PeterW

If you sit on a reclining chair you could tilt the tripod back so only 2legs are on the ground, then you could get underneath them more easily. The monopod is good for this. I initially tried using an observing hood, but it falls back when looking up high and doesn’t block light from the front,!hence the face visor I made. A simple idea could be a sheet of thin black neoprene foam sheet with 2 holes cut in that you can stretch over the eyepieces and block all light from ahead,, you could hook the hood over it. The commercial bino-bandit can work with some binoculars. I have used 10nm OIII filters too on the veil (different binoculars), which worked OK. Should try some UNh CN I have, but I’m not sure how well they’ll block the pollution. The recent filter testing post on CN is here. https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/722322-pushing-the-filter-envelope-observing-galactic-nebulae-with-handheld-binoculars-under-suburban-skies/page-2 The conclusion is for nebulae you want narrow, especially under poor skies. I am using 1.25” filters where I’ve held them in a neoprene foam ring that them push fits the eyepieces. I have one set of adapters for each pair of bins. I use sticky back foam sheet which I stick it to a piece of paper/thin card. This gives a hard rim that the filter thread can “screw into”. As these filters are very reflective you have to eliminate all light from around your ether or you’ll just see a reflection of yourself. The good thing with binoculars is that the fields of view are quite large and the view the right way up so navigating is relatively easy. Using the sky safari app with a ring on screen the size of your field of view helps you know how far to move and the likely scale of things you’re looking for. With better skies than a me there should be plenty of stuff to go after. Peter

First clear sky for ages, not especially dark, given I live on the edge of London and have streetlights directly shining into the garden. Tool of the day, some APM 10x50ED binoculars on a cheap monopod with trigger ball head for stable views. I put some custom flocked dew/straylight shields on the objectives to keep the worst of the local lighting out. First I focussed them up on the Orion belt area, then I popped in my two new 5.5nm Baader hydrogen beta filters (from some recent filter testing threads on CloudyNights) and popped on my custom face visor/straylight shield. Without this any light around the eyepieces will mess the view as these filters darken things quite a lot, though enough stars are visible and sky isn’t totally dark. The Orion Nebula was much easier and wider with the wings showing with averted vision. Moving my eyes about made some of the stars pulse as they went in and out of averred vision, which was an odd sight. No sight of the nearby flame nebula though. Next to consult sky safari for some hops for some things to find. First off the rosette, hopping down a line from Meissa through Betelgeuse. Hint of something quite large with a couple of notable stars nearby, checked sky safari – bingo. Next to check on an old favourite the monkeyhead near M35 in gemini Nothing obvious, but a suggestion of something to the left of a pair of stars – again bingo. Final (quick) look as one filter kept falling out, I went closer to the zenith, calling first at the Pleiades and then up into Perseus to see if the california nebula might make an appearance…. Definitely a faint wide slightly tilted diagonal band just above menkib, though my neck didn’t like looking so high – again checked with sky safari. So 3 objects not normally suburban binocular viewing using filters that should “only be used on the horse head nebula with a large apertures under dark skies”….. or maybe not. Given I’m looking somewhat in the direction of a streetlight and the only dark adaption I am getting is the time behind the face shield, this seems quite good. Things to fix. I need to eliminate every potential light leak in the straylight visor as I could detect some tiny leaks with averted vision and these were annoying. I’m going to need to remake the foam rubber push-fit filter holders so they wedge in the eyepieces better and don’t fall out into the grass so easily. I also forgot I had the move-shoot-move Z-V bracket on top of the ball head that I should have used to add some extra height and make higher elevation viewing easier. Next time i’ll put some blackout material over the washing line and set up a reclined camping chain behind it so I can observe for longer and get better dark adapted. See what details I can dig out and maybe go after a few more of the larger nebulae. Peter

EEA is what you make of it…. Watching frames build up over a few minutes each and then assembling them with minimal extra work…. Doesn’t sound like imaging .. and you get to see a “bigger picture”. Too many people only look at “the usual suspects”, there’s plenty more stuff off the beaten path. Similarly the whole of cygnus and Cepheus have lots of nebulous stuff for you to follow and dig up…. Whatever takes your fancy. peter

