galaxy-gazer

16 hours ago, Tiny Clanger said:

BST starguiders are highly recommended as good basic eyepieces , as they are so popular they frequently pop up second hand on here for around £35 when people upgrade , but you need to be very fast to get in before the rush ! The 8mm or 12mm are nice in the mak (and my other 'scopes too)

I'd not suggest a high magnification plossl , because it would have poor eye relief, but a medium mag. plossl from a reputable brand at around 17mm would fill the gap between an 8mm BST and your 32mm plossl nicely , Skywatcher super plossls  and FLO's own 'Astro Essentials' range are impressive for the price (£20-£25)

**Update**
Last night I observed the moon/Jupiter and Saturn.

moon was simply magnificent (pin sharp, bright) with the stock 25mm EP and not so sharp with stock 10mm EP, actually a tad blurry, and dull..

Saturn was very bright/sharp but small with 25mm.

Bigger but  Dull (lack of contrast) and blurry with 10mm EP.

Same with Jupiter!

Is it the seeing or the 10mm stock EP isn’t great! probably the latter!

cheers!

sam

Thanks for your response, I had read that article too, according to the calculations recommended my EP comes to 8.85 as the highest magnification EP, I am really after second hand stuff to get me going!

2 hours ago, Tiny Clanger said:

First, and most likely, the focus on the mak needs very fine adjustment, a tiny fraction of a turn can make a big difference. The precision focus device I use is a plastic clothes peg clipped on the knob : cheap, easily found/replaced , and available in a range of tasteless colours. A fingertip gentle push on the end of the peg can help  make those tiny adjustments. Some folk make a larger disk to push on the knob out of a peanut butter jar lid (other plastic  lidded spreads are available 🙂 )

Is your poor image due to daytime use , or the stock eyepieces ?  I can't say, because I've never used my mak in the daytime except to look at the Sun (with suitable solar filter on the front, obviously) and when I bought it I already had some better eyepieces, so the stock ones didn't come out of the box.

Finally, and this has not been a problem for me at all, but I've read it occasionally is for some if the 'scope took a knock,  a mak can (quite rarely) be out of collimation when delivered . There are adjusting screws, but I'd avoid messing with them unless you are absolutely convinced you have exhausted every other possible  factor, and are sure the collimation is out. A search on how to check collimation on a maksutov will no doubt bring you plenty of information: if I recall correctly, there is a way of doing that in daylight by looking down it the 'wrong' way .

So…going forward would you recommend me changing the diagonal? if yes then prism or dielectric? and what assortment of EPs would you recommend? The only one I own is a celestron 32mm plossl, apart from the stock ones which came with the scope.

thanks

sam

47 minutes ago, Tiny Clanger said:

First, and most likely, the focus on the mak needs very fine adjustment, a tiny fraction of a turn can make a big difference. The precision focus device I use is a plastic clothes peg clipped on the knob : cheap, easily found/replaced , and available in a range of tasteless colours. A fingertip gentle push on the end of the peg can help  make those tiny adjustments. Some folk make a larger disk to push on the knob out of a peanut butter jar lid (other plastic  lidded spreads are available 🙂 )

Is your poor image due to daytime use , or the stock eyepieces ?  I can't say, because I've never used my mak in the daytime except to look at the Sun (with suitable solar filter on the front, obviously) and when I bought it I already had some better eyepieces, so the stock ones didn't come out of the box.

Finally, and this has not been a problem for me at all, but I've read it occasionally is for some if the 'scope took a knock,  a mak can (quite rarely) be out of collimation when delivered . There are adjusting screws, but I'd avoid messing with them unless you are absolutely convinced you have exhausted every other possible  factor, and are sure the collimation is out. A search on how to check collimation on a maksutov will no doubt bring you plenty of information: if I recall correctly, there is a way of doing that in daylight by looking down it the 'wrong' way .

I will surely try out the “precision focus device” 

2 minutes ago, Pixies said:

Sorry - yes, I meant to say that. The only time I ever needed to collimate my Mak was after I had it in bits!

