ScouseSpaceCadet

My Celestron AVX does a good job. My refractor is held solidly. With a two star+ 1 calib star align it places objects into the fov of a 16mm 82° eyepiece. Once centred it will keep the object in the centre of the fov for at least a ninety minutes (the longest I have walked away from the kit). The down side being polar alignment and then star aligning eats into limited observing time. I very rarely try AP. Likewise, my AZGTi has been great - easy to set up and be up and running within minutes. The point and track mode is good for those grab and go lunar sessions etc. The downside being the limited payload capacity - I don't actually own an appropiate telescope to mount on it at the moment. The AZ5 is a useful grab and go alt az manual mount for quick sessions but th f7 102mm refractor doesn't perform so well on it - I find the focusing and movement vibrations a tad annoying. I don't really want to buy a smaller aperture/shorter/lighter telescope to mount on the AZGTI and AZ5. I've considered a Skymax 127 but I would prefer to not have several mounts & scopes taking up space. I like my one refractor and two binoculars inventory. The AZ-EQ5 seems to cover all bases - an ideal replacement for all those three mounts - relatively light weight, quick to start observing in alt az mode (I assume the same/similar procedure as the Azgti Syncan north level?) and works manually if required with clutches released? If I sold those three mounts I should recoup most of the cost of an AZ-EQ5. So is my reasoning sound and assumptions about the AZ-EQ5 correct? Have I answered my own questions? Thanks in advance for any advice or insights.

Install a ramp and add locking wheels to the 12" base or find a trolley?

Why not go further. Everyone wants a flying saucer to land in their garden? Don't they..?

Disabling mobile data when connecting to the mount is regarded as common practice and not seen as a fault. Both my phones require mobile data is switched off, including the old Samsung S6 I keep just for the mount. Some phones will connect with mobile data enabled, but then randomly drop and others will not connect at all.

Seeing is good here. Although tonight I decided to try the binoculars and Chrimbo pressie trigger grip attached to my Monfrotto Art 134 monopod. A peaceful hour spent outside. Orion, despite moonlight and light pollution the wings of M42 clearly visible with the 15x70s. Onto Hyades, a general sweep around and then the moon. My initial look at Lunar made my eyes water but plenty of familiar geography apparent once the tears subsided! 😁

Thanks. I have the steel tripod. Using a longer telescope however with this type of mount increases the wobbles.

Same on my Celestron AVX but last night I couldn't be bothered setting up. 🙄 I'm considering replacing the now sold Mak 102 with a Mak 127 to go on my AZ5 and AZGTi. Both those mounts suit shorter scopes.

Despite my glee after reading the forecast and the 'glassy' dusk skies, humidity last night was high, so I stayed with lunar observing for an hour or so until fatigue won and an unusually early bedtime called.. ☹️ High power observing using the 102 f7 at that alt on the AZ5 becomes vibe-o-rama vision... 5 seconds to settle down with each touch. 🙄

If you mean the dust cover. It was left off when drying out. A bit of dust on the glass is fine.

Eyepieces are removed and left in an open case indoors to dry off. The refractor with diagonal still attached and dust caps off is left on the dining table to dry out. When I had a Mak 102, the diagonal came off and the same as above, left to dry off before storage in a camera bag. The objective glass was gently cleaned once - 18 months after buying it with Zeiss lens wipes with no ill effects.

That was a good one. More grass roots stuff is welcome. Although the Baker Street segment failed to mention the mad cost of night vision gear. I can imagine a mass of curious watchers last night, "Ooh that looks great.. Mary, google NV monocular"... A couple of minutes later, "What? How much?! Turn those lights off!"...

My light shield is the most amateurish piece of diy in existence but works. A big tarp & two metal broom handles off Ebay held together with duck tape. Each end the broom handles slip into plumping pipe rings screwed into the fence panels with a nail offset each end to keep it taught. If the neighbour's lights are not too high maybe give something like that a try?

It really is. Dripping with testosterone. I felt my beard grow just looking at the pics.

