badhex

I'm only a visual observer but I have both the SW 80ED and the WO ZS73. As mentioned the the ZS73 has a more suitable F ratio for AP at F5.9, and it definitely edges out in build quality. I'd also add that the image seems a touch sharper and brighter, at least for visual. I like that it is quite a compact size vs the ED80 and I don't feel like I miss the extra aperture. Regarding balancing, the earlier WO versions (and maybe others brands?) had an issue where you couldn't have the dovetail too far back on the scope as the focus locking screw was in the way. The newer v3 has spacers between the rings and dovetail to avoid the problem, which may help with the balancing mentioned above.

Great stuff. How are you finding the new diagonal?

It's the best one!

Ooh just thought @Ags maybe if you fancied it you could add your new setup to the 'Show us your WO scope' thread I was trying to get up and running!

The undercuts are pretty annoying, but I found that certain EPs are better than others, and you develop a bit of knack for the tricky ones. It's nice to not have to mar the barrel of your eyepieces though, and I think you'll enjoy the overall better build quality!

I would tend to agree with @ScouseSpaceCadet and @vlaiv - the 5mm is a better bet out of the two. As mentioned seeing has to be good to very good in order to get the highest powers out of the scope, and I did not think to mention chromatic aberration at high powers in your scope (again as others have mentioned). For reference I have been using them in a William Optics Zenithstar 73 - a small 73mm nearly-APO refractor, 430mm focal length, F5.9.

I bought a 3.2mm BST Starguider specifically for travel use with my ZS73 which works well as a budget option. It would give a respectable 121x / 0.54mm exit pupil in your ZS66, so that could be an option whilst you save up for your Nagler 😊

+1 for the info in the "Eyepieces - the very least you need" post. I used that to inform my first new EP purchases when first getting into the hobby and still refer back to the equations when looking at new scope/eyepiece combinations. I think for your scope as mentioned the upper limit would be about 200x; 50x per inch of aperture is generally considered to be a good rule of thumb for maximum magnification on a night with good observing conditions. With that in mind you could consider looking at the 3.2mm BST Starguider which is very reasonably priced (around £50 from First Light Optics), still has decent eye relief and gives you 206x. You may find that on nights with average-ish observing conditions it's too powerful, so the 5mm BST might also be an option at 132x. I have both and they are great eyepieces in a fairly fast focal ratio scope like yours. I think actually 4mm would be better as a compromise, giving 165x but there is no BST Starguider in that focal length so you'd have to look at another brand - Vixen do a 4mm Plössl but the eye relief is very tight at about 2-3mm so it may not be very enjoyable.

Thanks @JeremyS!

Thanks for the update @JeremyS Is there any more confirmed info about what caused it to be so fast, and whether it is indeed the fastest on record? I know next to nowt about novas really so these may all be stupid questions, but will we eventually see (presumably in decades not years) some sort of emission nebulosity due to ejecta remnants? Are there any known rules as to which types of novae have visible remnants and why?

Looks great @Ags. I'm very happy with my newly acquired ZS73 and I imagine the views are quite similar.

From the reflections it looks to be fully multi-coated, can you confirm? Would also love to know if it's internally flocked.

Hi and welcome!

+1 for Baader. They also do pre-made filters with a rigid plastic disc, rubberised pegs and velcro safety straps (I have this one).

+1 here for the lynx astro stuff - I have the dew controller and a couple of straps (as yet unused!) plus the power cables to replace the standard ones for my EQ6-R pro. All super quality. I didn't realise they did the handset cables as well, I think I'll have to pick those up as the standard ones are rubbish.

Quick Q - has this behaviour started only since you updated to the new app? I know you had some shenanigans with the app, but managed to get everything working once you got the new version. I seem to remember reading something from a few years ago where there was a similar problem with the app but got fixed in an update - could be the bug has crept back in?

Great first image! Congrats!

Hi Osvaldo and welcome! Impressive setup, I look forward to seeing the results of your hard work!

When I said I'd considered buying one again at several points, the most recent of those was nearly pushing the button when you recently had yours up for sale @Ags!

Another +1 for the Skymax 102. The first scope I ever purchased, and I love it. Sadly I have not been able to use it for some years due to being in storage in another country, but I honestly really miss it and have at several points considered buying another! I didn't own the AZ-GTi at the time but I own one now and it's a fantastic little mount for visual use, and would pair really well with the skymax. Regarding the astrophotography part - the skymax has a slow focal ratio and thus is less well suited to AP, but it is possible to get good images even as a novice. Many years ago I used lucky imaging to get a half decent image of Jupiter through the same scope (see below - not an incredible picture but that was my lack of skill, not the scope!) Two other things to consider: That scope only has a relatively small field of view due to the focal length, but because it has a slow f-ratio it will not be as picky on wider angle eyepieces so you should be able to get one that doesn't break the bank. Just be aware that the interior baffle (part of the scope design of Maks) limits how wide you can go - off the top of my head it's maybe 26mm / 70° or thereabouts. Lastly, if you wanted to later do astrophotography, you could get a couple of bits for not too many euros (maybe 50-100ish) to very easily put the mount into EQ mode. Looking forward to seeing what you decide on and a first light report! Thanks Joe

No problem! I think they rather enjoyed it! One more question - whilst I can't help with imaging I might be able to help with IT. How much dat are we talking about needing to store/upload? Or do you have that bit sorted?

Thanks @wookie1965 and thanks for the tip - I haven't tried M92 before so I'll add it to the list!

Classic Terry 😂 The Foucault tester looks exactly the same as it did seven or eight years ago and AFAIK he's had it for most of the life of the class. What a legend. Emailed a few of them after I saw the video, was nice to see everyone again - it actually made me quite homesick!

I am also an alumnus of Terry's class. I moved to Germany a while ago so my part-finished mirror also sits in a box in storage! It was great to see the old gang on @rorymultistorey's video.

This is the same issue I had. I was lucky in that I have a spare phone which I use exclusively as a handset which isn't updated, so still works fine.