Hopefully tonight - if there aren’t any clouds🤞 

On 13/01/2021 at 20:49, Tiny Clanger said:

I've no idea whereabouts in the world the OP is , they don't say, but in case they are in the UK, around here the 127mak comes with a 1.25" diagonal, RDF and the standard (rubbish) SW  EPs  https://www.firstlightoptics.com/maksutov/skywatcher-skymax-127-ota.html

Lower spec. accessories for us ,  but I think, (I've not converted $ to £ for years now !) cheaper .

Heather

Well, I have received a “6x30 finderscope” with my  127 skymax, and I am in the UK, visual back is 1.25” though!

Hello All,

I am a newbie, still learning through various groups and forums..

Thank you all for your recommendations, specially @Tiny Clanger, I needed that extra push 😊

My 127 MAK has been delivered, and the overcast skies aren’t helping!

I tried setting it up and looking through some terrestrial targets, all seems fine but the focus isn’t “pin sharp”, specially on the 10mm EP (supplied) and not too great either the 25mm EP.

What do I need to do to improve it?
It’s brand new so I can always swap it if required..

Any recommendations will be more than welcome!

cheers!

Sam

PS - there are threads on the inside and outside of the visual back (where the diagonal goes in), Do I need to put something there, before shoving the diagonal? doesn’t seems right as the diagonal edge may damage the inside threads (makes a sound when diagonal goes in) 

On 20/06/2021 at 10:51, Nik271 said:

Thank you! I don't have experience with dedicated cameras because I already have a DSLR. The dedicated cameras should produce better results because they save the videos files with very little or no compression at all in AVI or SER format. My DSLR saves video with a very lossy mp4 compression. This will determine how much fine detail you can extract in the processing stage. For this reason alone I think a dedicated camera is the better choice but I just haven't found the cash to go that route yet.

Hello Nik,

just curious, what is the maximum magnification you can achieve on the 127 mak?

cheers

sam

1 hour ago, Tiny Clanger said:

No, I've never worried about doing anything with the mak other than higher mag. stuff, because I'm lucky enough to have a couple of cheap refractors and my little tabletop heritage dob  for wide field. I've no experience of focal reducers, so can't comment on them ,  although I have seen it suggested a wider field can be had in a mak by using a  setup with a different visual back, a 2" diagonal and 2" eyepieces, which would be an expensive way to go, and probably cost far more than my next suggestion

If you can only have one 'scope because money is tight, you could keep your eyes open for a used ST80, a short tube 80mm achromat. There are many makes, all similar under the paint, they suffer chromatic aberration if the magnification is pushed , but are nice for widefield. I've seen them go second hand for between £50 and £90 There's a member on here @SuburbanMak who uses precisely that pair of complementary 'scopes (altho' he has pimped his st80 somewhat !) have a look at his posts, they may help  with your decision about the 127 mak as well.

Alternatively, could you go for the mak for high mag., and use binoculars for wide field ? If the rule is 'Thou shalt have only one 'scope' , it could be argued that binoculars are an entirely different species , so do not  constitute a second 'scope 

If you absolutely have to decide on one 'scope  or the other, decide on the targets you most want to see. and go for the one which will do that best.

The ball is back in your court !

Heather

Thanks Heather!

you’ve made it simple for me, I do have a pair of celestron Binos (25x) and I could indeed use it alongside the MAK 127..seems like a load off chest 😊

have a good night!

best wishes

sam 

On 07/08/2021 at 14:46, Tiny Clanger said:

Not a guy 🙂 , but I have both a 102 mm achromat refractor and a 127 mak, and the mak is streets ahead for what I use it for.

My refractor has a 600mm focal length, similar to your celestron, which makes it OK for wide field stuff,  star clusters  and so on, but less good for high magnification of bright objects, where the chromatic aberration makes a pretty coloured 'rind'  around the Moon etc.

