Stardaze

Nice report Mark and there's a few things there that I will make a note of myself that I haven't seen. I saw the GRS too early on but switched to globulars and some doubles (had a new XW 5 to try). Also squeezed in planetary and finished up with Mars as it was rising but quite wobbly. Looking forward to the month ahead with Mars. Also caught Andromeda rising above the tree before packing up, so the autumn changes are approaching.

100ml of any cleaning fluid really should last years. I don't see how the cost of the wonder stuff is really going to break anyone. I have a large bottle of isopropanol that is older than all of my lenses and eye pieces 😀

Used the XW last night for the first time and really found the eye placement very strange. I do love the 8mm Ethos though, very different moving from that to the XW 5. I'll get used to it, I'm sure. Got an early glimpse of Mars which is encouraging for the month ahead.

I should have also added that I used one of the existing holes for the Baader shoe, in the centre. Here's the pic of mine so you can see the screw left in-between the Telrad and RACI.

You'll love the Bresser dob, @johninderby should be taking commission from them 😆 I wasn't happy with the build of the Quikfinder, there were marks all over the perspex screen, which in practice, you wouldn't see, but just looked poor to me. Love the Telrad. They're an old trusted design so very bulky, but does what it needs to. I also changed the shoe to the Baader one and upgraded the finder scope to the SW 9x50 RACI which simply has to be done. I actually still haven't added the dual focuser, so I wouldn't say that's totally necessary to begin with as you'll probably develop an eyepiece 'habit' if you're anything like me, that will wreak havoc on your overall budget. The modifications are part of the fun owning a dob, there always seems to be something. I will add the dual focuser at some point.

Interesting that the neodymium crops up again. Some love them, whilst others don't seem to. Might add one at the end of the month to the collection in readiness for October. Need to slow down on purchases 😂 The XW 5mm turned up today... How have you found yours?

Thanks for this. Are polarisers your go-to for planets? Do you use anything else?

I must have done something very similar last Friday and stayed out till 2am. Great report and wish I could sketch like that. Hoping for another dabble with Mars Sunday night by the look of it.

I can relate to these on a camera lens John, you have to twist them to obtain the best polarisation. How would that work on an eye piece? Would you need to twist it, reseat, and keep doing so until the optimum level is achieved? Have you the 1.25" version? I have been toying with something to reduce the moons glare, whilst also thinking about the something for planetary, seems a good starter.

Mine didn’t seem too bad in the 1.25” click lock, but the 2” would certainly feel bomb-proof. Still waiting on the barrel and rings from FLO but I suspect another item that I ordered is holding it back for a few days.

Eventually I’ll add the Ethos 6 and XW 3.5, which should complete my little set and complement each other. No need for a Barlow at that point either. I’m quite happy now, having plugged the gaps and still have an ES 6.7 for the moment in between the 8 and 5. I have been intrigued with the XW’s and the 5 was always going to be where I fancied dabbling. Seem to have gone a little crazy this last month so looking forward to getting to use them now.

Wow! 11 EP's in as many weeks. And top-end ones at that! 😆 I'm trying to buy keepers and think I'm on the right track. I thought that an XW 5mm, and eventually 3.5 too, will be my planetary EP's. I was a bit lacking with Mars the other night and felt my cheapo Barlow was compromising the 8mm ethos. Mars is only going to be this good again in a few years time, right? So, why not make sure I'm in with a fighting chance this time around. Well.... that's my excuse. I'm not certain she will see it that way though 😂 PS. £210 is a steal huh!

I'm going to be in trouble later.... was thinking of ordering an Antares 1.6 to give me a 5mm option with the 8mm Ethos. Happened to see that Astronomy 365 still had some Pentax XW's in clearance, so bagged the 5mm. 🤣 That's me done this side of xmas...

The results are interesting, half voted for never. I suspected most would probably be around 1-2 years but the never option has actually surprised me.

I guess I wish I had those problems Gerry 😀

My 8mm tops out the focuser by a few mm. I’ve ordered an extension barrel and parfocal rings but have been using it all week as a 1.25”. Probably shouldn’t have bothered buying the bits so that it will work as a 2” but when dropping down from the APM 13, I thought I’d keep it all the same.

Where did buy yours from, I can’t see any UK vendors? I keep toying with updating my cheap Barlow. I’ve been trying not to utilise one but did the other night and felt mines a weakness in the chain.

Is dew a constant problem for you? Only the once here but bought the dew kit in readiness for the winter.

Very true John. I normally buy one a year, but then I do use them mostly for my camera lenses. I'll probably buy one for my EP cleaning bag. Definitely a blow and brush for 99% of the time with any lens.

There was a good bit of info in a thread recently somewhere about cleaning them. I found this worth a watch: In the other thread however, many said not to use a lens pen. I have struggled to get into the absolute corners, even with a cotton bud, I still get a smear. A lens pens would make sense but was warned against, so haven't. Possibly doesn't make much difference at the extreme outer edge anyway. Edit: I decided to have a go at the edges on the EP mentioned above with the lens pen = perfect! Only did the edge with that though. Am using Baader wonder fluid and cloth.

I'm in no rush 😀 Mine's generally kept inside the house with a shower cap on the bottom too, so pretty sealed up. It's going to have plenty of nights in the shed though during the winter after viewing, when the temp changes. I'm always mindful when I leave it out to cool of birds etc so leave it on the horizontal, just in case. Next mod might be a fan, going to look into making something up.

I have wondered whether a truss dob is easier to blow off dust a little easier. Mines not that bad on further inspection, seemed worse first thing when I moved it back from the shed to inside.

And that's a great answer John, it is however determining exactly when it's needed. How do you 'know'? My problem is that I am a little anal with keeping things clean, I'll admit that. And so it's tricky to sit on your hands, but I am going to, as I don't see any issues with the viewing at the moment. I take it that once the screws are removed the whole assembly just drops out?

I've seen so much about this topic, but never a poll? Whilst I know many leave them well alone until things look desperate, there must be some that also like to regularly take things apart and spruce them up. There's many variables, such as frequency of use and how the optics are stored, but mine seems to have gotten very dusty in a short period of time. I'm not itching to do it, far from it, but interested to hear you experienced folks actual frequency.

Interesting Don! Out of interest, having got the APM 20 and 13, how improved did you find the Ethos variants?