Dannomiss

1 hour ago, Robindonne said:

Nice.  Always hard to describe with a picture how beautiful the eyepiece showed it

Oh in eyepiece... Just beautiful 😊 these pictures don't show one bit what I saw. 

So I managed to get outside for 45mins last night and take a photo. 

These are just single shots taken and edited on my snsrtphone. Haven't done stacking yet from the video I recorded, but pretty pleased with Jupiter one 👌😊

It's been over a week of clouds here, but finally there was a small break last night. However it was windy and my little heritage with its shroud was a little shaky, but managed to capture a few things. Not amazing, but pleased to just get out and have fun 😊 Just shows we must keep practicing :

Skywatcher Heritage 150p
BST starguider 8mm and 18mm Lenses
2x Barlow on planets
Cheap Phone adapter

59 minutes ago, Lockie said:

I received a few concerns about the stability of the H 150p and it's ability to handle heavier upgraded eyepieces, so I upgraded the 24g Super 10 eyepiece to a 187g 10mm Explore Scientific 52 degree LER and did a little experiment:

 

I upgraded lenses to the BST StarGuider ones and I would say its around 3-4 seconds. When using my smartphone I put it on a 5 second timer so vibrations are settled before it takes a picture. Iver the the focuser much more of an issue than the rods... I've found those pretty secure. Infact what amazes me... If you leave them unfightened and look at collimation through the small cap with a hole it it, and then tighten the rods while looking, it comes straight into alignment, so I know there's not much movement in those rods. I've even attached an extension arm with my phone on to one of the Rods to test it too and no movement whatsoever

Thanks for the video 😁👍

23 hours ago, Dantooine said:

Temptation is bad... use the force... resist. I think you get one of a type, you like them and you want more of the same. 😁

I'm really pleased with the StarGuider lenses especially with glasses... But @JeremyS new lens looks very nice indeed 

2 hours ago, Dantooine said:

Yeah right. I said that and today I’ve ordered a pan 27. We should maybe be at the end of the search?

You guys with your £300 lenses and I'm getting 6 lenses for a total of £300 lol

17 minutes ago, merlin100 said:

Some of the BST StarGuider eyepiece range are out of stock at the moment. I've been watching for a 5mm version, but with no joy. 

https://www.365astronomy.com/5mm-BST-Explorer-Starguider-ED-Eyepiece.html

11 minutes ago, merlin100 said:

Some of the BST StarGuider eyepiece range are out of stock at the moment. I've been watching for a 5mm version, but with no joy. 

10-15days wait currently 

30 minutes ago, Ricochet said:

You are correct, the magnification given by a 5mm eyepiece and a 10mm eyepiece with a 2X barlow will be roughly the same. Technically, there may be a slight difference because your eyepiece focal lengths wont be exactly 5 and 10mm, and your barlow is unlikely to be exactly 2X, but the numbers are close enough that you probably won't notice the difference through the eyepiece. What will make a difference is the quality of your 5mm, 10mm and barlow. If you have a poor 10mm or barlow, then the combination will also be poor and worse than a decent 5mm eyepiece. However, if you have a poor 5mm eyepiece then the image will be worse than the combination of a good 10mm and 2X barlow. A top quality barlow will be unnoticable in the optical chain and looking through a barlowed 10mm will be just like looking through the 5mm from the same series. In fact this is exactly what I do for my high power DSO eyepieces. I have 10 and 14mm eyepieces, which then become 5 and 7mm eyepieces when combined with my 2X TeleXtender.

Thanks so much for a thorough explanation. That makes total sense 😁 I'm sure others will benefit from your reply... Thank you so much

@Patrick Bateman I hope you don't mind me askign a question on your thread? Just seems silly of me posting a new topic when you are asking the questions on here...

So all those in the know... what really is the difference here. if I have a focal length of 750mm and I use a 5mm EP which gives me a Magnification of 150x - But then if I use a 10mm EP and a 2x barlow it gives me Mag of 150x? Will there be a difference? Will the view change? Will the quality change?

On 29/06/2020 at 17:35, Patrick Bateman said:

Now thinking of going with the 8mm and a Barlow for now and maybe go for the 5mm later in the year.

 

 

I can say myself the 8mm BST starguider is really nice and works well with a barlow as well 🙂  The eye relief is great and is such a nice full view in the eye piece

1 hour ago, Dantooine said:

That box is filling up quick. You said you would only get 5 eyepieces in there. It’s looking more like 8. That would be plenty. 

The 5 would be I think;

- 5mm, 8mm, 12mm, 18mm, 25mm (May miss out the 15mm and was advised not much point getting the 3.2mm)

1 minute ago, sputniksteve said:

Ok, cool. I can see it now. 