The mak 127's strength is that it has roughly double the refractor's focal length (1500mm) , so any given eyepiece will offer you roughly double the magnification too. No chromatic aberration either. Also the mak is less picky  about eyepieces at f12 than my refractor at f6

However, the mak's longer focal length is not necessarily an advantage , is 'sees' a narrower piece of sky, so is harder to point to a target, it hugely magnifies any wobbles in the tripod and head, and I'd say a head with slow motion controls are vital for it.  In fact, the mount is a vital factor to any high magnification set up, so the sort of mount and tripod which comes with the mak  would be a vital factor in the decision for me. Also be aware that the mak will  need to sit outdoors to cool for half an hour before you can use it properly,  while the refractor is pretty much, take it out, plonk it down and observe. Oh, and the mak's thick front glass plate will be a magnet for dew. There are advantages and disadvantages to both instruments, which suits you best depends on your circumstances, and interests .

If you are mainly interested in high magnification on bright targets like the Moon and planets, and the mount is up  to the task, go for the mak. If you are more keen on wide field views, stick with the refractor.

Or have both , it works for me !

Heather

 

Thank you for your comments! have you tried focal reducers to increase the fov on the mak? I can only have one, I do like the mak for its portability and it’s long focal length, but then sometimes I want to browse the sky for galaxies and DSOs too, very confused honestly!

On 10/07/2021 at 14:43, galaxy-gazer said:

Hi there!

I just got hold of my first scope, which is a celestron omni AZ 102 (F=660, f/6.5), I need some recommendations/suggestions for my first ep, k10 and 20 came with scope!

I am looking for 1 wide (32 maybe) and another 1 for near enough max magnification.

I am told by celestron cs  that max magnification would be between 306 to 240 (which I highly doubt!) 

so please guide me in the correct direction as to not be disappointed and loose interest!

thanks in advance for all your helpful suggestions!!

best regards 

sam

I now have an option of swapping my current scope (as above) with a skywatcher skymax 127mm MAK, what do you guys suggest?

Is it worth? 

thanks

sam

6 hours ago, powerlord said:

t-riing method is best. The other way is called projection imaging.

You probably do not have enough length for the DSLR to focus (55mm is the usual). With maks/SCTs they sometimes have enough focus to make it, but with a refractor, you probably need an extension tube between the t-ring and the scope.

how exactly is the t-ring attached to the scope just now ?

T-ring attached directly to the camera body (no lens on the camera) and then it’s connected via a tube to the telescope 

3 hours ago, jacko61 said:

As you say you can't 'see' the target in the display, I wonder if you have a long enough exposure setting?  Using my canon, I find I sometimes need to set the highest ISO and longest exposure to get the target visible enough to focus. Then I'm usually able to take the ISO back down to 600 or 800 in APT for the imaging session.

Graeme

Can’t even See through the viewfinder / display screen - daytime it’s okay, too bright anyways

Hello everyone!

I have a Celestron Omni f/6.5, 660 FL refractor, and I am trying to connect and take picture of Saturn (specially) through my Nikon DSLR, but I simply cannot see the target on my camera’s display, I have tried it in 2 ways - connected the camera through a T-ring (over the focuser directly), and in 2nd method I “sandwiched” an eyepiece inside the adapter and connected to my camera, what am I doing wrong?

thanks

sam

Great article! congratulations!!!

I have a f/6.5 (660mm FL) 102mm refractor, dono consider it as fast scope calculations or not?

Welcome back!

5 hours ago, badhex said:

+1 for the info in the "Eyepieces - the very least you need" post. I used that to inform my first new EP purchases when first getting into the hobby and still refer back to the equations when looking at new scope/eyepiece combinations. 

I think for your scope as mentioned the upper limit would be about 200x; 50x per inch of aperture is generally considered to be a good rule of thumb for maximum magnification on a night with good observing conditions.

With that in mind you could consider looking at the 3.2mm BST Starguider which is very reasonably priced (around £50 from First Light Optics), still has decent eye relief and gives you 206x. You may find that on nights with average-ish observing conditions it's too powerful, so the 5mm BST might also be an option at 132x. I have both and they are great eyepieces in a fairly fast focal ratio scope like yours. 

