Polar Bear

Phenomenal. Incredible detail and simply beautiful.

Unfortunately work and fate played their hand and I was unable to attend, looking towards the Galloway meet up as a possibility.

Thanks Philip, CSP9 is a small get together so probably not as as strict as the bigger events. I'll fire a few messages off to get a feel for the event. I smoke roll ups so the lighter is never out of my hand ! Paul

The summer equinox has passed and people are looking forward to Star Parties. I have never been to one, don't know what to expect, have never met the participants. As a solitary observer tucked away in my small North West garden I have been happy to gaze the night skies alone (Mrs Polar Bear often pops out for high mag views of the Moon and Planets) but otherwise I enjoy my own company and get along very well with myself. So I have taken the plunge and committed to attend CSP9 oop North in Cumbria. Watching the CSP9 thread develop I noticed comforting words such as friendly, whisky, bacon butties, and with a host called delilahtwinkle what could go wrong? Being a tent snob, and loving Glamping my 'usual' nights out are spent in a Cabanon that is the size of a Jovian Moon and takes 2 people an hour to set up. Not ideal, so ebay to the rescue and luckily a smaller Cabanon (think Europa vs Ganymede comparison) was found just up the road from me. Sleeping will be the usual twin air bed and duvets, a single burner will suffice for snacks, unsure as to whether to take the BBQ and the fold away hanging wardrobes ! So camping equipment sorted, onto the scope. Easy decision as I only own one (this week) so the C8 will be coming. Do you put the scopes away each day? unsure, so I found a new moped cover on the local car boot for £3.00 that will do the trick of protecting it. Red light etiquette is an unknown to me, I always observe at home amongst the fairy lights strewn around the garden. As a smoker I worry about lighters, do they affect dark adapted vision? Can I open my car door or do I need to shield the interior lights if I do? So much to learn regarding Star Party etiquette. I am really looking forward to it, and to meeting up with like minded individuals (whisky drinkers) :wink:

Please treat this as an object lesson in why you should think long and hard before making a purchase. Adapters, reducers, cameras, batteries, remotes and other bits and pieces have been acquired since the purchase of the C8. I always intended to use the scope for Lunar and Planetary imaging and also for getting images of planes passing the Moon, so I embarked on 'kitting it out' My terrestrial photographic needs are taken care of with my trusty full frame 5D Mk1. A tank of a camera with a superb viewfinder but no live-view. This made it less than ideal for imaging as the benefits of live-view are well known. The obvious way forward at this point would have been to have a long think as to what would suit both my photographic and astro-imaging needs but whilst browsing the web one evening I came across the Sony Nex-5. Light, compact, huge 3" screen, no mirror, full HD movies (AVCHD @ 60FPS) throw in an APS-C sensor and I was hooked. To mount it I would need a T-mount and a SCT to T-mount adapter which were obtained on a trip to Opticstar in Sale. First problem; on the C8 even an APS-C sensor will not give a full Moon disc, merely 2/3rds. Forgot to do my maths ! A distraction occurred next in the way of a second-hand 500mm Mirror Lens in my local camera shop. Now normally I would not buy something under the name of 'Centon' (Jessops own brand from years ago) but this had a T mount so would go on the Nex-5. And indeed it did, strange bed fellows but it works fine. Seeing as it was a reasonable lens optically it would make sense to be able to use it on the 5D. And if I got a T mount for this camera I could use it on the C8 with the already purchased T mount to SCT adapter knowing that full frame would give me a full Lunar Disc image. At this point I put a shout out in the classifieds for an SCT Focal reducer in the vain hope somebody had one that they did not need. A week passes and no takers so off to Opticstar again for my EOS T mount (to enable use of the 500mm lens and so I can mount the 5D on the C8) Whilst browsing in Opticstar I notice a neat little 0.5 focal reducer. Even though I am told emphatically that it either won't work, or will cause severe vignetting I still buy it, reasoning that it may 'come in handy' and along with it I need a 1.25" to T nose piece. In the meanwhile 2 spare batteries and a remote have arrived from Amazon for the Nex-5. On checking my SGL messages I find I have been offered a 'proper' 0.63x focal reducer for quite a bit less than the new price of £120.00 so arrange to buy it. The 0.5x reducer I have just bought is indeed useless on the C8 unless all you want to image is the baffle tube ! So taking stock, Nex-5 with 30mm lens £230, batteries and remote £25, 2x T mount adapters £30, T mount SCT adapter £30, 0.5 reducer & T nose piece £40.00, 0.63x reducer £75 = £430 and I almost forgot the 500mm mirror lens at £40 so £470. Now this would have bought me (with change) an OpticStar PX-137C dedicated Planetary / Solar / Lunar imaging camera or I could of sold the 5D and put the money towards a 7D with live-view and HD video...... I am now having a long and hard think as to what to do with this hotchpotch of stuff so don't be surprised if most of it ends up in the classifieds ! And to make matters worse its still cloudy up here. Paul

