had a serious manufacturing defect. The metal sleeve halfway down had a slot cut in it that should have been in line with the slot in the plastic barrel, so that the wiper could move outward under tension when the plug was pushed in. On this one however, the slot in that ring was twisted round, (as per the attached picture, so that it stopped the plug from being pushed in more than halfway. I managed to carefully twist it back in line (quite stiff though), and now the wiper moves out correctly and grips the fully inserted plug reliably. No more power dropouts... So, if any of your coax power plugs only go in halfway, and are sensitive to dropouts, it may be the same fault.... (Sorry this has been such a convoluted waffle, but it's a hard thing to describe clearly !

I haven't got one yet, but I was thinking of the white one for the same reason. Would there be any problem with using a white one at night ? (aside from frightening any neighbors in the gloom.... 👀)

I think I'll have to bite the bullet and just try one (or two, or...) Yes, I did see comments about switching them to the other eye when popping indoors, another potential bonus. I'd never really thought about the brain being able to retain individual "f stops" for each eye's iris, quite a bonus for us to have been born with if we're into Astronomy !

I readily admit I'm a soft touch for "stuff" 🤓 (as I've probably shown with some of my posts on here already.....) The general feedback and forum comments on eyepatches is quite mixed though, so I guess it's a very personal thing with some users actually saying it's the best accessory they've ever bought. I did try an experimental prototype though, (a big elastic band and folded kitchen towel - no expense spared), and I found that having my left peephole blanked out without screwing my face up was more relaxing.

Thanks for the replies. Neil, I did see those on Amazon and they look nice and simple and with the nice edge padding to the cup. Feedback varied widely (as usual 🙄), from "perfect" to people complaining about the plasticy smell (wouldn't worry me), to the edge foam being itchy, but the comment that put me off (if true) was several people saying they were far too small. Other makes seem to vary from 6x6cm to 7x7cms, but there was no size mentioned on this one. Pregulla, That looks nice and simple and I'd love to try that type, but I'm too impatient to wait for Aliexpress, I tried looking for a UK supplier, but had no luck. John - Yes, I think I'll be getting a hood sometime, there's been lots of positive feedback on those. I'll probably go for a solar one, to use with my newly acquired Lunt LS35. It'll keep my bonce cooler too ! I still fancy an eyepatch too though, I'm really lucky with my garden not suffering from light pollution at all.

I know this has come up quite a few times on Astronomy Forums, and I've read about how most people find them useful, and also about hoods etc.. My question though, is does anyone have any specific recommendations for any currently available eyepatches here in the UK ? I've done my usual Amazon.co.uk "research" and now I'm as undecided as ever, with everything on offer having such conflicting feedback. As with most things, some of it is worth it's weight in gold, but so much of the negative is possibly just sour grapes from people who like to rant and have nothing to compare with. They're mostly quite cheap to buy, but I'd value any SGL'ers actual experience of specific makes, good or bad, so that I can save time by getting the most comfortable and effective one first time. All comments gratefully received ! 👍

The problem I've found with my previous eyepiece cases is that the damn things keep multiplying, and as they vary widely in external shape and size, so foam cutouts are frequently too big or the wrong shape when I change them. Also, the space lost between them with foam is considerable, so there's a lot of wasted space overall. I noticed in some photos of amateur observatories that the owners had very neat wooden cases with wooden cutouts. This wouldn't be as protective for travel as foam lined cases, but the semi-permanent location minimized carrying and tipping up. Although I don't yet have a permanent dome ( 😥 ), my eyepiece collection is only carried carefully within my property, so I decided to use the same rigid spacing method myself. I thought about how to make it as versatile as possible for my frequently changing eyepieces, so I made a wooden spacer base with standard 1.25" and 2" holes in groups of varying spaces, to optimise the space for both slender eyepieces and bulky ones. The large eyepieces sit comfortably just in the holes, held down by the foam lid lining, but for the short eyepieces I stuck female end caps to the lower base, which grips them nicely. The Peli case was very good value, from CPC Farnell, for less than £30, delivered, and it's extremely strong and totally watertight.

Thanks for asking the question Palazer, I've found the replies really interesting, actual user feedback in detail with images. To get the very best within a specific budget, have you considered buying eyepieces secondhand ? I've amassed an very nice collection from adverts on SGL, AstroBuySell and Ebay. Many at around 50% of new cost. They had all been very well looked after, indistinguishable from new. I now have a really good appreciation of why there is such a variation in price . I'd always wondered why the best ones cost even more than good quality telescopes, but now I know.... 🤓 I started off with a set of Meade 4000 Plossls which I was quite happy with, until I tried (genuine) ultra wide angles and 2" eyepieces. The difference in the perceived fov and clarity was amazing. The targets aren't simply bigger, you actually feel that you're nearer. My latest acquisition, a 23mm 2" Celestron Axiom LX 82 degree is now my favorite, it's ridiculously bulky and weighs half a kilo, but the views it gives through my 200PDS and 300P makes them seem like completely different scopes. It cost me £85 via an SGL classified advert from a very conscientious first owner, less than half retail. ...and a word of warning, .... don't buy or make an eyepiece case, you won't be able to resist wanting to fill it !!! 👀

