Second Time Around

One word. Wow!

2 more gone just in the time since I posted! Only 7 left now.........

The only slight downside to the Solarquest is its maximum payload. On Skywatcher's UK site it's quoted at 4kgs. However on their US site it's quoted as 11lbs, i.e.5kgs. Interestingly, the seemingly very similar AZ-GTI is also rated at 5kgs in the UK. One good thing about this though - it's saved me money by deciding not to also buy a 102mm refractor for solar use! 😀 My 72mm with a Quark and binoviewer maxes out the Solarquest and I wouldn't want to be without the convenience (yes, I find it that good!). I gather that the poor daytime seeing in the UK would mean that I wouldn't see the advantage of the 102mm very often anyway.

Possibly because the forecast was made some time before and not updated in the meantime. This is the reason why I also check satellite images as they're bang up to date. However, I do find the colour coding on Clear Outside to be rather pessimistic. Often the red colour is used but looking in more detail the amount of cloud cover is worth setting up for. Can I please ask that either the algorithm is tweeked, or a fourth colour is used? Thanks.

I've just ordered another Concenter, this time a 1.25 inch one. Carriage from Germany always seems to be astronomical (pun intended). However by going direct to the makers, Spheretec, I was charged only 10 Euros via UPS plus 69 Euros for the Concenter. It was dispatched the next day. To order from Spheretec email them at info@spheretec.de .

The Solarquest head is brilliant! Just point your scope to the left of the sun and it finds the sun and then tracks it. Definitely one of my favourite pieces of equipment.

Thanks. 🤗 I wonder how long the excellent 6 inch Bresser Messier Dobs will last!

I've learned an awful lot from the forum, and thought it might be appropriate to share a couple of short ideas/tips I've had with the community. They're not worth a topic in themselves, but hopefully it'll encourage others to post something similar here. Firstly, I found myself often bumping into my observing chair in the dark. Why on earth are they so often painted black? Initially, I simply put a white carrier bag over the seat. This worked, but I wanted something that was going to last longer. I found the solution in a white shower cap, and tracked down an extra large one on Amazon. This fitted beautifully and solved the problem. In fact it came in a pack of 2 for £10.99, and I used the second one with some cushion stuffing to make a comfy top for a telescopic stool I use with my small refractor. Here's a link: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0796LRRF4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1&fpw=alm Secondly, I use this 72mm f/6 refractor with a Quark for h-alpha solar viewing. With the Quark's inbuilt 4.3x focal extender this gives a final focal ratio of f/26. This isn't bad for seeing prominences, but for surface detail the recommended final focal ratio for the Quark is f/30 or preferably even longer. This means a starting focal ratio of f/7+. A common way of achieving this is by stopping down the aperture of the scope. Unfortunately, like many others, my Altair refractor doesn't have a dew cap with a reducer. I came up with the idea of using a rubber lens hood fitted over the end of the tube. The rubber is flexible and stretches over the tube to give a tight fit. In my case I needed an inside diameter of 88mm or a little less, to fit a filter size of 58 or 62mm. A search on eBay turned up this one for £4.99 delivered: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SCREW-ON-58MM-PROFESSIONAL-RUBBER-COLLAPSIBLE-LENS-HOOD-FOR-SLR-LENSES-QUALITY/191077958000?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 from photo-accessories-wales. This has an inside diameter of 85mm to fit 58mm filters. The clear aperture is 54mm, so with a focal length of 432mm this gives a focal ratio of f/8 natively and f/34.4 with the Quark.

Why is it that I can remember things from long ago like a firm's address but not whether I posted a reply to this topic?! John, was that a fairly late H.W.English catalogue? I seem to remember mine were simply 2 sheets of A3 folded in half to make 8 pages - no staples, let alone pictures. I remember lusting after a 5/8 inch ex-gov Erfle eyepiece with the then incredible FOV of 65 degs. Sadly, it was way to pricy for me. I did buy a 43mm achromatic lens that together with a Ramsden eyepiece I fashioned into a telescope. It was awful! No better was the 50mm non-achromatic refractor on a table tripod I got for Xmas. Mind you, it did show that the "UFO" that excited adults were pointing to in the daytime sky was just a weather balloon. Eventually I saved up enough to buy a Tasco 60mm refractor from a shop near Cockfosters in London. Once again, this was from an ad in the same section of Exchange and Mart. I never did get a copy of Frank's Book of the Telescope although I did regularly drool over their catalogues. One of the few nice things about getting old is that there are memories to share. Mind you, I may be older but I'm certainly no wiser!

I remember the H.W.English catalogue well as I had regular copies and bought some items from them to cobble together a scope. I seem to remember they advertised in Exchange and Mart. Was their address Rayleigh Road, Hutton, Brentwood, Essex?

