Dakuwaqa

To go with my new Maksutov 105 telescope.

The 10mm that came with was garbage

What would you choose? I know the more magnification the better conditions you need which is why I’m leaning towards the 12mm

For planets 

Are these possible to see this year?
 

Cheers!

2 hours ago, banjaxed said:

If the eyepieces are the ones supplied with your scope then the 25mm should be fine but the 10mm are not very good. It could be condensation which should be easily seen. Make sure you take your scope and eyepieces outside about 30 to 45 minutes before you start viewing to acclimatise to the conditions.

 

Thanks dude!

It it okay to wipe away the condensation with a t shirt or do eyepieces need more care than that?

23 minutes ago, banjaxed said:

What eyepiece are you using, or does this happen with all your eyepieces ?

It’s happened with both my eyepieces. 10mm and 25mm. Could it be condensation?

I’ve found when I use my eyepiece I somethings get the field of view shrink but keeps its round shape (if that makes sense). I get a ring of black around the edges.

Anyone experienced this?

Interesting.

I had the opposite experience. See Jupiter and it’s moons through my 25mm eyepiece was absolutely amazing 

1 hour ago, SuburbanMak said:

The supplied SW 90 degree diagonal is actually pretty decent. I did upgrade eventually but certainly wasn’t the first. 
 
Aside from the dew shield, my next most important priority was to make stuff easier to find - the Maks are quite narrow field.  I went for both a 9x50 Right Angled Correct Image (RACI) finderscope and a Telrad (like an illuminated gunsight with circles).  The 102 has a bit smaller tube to stick the sight on - there’s another well loved version called the Rigel which has a smaller footprint. These made a huge difference to amount of time spent observing vs. searching. 
 

The killer eyepieces for me were an 8-24mm zoom, I bought a Baader Hyperion IV which is great but there’s others at or around that focal length that push the budget less (folk on here speak well of the Hyperflex zoom).  The beauty of a zoom is it gives lots of magnification options & reduces finger numbing faff on cold night! 

Next up would be something that gives you the max possible field of view - a simple 32mm Plossl will do that job or if you can stretch a bit & want slightly higher  magnification for the same field I went with a Baader Hyperion 24mm 68 degree. 
 

There are many more experienced that I’m sure will comment but personally these were the things that enhanced my enjoyment & ease of use the most per £ 

 

 

Thanks so much! If you had to pick between your right angled finderscope and the Telrad, which would you go for?!

2 minutes ago, SuburbanMak said:

If you have the Skywatcher Mak then the supplied 25mm is nice, crisp & bright the 10mm much less so.  Will do ok on the moon, which is looking nice tonight! 

Thanks dude!! Will have to get some new lenses! 
 

Do you know if a new diagonal would make much difference?

2 minutes ago, UKDiver said:

Were you comparing the two eyepieces under the same conditions?

I've had varying results with the same EP on different nights. Tonight was terrible for me.

Yeah I just switched back and forth and found the 25mm to be much clearer. Problem was Jupiter was quite tiny 

Was amazing!

Managed to see the lines on Jupiter and 4 moons.

One thing i noticed was that the image was significantly clearer on my decent 25mm eyepiece.

With the cheap no name 10mm I couldn’t  get focus and it was less crisp.

Is this likely due to the eyepiece or the magnification? 

16 minutes ago, cajen2 said:

Both EPs are good shouts, Dakuwaqa. The Vixen NPLs are very good at the longer focal lengths, especially the 30mm - good for locating targets and viewing larger objects. I'd avoid the shorter focal lengths as the eye relief (distance between the eye and the lens) gets very tight. The BST Starguiders are great for the price  for higher magnifications.

Thanks!!

What difference does an expensive eyepiece have over a cheaper version. Is the image significantly? 

14 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

What sort of price range are you looking at?

£30-50

And Barlow? 
 

I’ve got a Skymax 102 mak. I have a 10mm and 25mm.

Wouldn’t mind seeing the moon a little more magnified!
 

Also how big of a difference is there between cheap and decent lenses?

3 minutes ago, johninderby said:

All depends on your local dewing conditions. Where I live usually used a mak without a dew shield for an hour or more with no dewing problems.

If it gets dew that doesn’t damage the equipment though?

Apology for my ignorance, I’m new to this !

For a couple of evenings until my order comes?

Want to get out under the stars ASAP!

That aren’t planets.

Anything relatively easy to find and nice to look at when planets aren’t visible?

9 minutes ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

Eyepieces are removed and left in an open case indoors to dry off. The refractor with diagonal still attached and dust caps off is left on the dining table to dry out.

