LondonNeil

I took the family to the national space centre in Leicester today, great day out. My kids are 8, 6 and 3 and all enjoyed it and didn't want to leave. Luckily I'd bought the entry tickets online as I doubt we would have got in otherwise, it was very busy. Booking on line also saved a teenie bit but best it upgraded the tickets to annual passes so we will definitely be back again. Kids and I are inspired to get out with the scope...... if the clouds ever part that is! Anyway, if you're looking for something to do with the kids I reckon it. My only disappointment was not seeing Maddie Moate (if you've kids young enough to know the name then yes.... maddie space and me was filmed there)

Yes that's the site and yes I suspect you are correct. It was brit books that supplied the book and had tnt terrible trust pilot scores. Biblio score well on trust pilot but there are plenty of bad reviews lodged with them.

Weight and cost must be the two biggest downsides, but I can imagine they make for excellent views and very comfortable viewing.

Another effort to be proud of! It looks very professional.

The 50mm od pipe you mean? https://www.aluminium-online.co.uk/product/50mm-x-1-5mm-aluminium-round-tube/?attribute_pa_length=200mm&gad_source=1&gclid=CjwKCAiA_aGuBhACEiwAly57Mfcxp_4nYxlyILFRUvDb1kH2NUiHea6TZg-3s1thBbItJpm8ngy1cRoCQZ0QAvD_BwE 3 quid plus postage for 100mm of aluminium tube. That is the right size isn't it?

I'm surprised they fetch £50 but the tripod seems fair and the mount in sure is fine with smaller tubes. I'll have a think..... mod mine too improve it, or stick it in the classifieds (a bit lower than £50 and hope it is of use to somebody)

We need an enterprising astronomer to sell some cases 😁 I imagine it could be quite simple for someone with a 3d printer.

Yes, I'd seen those. I'm sure it works well. I've seen others do similar with a counter weight set up.

Are the gimbal heads the yoke type design often seen on cheaper scopes? Mechanically they are so much better! I guess they are a bit bulkier and need to be sized to the tube diameter but the CoG can then be coincident with the alt pivot.

If the mount were to be modded to incorporate a torsion spring around the altitude pivot, that could work and would be very neat. How to do that as a post production mod is not immediately obvious though and no doubt not easy.

Rusted, the usual way to do it is a threaded bar screwed into one of the existing tapped holes in the mount head near the front ring attachment and kinked so that it extends down and forward at about 30 degrees with the tube horizontal. Fine balance is achieved at any given altitude of target by cw size or position on that bar. So yes, it can be modded to work and I should have a play and give the head another chance.

I'd thought about playing with a bungee in that way. To me it seems a better idea than lugging counter weights about. I can't see your quoted bits on my phone... I'm hoping it's a photo of your elasticated set up! Yes I probably ought to give it a chance and do the stuff I've read improves it. -dismantle, clean the synta 'grease' off and replace with a bit of lithium or copper grease - play with bungees - if backlash is a problem washers can be added in various places to remove excess play -a new nylock nut

You're a wicked man, you're speaking to my weak side!

I've seen threads for that

No it's not end of life, it's fully functional, just not for a scope I have. I'm most impressed John got that c5 sct on one though. Wedge would be a greatt idea except.... it won't with my scope. The problem is with higher alt targets the c o g of the ota is well behind the alt pivot so with an ota other than a very small and light one it can't hold it .... it just sags away. It would do the same being used as a wedge wouldn't it?

Good effort! Its something to be proud of! Have you tried it much yet? Is it in the 'its pretty decent for £35 and was lots of fun to make' bracket or are you now the proud maker and owner of optics norm costing considerably more?

Hopefully FLO will deliver me a new steel tripod and gtix this coming week, yay. I will then have an unloved and unnecessary lightweight alu tripod and az3 mount. I need help deciding what to do with it. Burn it with fire? Sacrifice to the god of clear skies? Repurpose (shudder!), bin, or sell (is it even possible?) This is the az3 and tripod that is packaged with a skywatcher st120. In terms of costs the package is £379 but the ota is £299. However the ota still comes with rings and also a dovetail, I'll be keeping the rings (and buying dovetail.... should arrive with the gtix) so just tripod and az3 is....£50 ish in 'cost'. In terms of function i actually thought the tripod ok, and belive the az3 is OK for smaller scopes like the st80, its just far from man enough with a 120 and 2" eps. So maybe of use to someone for a small scope, or for binoculars maybe? (A short person...or seated) I can't imagine selling it for more than a tenner plus postage though, and would I find a buyer quickly? See my problem works be I'd see an st80 or skymax 90 or something before I sold the tripod and mount and somehow I'd end up with that..... which is daft...I do not want to go down that route. Your advice please. Stick it in the classifieds at a tenner plus postage, or bin it in some amusing sacrificial manner that benefits the whole community by pleasingc the god known as 'Cloud'?

I think that's stunning! Dob, eq platform and smart phone, superb!

That looks very smart, if it works as good as it looks then we'll done indeed!

Blimey, February isn't going well it's it! Not much to look forward to in the forecast either. Oh dear.

Feeling chuffed. I picked up a copy for just £3.48, used but good. Biblio books aka brit books. They get shocking reviews on trust pilot etc so I fully expected it wouldn't turn up and I'd be claiming a refund from the credit card company, but no! It's arrived in good time. At that price I feel like keeping an eye out for a second copy to just scrawl on when at the scope!

I just found a youtube about astro hopper, it looks great and I look forward to trying it out! Thanks for sharing your work!

I've just had this pop up on YouTube It looks interesting! I found the site here https://artyom-beilis.github.io/astrohopper.html It's cloudy and drizzly so no idea if it works!

What are you after? the guy on astrobuysell has the set 6.5, 9, 12,17.5mm available ££160 each. He did have the 14mm too.... did 🤭 I might have the phone number of a guy called Steve.. ..

If its still there, add it to your watch list. The seller gave me an offer of a tenner less.