Deadlake

A camera bag is very flexible and at night easy to find which EP, filter you are looking for. This bag also fits it side a hard flight case.

@GavStar Has written a good comparison between OVNI and PVS-14 based intensifiers which will save you having to wade through the CN threads on the subject. While the OVNI does have the cherry picked harder tubes and the prime feature, I think its up to OVNI to respond with a better lens Matches the PVS-14 Envis lens A little more adaptable on the filter front. Jonathan @OVNI does know this limitation and has responded on CN he intends to offer an Envis type lens if/when he can source one. Well done Gavin and PeterW

You mean where someone get a better number and they send the scope back? Which forum could that be on. 😁 However as you know from another thread on this forum, you can publish RMS, PV and Strehl and those scopes are still third division due to Abbe number for the glass. 😉

If people have to much information they can make an informed choice.... Manufactures publish Strehl, where is the PV measurement???

Looking into the vixen route, its quite a lot of buy the 45-60mm adapter( part #75169) and then the Rowan M10 adapter. I agree the stability will take a hit over a purpose built solution. Back to the T-Pod, this works as reported on CN. You need a NEQ6 adapter here, https://www.avalon-instruments.com/products-menu/accessories/eq6-tpod-mounts-adapter-kit-detail This should also work the Geoptik Hercules tripod, which is cheaper than the planet but with some limitation around height adjustment. The stability of the Planet/Hercules and T-pod is the same so you are down to cost and weight and lets be honest of the below the Planet and The T-pod look the best. Hercules Around £400 + NEQ6 Adapter is £30 + case £65 = £495 weight -> 10 kg Planet £599 + case £89 = £688 weight -> 11 kg T-Pod 110 £769 + NEQ6 adapter £30 (case included) = £799 -> weight 6.9 kg For the T-Pod you are paying £100 for 4 kg weight reduction and also cheaper adapters then the Planet. However the Hercules is a great value option.

The path of least resistance is to buy the Berlebach and then purchase a separate head for the AZ100 and then Vixen mount.

The SXG-HAL130 has a 60 mm recess? This adapter converts to he SGX to a 45 mm recess to be used with older vixen mounts. https://global.vixen.co.jp/en/product/25169_8/ If the AZ100 needs a 60 mm recess I should be ok?

I have access to the data because I got to choose a lens cell. Also vendors cannot refute claims posted on this forum. Maybe @Stu that should change? I think you have not changed your dogma when supplied with the data, I don’t see any scientific approach in your reasoning.

You mean like the HAL tripod, the bolt is not long enough? Has anyone used a t-pod here with the AZ-100?

Who cares in the dark when you are putting it all back in the car? 😃 There is a cheaper model here https://astrograph.net/epages/www_astrograph_net.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/www_astrograph_net/Products/AGSMCYG42 but a 3/8 bolt. has 2 M8 holes as well.

If you strong scientific background then look at the below numbers for 130mm/F6 lens produced by LZOS. The main point is that the performance of a lens is theoretically until its has been placed on an optical bench and the results measured. Looking at ABBE numbers does not give you enough data. The cost of figuring is very prohibitive. Moving all of the below lens to a Strehl >= 0.98 would require a rise in cost of the lens cell by 25% (that was the charge for the LZOS anniversary addition). My choice of LZOS over AP was not cost but waiting 10 years. Glad I bought when I did as LZOS current production run is bought until January 2023. Note: The below a list of 44pc 130/6 lenses from the last two years, 2019-2020. S/N. RMS. PV Strehl 346 0.034 0.231 0.955 347 0.031 0.240 0.965 348 0.034 0.224 0.956 349 0.032 0.183 0.960 350 0.035 0.198 0.953 351 0.034 0.220 0.955 353 0.034 0.217 0.956 354 0.033 0.199 0.958 355 0.029 0.174 0.968 356 0.035 0.220 0.953 357 0.032 0.176 0.960 360 0.028 0.235 0.971 361 0.033 0.239 0.957 362 0.028 0.209 0.969 363 0.027 0.151 0.973 364 0.027 0.167 0.972 365 0.025 0.155 0.976 366 0.023 0.158 0.979 367 0.026 0.146 0.973 368 0.030 0.167 0.965 369 0.022 0.184 0.981 372 0.023 0.169 0.979 373 0.029 0.173 0.967 374 0.029 0.187 0.967 375 0.033 0.169 0.957 376 0.033 0.196 0.958 377 0.035 0.217 0.953 378 0.031 0.196 0.962 379 0.032 0.223 0.961 380 0.022 0.159 0.980 383 0.030 0.218 0.966 384 0.033 0.108 0.959 381 0.021 0.156 0.983 382 0.030 0.222 0.966 385 0.028 0.183 0.970 386 0.023 0.135 0.980 387 0.026 0.159 0.974 388 0.031 0.217 0.963 389 0.156 0.023 0.978 390 0.223 0.031 0.962 391 0.235 0.033 0.958 392 0.217 0.034 0.956 396 0.134 0.022 0.980 397 0.119 0.018 0.988