I feel for you, this was before the street LED was shielded by the council: Now it just next door but one with their PIR LED flood light coming on when they let their yappy handbag dogs out for a pee. Dogs can see in the dark! The tarp light shield hoisted up the fence mitigates the worst of it. I should bill them for the materials hah.

Maybe a bit late to the party, however I keep this in my 10x50 binocular bag: Not bad for a fiver.

Good comparisons between the wide field apo and the Mak. Have another try at Rigel. It's one of those apparently easy splits, that is not so easy due to the glare of Rigel A obscuring the faint Rigel B. See the pic below.

Don't knock your kit. A 6" newtonian is very capable. Well done tonight. 👍 Unfortunately the cloud settled for me at 10:45pm (2 hours earlier than forecast ☹️) so the session I started earlier finished with two more doubles; 38 Gem & Meissa plus the Christmas Tree cluster (NGC2264) and finally trusty M42 again. By this winter's standards a great session though, so no complaints... Mintaka, Altinak, Sigma Ori, Struve 747, Iota Ori, Rigel, Struve 790, Epsilon Mon, Beta Mon, 38 Gem, Meissa, NGC2264 & M42 is a decent crop in Bortle 7. Happy but another two hours with a day off tomorrow would've been smashing! Congrats to those who got out. 🤳 Urban sky... 🙄

Twio hours out with the 102ED & cloud threatening but still going! A leisurely clutch of doubles up to now: Mintaka, Altinak, Sigma Ori, Struve 747, Iota Ori, Rigel, Struve 790, Epsilon Mon & Beta Mon. Cloud coming in from the west is ruining my southern view but I'm hoping it will pass and I keep going until late. 🧐

That's a nice clutch of clusters Mr. Smartie. Great John. I've yet to see Uranus' moons. ☹️ This afternoon was lovely here. An icey nip in the air and cloud free clear skies. Those 35k ft planes were glistening. Dead on 5pm the clouds rolled. There's hail hitting the windows now but breaks are forecast later so the 15x70s are on standby. High hopes for tomorrow. Two from three forecasts are cold and dry through to Thursday morning and I'm off!

The hopeful weather forecast lied, so after setting up the 4" and AVX mount for the first time in months, the kit didn't see clear sky until around 22:30... M42 was visited by the telescope for the first time this year and I wasn't disappointed. After some experimentation with eyepieces and an OVL UHC filter the best view was with said filter and my Nirvana-ES 7mm. M42 received approx an hour of my attention then I turned to a binary I've not observed, Wasat/Delta Gem. Easy to split at 180x with the Vixen SLV 4mm. Then back to a firm favourite, the triple star system Beta Monoceros. For fun I decided to really up the magnification using a Baader Classic Ortho 6mm combined with a GSO 2.5x ED barlow and it worked a treat. Inky black space separating the closer pair at 297x. Then breeze turned to a gusty wind and with cloud racing in from the Irish Sea it was time to pack up... Not much of a grand tour but I made the most of the objects I managed to observe.

There's quite a few older folks in the local astro society. I'm sure SGL's own Peter Drew had his 105th birthday recently?! Heres to your continued good health Dave. May you drop dead at eyepiece at a ripe old age! Happy New Year. 🤳

I've been using Zeiss lens wipes after picking them up on Amazon during a half price sale. https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZEISS-Lens-Wipes-Pack-200/dp/B00IKGH2TI The 102 mak and eyepieces cleaned up nice for resale and I've had a go on my 10x50s with no ill effects.

Brilliant. I'm a size 10 trainer/boot and got the same size as you. Extra space is the toe but tight in the width and the shall we say my 'sturdy' legs didn't help. Hopefully they will stretch. 🙄

If only we had a 'wow' button. 😀

55!!! Hats off Doug. 🤳 You have made me ponder... including quick binocular views maybe twenty sessions... Not a good year but there were some highlights like solar observing for the first time, resulting in a very red face(!), the touch & go partial solar eclipse turning out alright. Lunar photography is improving, a comical Jupiter photo attempt and one fantastic bortle 3 binocular session, so not so bad. Great reports btw. Thanks. 👍