DaveL59

Celestron say a max mag of x269 tho we'd usually say 2x aperture on here. I assume it is a bird-jones being F=1000 but the OTA is only 2ft long (it'll have a lens done in the bottom of the focuser drawtube) so you may find it is soft at the edge of field. Eyepieces a 30mm will give a wider view yes, and an 8mm should give you a useful magnification. A Barlow I would say 2x would be a useful limit but how well they really work in a BJ configuration I don't know. Probably better to aim for eyepieces in a range and no barlow, say 30, 20, 12, 8 but then budget soon evaporates away. Decent budget eyepieces are likely to cost in the region of 35-50 each. Plossls are good and not too expensive but as you drop down the FL range below say 10mm you start to find less eye relief and smaller occular lens so may not be so easy to use if you wear glasses for example. The Vixen NPL are good (I have the 20 & 10mm) and around £35-45 each As I mentioned before, a zoom might suit as that will give a range of mags for a single price although the FoV will be narrower than something like a BST/Vixen single FL eyepiece they are quite usable and save swapping eyepieces while viewing. The hyperflex 7-21mm from others recommendations or the Svbony sv135 7-21mm would cover the useful range for approx the cost of 2 single eyepieces or less, allowing you to zoom in gradually to get the best view for the conditions/target. I yesterday received the SV135 and can say it is well made and sharp, currently costs around USD 49 and takes about a week to arrive, a quick test on the LT70AZ in daytime it showed very well and is smooth in operation so I am happy to recommend it. Their 8-24mm SV171 is very good too but is huge and heavy but would also work if you wanted to go that route.

received an SVbony 7-21mm zoom today along with the diagonal and some other bits and gave it a quick test in daytime with my 70/700. Works very nicely showing good detail on the treetops even in the dull miserable day we've had with only slight focus tweak needed through the zoom range. The 8-24 is very good too but huge and heavy by comparison. Both very solid build quality so I'd happily recommend either if you do want a step up in viewing. The 7-12 will give a range of 33-100x without a barlow, with a 2x barlow you might need to limit how far in you zoom but should work very well. No chance to test tonight as all clouds here at the mo.

That's much better 🙂 I see the shed windows are starting to mist up on the outside so perhaps I'll see tonight how the dew heating works. 10.7C according to the temperature controller but of course the LDR controller has already kicked in so the dome will have been heating since the light levels dropped off. Pretty hazy and light cloud up there with only a couple bright stars showing so at the moment not looking like a night for observing.

sometimes the simple workarounds are the best 🙂

not so easy to do but you might achieve alignment that'll suit you. Ideally better to get ones that are already right tho and if new you expect they should be 🙂

was watching the F1 myself, tho did take advantage of the improvement once Qualy had finished to open up the skycam and sort the IRcut filter 🙂

Not tried or met any of the ones listed but bear in mind the exit pupil as the 7x50's will be around 7mm, fine if you are young but with age comes a reduction in your pupil dilation so some light may be effectively lost compared to the 10x50 pairs (5mm). Nothing wrong with porro bins, most of mine are and work very well. I'd look for ones that are waterproof tho, note that rubber coated doesn't mean waterproof 🙂 I use a pair of Minolta 10x50 in the main at night, picked up S/H for the princely sum of £22 and are excellent, waterproof and 6.6 degree FoV. The Olympus DPS range are well regarded too but probably above your budget unless you find a good used pair. Risk with used is any alignment (collimation) issues and recourse to the seller if you do find faults, unless you are able to fettle them yourself. As Ruud says tho, best bet is to try before you buy. Aldi I think often have the Bresser 10x bins at good prices but do check in the store before buying as quite a few will be out of collimation from what I've seen commented online.

so with the rain ceased and the sun daring to be lighting up the sky in the SW and clouds looking a lot lighter, I pondered... can I pop the dome off, grab the wire to the IRcut and trigger it to switch, add some flock and get it all back together super-quick? Luckily I'd already prepared a probe that could be cludged to fit the plug using a couple component offcuts and wire and duct tape, such a pro huh! The 6v battery pack for the EQ2 clock drive gives a trigger voltage that suits (tested on a spare I have). So out I went armed with these and a square of flock and scissors of course. Ladder up and soaked up any standing water with some kitchen paper, popped off the dome, jacked the probe into the plug and applied power briefly to hear a nice click. OK so did it work tho or just whack the filter all the way home? Also tweaked the aim slightly, so inside to check, seems ok but reverse volts and review. Yep was right the first time so reset the IRcut and then trim the flock to suit. Dome back on and clamped down, ladder put away, job done just before darker clouds appear over the horizon 🙂 Hopefully that'll improve the camera view at night, still don't know for sure if the dew control works as no misty nights since installing it.

