MalcolmM

Nice one of the prom. It's exactly as I saw it. Here's a pic of the same prom earlier in the day. It was fascinating watching it change shape over the day. Malcolm

My sympathies! My back is only just back to normal after 4 weeks. My mistake was to pick 'Turn Left at Orion' off the floor! Malcolm

Good idea to turn back time @Kon I'll give that a go thanks, Malcolm

That's great info on seeing and transparency thanks @Stu. Encouraging too that the Rosetta is possible in a 4". I need to find some dark skies not too far away! Malcolm

Transparency was not great last night, I think that's the right description; it seemed there was high cloud and there were simply not many stars visible. Anyway, I took @mikeDnight's advice from an earlier post and spent lots of time looking at and getting to know my current 4 favourite open clusters a bit better M35-38. Anyway, while observing M35, quite a bright satellite passed left to right (refractor view) just under it. About 10 seconds later another one passed on the exact same trajectory. Strange I thought I've never seen that before. And then another one, 10 seconds and same trajectory again. This happened twelve times! All on the exact same trajectory and all roughly 10 seconds apart. There may have been more as the first one passed just after I had started to observe. Does anyone know what this procession might have been? I'll not describe the clusters (again) suffice it to say it was well worth spending time on each rather than rushing though them and every other visible DSO! It's lovely as gradually more and more stars and detail becomes visible the more time you spend. I also saw the Eskimo nebula for the first time. Very satisfying star hopping down from Pollux and seeing it; not much detail, it appeared as an out of focus star - I've attached my sketches through a Tak 28mm Erfle (my star hopping eyepiece) and a Tak 10mm LE (on an FC100DC). I then tried for the Leo triplet but despite being sure i was in the correct location there was no sign of any of them. Ditto M65 and 66, no sign of them. I take this as confirmation of the poor transparency. A quick attempt at the Rosetta Nebula. Again a no show though the little group of stars in its centre are very pretty. Should the Rosetta be visible in a 4" refractor in suburban skies? Finally a glance at the double cluster which as always is a joy (wish I could come up with some more superlatives for this one ) and that ended a very pleasant 3 hours under the stars! For those of you who have got this far, thanks for reading and apologies for the upside down image, can't seem to figure out how to take a photo the right way up! Guess that's why I'm a visual observer Malcolm

Dizzy? That setup makes me dizzy That must be the most elegant combination ever! Love it.

@Stu absolutely! I was showing my partner's neices and they were wowed at seeing the proms, and then wowed even more when I told them the proms would swallow the earth whole! The context and scale of what we observe is one of the fascinating aspects of this hobby! Malcolm

Very pleased you got it sorted, they are wonderful telescopes. I'm sure you'll have much fun using it! Malcolm

I was able to spend an hour on Saturday morning observing the sun in Ha with a Lunt 50 and a combination of 16mm Nagler and 7.5mm Tak LE. I concentrated on what I thought was an interesting shaped prom, it looked like a very thin arc with an ejection of material at one end (excuse the terminology, I am not up to speed yet on it). Over the next 40 minutes the arc gradually disappeared and the prom itself took a more definitive shape changing into a cactus and then eventually what looked like a figure giving a blessing. I have included my sketch with the various observations and times round the outside. Gotta say it was very exciting to see the shape changing in real time - I only hope it was a genuine prom development and not my inexperienced eyes playing tricks on me! Malcolm

That looks to me like you just have to keep turning it clockwise to screw the part in properly. But I would double check first with the supplier, maybe send them the video, or wait for Jeremy and/or dweller's opinion. Malcolm

Mmmm that doesn't sound right. Mine was not freely rotating and it only rotated a very small amount caused by the small gap between the focuser rack in its channel Malcolm

I think it was Ian at FLO who I was talking to (email). I can try and dig the exchange out if that would be of help to you. Malcolm

I have the 100DC and 60CB. The draw tube in both have a little rotational play. I have been told this is normal and par for the course for this type of rack and pinion focuser. Malcolm

@spartinix, I think you are correct, the WO cannot be collimated. Possibly my eyes just finally got the merge as you say; I was using the WO again last night with Tak 28mm Erfle, 20mm WO stock eyepieces and Tak 10mm LE. No trouble merging! @Highburymark, no I was not using high power, I think it was the 28mm Erfles as I was trying to get as much of M42 in as possible. I like the look of the Maxbright II but interesting (and fully accept) that it will not guarantee easier merging. It's probably just as well there is a very long lead time with them I'll keep going with the WO pair for now. @Louis D I have a couple of TV eyepieces but none are doubled up for binoviewing so undercutting not a problem for me Thanks all for your replies. Malcolm

Very impressive detail! I was looking at Gassendi last night with the 100DC, the seeing was terrible, but I can recognise a few of the larger features from your image. I saw no detail at all inside the crater other than the central peaks. Malcolm

Just discovered this looking to implement your suggestion I use a very short dovetail on the 60CB to keep size and weight down but begining to think false economy! Malcolm

I'm feeling your excitement Like others have said, I really don't think you will be disappointed. I have never owned a Dob but many say a 4" refractor compliments them. All telescopes are compromises of one feature or another but a high quality doublet not only ticks most of the boxes but in my opinion ticks them in big bold red ink Malcolm

Thanks, I'll shall try that soonest! Malcolm

As @JeremyS says ... no It's very light, it does wide field brilliantly, it takes as much magnification as you can throw at it, it's a joy to use, it's stunning to look through and stunning to look at. