Peter_D

No problem..btw, I think I paid around 45€ for it used (here in Germany).

Hi Annie, Sorry to hear about your loss. The first 3 photos are a 'Teleskop Service 7mm HR' eyepiece. I have the same eyepiece except it is a 4mm one. Best regards Peter

Hi, I have an older Vixen GPE mount with rings for a 114mm reflector. I want to piggyback a smaller 60mm refractor on these rings. I want to be able to remove the piggybacked scope and any fasteners easily. I thought I found a solution with these 1/4" to 1/4" male adapters but what I gave found is a) difficult to get the piggybacked scope pointing straight ahead without over tightening the adapter b) the p.back scope is very low and c) (linked to a)) the fastener is subsequently extremely difficult to remove. Please, does anyone have a better solution? Many thanks, Peter

It seems to me that your collimation is a lot better now than it was at the begining. I find sometimes there is a little play with the Collimator in my focuser. It can look unaligned and a slight adjustment centres things up better. I missed what focal ratio your scope has but if it is longer (e.g. f6, f7.9), your telescope will be more forgiving if your collimation is a little off. I would leave the collimation for now, go out and use it and enjoy the clear skies..

I had to clean my secondary mirror a few months ago - first time doing so. One site recommended wearing disposable surgical gloves to ensure no accidental deposits from your fingers end up on the mirror.

I currently have two Vixen scopes: a R114m on a GPE mount and a Tasco 9VR.

Many thanks John for the prompt response and the great advice - just what I wanted!

Hi, I have a 114mm Newtonian and a 102mm Mak. What position should they be in when they are left outside to achieve thermal equilibrium? Should they be mounted on their respective tripods? Also, should the lens / dust caps be left on or off? Should any attachments be removed from the back of the Mak? Thanks for any photos, guidance or advice! Peter

Item sold, thanks!

Item reserved, pending payment

Hi, I have these Vixen tripod legs for sale. Length 90cm. I am based in Germany so can send them EU wide. 65€ plus postage (DHL 5.99€ Germany/15.99€ EU) using Paypal. Thanks for looking! Peter

Hi, I uploaded this image yesterday but it was very noisy so I have left it unrotated. I used a Vixen r114m and Huawei P9. Sorry for the size and quality but interesting that I captured Europa transiting Jupiter on Saturday evening (21:57 CET). Europa is just visible as a white speck on the Jovian limb just past 6 o'clock and its shadow is at 3 o'clock. I wasn't sure what moon it was so used the app Moons of Jupiter to confirm. Clear skies Peter

I agree with MattJenko if money is very tight and you are willing to sacrifice apperature - I have a used Vixen 114/900 (f7.9) Newtonian from the early 2000s that gives very nice lunar and planetary views. It is mounted on a GPE mount which provides a really stable platform. If you are wary about collimation, the longer focus Newtonians tend to keep their collimation well and are more forgiving if they are slightly out than their shorter fl counterparts. Sorry for not really answering your question btw

It is a way of naming and (usually) classifying the brighter stars in a constellation. The brightest star in the constellation of Virgo is called Alpha Virginis (Spica). As you can see, it is not always an accurate way of classifying the brightest stars in a constellation: Beta Virginis is not the second brightest star in Virgo.

Reflectors that have a longer quoted focal length (e.g. 1000mm) than the actual length of their tube (e.g. 500mm) use a lens system before the focuser. These are Bird-Jones type reflectors and are not recommended for beginners: I don't have direct experience of one but from what I've read, they are very difficult to collimate. I have a 114/900 f7.9 reflector (tube is 800mm long) - because of its length, it needs a stable Equatorial mount but gives very good (comparatively narrow) lunar and planetary views - the longer focal length allows for higher mags to be achieved. Another advantage is that it holds its collimation well.