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Excellent, thanks. It's just for guiding so you've saved me a few quid 😁

Hi all. I'm slowly putting together an imaging setup and have been looking at guide scopes. It'll will be paired with a 150PDS and either the HEQ5 Pro or AZ EQ5, as yet undecided. I'm looking at the Altair 60mm guidescope or the SW Evoguide 50ED. I'll be mounting it on a dovetail attached to the tube rings. Are they going to be fairly similar in performance?

Lots to unpack there, a lot of which I have no idea what it means 😄 But the more info I have, the more I can start researching and getting to grips with. I'm starting to think I'll need to move to a nice high mountain top to get enough clear sky time to get to grips with it all. Any recommendations on good books to guide me through getting started?

Thanks. I want to keep it below the £200 mark so that could be a good option. Would there be much difference between that and the SW one?

Thanks. I picked up a 2nd hand EOS1000D and have had a couple of sessions imaging the moon via my laptop. I'll have a look at guide cams for sure. Imaging is 2nd to visual so no great hurry to get all the gear at once. My first set of EPs didn't last long before I started upgrading so I don't want to rush it 😄 I downloaded sharpcap but it doesn't recognize my camera so I've been using EOS Utility. Can you recommend any other free software that would do the job or will that suffice? I've also downloaded registax and gimp but haven't had the need for them yet.

Morning everyone. Just about getting the feeling back in my toes after a chilly night observing 🥶 I'm currently saving the pennies for an AZ-EQ5-GT (will be used with a 150PDS, coma corrector also on wishlist) for stepping up to DSO imaging and was wondering if there are any other essential bits of kit I should be saving for as well to get me going?

Excellent, thanks. I didn't think I'd need one until I started trying out DSOs, I'll pop it on my wishlist.

Hi Folks. I finally got to have a go with my DSLR last night after weeks of rubbish weather. I'm using a 150PDS on manual mount and an EOS1000D (remote operation via EOS Utility) with 2.5x PM. This was the best of the batch. I'm reasonably happy with the result but couldn't get the whole image in focus. Is this just limitations of the setup I'm using or could it be an issue with the OTA collimation? Also, is there a difference between shooting in black and white or shooting in colour then editing the image to black and white?

Plenty to be getting on with and lots more to learn. Much appreciated

Thanks for the link, very useful tool.

I had a look and it is the APS-C size. All useful information so thank you. A tracking mount is next on my wishlist as I'd like to give DSO a go one day. Would a 4x/5x Barlow be of any use or is that going too far the other way?

Ok thanks. I have a 2.5x powermate so that will be handy. What do you mean by crop sized sensor? Other than hovering my phone over the eyepiece I'm completely new to this.

Excellent, thank you both. I've downloaded EOS Utility on my laptop (had to get it off Canon's Hong Kong site, for some reason the UK/EUR/US sites only have the updater) so was planning to use that to remote control it. Just need to wait for some clear skies now to start playing 😁

Hi Folks. I've just got myself a DSLR to begin learning a bit of astrophotography. I'm using a 150-PDS on a manual mount so was going to start with the moon. Very new to photography in general so could do with a few tips on suitable setup for getting some at least satisfactory shots.

Thanks. It was more for when they're in the focuser as I make notes and look things up on my phone while observing (keeping one eye covered) so it's for those gaps. I like the ideas for the ones not in use though 🤔

Hi Folks. Does anyone have any tricks for preventing dew on eyepieces? I've had a look at heat straps but could do with something a bit more budget friendly. I thought about just putting the cap on when I'm not looking through it but could do with a more convenient solution.

Hi. I've only got fairly limited experience with EPs but for what it's worth, I started out with the Baader Classic Ortho range. Not the same FOV as the BSTs but the quality of the view is top notch for 50 quid a piece. The 6mm I found a bit fiddly but the 10 and 18mm were used a lot. I've currently got a 3.2mm BST and for the price it seems to hold up pretty well at x234 on my 6" Newtonian.

Thanks for the input everyone. I don't have to share the scope with anyone usually so I'll just keep using the string on my specs as I also suffer from forgetting they're on my head. Tried contact lenses once, never again 😂

Hi all. I just have a question regarding wearing glasses while observing. I currently have a fairly mild prescription for varifocals and get on fine without them when using my telescope. Is there a point where I might have to start wearing them or is it just down to personal preference? I was wondering whether I'll need to plan what eyepieces to use based on their suitability for glasses wearers.

I had the 80A on Jupiter last night, I quite liked it but not sure if it actually improved the view. The neodymium seemed to tease out a little more detail. Together they just made the image too dark.

Hi folks. Clear sky all night I have a Baader neodymium and some colour filters for visual use. Would using the Baader with a colour have a positive effect or is it best used solo?

Looks like you've got most bases covered with all that gear. Hopefully you've got some clear skies heading your way this weekend to have a good session. I've only been doing it about a year or so, the trouble is my wishlist just keeps getting longer

The rigel and 9x50 RACI are a great combination. I've got them on my 6" newtonian and it makes it so easy to line up targets with the rigel then do some fine tuning on the 9x50.

That thing's a beast! There's no reference point when looking at them in online stores. I hope you have your steel toe caps on! Seeing that you have the 17.3mm Delos, do they both get a lot of use? Do they each suit a particular type of telescope? The world of 2" EPs is one for further down the road. I'm thinking about joining a club at some point, once things are back to normal (or as close as we can get to it) so hopefully will get a chance to try something like that.

I've been getting on pretty well with Stellarium, but I will checkout the link you posted. It is a 3.2mm. A BST Starguider. To keep cost down I'm trying to keep everything in 1.25", mainly because all my filters are that size. So the 24mm is my longest focal length EP at the moment. I had some excellent views of Jupiter and Saturn with the 16mm and a x2.5 powermate. First time seeing Jupiter's cloud belts so very happy! I've been keeping an occasional log over the last year, but this year I'm trying to be more organized before I start each session so it will be getting a lot more entries. If I ever run out of things to look at I must be doing it wrong Do you get plenty of clear nights in Texas?