You don't have to restrict yourself just to the craters on the moon even though you live in the city. I don't know how bad your pollution is but I expect through a telescope you'll be able to see bright planets such as Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. You may be able to see some objects such as star clusters and the Orion Nebula. However, the problem is likely to be finding objects that you can't see with the naked eye. This 80mm refractor on an altazimuth mount and tripod (costing 5.500.000 ₫ from your local store) may be the answer: https://thegioithienvan.com/san-pham/kinh-thien-van-khuc-xa-starsense-explorer-lt-80az/ Starsense Explorer works in conjunction with almost any modern smartphone. The phone takes a photo that will show many more stars than are visible with the naked eye. It then compares the position of these stars with it's database to work out where your scope is pointing. You then enter the object you want to see and the technology shows on a map on the screen which way to move the scope. Once found a green circle is lit up. I've just bought two of my grandkids the smaller 70mm version for Xmas. This is available only in Europe. The reason I chose it is that they live in central London, that is pretty light polluted although possibly not as bad as where you are. This new Starsense Explorer technology is a real game changer in such circumstances. In fact, I was so impressed I bought the same scope for myself! Although I live in the country I've adapted the Starsense Explorer so that I can transfer it to any of my scopes. P.S. You can also use this scope down on the ground as it comes with a 90 degree star diagonal that gives an erect image.

A heads up - there's a Celestron Starsense Explorer DX102 up on eBay at the moment for a Buy It Now price of £349.99 with free postage. This model is a 102mm f/6.5. The item no. is 154223154844. The seller is Messier 44000, the eBay shop of Lincolnshire Optics who have a 100% positive feedback.

A head up - there's a Celestron Starsense Explorer DX102 up on eBay at the moment for a Buy It Now price of £349.99 with free postage. This model is a 102mm f/6.5. The item no. is 154223154844. The seller is Messier 44000, the eBay shop of Lincolnshire Optics who have a 100% positive feedback.

Here's the top and bottom halves of a page about the pronunciation of constellations and stars from my old 1964 edition of Norton's Star Atlas. According to Norton's the i is as in ice, and the phonetic pronounciation is either rye-gell or rye-jell.

Here are the promised pictures of my Berlebach Report 112 Astro. This is the lightest and lowest of the series. It goes down to 54cms/21ins, which is perfect for my adjustable height stool. Maximum height is 89cms/35ins. Maximum payload is 25kgs/55lbs. It weighs 3.4kgs/7.5lbs including the spreader and accessory tray. The first picture is at the minimum height, the second at the maximum height, the third shows the spreader when the accessory tray is taken off. The arrow in the second photo shows the all important plate with a spring-loaded adjustment screw. This makes changing mounts a doddle and has solved all my problems. Simply place a mount on the plate and screw up from the bottom. The plate is flat and can be specified with various screw sizes - I chose 3/8 inch. Likewise just unscrew from the bottom to remove a mount. The plates are interchangeable to give for instance a centre column with or without gears, heads to match various popular mounts etc. In total there are 10 plates available. Thanks once again for recommending Berlebach, Jeremy and Stevie!

My Berlebach Report 112 Astro duly arrived today. I'm extremely pleased indeed with it, so thanks to one and all. I'm stronger today and was eventually able to get the Mount Zero off the Leofoto tripod with the strap wrench. I certainly wouldn't want to keep on having to do this though. What's more the spring-loaded tightening screw under the top of the tripod has solved my problem! Both my Mount Zero and my Solarquest go on and off the Berlebach very easily! As Jeremy says the spreader improves the damping time, that I found is already better than the carbon fibre Leofoto. Wood is of course heavier than carbon fibre. However the Report 112 Astro isn't that hugely heavier than my Leofoto tripod, although to be fair it doesn't go as high. I may even sell the Leofoto if I don't decide to use it for photography. It's late now but I'll post some pictures tomorrow. Thanks again for all the help. Isn't the forum great!

I've just bought a 130mm f/5 Dob for a friend as an Xmas present for her daughter. I'd very much recommend a dual 1.5x/2x model as this gives much more flexibility. Not all 2x Barlows allow this, but the ones that do so don't cost any more. These dual models are sold as 2x Barlows, but some 2x models can also be used at 1.5x. These ones allow the black lens cell to be unscrewed from the body of the Barlow and then screwed into the filter thread at the bottom of an eyepiece. Very often this won't be in the blurb, but on their website the US retailer Agena Astro states whether this can be done or not under the specifications. I'd also add that the 2x Orion Shorty Barlow that Agena doesn't sell can also be used at 1.5x. The amplification factors are only approximate as it varies with the eyepiece used, depending where the focal plane of the eyepiece is located. I'd use the 2x option on your scope on nights when the atmosphere is steady. However, in the UK we're frequently under the jetstream, which means that the atmosphere is then more unsteady. Then the 1.5x option on the Barlow would be a better choice. Most if not all of these Barlows are identical except for the name. The forum sponsor, First light Optics, does an excellent one in their Astro Essentials range that even has a T thread at the top for attaching a camera. The cost is only £25. Go to https://www.firstlightoptics.com/barlows/astro-essentials-125-2x-barlow-with-t-thread.html.