When I bought my 10" Dobsonian, I wrestled over the choice of different makes too. The Bresser did appeal with the dual speed focuser and the rings, (which would have made conversion to a big EQ later easier and cheaper). The Skywatcher flextube appealed because of the more compact size for storing and carrying, and it could also "retract" slightly giving more in-focus travel, enabling a binoviewer to focus without a Barlow. In the end I bought a GSO deluxe, because it had the dual speed focus, adjustable balance on the ALT, and a proper "lazy susan" az bearing. I was very pleased with it, very well made and excellent optics. It's past tense now though, because I've now gone up to a 12 inch flextube goto, and no-way could I contemplate moving a solid 12".... 😲 This Astronomy Gear is a damn slippery slope, so much choice, so much grass that's always greener on the other side of the fence....

Thanks for the reply Ron, but I'm hoping to find a source for a rigid cap, rather than the fabric shower cap type. The reason is that I store my 300P flextube in the conservatory, and the nice "flat looking" circular top could be very tempting for someone to put a cup or glass on, being at a convenient bar-top height 😲..... Even though I also cover the whole thing with a tailored pvc cover as well, it still leaves the rather large diameter hollow top vulnerable to something heavy sagging down onto the secondary mirror.

I've tried searching everywhere on the web for this, and have drawn a blank, so here goes...... Does anyone know where I can obtain a second dust cap/cover for a Skywatcher 300p Flextube Dobsonian ? I keep the supplied one on the solid part of the OTA to protect the mirror from dust and spider cr*p, and I'd like to put another one on top of the scope instead of the extremely flimsy shower cap as supplied. People appear to have searched before, and the only firm result was GSO spare parts, which is a slightly different diameter. I guess someone must supply the original Skywatcher spare part as they're still current, and very common.

I use a cantilever flight case because it's convenient to have open on the ground next to the telescope. The trays are therefore raised up and easier to reach into than a flat case. You have to choose carefully though, most of them are fairly small, this one was the biggest I could find, and cost about £45 on Amazon. I shaped foam rubber for some of the compartments to stop my lenses rolling around, but now they've multiplied too much (a common problem I believe ?), and the now have their own Peli case, with a wooden framework to space them apart. I still use the cantilever for everything else though.

? thanks David....

Thanks John, I'll Google pressure tuner greasing...

That's excellent news though ! Such a relief, it means it's not me or my new scope...... ? Thanks for all the very prompt and informative replies chaps. I was sitting out in my conservatory for a couple of hours, trying out all of my eyepieces, with no luck. I didn't imagine it could be a lack of activity because a few days before I'd been trying out my Baader filter on my Skymax 127 and had seen quite a few sunspots. Yes, tricky to focus too, with just the edge. When some clouds "whisped" across the front of it, they looked sharpish, and it had me wondering how wide the depth of field was, ( 5 miles to 92 million miles !)

I couldn't resist them any more, so I took the plunge and bought a used Lunt LS35. As the seller stated, it's in really good condition and I'm very pleased with the build quality as expected from the Internet searches I'd made before choosing that over a PST. It's the very basic model, with the B400 filter. I've been trying it out today and so far I've only been able to view the red disc, with no sunspots, edge flares or surface texture. I'd found some simple instructions on the web, eg, centre the helical focuser, then coarse focus by adjusting the protrusion of the diagonal, then fine focus of the Sun's edge with the short travel helical focuser. Then the instructions for "tuning" the HA front filter are a bit vague. It said turn the knurled ring fully to the right, then back "five full turrns" then fine tune when the detail appears. My knurled ring has 15 half turns from stop to stop, which tilts the filter from zero gap to about 2mm. I've tried turning it fractionally, very slowly, from end to end, pausing at each quarter turn to view, but haven't so far seen any edge filaments or surface texture, just the sharp red disc. So my Solar Newbie questions, are there times when there's zero surface activity for this base level HA scope ? ...and what's the approximate "sweet spot" gap in the HA tilt mechanism ? almost closed ? almost wide open ? are roughly in the middle, about 1mm gap ?

The title of this thread sounded interesting, and I was quite shocked when I read the OP's comments about the Binoviewer. Because I'm the author of the 'optically fine' comment regarding the Binoviewer's internals in the ebay listing. I've been a non-business user of Ebay for 17 years now and have made over 2000 transactions, (of which 107 were as a seller), and I have maintained a 100% positive feedback score. I take great pains to describe my items honestly with detailed photos to avoid misleading anyone. My weakness for trying out "stuff" has extended over bikes, boats, photography and computers as well as Astronomy, and the ability to sell on afterwards with minimal loss helps greatly with SWMBO, so I would not risk losing positive feedback to sell rubbish or trick anyone. The purchaser contacted me about his disappointment, I therefore agreed immediately to an Ebay return with a full refund, even though I was completely at a loss to understand how they had been actually broken inside, and I've certainly never opened them. I had been using them right up to the point I bought an upgraded pair, which is why I then listed them. ( In fact there's an old thread here on SGL where I had been asking about low power Barlows to use with them).