I have a few of these Steve, original and compatibles https://www.amazon.co.uk/Manfrotto-323-Change-Rectangular-Adaptor/dp/B000JLK5PU I find they work very well and are solid, tho the compatibles may need the edges ground down a little so they can be easily swapped to an OEM shoe, easy to do with a dremel 🙂 Downside the the compatible plates can be that the tripod screw sits too far into the base, or rather the D-ring does so can jut upward once the screw is tightened up so finding the better compatibles or buying OEM 200PL plates is best.

It is very solid but I've no idea how you tell if it really is dielectric. I kinda posed that first time around but nobody suggested how you can assess to verify the claim on their shop page. Either way it works, clear and bright image, very solid, takes filters which is useful for the variable polariser and for USD 30, what's not to like 😉

Thinking of future plans and with their prices discounted so much at the mo... I already have the 8-24mm zoom but when I pass a scope on to my daughter I thought the 7-21mm would be handy to go with it along with a good diagonal. Also decided to join in with astro-themed masks in part because I wanted a couple new ones that are a more comfortable fit. Sorry Nigella, that'll be total cloud for a couple days then, tho not only down to me 😄

This thread on CN suggests the cable connectors are a possible, or contrast set too high/low https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/615204-lcd-blank-on-synscan-controller/ Also suggestions of opening the handset and cleaning the contacts including the keypad which may help too. This might be worth a try too tho he had a display that was working so a different issue, but nothing to lose trying I guess (found on east mids astro forum) Switch off the mount. Disconnect the hand set from the mount. Hold down buttons 0 and 8 and plug the power supply into the hand set (whilst still holding the buttons down). The hand set will display INITIALIZING and then go on to display the firmware version loaded. It will also bleep for a short while. Release the buttons. Give it a few seconds and then disconnect the power supply. Re-connect everything as normal and hopefully you'll be back in business!

How well does the child know the sky? I'd guess other than the moon and maybe a couple planets and a couple constellations probably not too much? So something all manual that you need to use a finder to get to try to aim in the right area could become quite frustrating esp for a young novice where patience could be in short supply. Sure you can use a star map but star hopping etc might be a step beyond at this stage. Hence my suggestion of the starsense, tell it what you'd like to see and it'll direct you there and works pretty well as a few here have found. Might be far more fun for him and mum might enjoy using it too and build a shared hobby. Sure the LT70AZ isn't the best with the wobbly mount but as a low cost starter it ain't too bad. There is an 80mm version too LT80AZ for £179 but avoid the reflectors in the LT range as they aren't the best being bird-jones design. Sure there are better scopes like the 130P among others, question is will that lead quickly to a loss of interest when not finding targets to view, tho just the planets may be enough, hard to know without knowing the child.

or john, Jeremy et al 🙂

hmmmm not really, tis the IR reflecting off the drizzle here 😉

I recently picked up a Celestron Starsense Explorer LT70AZ refractor which might be a good starter, uses a smartphone app to help guide you to find targets, costs around £135 if you can find stock anywhere. It is a bit wobbly being a bottom end starter scope but the optics in the tube are pretty reasonable. Ideally tho you'd need to get a proper star diagonal and better eyepieces as the supplied is as usual not fantastic, tho the 20mm should be usable. The phone would need to be pretty recent manufacture, iPhone6 or Android 7.1 or later so worth checking the compatibility list on their web page. The better version would be on the DX mount but that's a big jump in price so maybe not the one to test the water with. To improve a reasonable star diagonal like the Svbony Sv108 and a 7-21mm Sv135 zoom eyepiece should work well on this scope and can be used on other scopes as they upgrade. I have the diagonal and it is well made and a good price on Ali at the moment as is the zoom.

do check the output voltage with a meter first, the one I have gives >15V hence I added a buck converter to regulate that to 12v. Other than that it gives good use and after a couple hours still shows full charge. I'm only running the SynScan off it tho, no dew strips etc which will drain the pack harder of course.

Surprised nobody has stepped up to recommend a Tak as yet 🙂

I must get a pair of CZJ's one day 🙂 I will admit that while servicing the onces I've accumulated I have made a few "improvements" on some, blacking prism sides, flocking the objective barrels etc. The latter transformed the old Jagd's, culling the stray light when the sun is near on-axis. But then I'm fortunate to be able to take them apart and fettle where most wouldn't attempt such surgery.

only way to know for sure would be to try, tho run-time may be drastically shortened as they'd be close to the drop-out voltage of exhausted Alkaline cells even when fully charged. If you can rig 5x NiMH batteries in series that'd get you 6v and probably work just fine. edit - assuming you're thinking to do a direct swap using the existing holder then you'd need to engineer a solution. Alternatively get a 6-cell holder and just fill one bay with a dummy cell or bridge the connectors one that bay to complete the circuit.