I've just bought a scope for 2 of my grandkids, one of whom is almost 7. That scope is now out of stock though. I think if it's for a Christmas present it's going to be a case of grabbing what's available. There are 2 schools of though about starting with binoculars. Personally, I'd definitely recommend a telescope over binoculars as a first purchase. This is partly because very few binoculars can be folded together enough for a six-year-old. Partly too because a telescope will show wow factor objects like the rings of Saturn, whereas binoculars won't. So for me, binoculars are a second purchase, especially for youngsters. You may of course already have a pair of binoculars in the family. Good hunting!

This is what I posted recently about zooms: Fixed focal length eyepieces may be slightly better corrected when compared with a zoom at the same magnification. But that's not always a fair comparison as that magnification may not be the optimum for a given object. This is because one of the many advantages of a zoom is to be able to dial in precisely the best focal length. For instance, this may be 13mm or even 13.1mm, which may actually show more detail than shorter or longer fixed focal length eyepieces. I'm a great fan of zooms and the 8-24mm Baader zoom is easily my most used eyepiece. I use it with the matching 2.25x Barlow. That plus a wide field eyepiece as a finder does me for most of my sessions. I particularly like the ability to increase the magnification to make use of brief moments of good seeing. It takes more time to swap out an eyepiece, and the opportunity may then be missed. You can't see anything if you haven't got an eyepiece in the focusser! Zooms also enable the field of view to be varied to frame an object to get the prettiest view. For this reason I particularly like them for clusters. Many of those who post here and advocate fixed focal lengths are experienced observers. It's so easy to forget what it was like as a beginner! A zoom eyepiece enables beginners to easily learn what difference a change of magnification makes on all the various classes of object. It also shows them what focal lengths would be most useful to their eyes, their telescope, and their observing conditions. They then have the option of buying/not buying the most appropriate fixed focal length eyepieces for them. For these reasons I'd always recommend that beginners buy a zoom as their first eyepiece. I have both Baader 8-24mm zooms and a Svbony 7-21mm. The Svbony is about 4x less expensive (about £45 on eBay) than the Baader, and not that far behind in performance. It's also very much smaller and lighter, although the 8-24mm and 10-30mm Svbony zooms are about the same as the Baader and a Hyperflex I used to have. An additional advantage of the Baader is a wider field of view than any lower price zoom I'm aware of. The Svbony gets excellent reviews and I can certainly recommend it.

Just found these identical looking ones at TS in Germany for you (a bit more expensive though). Showing as in stock. https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p981_Orion-Cradle-Rings---Aluminium---for-Tubes-with-diameter-76-mm.html

I recently had the same problem and after looking everywhere eventually found some Skywatcher rings in the right size from 365 Astronomy. I've just looked on their site and they're no longer listed. Unfortunately it seems as though Skywatcher have discontinued this size. However it may be worth asking 365 Astronomy if they still have a set. They did have 3 if I remember. Here's the details of what I ordered, including where they're stored in their warehouse. Good luck! Products ordered SKU Product Location VAT Item price Q/ty Total 365630-tub75 SkyWatcher 76mm Tube Mounting Rings F1A3 20% £23.00 1 £23.00 Subtotal: £23.00 Shipping cost: £4.80 Total: £27.80 including VAT 20.00 %: £4.63 Thank you for your purchase! Thank you for using our shopping system 365Astronomy Phone: 020 33 845187 URL: www.365astronomy.com

Woohoo! My Berlebach Report 112 Astro will be delivered on Monday! Thanks again, guys. BTW, Berlebach says the damping rating for this tripod is a mistake. It should be the same as the non-astro, i.e. very good.

I'd like to thank the community for all their help on my return to astronomy over the last few years. Even before I joined I spent a long time looking at old topics and learned an awful lot. This enabled me to make informed choices on what equipment to buy as the gear is so much better and more complex compared with my first time round. Hopefully I've been able to use my new found knowledge to help others, although I make it a point not to advise on matters I have no experience of. During lockdown the forum has also been a real boon in keeping me occupied when it's cloudy. So thanks once again, not only to those who've helped me personally, but also to the many I've learned from. In fact, every day I learn something new from the forum.

Nice blog in your signature, Magnus. I've bookmarked it to look at properly.

Thanks so much for taking the trouble to do that, Jock. That looks like a very solid design! I've been acting out changing the seat height on different types of chair, watched by my wife. She's of the opinion that I should keep my existing Skywatcher chair for the time being. I've badly stretched the safety spring, but it still works and I can adjust it easily without standing up or twisting round. The chairs really need a hands-on look. Once Covid is over I'll have a look at other types at one of the shows, possibly on the continent. Thanks to you guys I've got a short list of ones to look at. So cheers.👍