Ags

Very nice indeed. I very much prefer the one with stars in it; I think you need to see the nebula in its neighborhood!

Slow focal ratio does not flatten the field, it simply increases depth of focus and makes field curvature less visible.

Bach to achro RGB-filtered imaging... I understand that blue would be an issue because of the violet component, but what about a blue filter stacked with a minus violet filter? Where there is a will there is a way! As for luminance, ditch the luminance and spend that time gathering more RGB? If you are imaging with a cheap achro, you are clearly prepared to make compromises...

Definitely! I have an ST80 mounted side by side with my Mak 102 on my alt-az mount, and my workflow is: 1. Point red dot finder at right location 2. Locate object with ST80 (3 degree field) 3. Enjoy object with Mak 102 (1 degree field)

Thanks for all the opinions and experience. I think the Baader zoom is the better, lighter and cheaper option! The only drawback is it's easier to spend €50 now and then as opposed to €200 in one go...

What are people's thoughts/experiences of the Baader Q Turret? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/baader-planetarium/baader-q-turret.html It's made of plastic, which is a good thing if it is tough and light plastic! But what about the nosepiece screws - surely they will wear away the plastic before long? Is it strong enough for Starguiders or does it max out with a load of little Orthos? And how is it ergonomically? I have been wanting to make my Maksutov telescope more interactive for a while. When other people are looking through the telescope I want them to change magnification to suit themselves particularly when viewing the moon or planets (basically give them more levers to pull), but Zooms are expensive and/or limited in field of view. A Q Turret loaded up with BSTs would give a click-stop, constant 60 degree zoom covering 5-18mm, although I imagine it would be quite weighty. Would "blow away" a Leica zoom though - wider zoom range and same FOV? 😀 Another use would be in dual scope mode on my giro-type mount. I could get the scope balanced and flip between a few eyepieces, using the ES 24/68 for initial location or a wider field, and flipping down to 18mm or 12mm to pull out details on doubles or globulars - no messing about with eyepiece changes! I don't own any starguiders but I hear they are perfectly good optically and (most importantly) comfortable. Narrow field than some other eyepieces, but with a wider field one click away, who cares? And I hear they are parfocal, which is super useful in a turret.

The second picture in particular is superb!

My only contact with others in the hobby is when buying/selling second hand equipment 😃 I did try the local "sterrenwacht" but the lectures were a bit hard to follow in Dutch. But, looking round at the group, I did feel nice and young for a change! For me the hobby is about spending time alone with the stars, not socializing. But I like SGL!

It's a big universe and there aint no telescope that's big enough. Look at the Event Horizon Telescope - it is the size of the Earth, and it is still too small.

That IS its best.

Happy birthday! By the way, I have a "hundred Euro rule": purchases over that limit need very careful consideration!

Maybe I should play it safe and put one of these on the front of the scope: https://www.cameranu.nl/nl/p497122/hoya-uv-ir-cut-filter-77mm

I read dark tales that an ST80 can self-immolate if there is no full-aperture solar filter and the Sun gets "off axis". Scare story or cautionary tale?

I have a small list of essential purchases that I have been updating since 2009. The way items appear and disappear from the list is quite comical in a way. Items generally sit on the list for five or more years. Items, once purchased after years of planning are sometimes swiftly resold as mistakes. The only constant in all the chaos is that the list gets longer!

Yes, I have taken to focusing on a star 50% from center. That keeps 80% of the field sharp enough, but doesn't help the outer 10-15% of the field, where the stars are smeared into arcs parallel to the field stop. Strong astigmatism in my opinion. Also, bright stars in the extreme outer field grow a long blue finger pointing back to the center of the field.

I used the eyepiece extensively tonight on the Moon. It really is a confusing eyepiece, and seems to need to be focussed very carefully... In the ST80 at F5 it gave a small, sharp and pleasing image of the Moon that degraded significantly in the outer third of the view. Stopping the ST80 down to F8 sharpened up the outer part of the FOV. Switching to the Maksutov, the Moon was lovely! Really big but not too big, and very detailed. Testing on starfields again, I feel tonight at least that it is good enough, if you focus on a star 50% out the view is sharp across 80% of the field. Beyond that field curvature is the least of the problems, and astigmatism and other aberrations predominate.

OK thanks. People seem happy with the Lunt, so good it is similar.

The wedge polarizes the light, so you only need one polarizing filter. @johninderby, narrowing it down to the TS and Lacerta options, why did you prefer the Lacerta?

Looks like the Lacerta is just as good and a lot cheaper. Still not convinced about the viewing angle with it though - from my garden I only see the sun at higher elevations and my tripod is short so I doubt the view will be comfortable. @Littleguy80, glad to hear the TS one works for you. Have you been able to compare it to any other kit (solar foil, other wedges?) I am leaning toward the TS one now - EUR 139 all in is very tempting.

Isn't the eyepiece angle a bit awkward on the Lacerta?

I am thinking about a solar setup. The only thing I have used thus far has been an ST80 with Baader solar foil and I am looking for the next step up. I didn't like the approach with solar foil as I permanently attached the foil to the ST80 as I was too worried about a removable filter falling off! So my ST80 become solar only, and when I needed the scope for nocturnal duties the foil came off and never went on again. I had only seen the Baader Herschel Wedge so I always assumed they were out of my price range. The other day I spotted this: https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p9409_TS-Optics-1-25--Solar-Prism-with-Polarizing-and-Narrowband-Filter.html It seems an incredible deal if you compare it to the price of equivalent parts: Lunt 1.25 wedge, ND3 filter, Baader Solar Continuum Filter and Polarizing Filter, which total up to roughly double the cost. Has anyone used the TS wedge? I want to think it will be great, but the price is a bit too good to be true, and I have bought TS brand several times now and been left feeling slightly disappointed each time... For eyepiece, I am thinking of getting a 7.2-21.5 zoom with Baader 2.25 barlow. I hear the zoom barlows very well, and if I use other filters with the wedge it will mean less fiddling. I will use a home made solar finder.

Ah, but you live in the sunny southlands! It was worth my while to travel south for the Mars opposition last year. Another thing to consider: a 70mm refractor gathers 100x as much light as naked eye dilated to 7mm, so it goes 6 magnitudes deeper. A Mak 127 is only adding one magnitude to that - not significant really, and is it worth it given the much narrower field it provides?

A whole show about astrophotography!

Yes, that's my reasoning. I have added the Morpheus 17.5 to the list having read a few reviews. I had sworn to never buy a Morphy because they are simply so ugly - with their noisy rubber grip and shouty luminescent lettering, they look like they have been made from offcuts in a Nike shoe factory! I have also written to TS about the eyepiece... Maybe I've got a dud.

Indeed I was aware of the reputation of the Nirvana and bought it on that basis. When I upgrade to an ED72, I may also invest in a 2" diagonal and an an ES 18/82 eyepiece. It has 13mm eye relief, so they say (which is the lowest of the whole ES 82 line). Because the ED72 is F6, I could get the same exit pupil from an ES 20/68 eyepiece and stay with 1.25" accessories so that's another thing to consider. Also 68 degrees AFOV is better for a finder eyepiece that 82 degrees AFOV.