Hi Ewan , Mrs Polar bear went through that routine when I came home with the 120 Evostar ! The mount is the original Celestron one, huge rubber legged tripod with the alloy wedge mount. It has the PEC drive on RA. I think manufacture was 1994 (it came with a manual and Peter Manley's book on the 20cm SCT and both have 1994 scribbled in them) Just need the weather now to do some star tests and sort out the collimination out. Paul

Mrs Polar Bear accompanied me to pick up the C8. Her face was a picture when she saw the size of the case it was in. Back home further bewilderment followed when she saw it assembled on the substantial mount and tripod. I had to think quickly as I was met with a barrage of questions "where will you keep it, have you thought this through, you had better use it" Of course, being a man these things are not important, solutions tend to happen all on their own in the future so no point fretting about the present. Don't worry, later, and tomorrow are after all widely used male responses. So to the 3 C's. Check, Clean, Collimate. Check....All the tripod, mount and scope screws and fixings were checked for tightness and functionality. The handset is a little sporadic as the pins on the connector have lost a little tension. Clean.....The scope has been in storage so has suffered from a little fungus on the inside of the corrector plate. This was removed and cleaned. Several of the allen head screws holding the retainer ring were difficult to remove and the allen key just spun in the heads. Celestron should of put larger set screws in and I will do this in the morning after a visit to my local nut and bolt supplier. So no first light unfortunately. Thankfully the primary mirror is like new without a trace of dust. Collimate.....The collimation is a mile out so tomorrow will be spent getting this set up. On sorting all the bits that came with the scope there were a few nice surprises, a 90 degree prism, a T2 camera adapter, several filters including a LP filter, manuals and a book on 8" SCT's Should have it sorted tomorrow and I will need to brush up on polar alignment. Paul

It is old and it is used but like all good things it has stood the test of time and still functions (a bit like me) 'It' being a Celestron C8 Ultima. After several months of deep thought and even more of research I may just of purchased my ideal scope, if such a thing exists?. Rod Mollise over the pond in Chaos Manor South, that guru of the CAT world aided me on my path to telescope nirvana. His informative guides http://skywatch.brai....com/astroland/ were a great help (thanks Rod) A little serendipity came into play when a C8 Ultima appeared on ebay just 10 miles down the road from me. Now I am not rash or excitable but I must admit admit a great amount of glee passed through me when I went to view the scope. The Ultima is around 20 years old so it was imperative to test it and all checked out fine. The illuminated reticle EP on the finder, a turret diagonal, full aperture solar filter, OEM dewshield, original case and 2 quality EP's all added to the glee and gave me the impression that it had been it's previous owners pride and joy (the seller had been gifted it) Now you can dash off and find it on ebay and decide for yourselves if it was a good purchase? I am without doubt it is a great find. Why a C8 Ultima? It will suit my interest in visual Planetary observation (horrendous LP up North here) and should I decide to do a little imaging it will be interesting to see how accurate the PEC (Periodic Error Check) drive training function works. I love the simplicity of it, the quality and it's reputation, especially the reputed rigidity of its fork mount. Plus the obvious one, cost ! I think I have a great 'big bang for the bucks' scope with this one and I am sure it will be a keeper. I am picking it up tomorrow and Saturn awaits...... Paul

