Stardaze

Just need to add the dual speed focussing extra and work out what I really need for dew control as that adds up!

Quick update: I’ve swapped the 1.25” reducer which makes sense so thanks to @Ricochet for spotting my mistake there. The thread seems to have locked up too so all working as it should, so much better!

Nice write up @Stu Reminds me that I need to get mobile and find a spot for Sagittarius, as it is a touch too low for me at home. There’s plenty there to observe and another area I’m yet to explore, thanks for the reminder.

Thanks John. I think those inside though are pushing it a bit! Good to know where the limitations are. I'm slowly learning 'to see'.

That makes sense. I was having more issue with the 2” EP’s slopping about mostly.

In short, it’s too long with the click lock system for my 16mm nirvana to focus, but only by a mil or two. All my other EPs should focus in theory. The click lock adds around 18mm from memory to the system.

All of the 2" EP's focus well out (30--34mm), the 1.25"s are much closer. (16mm-20mm) The Nirvana 16mm is the closest. I'm going to see if I can swap the 1.25" reducer. If not, it's not the end of the world as trying to go mostly 2" EP's anyway.

Of course 😃 It's the faff of working out where your eye pieces gain focus, there's 14mm between my lot.. Hopefully on your version, you don't need an extension section, as that adds 30% cost to it all. I could have gotten away with not having the extension, were it for one EP - I was literally about 1mm out! Did consider just clamping it in, a mil out, but there's no leeway later on should I purchase an EP that focuses closer again.

Ah.... I thought that was odd and didn't realise that there's a click version. I just took what FLO had in as it were 😂 Can't see there is a version on their site? Edit: Just found them on another site at £54, against £27 for the version I've got. I'll live with it for that. The conversion cost £140 as it were, which is well over-priced. I needed the 2" clamping more so. The version I have still takes the slop out of an eyepiece and locks solidly, so I'll live with it. To add additional context, if you were to go the full Click Lock on the 1.25" too (£177) that works out exactly a third of the cost of the whole telescope 😂 And found at FLO too: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/baader-clicklock-2-125-adapter-2956214.html Ah well, live and learn!

As silly as that sounds to me, I wouldn't be surprised either 😆

Do you mean just a 'hoodie' draped over, or is there a specific 'observing hood'?

So at long last, a clear evening forecast. Had a most enjoyable couple of hours hopping around the skies last night. I haven't been able to see Neowise before and so managed to bag her once it was dark enough. Just visible by sight too but at 187x I managed a really good view. Jupiter was up early 'between the houses' so caught an early viewing of her, yet Saturn, being a touch lower, seemed to be affected with atmospherics quite a lot and didn't magnify well beyond 98x. I haven't viewed any carbon stars before, so had made a note of T-Lyrae, La Superba and the Garnet Star. All stood out well against the background, so no problems finding any of them, if anything, the last one didn't seem so impressive, but I'll have a read around them a bit more later. I felt that by midnight, viewing was very good.. I could see the Milky Way from my Bortle 5 backyard visually, which was a first. M13 really showed well, I must have had 3 separate hops to it, where the propeller was very clear and distinct. Epsilon Lyrae split very well too but I still couldn't split Zeta Herculis. Whilst in Lyra it's always rude not to have a look, or two, of M57. The mag 12 star next to it was nice and clear too, which has become a good test for me. There really is a lot on view at the moment and I feel far more adept at hopping around the sky, with and without my little atlas (best purchase that!) One last thing that I caught whilst packing away was part of the capricornids shower 😃 One thing though: is anyone using an eyepatch? I read a recommendation to use one somewhere recently. Had neighbours lit window in view last night whilst viewing in the west. I do like to keep both eyes open and normally drape a hoodie over my used eye.

