ScouseSpaceCadet

Ed's statement 12:42 minutes in is probably the most important of the video. 👍

Impossible to quantify. There are people on this forum who a year in, have built their own astrophotography rigs on the cheap (relatively speaking...) and are producing excellent images. There are people twenty years into the hobby who have not touched a camera, only occasionally observe for enjoyment's sake and hardly read an astronomy book. The "stargazer" archetype. Then there are those with 30 or 40 years in, with home observatories who pretty much know everything one needs to know about observing techniques etc. A person with three years into the hobby who's digested several books, completed a short course or two, hung out with experienced astronomers and got out observing as much as possible could hold a conversation with someone twenty years in and they would likely learn something from each other. That's one of the great aspects of astronomy - "space is big" and there's always something new to learn. Another fantastic feature of the hobby is the respect shown for people with less experience by old timers. '0.3% are at skill level X' isn't possible to measure as the skills, aptitude, motivation and areas of interest demographics are so wide.

😀 See Astro Noodles' comment. Turning those captured photons into a great image takes considerable work. Rory is undoubtedly talented, however a year ago I unsubscribed from his channel and stopped watching. It would be pointless to go into reasons here, so I'll leave it there. This very laid back chap below shows in great detail how to achieve fantastic results: https://youtube.com/c/NebulaPhotos Enjoy the 8" dob. There's plenty of advice here from very experienced amatuers should you need it.

Blatant plug? 🙄

Looks ace. A review is forthcoming I hope. 😀

Three years and yet to clean an eyepiece except the occasional blow to remove an eyelash for instance. Although I have not long purchased the below when they were £7: https://www.amazon.co.uk/ZEISS-Lens-Wipes-Pack-200/dp/B00IKGH2TI

I did some sneaky internet investigating after noticing the buyer's location. The buying account is an alt account with no indication it's a retail buyer. The gear then goes up for sale on the main account. Confirmed a few days later when the eyepiece appeared on the shop for £15 less than new...

You're missing something. 😀 I sold a 30mm Vixen NLVW for iirc £80. A certain chap bought it with his alt and placed it on sale in his online shop for £150! However to be fair, if he's willing to play the long game and people are daft enough to pay silly prices that's life. Capitalism's working for him.

Jeremy I can't see a helicopter landing pad in those pics? 😉😄 Super images Andy. I feel a camping trip to Anglesey next year is due. 👍

Just about everything and anything nice is slow at the moment. Last Xmas I had trouble getting the CPU I wanted so settled for the top of the previous generation. GPUs I give up. Low availability and stupid prices. Sticking with our 2070 and 2060s picked up at normal prices a few months after release. Bicycles? Practice walking fast. Astro gear, if you're lucky. Even a reasonable three piece lounge suite takes months. All due to Brexit, covid & a butterfly fluttering its wings in the Amazon...

The Yorkshire Dales - he shoots, he scores! Gawd if I only I could afford to move. In one hour arned with the Opticron 10x50s I've ticked off the Veil, North American, Heart & Soul plus Elephant Trunk nebulas. Also the dense open cluster Caroline's Rose, although it wasn't fully resolved it was an obvious big round smudge. Unless I mistook it for the Pacman Nebula?! All objects I've not previously observed. All without full dark adaptation due to various camp fires and unnecessarily bright head torches flicking on ocassionally. I had to cup my hands around my eyes to block the lights. The Milky Way is incredibly prominent. A naked eye Double Cluster looked great in the binos. As did Andromeda, filling approx 40% of the fov! Melotte 2 was a magnificent bright cluster filling the whole field of view. Unfortunately it's gettin a bit nippy, I've had a massive pub fish & chips, a skinful of local ale (it's taken 20 minutes to type this lol), walked up too many hills today and the missus is already snorin... 🙄 Anyone want to start an Astronomy commune?! 😉😀

Reminds me of my trip to Kielder last September. Like nothing I've seen before and the bino view was so startling the little travel Mak stayed in the tent. I'm under canvas at the mo' in the Yorkshire Dales. (I woke up for a pee & can't get back to sleep - too many fire side beers!). Cloudy here, although we can't see the clouds, we know they are there because we cannot see the stars! A five minute brilliant zenith view of the Milky Way teased us around 11pm last night. 🙄 Zoomed into our exact pitch on lightpollution.info says SQM 21.75. Elevation 273 metres. If the sky clears I'll be happy with half John's observations! Nice write up John. 😀

Despite their reputation it's great to have bats. They eat those dreaded midges afterall. We only see one at a time. Every year for the last few years. Betty occasionally divebombs. All good fun.

Brilliant. Good luck for your final year. 👍

A great sales pitch. 😀

Looks fine. Ideally put a sheet of A4 inside the ota facing the focuser and with the scope facing a bright light take a photo through the collimator. That should highlight the centre much better for evaluation.

You beat me to it. Cba travelling to the shops. Currently £3 on Amazon. Bought. 👍

That's a bonnie baby!

Their last in stock Vixen SLV 4mm ordered. Arrived on the expected day. Well packaged, works great. 'nuff said. 👍

A great sunset though. 😀

Great. We haven't seen a hedgehog in the garden for years. ☹️ I need to try grabbing a pic of Betty the Bat!

Well belated thanks Peter. Standing in that dome put me on a path to a significant life change. You're partly the reason I'm skint now! 😉

Nothin' wrong with thread necro. It's still relevant and highlighted just how really old some of the members are! I hope I can still enjoy this hobby at their age! I'm a latecomer to practical astronomy but always had an interest in science and science fiction. I do remember watching moon landings as a kid but they were probably Apollo 17... Another memory of primary school is of drawing a huge map of a moon base and sketching an astronaut, which was put on display by teachers. Probably my finest moment. I peaked too soon! The Sky at Night and Patrick Moore were on my radar. I loved watching but I don't recall a single one of my peers ever showing interest. Computing became my primary hobby aged 17 when I received a Sinclair ZX Spectrum 48k and in 6th form we were the first computer studies class. How the world has moved on... So after many years watching science programmes, reading the odd book and magazine I'm not sure what prompted me but aged 49 I took a friend to Liverpool Astro. Society's observatory at Pex Hill, Cronton. After looking through their 12" LX200 at Uranus and a spiral galaxy that looked like a black and white photo I was hooked! A second visit with my partner confirmed those feelings and not long after, a 130mm newtonian reflector was purchased and I've been skint ever since! I'm now well into a couple of online courses, digested several books, considering part time higher education, a B.A.A member, and a pending member of Liverpool Astro Society. (Sadly the pandemic has stalled full membership inductions but I am allowed to attend their online events. ☹️) These forums have been instrumental in making all that happen. SGL has been an integral part of my astronomy journey and thanks to all those who take the time to reply to posts, or at the very least acknowledge they've read them with an emoticon. 👍

Far from boastful, hats off to your skills. I'm sure this thread will inspire people to work hard/win the lottery/save up/inherit a few bob* and have a go themselves. Well done. 😀 *delete as applicable.

Thanks for the replies... Alan a couple of websites inc. FLO state the 2.5 to 6mm LVs are 45°... whether that is correct I dunno. Thanks guys who recommended the 2.5s, however I think that would be too much mag for a 102mm f7? Dave, I have owned a 30mm NLVW that I liked a lot and got used cheap. I didn't really know what I had at the time. Probably should have kept it (or sold it for more ££! 🙄), although I've steered away from 2" eps. I may replace my SW 6mm planetary in the future so an LV will be on the list. Also the 10mm is a contender as a luxury item. I have good 9mm and 12mm eyepieces so there's no rush. Thanks for the recommendation.