Yes, the most "futureproof" choice too. As it's structurally the same as an EQ5, you have the option of later adding a Skywatcher EQ5 Synscan goto upgrade kit (at just under £300), to get full motorisation and goto, and linking it to a tablet or PC for control via Stellarium etc..

No, I hadn't tried that Erling. Yes, quite a good solution when just using a heavy DSLR, I must admit. It would also solve another RA imbalance problem that the standard counterweights can't compensate for. When I have the eyepiece holder at the normal comfortable tube rotation position, it sticks out at right angles to the tube's axis, so it's way out to one side of the OTA's centre of gravity. However, as you say, when the eyepiece is used at that rotation it's very awkward. and I have the same counterweighting problem with my binoviewers. It wouldn't be a problem with a Dob mount, low to the ground, looking from above, but pretty awkward with an EQ5, looking from underneath.

Thanks for the replies. Yes, I've read several threads about adding extra weights rather than extending the bar because of the inertia effect. I actually do already have an extra 5kg weight, (making three in all), but I was reluctant to clamp it on, not wanting to increase the overall weight on the EQ5 RA pivot even more. Extending the leverage by just another inch or so seems a preferable option rather than having three closer to the pivot. I can't claim any firm scientific basis for this, and I do appreciate the proven fact of the inertia. It also makes the whole shebang almost 5kg lighter for moving around, even dismantled. That's a thought Geoff. I even have some M12 bolts and studding, so if I search through my shed I may find some 18-20mm tube that I could adapt. That way I could just add a semi-permanent 75mm or so to the existing length, that would do the trick. ? afterthought - If I use the studding, I could even replicate the existing safety screw feature with an M12 wingnut on the end.

The replies on here have covered the various choices in detail, backed up by solid user experience. When my interest in Astronomy was rekindled after moving to an area with dark skies (bliss....), I was faced with the same dilemma of choice. Luckily though, I'm an equipment "Anorak" too, getting almost as much pleasure from tinkering with the stuff as well as looking through it. (come on, I'm not the only one... ?). So rather than forcing myself to choose, I've gradually amassed a variety of scopes and mounts. Thankfully the "middle range" equipment is much more affordable nowadays, especially secondhand. I'd find it really difficult to downsize to one setup now. Consequently I do have an HEQ5, and AZ4, and an AZ5. The HEQ5 Synscan goto is amazing, even more so now that I can couple it to Skyview on my 10" tablet through the Synscan wifi adapter. I can move around the sky, by just pointing, zoom in (on the app) check the details then slew the scope to it automatically. The downside is the set up time. Polar alignment, two star goto alignment, each time it's setup. The AltAz AZ4 and AZ5 mounts each have an individual advantage. The AZ4 is very robust, with nice dampened movements, but no slowmo controls. The AZ5 does have them, but is not quite as sturdy. A somewhat disapointing factor of the three is that the tripod mounting is not interchangeable. The EQ5 and the AZ4 are both M10, (but with different heights), and the AZ5 is 3/8" UNC. I use mine on two different tripods ( a very sturdy CG5 2" steel, and a very light Vixen aluminium EQ5) and a home-made movable wheeled pier. I have modified my mounts and tripods to give full interchangeability, but it did require some engineering.

I can't quite balance my 200pds on my EQ5 mount when my DSLR is attached. (+ Coma corrector and Telrad). I have the two 5kg weights right at the end of the counterbalance bar and it's not bad, but I'd like to have a little more leeway. I've searched the web and forums and although there's quite a few mentions of counterweight extension bars, I'd like to just check on here before I take the plunge. I've upgraded my EQ5 with Synscan goto motors and control unit, so I guess I can now call it an "HEQ5" even though the metal parts are still standard EQ5. It does appear to be a later model, as it has the larger M12 tapping and safety knurled nut on the end, rather than the earlier M6. I've measured it with a digital vernier, and the bar is 19.96mm diameter. I think that the "Counterweight Bar Extension for Sky-Watcher NEQ6" Part Number: 20858 will fit, https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-mount-accessories/counterweight-bar-extension-for-skywatcher-neq6.html .........because a footnote states "Note: This might fit HEQ5 mounts but only newer ones, please check the diameter and thread dimensions above to see if it matches your mount." However, it also states " The extension is 18mm in diameter with an M12 thread. " .... mine does have the M12 thread, but it's 19.96mm diameter, not 18mm ??

When I'm running either the Android tablet or the PC notebook, I can choose to connect to either my home router for the Internet, or the Synscan wifi adapter to control the EQ5. You can't connect to both, because they are "access points", each running their own wifi network. I could configure the Synscan wifi to run in "station mode", which will then allow it to join my home wifi network, rather than running its own wifi network. I haven't chosen to do that though, because I'd have to change the saved settings in the adapter if I ever wanted to use it away from home, (out of range of my home network).