I think actually 4mm would be better as a compromise, giving 165x but there is no BST Starguider in that focal length so you'd have to look at another brand - Vixen do a 4mm Plössl but the eye relief is very tight at about 2-3mm so it may not be very enjoyable. 

Hello!

May I ask what is the specs for your scope, where you had been using the BST 5mm and 3.2mm ? I think I am going to try one of these fairly soon!

thanks

sam

Hi there!

I just got hold of my first scope, which is a celestron omni AZ 102 (F=660, f/6.5), I need some recommendations/suggestions for my first ep, k10 and 20 came with scope!

I am looking for 1 wide (32 maybe) and another 1 for near enough max magnification.

I am told by celestron cs  that max magnification would be between 306 to 240 (which I highly doubt!) 

so please guide me in the correct direction as to not be disappointed and loose interest!

thanks in advance for all your helpful suggestions!!

best regards 

sam

On 12/06/2021 at 20:54, CraigT82 said:

Hi and welcome to the forum. Personally I'd be leaning towards the Evostar 120 as the better all rounder, but I am biased towards lunar/planetary. 

Do you have a mount yet? Or if you're going to get a mount with the scope which mount are you planning on? What are your skies at home like are they dark or light polluted?

Hi,

I live in a light polluted area (not heavily, but still), I am planning on getting an AZ mount, which isn’t too expensive. I am thinking of AZ-4 or a vixen porta II

Hello everyone!

This will be my first scope (finally), I always wanted a refractor! I am only confused between the above 2 models - I know one is for planets and the other for DSOs but I can only afford one, so which one is mostly an “all-rounder scope” - I want to observe everything- all planets, moon and DSOs too!

Thanks for your help on this!

best regards 

Sam

Hello everyone!

I am a bit confused between 2 scopes, and don’t seem to find any comparison details between them..

1) Sky-Watcher Explorer 130P (EQ-2)

2) Sky-Watcher StarQuest-130P 

which one is better of two and are there any reviews for these please?

 Thanks a ton guys!

best regards 

Sam 

19 hours ago, galaxy-gazer said:

With reference to my earlier post about in dilemma of choosing a new telescope, seems like it that I might have to choose. 6” purely due to lack of funds and off course storage.

which 6” reflector would you guys recommend?

dobs or eq2 mount?

focal length 1200 or 700?

this will help me narrow down to a few!

thanks in advance to everyone out there!

 

Thank you all for the advise and recommendations...

I think I am nearly there in deciding...

1) Skywatcher Explorer -150PL (1200 focal)

 EQ3-2 mount seems flimsy to me - aluminium

EQ5 will make the kit very expensive (I think)

2) Skywatcher 150P (Dobsonian)

just out of interest has anyone used both of the above? to get me a personal review?

thanks !

With reference to my earlier post about in dilemma of choosing a new telescope, seems like it that I might have to choose. 6” purely due to lack of funds and off course storage.

which 6” reflector would you guys recommend?

dobs or eq2 mount?

focal length 1200 or 700?

this will help me narrow down to a few!

thanks in advance to everyone out there!

On 22/07/2020 at 11:43, galaxy-gazer said:

Hello to all, 

Firstly let me introduce myself, I am nearing my 50th very soon, and I am developing keen interest on this hobby, having a set of celesteron binos (25x) I have been gazing at nigh skies (when its clear!)

Recently saw the neowise comet through my binos and the bug has been biting ever since!

So to all the seasoned hobbyist here on the lounge, my question is about the recommendations for my first telescope, keeping in mind the UK skies (I live in Dunstable, so moderate light pollution)

I dont want to spend a fortune, but upto £300 mark should suffice?

with my own research i have kind of selected starwatcher 200p (but not sure if i will be able to store it in the house, without annoying the wife!)

thanks for your help!

best regards

Sam

with reference to my above query, would anyone throw some light on a comparison between Skywatcher Skyliner 200P Dobsonian and Skywatcher Skyliner 150P ?

thanks

sam

3 hours ago, galaxy-gazer said:

thanks brown dwarf

sorry ! its ricochet i believe, thanks a ton!