wesdon1

I bought this new few days ago. I already own the 1.25" Optolong L-Pro, but I need the Canon EOS DSLR clip in version too for when I'm using my Canon lenses for widefield astro. I'm slowly building up my arsenal of Narrowband and Broadband Filters, they're very expensive so I can't afford to buy all of them in one go! lol.

@Naughty Neal I love a good book Neil. These days so much is online or on phone apps, that we often neglect to remember there's nothing quite like a physical book you can hold in your hands, write notes in etc!

@Beardy30 Aww thanks James! You're welcome! ☺️

@Cosmic Geoff Yes I would normally have mentioned those other important things in about astro gear but he was asking a very specific question about the Celestron 6" SCT price etc, so I kinda got fixated on telling him about the pro's and cons of them specifically. On that subject of wobbly/inadequate mounts, I remember a few years ago when starting out, I mounted a 4" achro F11 refractor to a skinny DSLR camera tripod while saving up for a proper mount, and I swear it was hilariously impossible to get the damn 'scope to stop wobbling while trying to view things!! Nightmare!! 😂

@Stu1smartcookie Sorry mate, I was trying to write a message but I got confused so i'll just start again on a new message! LOL

@Cosmic Geoff Hey jeff! I totally see the logic in your sentiments Geoff. What I was trying to tell the man, based on my assumption he was totally new to the hobby, was the nature and capabilities of the Catadioptric type designs. I wasn't trying to put him off, or "knock" the catadioptric 'scopes, I was just trying to help him make an informed decision. I have later discovered he has actually owned an SCT before, so he's well informed already. Also, I was telling him the Celestron brand is great quality and a great price? But from the comments you've made it appears you might have misunderstood what I was trying to tell him? Absolutely no problem though! We need open and honest discussions on here so we can all learn from each other! Kindest regards, Wes.

@Beardy30 Oh right ok great, so you know exactly what you're buying. Ironically, you saying you regret selling your 8" SCT, well I'm currently looking for an 8" SCT myself, because I already own reflectors, Refractors but need a scope with the much longer native FL like SCT's and Maks have, because I want to really improve my Planetary and small DSO imaging! Just the damn cost of larger SCT's and Maks! They're eye-wateringly expensive! LOL. I did actually strongly consider buying the exact 6" Mak you mentioned but as is often the case, my aperture fever demands nothing less than 8 inches aperture! 🤷‍♂️😂

@Beardy30 No experience with it but it looks a great setup to start out with, plus as you mentioned, a great price for an SCT Telescope! Just one thing, are you aware that SCT type telescopes are only really good for Planets, splitting stars, Globular Star Clusters and the smaller Galaxies and Nebula? They won't do much for large Nebula or large galaxies? That aside, Celestron are great quality and the Starsense tech looks brilliant for beginners, helping them find their way around the sky without needing a GoTo setup.

@Mr Spockhaha oh dear! "Cloud Watcher" That is definitely the term that best describes what us folk in the UK should be known by! I never shut up complaining about the clouds/weather to family friends! haha!

@Dave Smith LOL yes sorry Dave I should have qualified my statement regarding the general public being able to "afford" the solar gear necessary for such works! I was just expressing my amazement about the fact that 50, 60, 70 years ago, you needed the financial resources of an entire COUNTRY to be able to afford the equipment needed to produce works even 25% as detailed and impressive as the works produced by amateurs today!! LOL. It's incredible and we're all spoiled rotten with what's available to us today!!

@Dave Smith My goodness Dave these images and animation are breath-taking. To think nowadays the general public can afford gear capable of producing solar images as detailed and sophisticated as this!? I sooo cannot wait to get my own solar gear! Just amazing Dave! Clear Skies and Kindest Regards, Wes.

@LondonNeil yes the satellites are cool to see, but if you ever decided to start taking pictures of objects in space, you will quickly find the satellites annoying! LOL They cast long lines across your pics! Yes the astronomy apps are brilliant for atleast telling you the general area you're viewing in the sky and what objects to look out for. There are so many free ones! best of luck, hope you find the hobby as rewarding as I have my friend!

Yes Neil, exactly that, just use your lowest power EP you have, find focus on any star, then slowly sweep around the sky and see what you find. I love doing it, especially when I find something really pretty like the open and globular clusters! You will also notice a LOT of satellites whizzing through your view as you go! When I first started out, I was convinced I had seen a UFO whizzing by! LOL. Then I obviously learned of the many hundre4ds of satellites up there! I'd also suggest you experiment with different size EP's and just find what you like best. Regarding Jupiter, that's my fave planet Neil! I never tire of looking at it! So I'm not too surprised your 8.5 yr old was so happy viewing it! ( he/she has great taste impo! 😜😂 )

@Bugdozer Yes castor is a lovely system, I've seen it a few times, really pleasing to view!

