badhex

Love this 😂 100% here for the ludicrous experiments @Stu

ThanksI initially bought the ZS73 as my main scope with a view to it being portable so it has always done double duty. It's a great little scope, I love it! Same with the EPs, I only have one main set which I use both when travelling or at home. I've been very lucky to be in a job which allows me to spend more than I probably should on a hobby, but I recently quit so I made a few upgrades (like the gitzo) whilst I can still afford it! 😂

Have been perfecting my travel kit for a while now and for upcoming holidays I'll be taking the following: WO ZS73 Scopetech Mount Zero Gitzo Series 2 Traveller Lacerta 40mm ED Morpheus 17.5mm Pentax XW 10mm Morpheus 4.5mm Astronomik Oiii, UHC, CLS Happily all this lot fits into a single cabin bag sized backpack. I haven't had a chance to try it under the stars yet, but I recently picked up an APM superzoom, so I might only keep the lowest power EPs and take the superzoom instead, maybe with a barlow. (side note, I recently heard an excellent alternative term - "Suitcase Observatory" - on the Actual Astronomy podcast)

Well we are know you're a Zeta Reticulan spy, maybe they are all manufactured in Zeta Reticulan factories and you're here to spread your alien misinformation 😂 Would explain why you have so much kit!

Skywatcher deluxe, skywatcher (included with 80ED etc) Omegon, opticron, William Optics carbon. All the same, with very minor cosmetic differences, and all with that 41.5mm sleeve in the telescope side. Even without that, there's a 43.5mm shoulder/lip inside the eyepiece side, ostensibly to stop the barrel crashing into the mirror.

Depends which diagonal, but their carbon fibre one is also a long perng. Have a look at this slightly rubbish rundown in S@N https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/reviews/six-of-the-best-2-inch-dielectric-diagonals-99-200/

It will only vignette for EPs with a field stop of more than 41.5mm, so you'd need to check that measurement - not always easy to find. Anything smaller than that and you're fine.

The one on the right is the original screw from your SW dielectric, I have exactly the same one and considered swapping out the screws. I also have a version of this diagonal in black, one sold as Opticron, which is exactly the same as the SW Deluxe models. Actually, AFAIK they are all the same. They are made by Long Perng as discovered in the thread below. Optically they are great, however they do have a clear aperture of only 41.5mm so you could experience vignetting with very low power EPs, in case that bothers you.

Great to hear!

Yes, same one. I suspect that they are the same, certainly the same form/shape. I feel like the diagonal ones are more of silver-white than explicitly silver. My diagonal is packed away in my travel kit so need to check.

Agenda Astro sell spare GSO screws and lists the material as "Material: Varies based on available stock" So, could be anything.

My GSO 2" Barlow was purchased over seven years ago (and which I've never had issues with but is not used that often) has the same screws as the diagonal, I think. I would have to compare them side by side to be sure.

How it started: How it's going: Now what do I do with this?

It blows my mind that the optical quality and general engineering quality of GSO stuff is very high, and then they save a couple of cents on... screws? I get that it all adds up, but still.

Thanks @Stu and @Grant! Really appreciate you doing this 🙂

Actually, this might be a moot point; I've just noticed this exciting development in the classifieds section of the main forum:

Hello all, So according to the mods and forum rules, we must use the normal classifieds section for any sales, which makes sense. That said, as it's a bit difficult to know that an ad is from an EU member, I had two thoughts on how we might make it a bit easier: 1. Mark in the title that it is an EU sale/wanted 2. Link to that post in a 'Notifications' thread here, which members who wish to be notified can follow It's an extra step, but this way anyone who does want to notify our little group can do so easily. To ensure that we don't spam anyone or break any rules, we would obviously need to be fairly strict about what can be posted in that thread - just links to classifieds and a simple message such as 'New for sale post' , 'New wanted post", and no buying or selling direct in the thread. Assuming that this isn't an issue with the code of conduct, does this make sense? How do we feel about it? Would love to hear feedback (even if you think it's a stupid idea 🙂) or other ideas. Thanks!

Naturally @JeremyS!

Loads in the UK as well. I take it theres no way you can take a trip?

I was really hoping that there might be some Red dwarf fans out there that might get this reference 😅

None I'm aware of unfortunately - have you tried contacting either APM telescopes or Teleskop Express in Germany? They might be able to point you in the right direction.

LOVE the 17.5mm!

After all the good reports coming back, I decided to take the plunge on the APM Superzoom! The only problem now is where to store it - both EP cases are full...

It arrived! Lovely look and feel as others have said, clean lines and finishes on everything. About the same size as the Morpheus 4.5mm, and within the same sort of weight range as my other EPs (as mentioned, one of the deciders). Detent on the clickstop feel good, with reasonably fluid movement between just giving a little resistance. Can't wait to get it under the stars!

Hello all, Starting this thread to allow members to tag anyone they know of who is based in Europe/EU for awareness that we've created the club! If you think of anyone, please reply and @mention them here, or use the 'Invite' function if you wish to invite them directly. Of course, it is entirely up to individuals whether they wish to join or not 🙂 Thanks!