It has been a while (June 2012) since I have been on the site. This has been due to a self enforced absence whilst I gave my all to a new career (contrary to popular belief I have not been in jail) Now I am bedded in with my new career I have the time and the finances to take up my stargazing again. As the title of the blog suggests, drinking fine malt whisky and browsing ads in the small hours may lead to some interesting purchases. I last left you having sold my Evostar 120 refractor followed by a brief flirtation with a Skymax 102 which was also quickly sold. I feel now is the time to move up a notch and have been looking at my options. As I am predominantly interested in Planetary observation (with a little webcam imaging) I am looking for focal length. Currently on ebay there is a 10" DKD featuring a Dall relay lens. This rare beast looks magnificent and appears to have been lovingly restored. Huge focal length and one of only four of these scopes ever made so it wins hands down on exclusivity but probably would require an observatory building around it so that is not on my list. Next up an Ultima 8, a respected scope from the 90's but one I may regret lugging about on a dark sky camping trip. Some nice GoTo 10" dobs on the fleabay but again size could be a problem. Short tube refractors are out and long tubes need a huge mount to be useable ! Things may be clearer after another tipple :grin: and I shall report back in a few days the outcome of my whisky induced shopping exploits. Its good to be back..... Paul

As we all know, now is not the best time for stargazing. I have just been out for an hour trying my little 102 Skywatcher Mak out on Saturn and Mars. Enjoyable as ever and the 102 certainly punches above its weight on planetary visual. It is comparable to my Evostar 120 and certainly much more manageable. My Celestron Omni 12mm suits it well giving 108x magnification and lovely crisp views of Saturn with 3 moons visible. After an hour of midge attacks I called it a night, and probably will leave the visual for a few months now just keeping the binoculars close to hand. I am also considering having a clear out of all my astronomy gear and putting the money towards some summer projects. Funds are tight so one needs to finance the other and good secondhand gear is always readily available. I see myself returning to visual observing in late September with plans for a decent sized dob. Recently I have been geeting back into my photography, experimenting lots with time-lapse. This will be my next 'mission' and I am hoping to do plenty over the coming months with the moon , planets and some wide field as my subjects. I have stocked up on Cosmology books, and hope to plough through a few whilst on a summer camping holiday. I would sign off with the normal 'clear skies' but perhaps 'dark skies' is more appropriate at the moment. Paul

Whilst having a perusal around the new look site (which I thoroughly like) I discovered my blog was just a number ! So to rectify that for those of you who read it I have closed the old blog and now have a 'proper' blog name We left off last time with me having sold on the Evostar 120. I enjoyed its short spell with me but decided I needed something more portable like a 100mm - 150mm Mak. I only do visual observing of mainly the Moon and Planets and needed a scope that could be put away when not in use so as to maintain marital harmony. Additionally my skies are woeful with terrible LP and security light obsessed neighbours so most of my time is spent with viewing through my 9x63 binoculars. To this end my beloved has just treated me to a folding reclining chair that I have yet to try out. However, as the Transit of Venus approached I started to get worried that I did not have a scope to observe it with. With funds being tight no small Maksutov's were available in my price range and the panic mounted. Salvation was at hand though (or so I thought) in the way of an Celestron C6-N Newtonian. It is true that I have been known to impulse buy and this was no exception. The C6-N is not exactly what I had in mind to buy and was greeted with the usual 'what have you got now ?' from my lovely wife ! It would appear I am the cause of the recent bad weather and it 'served me right' that the transit was completely clouded out. Yet again I have a scope that I had no intention of buying, does not fit my needs, and is taking up space in the conservatory. I will do a first-light review of it as soon as the constant cloud cover that we have had for 2 weeks decides to move on. It will probably be up for sale shortly after. Which brings me neatly to the new look forum and the return of the 'Classifieds' The new look and operation of the forum gets a big thumbs up from me. The 'classifieds' has been sorely missed by myself, and I guess many others, so it is a welcome return. I must confess to being a gear obsessive and do go through some scopes and equipment, but I think this is a great way to find out what suits one personally. It is fine asking opinions and seeking out reviews but there is no substitute for using and living with the equipment. The classifieds will now be frequented nightly and I have already noticed a few missed bargains from generous forum members. It will be good to see the gear doing the rounds again between members. Paul

Well written Rich , it would be a good foreword to put in astronomy books. I think expectations are always way too high when starting out and people soon get a reality check, me included. Paul

Very disappointed but then this is Britain and the reason we are all here has a lot to do with the cloud and rain. My friend was working in the middle of Sahara in Algeria last year and I emailed him to watch the Perseids. His experience was a no show also. The reason being a sand storm ! can't win...

Great shot Martin, not too 'fussy' if that makes sense ! By 'unguide'd do you mean you just used manual RA or literally just point and shoot ? Paul