Ian McCallum

I'm still drawn to the Scopetech Acromats that Aunty FLO sells...😲 The price on this one catches my eye... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/offers/offer_scopetech-stl80a-l-80mm-f125-classical-refractor_155968.html Mind you, I'm still eyeing up the f15 version!🙄

https://astrograph.net/epages/www_astrograph_net.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/www_astrograph_net/Products/AGTEC250-35

It's kind of academic now, as the Sky-Watcher 300p from FLO has been sold, so is out of stock... 🙄

The $64,000 question!😂 I was looking at the 12" Dob range, but haven't seen what I really want in stock, plus the thought of a really heavy behemoth puts me off, a bit. I know I could build a trolley of some sort to wheel it out, but I don't know if that's the route I want to go.

This has caught my eye... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-starquest/sky-watcher-starquest-102r-f49-achromatic-refractor-telescope.html Also, this Mak... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/sky-watcher-starquest/sky-watcher-starquest-102mc-f127-maksutov-cassegrain-telescope.html Thoughts, please?

Does that mean it get's cold quicker?🤔😂

One thing I've came across recently and slightly related is, spray on yacht varnish (aerosol).

I recently sold my late mum's mobility scooter. She had an outside, lockable storage box for it. It could easily accommodate a large Dobsonian, outside. My main concern would be damp getting into the wooden rocker base...

I'm lucky that I live in a ground floor flat, the communal back door being access by two low steps down. I could do the sack barrow method and build a small wooden ramp, for taking it down the stairs...

I do get sciatica occasionally, so I'd go for a sack barrow or jerry rig up a dolly with castors or something similar...

That's a nice bit of kit!👍

As I live in a Bortle 6 area, with quite a bit of LP, I tend to mostly planetary, some moon, no solar and very occasionally DSO's. I do like looking at double stars.

From the Sky-Watcher website regarding the 300P's weight...

Are you expecting any resuming of normal stocking levels and shipping from manufacturers to return to somewhat normal, after 18 months since the dreaded Lockdown started?

I plan to keep the 200P for portable use and any larger Dobs would be used at home. I can't understand how the 300P is the heavier model, given that there's less metal tubing in the OTA?!?🙄

Here's a quote from the 300P specs page... And from the StellaLyra model page...

It is indeed the 200P I have, at the moment. I suppose my next question would be the difference in cool down time between the two telescopes above, one having a fan and other not?🤔

I'm eyeing up two possibilities regarding a 12" Dobsonian. They are the StellaLyra or the Sky-Watcher versions... https://www.firstlightoptics.com/stellalyra-telescopes/stellalyra-12-f5-dobsonian.html https://www.firstlightoptics.com/telescopes-in-stock/skywatcher-skyliner-300p-flextube-dobsonian.html The StellaLyra version comes with a dual speed Crayford focuser, a fan for cooling down the primary mirror and a decent RACI finder as standard. It weighs in at a combined weight of 50kg. The Sky-Watcher 300P flextube is more expensive, doesn't have a RACI finder, dual speed focuser or cooling fan for the primary mirror and weighs 11kg more than the StellaLyra. It's also about £250 more. The choice should be obvious, but unfortunately the only one in stock is the Sky-Watcher version. The StellaLyra is out of stock till perhaps early next year. Any thoughts?🤔

There's always eBay.😉 https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2380057.m570.l1311&_nkw=rubber+eye+cups&_sacat=0

Do the StellaLyra or SW Dobs come into the former, rather than the latter?🤔

I suppose I could get another SW Dob, the 12" version...🤔

Nope.🙁

The collimation on the 200P is okay, just my memory that's faulty. 🙄 It's towards the higher end of the magnification scale, where I get larger but indistinct images, as you'd expect... I'm thinking for example of the 5mm eyepiece and smaller, etc. Perhaps it's time to look at the bigger DOB's again... 🤔

Although I get some nice views of Jupiter and Saturn, I do find much above 150x magnification, they tend to get a bit indistinct using my Sky-Watcher 200P. Would the Scopetech give me better views at higher magnifications at 150x and above?

If you had to choose between the 2 models, which would you choose and why?🤔