badhex

Very strange, have not read about this particular issue. I wonder if it's a dry solder joint which only loses connection at that point when the az clutch is engaged? In any case, if its only a few months old it sounds like a warranty job. Let us know how you get on.

Hello all, Since purchasing the Skytee and TS102 F7 ED, I find myself in need of a finder, as I am not enjoying swapping out EPs multiple times when trying to locate objects. I have a skywatcher 50mm but it is straight through, so using it near the zenith is not comfortable for me. I also remember never really enjoying the red dot finder on my old Skymax 102 and my skies can only show me the very brightest stars in a given constellation, so I'm not sure if a zero magnification finder is where I want to go either. As I see it, that leaves me with two options to consider: Either a 50mm RACI type finder OR to set up my old Celestron 70mm Travelscope + low power EP. on one of the other mount points of the Skytee. As I understand it from reading elsewhere, the 50mm finder will show me about 5.5-ish degrees of sky, whereas with the Travelscope and a 32mm Plossl I can only manage 4deg. The finder option is simpler but does require buying (at least) the finder, plus although my TS102 has a finder shoe, I'd prefer to mount it direct to the Skytee, so more bits and pieces are needed. I can put together the travelscope version with stuff I have already (except the 32mm Plossl - I do have a 24mm SWA which shows roughly the same TFOV.) plus it's a bigger aperture, real EP instead of the finder ones which feel like they're going to poke your eyes out, and it feels a bit more fun. Anyway I would love to hear opinions or experiences of others with simar setups! The main concern really is whether the travelscope version would actually perform its function as a finder well enough, I suppose. Of course I *could* use my ZS73 plus Panoptic 41mm as a finder but that seems extreme 😂

I have a pair of "Heat Holders" fingerless gloves and they are extremely effective. You retain more than enough dexterity to handle EPs etc., and they keep your hands warm enough that the tips of your fingers don't really feel cold at all, except when directly touching tripod legs etc! Have used them for sessions when it's been -5 and they were great.

Hello @wibblefish further to my thoughts above, I went ahead and bought the bag and some additional foam which I've cut into shape. I used one thicker block rather than several pieces stuck together so it was a bit trickier to cut but it worked out okay.

Great launch! Watched between opening presents 😁

Merry Christmas everybody! I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas (if you celebrate it) and New year. Hoping for clear skies for everyone 😊 Yesterday was the last astro delivery of the year for me I think - block of foam padding to make custom inserts for my Skytee-2 bag: Build process below, if you're interested:

Is "Lick refractor" an instruction? I suppose that's one way to enjoy astro equipment when it's cloudy 😂

Hello all, I recently purchased the TS-Optics medium mount bag in which to store my Skytee-2 when it's not in use. The bag is padded with around 15mm of foam, but knew prior to purchasing that I'd need to add some more, so for around 10eur I purchased a block of 12cm thick foam and got to work. First, I made some measurements of the bag and mount, and figured out roughly how big and where each cut would need to be. The first piece to cut was for the bottom of the bag to give additional padding for the top of the mount, as the mount goes in upside down for stability. Turns out a sharp bread knife was the most successful tool, as it does not tear the foam. As the mount is obviously an asymmetrical T shape, I then needed two individual cuboid pieces for either side. These then also needed various cutouts for the different protruding mount parts such as the lip at the base and slow motion control knobs. This was a bit tricky in places but actually easier than expected! Not as neat I would like but still more than fit for purpose. Finally, a little bit of adjustment here and there but everything fits pretty much perfectly and the mount is much better protected! After a few days of everything in the bag I think everything will mould into shape as well to provide and even better fit.

Lovely image Lee - the double cluster is one of my favourites!

Good to hear you enjoyed the Orion nebula 🙂 As @Franklin just said, there are some genuinely breathtaking deep sky objects, and viewing them the first time is often an unforgettable experience! Next time you're out, perhaps try a cluster, something like M45 the Pleiades, if you haven't already. It's beautiful objects like these that you'll likely come back to again and again 🙂

Great image, it's surprising how capable this mount is (and ironic the most basic mode is more successful for you than other modes, I know you had tons of issues with runaway etc.) During summer and the eclipse I also only levelled the mount and then did point and track on the sun and it stayed in view with only 2-3 minor corrections in a several hour session!

Thanks buddy - happy Christmas to you too!

Had another quick run with the 102ED F7 and Pentax XW 10mm but was still foiled by a lack of roof access, and it turned out to be somewhat hazier than I first thought. That said I figured the moon might be a good shout, and using an ND4 to help the contrast a bit, I spent quite a while poking around near Grimaldi and Byrgius. There were 3 or 4 bright impact sites between the two in a sort of squaroid and a few small, dark circular patches which caught my eye. I don't know the names of any of these features (I'm rubbish at lunography, if there is such a thing), so as I'm now off work for a bit I will consult my lunar atlas and figure out what I was looking at. Eventually the haze spoilt my fun so I packed up for the night, but not before taking a couple of beauty shots!

Lovely images both. @Ags was that in alt-az mode, did I read that in another thread? Looking forward to the double cluster image @AstroNebulee! My AZ-GTi has been packed away in its little home for a while, last time it was out was in the UK but it only had one outing sadly. Have been too busy playing with the Skytee/102ED combo 🙂 I did actually buy one upgrade - I wanted to stop burning through batteries and get a proper powertank, so I went for the smaller Celestron. Yet to try the two out together though.

Oklop 120/600 bag for my new TS102 F7 ED arrived. Quite roomy, as it's intended for a larger aperture scope but I struggled to track down a bag specifically for a 102mm F7. Once you take into account the focuser and tube ring knobs it's actually not far off, though.

[ @badhex is backing slowly away from the thread]

Not that I wish to resurrect a long running discussion, but one thing to bear in mind is that the AZ75 does not have slowmo controls if that something you want. Otherwise it will obviously be a much better made mount than the Skytee. (I only own a Skytee, FYI). From general consensus of the threads I read running up to the recent purchase of my skytee, essentially you can bring it up to the level of "sturdy, reasonably inexpensive dual alt-az mount" which performs well, with a small amount of work. As said the purchase of some decent grease and a few hours TLC may be necessary, depending on how well it performs out of the box. It will never be Rowan standard of excellence though 🙂

Thanks, John, that's a really kind comment 🙂 I do like to paint a picture as it were, and to some degree it also serves as a reminder to myself how I felt at the time - which as you say is a big part of the experience. Really glad you enjoyed reading it!

+1 for the Skytee. That's what I was using in my first light report on the TS 102. All of that said, mine is not perfect out of the box, but by no means unusable. Az is very smooth but Alt is a bit stiff in the cold due to the infamous sticky grease, so I have brought a tube of Aeroshell 33 to regrease it sometime in the new year. There are plenty of threads around on regreasing and tuning up the mount but appreciate it's not everyone's cup of tea having to strip and regrease a new mount!

Thanks Jeremy! Sometimes worry that I am a bit too wordy but then I realise if anyone gets bored they can always stop reading 😂

Thanks Stu! I'm beginning to see why everyone says that!

Thanks John, yes it's certainly a cut above my SW 80ED both optically and in build quality. I'm glad to be in the club!

Thanks Gerry! Agreed, I'm sure we'd all love a Tak but it's out of reach for many. Having options that are quite close but maybe a third or quarter of the price is great for the hobby!

Thanks Sunshine, so far it seems a great scope and I'm really looking forward to more sessions soon!

Thanks Dave! It's a great combo. If it makes you feel any better I was in the UK with my travel kit for 6 weeks very recently and I only got one session!