Grab some more overlapping frames and stitch them together… the whole area up from here has lots of nebulosity out past the Cone nebula! Peter

Good bins, good eyepieces…. Good views! peter

If you have a “skywatcher” EQ mount tripod there is “puck” adapter you can find that converts to a 3/8” screw for attaching other stuff to. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/skywatcher-star-adventurer/astro-essentials-38-photo-adapter-for-az-eq6-neq6-and-eq6-r-tripods.html That widget on your picture should be the mounting bracket that ought to slide along the centre bar so you can change the balance point as you move the binoculars in altitude. I had some old 25x100 and the bar was not removable, so odd to see it not connected?! Peter

At, a Yellow Book… https://clarkvision.com/articles/visastro/index.html Peter

The rule will be to do with getting the size of galaxies bigger so your eyes can see them more easily. I’d start with the rule of thumb as it stands with 82mm or maybe a little more, certainly wouldn’t double it…. But tell us how you get on. peter

Great minds think alike…. For keeping things warm in my pockets and for powering/recharging things at the same time. Didn’t need the version with lights on. Peter

…. The question “do you have any binoculars” didn’t come up… there are some good options <£100 and the rest could go on good guides. Learn your way around, go to some clubs and Se what stuff will show you. Peter

@Stu a little metal thread and you can make any glove “smartphone compatible”… I upgraded a pair of glove liners I use so I don’t need you go without any gloves when out! Postie just delivered this, bought it cheap 😉😉! Actually bought as it contains a lot of useful/interesting non-year/non-North America specific info/guidance and observing lists that I was after! Peter

You should be able to get to almost the zenith, though it’s not perfect. I reckon the tripod will be more stable. I tend to loosen/tighten the locks/friction on the axes when moving. Rock steady binocular stars are nice! Peter

I checked the port/sloe gin and coffee bean supplies and I’m good for a typical winter of clouds or (hopefully not) another lockdown. Time for another dose of “medicine”… Peter

Santa delivered, no FLO cloud/snow stickers, so the weather may improve. Seeing double, for binocular nebulae under light pollution. Peter

Just got a shipping note from FLO…. Looks like Santa might make it this year… Peter

Woah, you could see Whales/Wales with that thing…. Don’t drop it! Peter

Nikon monarch 82ed-a or the meopta 82 S2 both have very good following and can be adapted to astro eyepieces. The advice seems to be to try before you buy as even the big brands have been known to sell lemons (spotters aren’t used at extreme power and so optical defects are harder to spot). Peter

For terrestrial you’ll want a 45degree erecting diagonal, the William optics one works fine. For high power astro use then a mirror/prism diagonal will be best (but flip the orientation of the views). Peter

Great stuff! Peter

The ES coma corrector (that doesn’t waste your precious fast speed) and the 21mm Ethos… people are using <f3 reflectors and not reporting crummy views… some people really don’t like ladders at all! interesting to see a commercial scope <f4, let’s hope more appear: Peter

Try to get the colours to work with red light, I have a book where half the contents vanishes at night. Are you going to provide more detailed charts per object? Good luck Peter

Not commercially available, but another 150mm option… https://www.bbastrodesigns.com/6inchF2.8/6 Inch F2.8 Telescope.html Peter

Which surfaces were the worst offenders? I’ve had dust issues on sensors when imaging, but never visually… apart from eye floaters. Peter

If you’re not wanting to lug the scope around a lot then the astro refractor will do a better job and allow more eyepiece options than a dedicated spotter. I like wide field views and avoid zooms, though I have the Baader one and use it occasionally. Carrying a few extra eyepieces is a little concern if you’re carrying an astro refractor. With the 2” diagonal you can use eyepieces with focal lengths from around 40mm down to 6mm or so. The zooms range is a good start. I think the vixen takes the synta rail mount which the scope seems to come with (?) so no additional adapters needed. My refractor has a “foot”’that has camera threads in, so I need either a shirt synta rail or a tripod head adapter plate to use. I hope you’ll enjoy the views, Peter

Well add it your list! Peter