Mark Daniels

41 minutes ago, Paul73 said:

Hi Mark

Lots of reputable dealers sell through eBay. I wouldn’t buy from anyone who is not in the IMCA. As with most things, if it looks too good to be true, avoid!!

Or, try spacerocksUk.com. I’ve heard good things but never used him. Prices seem to be in line with the norm too.

Paul

Brilliant thanks

Hi

i have a few bits and pieces of space stuff i have collected over the years. I have never owned a meteor though and i thought it might be nice to start a little collection

has anybody on here got a collection and if so could you give some advice please

looking on ebay there are lots but i really dont want to buy a piece of african quarry or something from someones back yard!

i realise there are many types and various areas of the world that produce but how can a novice tell that they are genuine and are there reliable/ reputable dealers or sources available?

cheers 

Superb

2 hours ago, maw lod qan said:

I am always impressed seeing someone's sketches. I can barely sign my name so you can read it.

 

Thanks. Have go nothing to lose! Sketching helps fix things in the memory and i think IMHO makes for better observations. 👍

Hi

tried for 16 landing site but was miles of and so was my origonal posting   

Sorry Astroavani👍

Had 25mins to look and sketch pic from my note book

will try again when i get more time. Enjoying the photos mind reallyvery good

went to see the new apollo 11 fim at the science museum london yesterday very good very moving and wirth a watch

Any thing that involves not using mega expensive kit. But favours ingenuity and a bit if effort. A back to basics to show of skill and knowledge. May be capture by sketch or image ,a given object(s) using 10x50 binos and mobile phone or small scope and DLSR with no imaging software allowed or tracking mounts. May be in an interesting setting, or with a bit of artistry to it. 

And another gem from the loft. 

Best i have had

49.99 from john lewis

very well made excellent lenses 

perfect for the pocket 

Yes agree with all the above re hold your horses

biggest thing will be getting used to your scope and what you end up enjoying the most

planets and moon are one thing but limited in the amount of time viewing because of there nature etc

deep sky is great and avalible most of thd time if not cloudy. Your scope will be better suited to DSO so save the money on lenses for the moment and upgrade as you go. You may find you can then get a dedicated planet scope after a while and utilise the eye pieces you get for both. 

A polution filter is a must and a decent barlow as well. The 25 mm that comes with Skywatcher is fine may be upgrade the 10mm. I got a 9.5 wide relief which helps a lot it was about £80

i have the smaller 102 travel and mak 127

both great value and easy to use 

also remember what you see will be different to images in the magazines. Maybe get a phone holder and have a go at imagining something to do when not able to view

😀 

My wife has band me from looking at this thread. Far to finacially dangerous 😞

Thats really nicely made. A real hand me down. Nice one 👍

4 hours ago, Macavity said:

Ah, SPM... My very first (and only, for many years) Astronomy Book!
All those years spent under my pillow. I can still "quote" some bits. 😛

I "graduated" some years later to this one... Still worthy of keeping re.
*photographic* maps of the Stars and Moon... Lists of "DSOs" etc. 😎
 

Have a copy of this too somewhere got to find it 👍

18 minutes ago, LongJohn54 said:

 

I cannot remember my first astronomy book or piece of equipment but I think I've found the other half of your bins 🤣🤣

The text on the eyepiece end says - Binocular Prismatic No2 mkII.  X6 (I've always assumed X6 is the magnification. It seems about right).  The objective is 30mm.

Lol yep mine are 8x30 and russian. My Dad swears by Russian optics. He has a 6 inch refractor which is russian and the view is very good. This was ideal for gazing as a kid as very light. Used to sellotape it to a camera tripod. Had a go the other evening while walking the dog. Lens still good. Amazing what a good loft clear out uncovers!

Cheers will try to find👍

Littlewoods catalogue was invaluable. 😀

Thats great

got a smartphone holder but having problems getting lens position right.

Do you have to zoom phone to fill screen? Or can you shoot without zooming yhen edit?

Who started out with this book? 

anyone still got their first kit?

Yes it is annoying. Any suggestions would be welcomed. That said i was looking at jupiter with a 9.5 wide relief and was supprised at how clear the bands were. Also spotted M13 which was a bit fuzzy but worth a look. Was thinking of taking set up to Headley common which I believe is pretty dark to see how well it works. 

Looking to go to palma canaries for winter break so fingers crossed

Very nice hope you have many happy hours looking through it 

Been looking for neat solution to taking small scope abroad using my stuff and not paying out for a dedicated set up. 

Have a skywatcher finder which with a barlow and 90 * gives good results. I was looking at an Orion mini eq tabletop tripod but hard to get hold of. 

Play a bit of music in a band and have a few microphone stands so got to work with a hack saw. 

I used a mic holder as in photo they are about £3 and cut the holder part off and filed flat. Drilled hole through to accept large camera thread (£3 screw bolt)

this allows shortened micstand to fit to the alt az mount. (Mic stand 15 of ebay. )

the dovetail was expensive as i wanted green and got from germany £30 with couier the white finder bracket from tring harrisons £6

so thats £60 but if i went for black dovetail less than £40  seeing i had mic stand already quite a cheap solition

the stand is very stable and provided the telescope is moved clockwise when rotating freehand the threads stay tight  with the fine controls either direction works well

overall wiegt is bit over 3 kg and will fit in a standard aluminium camera case 

hope this if useful 

Mark👍

Thought this might be of interest

made binocular tripod modification to use my25x100 celestrons. The original tripod was redundent so added £30 of steel and bits and it works well. Bit of refining but may be later!

2 hours ago, Chriske said:

I'm teasing my brain..  somewhere I've seen another version of this Sunviewer.
If I remember well, it was called 'SunGun' , something like that.

This one looks very sturdy..!

The idea came from aguy who made one out of card board and kitchen roll tube. My wife reckons it quite steampunk and belongs in a 1930’s Buck  Rodgers episode😀 think i will call it the Death ray

i am await some Mylar film before i use it in anger, as it gets hot and i don’want lens to crack may add a sheild to the front to create a little more shade when observing

16 hours ago, cletrac1922 said:

Mark

Welcome from Land Down Under

You travel the universe in this forum

John

PS

Next year, NASA is sending another Rover to Mars

The attached link, able to register your name, and download Boarding Pass, for the Rover

https://mars.nasa.gov/news/8440/nasa-invites-public-to-submit-names-to-fly-aboard-next-mars-rover/

 

 

Thanks for that

i did it for my Dad who is 82 and has been into astronomy forever. He was very excited. 👍

Thats very nice of you.  I will certainly take you up on the offer. Have a few commitments till august but will get back

thanks again

New here thought people might like to see my sun viewer made from an old telephoto lense and junk from my shed. I am a hoarder. Took a week on and off has two lenses 25mm and 10mm giving images if 10 cm snd 20cm give ir take. Hope to get a look at mercury transit with it

😀