Mr Spock

We're almost there. I've just been looking at Izar at x525...  Lovely clean airy discs. Diffraction ring slightly to one side so collimation needs a small tweak. 

I can't see any diffraction spikes though which is a pleasant surprise.

Normally it would be in a cold shed but it just arrived today so has been in the house.

It's improving. I can see Izar's secondary now, It's a lovely blue colour.

Thanks to not being cooled the image is shocking...  I have it pointed at Izar and just see a mess. This is of course where the Tak wins - that doesn't need cooling.

I've put one of my finders on but it's tilted too far back. For now I've loosened the adjustment screws right off and put a bit of cardboard under the back. Not good!

Darn, just noticed it's clear outside. Trying for first light with the 6" CC but it's been in the house at 22° all day. Good test I suppose to see how it cools.

Just ordered another shoe and a Baader RDF - I have these on all my scopes.

I also have a used 60mm finder which has interchangeable eyepieces in the post. Mainly because this CC can't do wide field and I need to star hop to find things with aperture and magnification to overcome my LP.

Yet another scope for my collection... SL 6" CC.

Super quick delivery from FLO as always 👍

It's a shock to find this is only £429. The build quality is very impressive and gives a solid (if slightly heavy) feel reminiscent of some of the old Russian scopes. Built like a tank as they say.

Here's the specs:

• Aperture: 153mm (6")
• Focal ratio: f/12
• Focal length: 1836mm
• Primary mirror: Parabolic primary mirror; minimum 95% reflectivity
• Secondary mirror: Minimum 95% reflectivity
• Secondary mirror holder: 4-vane all metal spider
• Secondary Mirror Obstruction: 58mm
• Tube outside diameter: 193mm
• Tube length = 437mm
• Focuser: 2" dual-speed Crayford
• Tube weight: 5.8kg

It comes supplied with three CNC extension tubes: a 50mm and two 25mm. I used the 50mm to reach focus on infinity with the LVW.
The silver locking ring can be loosened to rotate the focuser.
I note a couple of screws which could indicate you can fit a second finder shoe. 

It feels very comfy and solid on the EQ-5 with just one counterweight about 30mm in from the end.

The focuser looks and feels nice.

At the back are six collimation screws. Three adjustment screws and three locking screws. The scope arrived perfectly collimated.

Primary collimation is made easy by a centre doughnut on the secondary. Collimation is easily checked and adjusted with a laser or Cheshire.

The secondary collimation screws are also hex bolts - no fiddly screws here! 
One positive is the impressive baffle system.
One negative (or positive depending how you look at it) is the thick spider vanes. Sure the secondary isn't going to move, not even in an earth quake, but they are going to introduce diffraction spikes on bright stars.

The scope is very back heavy. Here's the dovetail position with the Baader diagonal and LVW eyepiece.

Altogether I'm really pleased with this. I can't wait to get it out under clear skies (whenever that may be).

In my case, if I want to point at the zenith, I turn the scope around and point the handle upwards 

3 minutes ago, Chaz2b said:

Beam me up Micheal, what’s the tripod the Taks on?

It's a Slik Master Classic. The centre column attachment is a hide clamp.

I think at £429 the CC seems a good price compared to the Mak which is £619. I'm not so much bothered by diffraction spikes; they'll only be on bright stars anyway as observed with my 12" Newt. With the Mak it would have to have a dewshield added to the cost.

I've already got in the post a 60mm finder which can take eyepieces. So I'm thinking a 13mm Nirvana would give x18 and 4.6° which is more than enough for me to star hop on fainter stars. That would make up for the narrow FOV on the CC. I'm used to using a 42mm LVW in my 4" Tak as a finder to star hop - that is 3.7°.

It all gives me what I want and doesn't break the bank (I'm a poor pensioner lol). FLO has them in stock so it's a done deal.

You wouldn't need to hold the camera for hours on a Dob. They aren't made for long exposure imaging 

Works fine for planetary imaging though.

13 minutes ago, alacant said:

It may hold it, but locking it in place -using the locking screw- tilts the focuser.

I don't use the locking screws. In addition, I sometime use the 4x Powermate too.

I'm not sure what you are suggesting here.

I also have this birdwatching / superfast grab-and-go combination.

For me tracking is a must. Just observing - no fiddling with slow motion controls and no fiddling with mount set up. So, just a simple driven EQ5. Plonk it down and go...

2 hours ago, thegopieffect said:

Hi, thanks for your response. Have you tried astrophotography with the GSO’s focuser? I mean any workaround? 

I'm not sure what you mean by workaround.

It holds my D500 ok. I can't imagine any astro camera being as heavy as a D500!

32 minutes ago, alacant said:

Because you have this one:

No, I don't 

33 minutes ago, alacant said:

and the focuser are superior.

Disagree strongly, The focuser on my 12" is as good as it gets and is also dual speed.

I note the Bresser 152 has a R&P focuser. Horrible finder though.

Yeah, I've had a Mak before and it was really easy to collimate - and sharp too. It was a OO140 with premium optics (better than they sell now) - absolutely dire focuser though.

I can keep it in the shed so cooldown wouldn't be a problem.

With my light pollution I'm getting a bit frustrated with the 4" only reaching mag 10.0 most nights. I reckon I need something which can go fainter, but will still fit on an EQ5.

I'm thinking about the SL 6" CC. At £429 it's not that expensive, plus it gives an extra 0.9 mag over the 4". In addition it has a 'proper' focuser instead of shifting the mirror up and down as with Maks.
Negative is I won't have the wide field 'finder' view of the 4". It can manage 1.5° with the 42mm LVW, so I'm hoping that will be enough; I can fit my 8x50 RACI to it so all is not lost though I would prefer an RDF.

Thoughts anyone?

1 hour ago, John said:

GSO 12 inch dobs often need to have their primary collimation springs upgraded because the stock ones are too weak to hold the collimation as the scope is moved around.

Yep, first thing I did with my (GSO) StellaLyra. Optics are amazing (at least on mine). In good seeing on the moon it's sharp at x461 (3.3mm TOE).

I also made modifications to the base, such as strengthening struts and a full sized bearing. I put rubber feet on it too so it can stand on its end - the collimation screws protrude from the back and I wouldn't risk standing it on them. 

No undercut and down to £125 in the sale!
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/stellalyra-eyepieces/stellalyra-24mm-ultra-flat-field-125-eyepiece.html

You have a 24mm, so why not add a Svbony 3-8 zoom? Then you have x31, and x91 to x211.

From yesterday. Just looking at the moon with the 4", with the 12" waiting patiently for later.

Couple of hand held snaps with the iPhone XR & FC-100 & 4mm TOE.