I wonder if theres something that could attach a smartphone holder to a dovetail, and use it in place of the finder ...

Yeah that would be cool. I may get a bracket to sit on top of scope to be honest.... but I want to attach a Rigel QuikFinder Compact Reflex Sight

2 hours ago, sputniksteve said:

Very interesting. 

What are you clamping it to on the OTA, and what adapter is holding the phone?

Oh sorry I didn't answer 🙂 Thanks Louis. yes its just on the telescope arm casing. Pretty secure

1 minute ago, Dantooine said:

hat box is filling up quick. You said you would only get 5 eyepieces in there. It’s looking more like 8. That would be plenty. 

I think only 5 BST lenses. The top right is the Barlow and the bottom one is the super10mm that came with telescope which I still like 🙂 But from seeing other BST lenses they are different sizes so may need a slightly bigger box

9 minutes ago, sputniksteve said:

Very interesting. 

What are you clamping it to on the OTA, and what adapter is holding the phone?

This is the arm clamp https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01EXX4IPW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Nbq.EbECBZJ7Y

And its just a cheap phone holder for a tripod with a 1/4inch thread

And another one. This time a BST StarGuider 18mm 😁

I have thought about the barlow question though. if my FL of scope is 750mm and I use a 5mm I piece I can get 150x Magnification.... however I could also use my 10mm EP and 2x Barlow and get 150x magnification. So my question which is similar, why would you do either? WOuld you the 10mm + barlow give you a more comfortable viewing experience or would going straight to a 5mm be better?

Its a good question 🙂

Also: I have read something on here about barlows and that with the barlows where you can take the lens of the end - if you then attach that to an Eyepiece, its not 2x now but approx 1.5x. However it doesn't work with my new BST starguider lens as it need a little extension to separate the EP lens and the barlow lens. Just a thought.

6 hours ago, Skipper Billy said:

Welcome to SGL. Cracking wee scope.

The light nights gives you time to make a light shroud for it out of a yoga mat etc and the fettle the focuser by adding a few wraps of PTFE Plumbers tape around the threads of the focuser to remove any slop and give a nice smooth action.

Enjoy it! Mine is my most used scope. 

I've found the pfte taper comes off after a few outings. Got to redo mine again tomorrow 

Hello and welcome from Liverpool, UK, and welcome to SGL. Bought my heritage 150p about 4 weeks ago and it's been mostly cloudy ever since 😂 here's hoping for clear skies too. 

My wife blames me for the weather. 

I am late to the party, but I tried this with my new BST StarGuider lens and doesn't work. Not enough space between the lenses 

8 minutes ago, John said:

Software-wise I use (all free):

- Cartes-du-Ciel

- Stellarium

- Virtual Moon Atlas

- Virtual Planet Atlas

I've had a couple of versions of Starrynight but I didn't get on with those.

I have Skysafari 5 Pro on my mobile and a tablet but I don't use those devices when I'm observing. My main use for the mobile phone is occasionally snapping pics of the moon !

I've got a copy of Nortons somewhere but much prefer the S&T Pocket Sky Atlas which has become an indispensable observing tool for me.

 

I like the following

- skymap
- Sky Safari
- Virtual moon App now 🙂

From what I have seen of S&T Pocket Sky Atlas - I like it and prefer its layout and design

3 minutes ago, Corncrake said:

Ah yes, an app for all seasons

which reminds me, I once tried one of those with my android tablet and was disconcerted to find that the tube on my 300p was magnetic and discombuberated things - but that wont affect your Heritage , , well not till you get aperture fever

Actually, I was thinking more along the lines of printable so you can make observing notes as well, (without destroying night vision by turning on a screen ) and then file  for posterity 🤣

Definitely going to print some out so I can make notes 🙂

8 minutes ago, Corncrake said:

you have nodoubt considered downloadable ones, there are many,

Absolutely and I think its the way I may go... like this...

5 minutes ago, Aramcheck said:

I've got both the "Cambridge Star Atlas" (3rd edition) & "Sky & Telescope's Pocket Sky Atlas". The latter is ring bound & smaller, so I've found it more useful when I'm out at night with binoculars. It doesn't have as many stars plotted as the hard bound Cambridge Star Atlas, but does have constellation lines marked.

I like both though & you can pick up a 3rd edition copy of the Cambridge Star Atlas very cheaply.

Cheers
Ivor

Thanks so much Ivor for responding. Do you know what the difference would be between the 3rd and 4th edition of the Cambridge Star Atlas? The 4th edition is approx £25