When I had a Mak 102, the diagonal came off and the same as above, left to dry off before storage in a camera bag. The objective glass was gently cleaned once - 18 months after buying it with Zeiss lens wipes with no ill effects.

Thanks! When you had the Mak did you ever take the main telescope cover off inside? Just thinking about dust !

When you’ve finished a session should you remove the accessories (diagonal, finder scope, eyepieces etc) or do you guys leave them on the telescope?

Also with a Mak 102 can I just leave it in more bag or does it need be cleaned after each use?

Thanks a million!

Could someone explain to me who sky safari pro is aimed at?

If you had a goto mount (AZ Gti) is there anything you’d gain from the app? 

3 hours ago, GoldTop57 said:

After upgrading to firmware version 3.36 (EQ mode) I found this to be a great little grab and go astrophotography rig. Check out the owners thread: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/387014-skywatcher-az-gti-mount-owners-thread/

 

 

Thanks for the reply!

Is it possible to take decent photos of planets when in alt/AZ?

How was it?

Thinking about future purchases and whether this will be a nice addition to a 102 mak for astrophotography.

Thanks!

1 hour ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

The ST102 is a decent Achromat that unfortunately will not be as good viewing bright objects such as planets and the moon , and even the brighter stars . Because of its short focal length the scope will show false colour aroung the outside of bright objects , at higher magnification ... and you will need to up the magnification to get decent views of planets . However it will show deep sky objects but don't expect galaxies to be any more than just grey smudges . The Mak will excel on the Moon , especially ( don't underestimate the joy of viewing the moon , there is loads to see ) . As for planetary well, with Jupiter ( along with the outer planets Neptune and Uranus) are the only planets with anything like a decent viewing angle as saturn is slipping lower and lower, you may have to concentrate on double stars . 

I have owned both scopes and i would say , go for the Mak but thats just my opinion . After all you still have a refractor close at hand ... best of both comes to mind 

There is NO perfect scope which really excels at everything . 

People favour the heritage series 130, and 150mm as they are both portable but offer enough light gathering power to be useful on both planets and DSO's. These are table top dobs but they can be mounted on a sturdy tripod , i believe. 

Really appreciate the reply!

The problem I have with dobs is viewing comfort (I need to stand) and not having access to a table when out and about.

You raised a good point about lack of observable planets. Is there much else other than double stars to that you can enjoy looking at and also did you find the narrow field of view a potential ‘hobby killer’?

Perhaps there’s some tech out there that would help with finding things other than a expensive goto

38 minutes ago, Zermelo said:

Maks have longer focal ratios and hence a narrower field of view than a fast reflector or refractor. A few DSOs have a large angular size and won't fit into the view, especially the larger galaxies and open clusters. Some emission nebulae are so extended that even a fast scope may struggle to show them in their entirety. Be aware also that a 102mm, while very portable, is quite a modest aperture, so it will struggle with the fainter DSOs (this will also depend on the light pollution at the location you will be observing from). A 127mm will show more and is not very unwieldy, if you can afford it and put it on a suitable mount.

Planets are the obvious targets for Maks, but by no means the only ones. Double stars, planetary nebulae and the brighter globular clusters are also good choices. Maks allow you to get the high magnifications you need without resorting to very high power eyepieces, though the image contrast will not be as good as for a nice refractor. You might find this comment useful, and the subsequent discussion.

I was going to suggest you posted a more general question stating your particular circumstances and aims, but I just searched and you have already done that. And then I found this that says you've just bought a refractor, so I'm a bit confused now about where you are in your journey.

Hey!

Thanks for your reply!

I’ve bought a refractor and I’m giving it to my partner as a present and buying myself a telescope too!

I’m finding choosing the right telescope extremely difficult as at my price range they all come with drawbacks.

I’m equally as interested in DSOs as I am the solar system. I want something nice and easy to use and relatively portable.

At the moment I torn between the Mak 102 AZ and the startravel 102 AZ3.

Which do you think is a better all rounder? 
 

Thanks!

Struggling to find the right telescope. Dobs aren’t an option unfortunately.

Other than planets is there anything you can see with a 102 mak?

Just thinking that if Saturn and Jupiter are are low in the sky does this render the telescope somewhat useless?

Thanks!

3 minutes ago, Orange Smartie said:

Not a silly question.

Dobsonian refers to a particular type of simple mount. These will be free standing or for use on a table top. Many people observe from an adjustable chair.

Thanks for the reply!

Do people buy these sort of telescopes just for their back garden then? As there aren’t any tables in the park that I use! Lol