@LondonNeil Hi Neil, and welcome to SGL! The above advice is great, so I can't improve upon that. What I would suggest you also try Neil, is something I call "blind searching" ( only myself, I've never heard anyone else call it that!? LOL ) So basically what I sometimes do is simply point telescope up and start searching blind with a low power EP, like a 25mm, or better a 30-40mm wide field EP. As I'm looking through EP and slowly scanning randomly across the sky, I often find beautiful open clusters, sometimes globular clusters, and also brighter nebulae etc. It's incredible when you come across said objects and the sky is awash with stars! Also, another technique people use is "splitting" double/triple even quadruple stars. It requires higher power EPs so you'd be best trying to use a free star map application on your smart phone to find a "star" that is actually oftentimes a double star system, or even treble and more, and with high power EP, you "split" the stars so they're each individually visible. If you get a good "one" you can see gorgeous star systems with Blue, Orange/red, yellow individual stars, its really pretty and pleasing to see! Best of luck Neil and kids! Clear Skies from Liverpool! Wes.

@Dave Smith beautiful images Dave! may I ask, exactly what solar 'scope and filters/attachments did you use? Reason I ask is I've wanted to get into solar for a while now, and wondering roughly what I'll need to capture data similar to yours Dave? Thanks, Wes. * Sorry Dave, I forgot your gear is listed below images. Still if I may ask, could you please give me a some general pointers regarding the cheapest gear I'd need to at least start to capture data approaching the level I assume you're at Dave? Thanks Dave!

@Mr Spock Mate it's even worse for me! I have lost count the number of times I've seen clear weather/clear forecast, carried all my heavy gear down all the stairs from my 3rd floor flat ( big heavy HEQ5 mount, SW 200P Newt. reflector, rucksack on my back with all cables, Laptop, Cameras etc etc, a big flask of hot coffee squeezed into my big coat pocket, ALL carried at the same time!! and then ALL back upstairs at same time!! I fear theft/vandalism, so never leave my gear unattended to go back upstairs for other bits! ) I spent over an hour setting up, then the damn clouds have rolled in!? In Liverpool, I have had about 5-6 nights outside since mid June last year!! I absolutely hate the weather here in northwest England!! 😤

@Mr Spock I wish other sites were as grown up and civilised as this one. The language and behaviour you often see on other sites just sully's the website and makes for an unpleasant experience.

@bosun21 Oohh ok I understand, and I'm sorry to hear of your fathers passing. Thanks and sorry for such a long message! Kind Regards, Wes.

@Ags LOL loved how you described the clouds mate! made me giggle! 😂 We can all relate to the little things constantly ruining our night skies here in the UK! 😩😂 On the subject of the 50mm RACI, I have often just grabbed my 50mm finder scope and scanned the skies, and it's really surprising what you can see with such a simple small optical instrument! Many many Stars and even brighter nebulae!

@Elp I am already saving up for the 120 triplet mate. For my personal circumstances it is the best balance between weight, cost, size and with a bit of luck the quality will be good too! That being said, a fellow SGL member has the smaller 103 triplet and he says it's ace, so I should be good I think!

@bosun21 Aww ok I apologise for misunderstanding you mate! Thank You my friend! *I know this is totally off subject, but if I may ask, are you a Bosun aboard a sailing ship by any chance? Reason I ask is many years ago, I went sailing aboard a now recommissioned ship called "The Sir Malcom Miller" We sailed for two weeks around the English Channel, Bristol Channel, Celtic Sea to name what I recall. We stopped off at various ports in the aforementioned areas. It was the residential section of my Gold Duke Of Edinburgh Award, and it was an amazing experience, albeit very hard work at times! At one point we were stuck in a force 9 gale! With 7-10 metre high waves to contend with! Incredible when we got a pack of Dolphins ( or maybe Porpoise's?? ) swimming ahead of the bow of our ship! We had just come through another awful storm and those Dolphins gave everyone aboard a massive boost of energy and morale, it was incredible! They really are healing creatures in my personal experience! I am asking you this simply because your name on here is Bosun21? I'll understand if you don't want to answer such an off topic random question! LOL. Kind Regards, Wes.

@paulastro Thanks for that very helpful response Paul! Also, I'm in Liverpool, UK so quite far away unfortunately, but thank you so much for such a kind offer Paul, I was pleasantly taken aback! Thanks! After reading these responses, I'm definitely buying the 120 triplet model, because I've wanted a good triplet with plenty of aperture for a while now, and finding the ASKAR 120 means it's now affordable for my typically limited funds! I will of course write up and post images in the coming months and share my experiences so other members know exactly what I found! Regards, Wes.

@vlaiv Thanks Vlaiv, that's a very insightful take on the threads question! From what I'm learning from people, it really is NOT too good to be true, so I'll be saving up for a few months and buying the 120 Triplet model! Regards, Wes.

Thanks Elp! I actually questioned my own thinking, thinking it was just me being over-sensitive to what I read! lol. But I do believe he meant no offence. Thanks mate! Regards, Wes.