Your quite right, there are so many observation list already available, even the sharpless catalog. And you can share lists as well. Great feature.

I know the AZ-100 can be mounted on a T-Pod tripod, but has anyone used a carbon fibre based tripod at all? Trying to reduce weight for dark site or club meet ups and the AZ-100 is heavy enough (but lighter and less faff then a GEM). I was thinking of a: https://global.vixen.co.jp/en/product/25164_3/ with a m10 pier puck.

Indeed so many stars which one am I looking at. However for planning, and then getting the mount to slewing through a list of double doubles or seeing what’s up tonight amazing. I’ve been using an unreleased version of Luminosity which has better rendering then sky safari, unfortunately no way to share viewing lists like the Pensack 500. However can drive a starbook mount.

@Stu some pages back. The other question I would ask is what kind of mount does @chrispj want to use? For DSO’s I like to have goto (some of us don’t live under 21 SQM skies) and this helps a lot. In that case I would be tempted by a C9.25 and Mewlon, however apart from the design characteristics that @jetstream noted they also have mirror flop, which I know some people could not live with and sold them. Have spoken to people who have had both the Mewlon and C9.25, it’s make the jump to the 250 as no mirror flop and the built in fans work well and the smoother Tak mirrors give more contrast then the Celestrons for DSO work. The other option would be 10” GSO Cassegrain, which have no mirror flop and cool quickly. The main issue is the weight. ATS uses the mirrors in there scope, I’ve attached the reflectivity report: DatenblattCZ303-01 - Normal.pdf GSO makes a research grade mirror as well, but that needs to be parked up the top of a dry mountain otherwise the surface degrades in a year: DatenblattCZ322-01 - Enhanced.pdf In both cases I’d need to change my observing habits and the scope out hours before viewing with their built in fans running. Obviously all depends on temperature gradient and time of year to how quickly if a reflector based scope acclimates in ever during the night.

I was actually there. Seeing was quite good, better then expected. My ears did pick up as the above word where uttered. The cogs in my brain where turning about posting on this thread. 😀 One thing I would say and it’s the first time I went mobile was the flexibility of having a 4” refractor to setup, use and take down. Thanks @Stu for organising, shame @GavStarwas missing in action. 😀

That’s a great photo, always good to put things in perspective 😃👍

Or should I buy a Dob when I have a refactor and I'll use the Dob three times a year before selling it? I want a reflector for more aperture but I'm concerned I will not use it enough to justify its purchase. Might just be a summer scope.

There are numerous threads on these forums about glass or mirror quality. However little reports on how thermal stable or how quickly a scope acclimates. I find during winter months my Vixen SD103S is ready to go in around 10 minutes with a temperate delta of around 10 oC. I suspect other manufactures like LZOS and Stellarvue with steel lens cells can keep the same performance but with larger apertures, in the winter I'll find out.

Working from home helps, on schools days I get up at 8 am. However unlike last year the clouds and the school days are not overlapping. 😩

I’m lucky to get 2 hours in before being up for work in the morning or clouds stop play… 🤨 Choose a scope for your style of observing….

I’m sure a TSA-120 or maybe a FSQ-106 ( at F5 it would do wonders for your NV intensifier, help with the gain setting) would also look good on it. Let me know how the alignment works out, hopefully no need to use a pole master???

Be quiet, since APO’s are ready to go immediately observers who have busy lives will buy them. That or some Deep Space products. Does make be wonder if I bought a C9.25 or Mewlon in 2022 when they are back in stock ( No jokes really) how much I would use it.

This will decrease the exit pupil, so apart from not standing on tippy-toes what advantage does this give? An F4 would be maybe better, and have a smoother mirror?

Presume a Paracorr is mandatory using such a fast scope?