sounds like you are seeing an eddy current, heated air in the scope moving around or perhaps even in front of the tube from warm air in the room moving past. Ideally the tube needs to be open and the internals allowed time to cool and stabilise to get the best viewing. Likewise heat rising off roof and road etc can cause a turbulent image given the magnification a scope brings to the view. Remember too that air trapped between glass in double glazing also moves since the outer glass is colder than the inner, this may cause some effects that above the range of mag a bino will give become noticeable thru a scope. Looking at targets outside can have the same effects with wind and moisture in the air, it can feel like looking up through flowing water on some nights, a disadvantage of being ground based that we can't do much about 🙂 Given your budget for eyepieces you might consider buying one zoom eyepiece, say 7-21mm that would essentially give you a range of magnifications in a single piece, cost approx £40-70 and then if you stay with the hobby you could look to purchase individual wider angle eyepieces to improve your experience. The Hyperflex gets good reviews as do the Svbony ones, the latter sv135 costs around USD 50 from their store on Ali and generally shipping takes a week.

damp conditions could well have been a cause as the different metals involved will cause things to corrode, looks that way from your pics and see that on cars a lot too esp with salty roads here. Assuming you don't need to lock the threads with loctite blue as Pixies suggests, then a very very light smear with grease on the lower threads (vasoline will do) then wipe the threads clean before reassembling will help stave off future corrosion and make maintenance easier. Stainless bolts won't prevent corrosion in that you still have 2 different metals involved. Black japanned screws should work but as mentioned, avoid painted ones. To get the remains out, heat helps, a small butane torch will get things hot quickly and a light spray of WD40 at the threads will then wick and help crack the corrosion. Of course you'll then need to use degreaser to clean up before you refit the mirror. Heat alone may do enough but try keep it focused in the area you're working on so you don't distort things. Might have to retouch the paint after too.

I more prefer a frac but that's a personal thing and you may find a reflector suits you better when you get to that stage when you want to upgrade. Having said that tho I have 3 fracs and 4 mirror-buckets lol. One of the easiest of mine to pop outside and use is the small TAL-M 80mm reflector on a pedestal and that'll happily reach x139 and give very good views. The TAL's tho do punch above their weight esp compared to the lower-cost end of the market. As suggested above tho, if planets are your main thing then a Mak may be a better choice. I have used the LT70 on moon, jupiter, saturn and mars and found it performed pretty well but sessions were short with the recent weather. I'd have liked time to play with barlow and higher mag but cloud and rain prevented that. Seeing also hasn't been great much of the time and that doesn't help. I reckon with the 8-24mm zoom that I got up to x88 in targets and while objects were small (they always are tho exc the moon) they were sharp and pleasing. I think with quality eyepieces and a proper star diagonal you'll get more enjoyable views but the scope will always be magnification limited tho the objective lens does perform quite well considering the price. The 2 other frac's I have to compare against are a TAL100RS (100/1000mm) and a 50's vintage 3-inch (76/1100mm) both of which show better but they run at higher mag given the much longer tubes. The 3-inch has a chip across part of the lens which is blacked out which reduces its effective aperture and still performs well, so I'd not say these low-cost 70mm scopes aren't capable 🙂 There is a thread on here "what can I expect to see" which would be good to read if you've not already. The other issue to overcome is your own expectations. All the planets will look small, they are after all a very long way away and on the surface we're limited in how much magnification we can use for numerous reasons, the scope being only a couple of them. As Kat says, patience, learning how to see more, adapting to dark viewing are all part of the journey. For planets you don't need to be fully dark adapted, I find I get by just fine after just a few mins but then I do adapt to seeing in the dark quite quickly. We'll never see the level of detail that imagers display in pictures but you'll get to the stage where you can make out a lot more than a bright blob, patience, the most important tool in the kit 😉

ahh buckets with mirrors in them, I've a couple of those too lol Don't write the ability of this little frac off too quick tho, optically it seems not bad at all I was quite surprised but then I'm using better eyepieces than the ones it came with 🙂 I'm sure a larger aperture would out-gun my reflectors (80, 114 and 130mm) but my 3 fracs (70, 76 and 100mm) I think do just as well. Not really looking to step up to a 200mm or bigger, no room for more scopes for a start.

not had this one very long ( just over a week I think) as it was bought for the starsense part which works pretty well. It is pretty wobbly because of the mount and tripod, not sure you find the same. Not much can be done to improve that I expect tho will see when I've time and bits to try. Focuser was quite stiff so I slackened off the 2 screws under it just a touch to make it run a bit easier. Optically it's not bad tho other than everything being plastic lol. The zoom I have works very well and they get good review on cloudy nights and a couple of us here have bought them. Steve (second time around) has the 7-21 and reports it to be good so likely worth getting that one zoom than buying 2-3 individual ones as a starter. Otherwise I'd look to say 10mm 18mm and 25mm in something like BST Starguider or Vixel NPL for example but those are in the £40-55 region each. Of course you can use them on a future scope if you stick with the hobby and upgrade. Don't fall for buying those eyepiece sets that Celestron and others sell, not worth the cost for what you get really.