I've managed to upgrade the EP system to the click lock on my 10" Bresser. There's a bit of a workaround needed if anyone finds themselves wanting to do the same. The positives first: No slop! It feels like it was made to fit EP's perfectly. Why do standard systems supplied not at least hug an EP at least, they're all built to a standard? The Baader is a nice tight fit and the lock hardly needs to be rotated much at all to lock an EP in place. A well centred EP! The two screws on the 1.25" piece ooze quality. But for 2" EP's it's simplicity in itself of a simple very small twist and an EP is firmly locked in place (with one caveat mentioned below) So there was one consideration through this, which was having enough extension to focus through all of my EP's. I checked the closest focussing, through to the farthest EP's I have. Closest measured an additional 16mm, whilst the furthest was some 34mm, which is only 8mm from topping out on the focuser. I decided to add the 20mm extension having measured up the focal length of the 2" ClickLock (43.5mm), which has reduced those amounts above by 4mm, so there's plenty of play for future EP's. The bit that you need to know if you do decided to change them with a Bresser, is that on the main 2" holder, there's a 0.75mm-1mm thread adapter. I hadn't noted this when I read up on the system. I couldn't work out at first, why the extension wasn't screwing into the base of the focuser properly. Thankfully the good chaps at FLO came up with a solution. The thread adapter that's on the 2" holder needed to be unscrewed and used as the starting point ie. screwed onto the focuser base! My only gripe now is that the thread of the 2" holder tightens in the same direction of course as the click lock collar, itself. So, especially when left for a bit, the collar grips and so you find yourself unscrewing the 2" section. A couple of small bolts to secure the threaded section would have stopped this from happening, maybe? I need to have a look into a solution here, and then, it would be perfect. I might try a slither of PTFE to see whether that help the two threads grip better? Part codes for the Bresser 10" conversion are: 2" ClickLock - M68i x 0.75 (for Hexafoc focusers) - 2956269 2"-1.25" reducer - 2408190 20mm M68 extension tube - 2458202 If you opt for the extension tube, it does add up, for what it is.

Definitely fancy trying the APM 30 UFF but need the 20 and 9 first.

How much do you favour/use the 31 John? Is it your 'finder' EP mostly?

Over the years, I've heard myself utter, on occasion, "that's that then, I don't need anything else" but.... there's always something!

You can't want for much John 😆

Got a new click lock system turning up tomorrow for mine. Hope it proves worthwhile, added up given I needed an extension too. The planets last weekend looked superb in the Bresser. Still want a little grab and go scope to compliment the dob though. Two EP's first though.... it's a never ending money pit, huh!

Thta's a much better and easier test, thanks! Indeed, yes. Hadn't thought about the terminology per se, but you'd be right Louis with that.

Isn’t that to do with a rifle scope being a refractor? They don’t suffer from a central obstruction becoming visible with a high exit pupil? I just get one if the veils segment In the fov in mine. I bet both looks pretty spectacular.

I’ve noted many stating that they’ve tried the trial and error approach. Have looked at the 28 nirvana but the apm 30 flat field looks a good option too. Just another consideration. I guess further down the line, a shorter FL scope could be a benefit too? So yours John is the 1600mm FL then?

So who’s measured theirs? I guess the only way to really know what limit, on paper, you should keep within, is to check it, no? Is there a general point where the central secondary begins to become noticeable in a reflector? Thinking of what the widest practical possibility would be for my dob (1270mm f5)? A couple of targets I’ve noted would benefit from a wider fov than my 24 (82) has to offer.

It did look to be a good night, but the neighbours were partying last night and just a bit too much localised light-spill made it tough for me. Probably the best view I've had of Jupiter and the moons however. Saw the veil too and had a hunt around Cygnus but I missed the comet. It's been a long couple of weeks of heavy cloud so just good to get back out.

I actually printed all of the deep sky out but never got around to finding a brochure for it. Bought an S&T which I love but would be handy to have that as a larger version.

Probably not is the answer I think. I bought the ES 11 thinking that I'd complete the range but have since discovered the APM range. 13 down to 9 is surely the route. Part of me thinks that the mix of 20/13/9 in 2" is perfect in my dob but I do plan to add a 127 mak and for that, the 1.25" will be needed. I have a nirvana 16 so for the mak - 16/11/7 would be a nice little set 🤔