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Luminated

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Everything posted by Luminated

  1. ...others include Rothervalleyoptics and Tringastro - I’ve had excellent service from both recently. RVO has been very responsive with my email enquiries
  2. Yes much smaller...at least in my shot 😄 But very bright the other night!
  3. Thanks John! Good to know and managing expectations
  4. Well I have to report that there was a rare cold, crisp London sky over the evening and the ST80 delivered some “small is beautiful views” In order of appearance: Jupiter and Saturn, a handsome couple framed perfectly within in the fov of the Baader 32 plossl A peak at Saturn’s rings through the 6mm ortho Jupiter’s two main belts given a helping hand courtesy of the skyglow filter (jury still out on the level of improvement..) Mars, smaller but still so bright! And holding up at 133x barlowed to reveal tiny albedo markings - possibly even the telltale triangle (but maybe that was wishful interpretation..) Sirius, the jewel of the night Orion’s Belt and a myriad of pretty pin points around Betelgeuse flaming red in its postulated dying glory Pleiades beauties pleasing the eye ...by now inspired to find Andromeda for the closing act, but eluded as a veil of cloud became the final curtain So tell me this my star gazing friends, is M31 within visual reach of the ST80...? Thank you kindly!
  5. Well I do have my eye on a TakDZ for next year anyway...just need to be patient Always fun looking for "bargains" though
  6. All beautiful shots regardless - but the difference is obvious! Thank you (typically the Mak 90 I found is already sold! ...it was the older blue model yet only 20% cheaper than a new one...such is the times of limited supply! - I guess these hold their value well though)
  7. Theoretically, that seems to make sense - and explains the current lack of detail I'm actually seeing. Probably the ultra short focal length doesn't help either - although the scope was bought as a present and for travel purposes, I was expecting to see similar views my 60mm frac gave from my teenage years, but that was indeed longer!
  8. Whilst the Baader barlow is an improvement over the SW one, I just get a bigger magnification on the same amount of detail - which isn't much to begin with Have to say, an upgrade in prism and lenses really improves CA though!
  9. Hi everyone - will be flying to less polluted skies over the next few weeks and was planning to take our Startravel 80. Just for observing, but hoping to enjoy the upcoming Jupiter Saturn conjunction... This scope is OK and am using a Baader lens/prism combo (bought in advance of an Apo frac purchase next year hopefully..) - BUT am tempted to get a used mak 90 in the hope of seeing a bit more detail Currently under good seeing, I just about see the two main cloud belts in Jupiter and Saturn's ring. Re Jupiter, would be great to see a bit more cloud detail (better defined even...) and Cassini division on Saturn I have a recently acquired Moon and Skyglow filter to help, but haven't been able to test its usefulness due to poor weather Have trawled through a few posts and reviews on the "mighty mak" (including the 102 version, although cannot find a reasonable price on this one) and trying to figure if the c£90 expenditure on the mak would make that much of a difference over the STA80? Opinions and experience of these scopes welcome! Thanks
  10. Bingo! Thanks John I did read this a while back...my drool must have obscured the following sentence: Unthread the visual back and you get down to 595mm, but you’ll need to unthread the focuser to make the FC-100DZ carry-on portable at just 540mm ....that leaves <10mm for some assiduous padding :)))
  11. Hi! Could you let me know the length of the tube with dew shield retracted measured to the silver ring end, where the focuser unit is screwed on? Hope you've been enjoying this treasure!
  12. Thanks Jeremy. My assumption was based on a "speculative" comment from Cloudy Nights using the retail quoted length "With the dew shield retracted and accessories removed...total length..595 mm.." and then deducting I guess a further 60mm (focuser?) to make it cabin portable... https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/667850-new-takahashi-fc-100-dz-f8/page-9 If you remove the focuser the DZ is 21” (534mm) long with the dew shield collapsed. https://www.firstlightoptics.com/takahashi-fc-100-series-refractor-telescopes/tak_tfk10310.html A case of Tak fever it seems...
  13. yep...hard to resist pondering on these foggy winter nights...sorry
  14. Thanks. Noticeable improvement with the Feathertouch? I guess at high mag on a more portable tripod maybe?
  15. Hey Stu, noticing you screwed off the focusing unit - is this easy/safe to do? Was thinking this might be a solution to making the DZ cabin portable too...(maybe just)?
  16. All well considered it seems...always good to take your time and measure up options. I’m newly returning to this interest since I bought an ST80 for my girlfriend as a birthday present and now got the bug again... Kind of decided on going with the Mak 180 plus refractor 100ED combo (and hopefully keep it at that!)... mostly out of stock until next year, so spending time on research and inspiration from posts like yours Hope your build goes well including obsy!! Keep well, looking forward to your results..
  17. @vlaiv read this via a google search; so just catching up Which one did you go for in the end?
  18. Looks good! Hoping to find a cheaper solution... don't even have the scope yet, so there’s time But wow on your DZ - have you posted a write up yet?
  19. Evening John- hoping you could let me the know the dovetail your using? Would the skywatcher ones work for instance? Eg; there’s on offer this: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/offers/offer_celestron-cg5-vixen-style-dovetail-bars_153906.html Flo suggested this: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/takahashi-other-accessories/takahashi-tkp71423-dove-tail-male-for-mewlon-210.html but seems overpriced, so hoping to find a generic alternative - getting confused on which ones would be compatible with the Tak cradle/clamshell. Would be good also if I could temporarily attach to our ST80 for an upcoming Xmas holiday to darker skies...but that might be too optimistic Thanks!
  20. Hi John, did you go for the 2” prism finally? I was considering this option too, for “future proofing”, but cannot seem to find a matching 2” helical focuser? Wondering if you came across something suitable? Thanks for any advice!
  21. Whilst absorbed in your adventure I noticed you’re using the EXOS2-GT setup...have been considering this as an alternative to the HEQ5. How have you found it in use; I read some reviews with the WiFi being a bit temperamental for instance...do you think it holds to the advertised 12.7k weight capacity well?
  22. Crisp sky tonight...best attempt iPhone 😂
  23. There’s this guide too (though I hope it would be more simple typically) BTW just seen FLO has another in stock...shhh Update: already out of stock...hot cakes
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