HollyHound

Thanks... That’s what I hoped, it does seem to have a good range of magnification for this scope. I’ve also confirmed that both my Panoptic 24mm and 15mm are parfocal with the zoom. This is useful, as I understand the focuser has quite limited travel and so better to have eyepieces that are close to each other 👍

Arrived today from a fellow forum member, and in superb condition, thank you 👍 TV Nagler 3-6mm Zoom 😃 I had one of these last summer, then sold it, as most of it was too much mag for my StellaMira 80mm f/10 and way too much for the C5 or Mak at the time. However, i figure that as a true grab and go setup this would go very nicely with a lightweight 76mm f/7.5 scope, giving 95x to 190x, much more appropriate... fortunately such a scope is on its way 😃

Thanks... Indeed, he is a lovely chap and his scope setups are an inspiration 😃 Will do, as soon as I can get it setup and a clear night 👍

The photo shown wasn't for a FC-76DCU, so perhaps it put some off, but I confirmed with FLO that it is indeed an ex-demo FC-76DU with all the OTA package bits (tube cradle, 6x30 finder and finder holder) 😃

Exactly, I looked at it weeks ago, was pre-occupied with getting the Ethos and AZ100 at the time and thought it would have gone... but over the last few nights, been reading these posts and chatting with a few helpful forum members, and thought it's either now or ever... I was reading that in the USA, Taks are on a waiting list of 7/8 months+ 😮 So made the decision this morning. Now a bino-scope with these would probably be amazing 🤣

Thank you. I've been thinking about this one off and on for weeks, I am so surprised it wasn't snapped up already. My only concern was whether it would give me anything over the StellaMira, but whilst I love that, it really is a heavy old beast (superbly built but possibly over-engineered) and I really want something that's as light as my C5, but without the dewing and cool down... plus it's a refractor, they are magical in many ways 😃 Am going to try it without a dovetail initially, bolted directly onto the ScopeTech, but may get a dovetail and leave the ADM clamp on there long term. However, it it works as I hope it does, then these two (plus the Report) could be a permanent "ready to go" setup 🤔

Hi Nicola, I will certainly let you know how it performs. I don't currently plan to use it with a Tak diagonal, but I have Baader T2 prism, which should be very similar so a reasonable comparison. I wasn't sure if I was hanging on the Morpheus, as I have other eyepieces now, but it's still so light and a gorgeous view, so it stays for while longer or more 😀

As it happens, I have this very eyepiece and agree, it’s lovely... as I now have the very same FC-76DCU incoming next week, I hope to have an opportunity to try it out and see how well the combination performs 🤞

Apologies Chris, but I couldn’t resist any longer and it seemed a real shame to be sitting in the shop window unloved for so long 😬 Blame @JeremyS for posting all those gorgeous photos of his on the Berlebach/ScopeTech 🤣

There was... reading this and another comparison thread finally pushed me over the decision point and as I’ve been looking for a capable and very lightweight scope that doesn’t require a while to cool or dew over, I think this fits the bill perfectly 👍 Very similar capability to my StellaMira 80mm f/10, which I love, but it’s just a bit too heavy at 6kg loaded, so hopefully this can be the ideal “grab and go” 🤞 So I’ll soon be joining you and others Nicola, in this little club of happy FC-76DCU owners 😀

I’ve been getting the same, my postman always has a witty remark when an @FLOpackage arrives 🤣

Just arrived (very quickly thank you) from @mikeDnight and in superb condition 😃 A Masuyama 16mm 85 degree... this is specifically for the StellaLyra 6” f/12 CC and possibly the StellaMira 80mm f/10, as it’s not purported to work too well at lower f ratios. However, it is super small and light for what it should provide and “may” replace the Panoptic 15mm in the “small” set🤔

This all seems to imply that with the motor unit fitted, using a Nexus II, just to provide connection to Sky Safari, is redundant. Very timely information, as I was just about to get a Nexus II, but seems waiting for the motor unit makes more sense 🤔(I have the encoders fitted already). Fair enough though, the DSC provides a user interface and doesn’t require an iPad/tablet though 👍

I’ve still retained the Morpheus 17.5 and sold my DeLite 18... both are excellent eyepieces, but for me I find the Morpheus just gives that extra FoV that I now love 😃 They’re superb eyepieces and that’s a lovely set 👍

Finally got round to sorting out the other two cases... Firstly a grab and go case (Plossls, Orthos, Barlow & diagonal) for quick short sessions and just keeping things simple😀 Then a small case to keep the binoviewer, Hyperion zooms, Meade 16mm pair, 1.6x Barlow and erecting prism, when not living on the Mak 127.

Arrived today from a fellow forum member, and it’s excellent... Uranometria 2000.0 👍

They are a bit, but worth it... I find I need to tighten the grub screw that adjusts the 10:1 focus knob itself as occasionally it comes loose and the only the coarse focuser works... easy and quick to fix though 👍

The large case I already had is a GeoOptik, but they’re less easy to get hold off now. So I ordered one of these from Amazon... very similar (in fact almost identical)... Max MAX430S.079 Waterproof Photography Hard Plastic Flight Case, Tool Box, Black https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00A9ULZFK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_fabc_9WMKJH8KPS0D4Q733FKM?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 Seems quite tough and should work well. I’m happy to have all the eyepieces and Paracorr for a session with the dob in one case now 👍

I took delivery of two more cases today, one very small which will house a small “lightweight” set of Plossls and Orthos... will sort that out later in the week and post a photo. The big case I already have, now holds the set of Pentax XWs (30, 20, 14, 10, 7, 5 and 3.5) and a few other selected 1.25” eyepieces... Delos 14, Panoptic 24 and 15, ES 4.7 82, Baader Morpheus 17.5, Genuine Ortho 12.5, Classic Ortho 6, Hyperion 2.25x Barlow, ES Focal Extender 2” 2x and 1.25” 2x, plus a couple of filters. Newly added today, is a medium size case, which holds just the “dob” set... Ethos (21, 13, 8, 6 and 3.7) and Paracorr II. Seems the plan to have one set, has turned into three sets, but at least they are now better organised 🤣

Agreed, I found the same when I had one... the 17.5mm doesn’t have the field curvature at all. To be fair the Pentax XW 14mm does also suffer in the same way. It very well maybe scope dependant though... longer focal lengths may be better 🤔

She’s a beauty 😀 This and the AZ100 makes pretty much a “do almost anything” mount 👍

Little something for the Ethos 8... TV 2” barrel extender.

I have the same three books, bought early last year and they’ve been a wonderful reference 👍

Same here, I would absolutely not have seen any of the outer edge aberrations on my newer eyepieces had coma been present, which it was for me on the 10" dob. The Paracorr II was revolutionary in that respect (for me anyway) 👍 Arguably, without it I'd just accept the coma, wouldn't have been bothered and saved some money 🤣 Absolutely, as I said before, I've had no really bad eyepieces really at all.

Having just recently tested the APM XWA 20 against the Ethos 21, I can confirm (at least for the samples I have) that the difference is very minor indeed... the only difference is that there was some noticeable astigmatism in the outer 15% (at most) with the APM. On the other side, the Ethos is 50% heavier and significantly more expensive 😬 I have retained the Ethos 21 and sold on the APM 20, but that's just so I'm never going to ask myself "what if" in the future 🤣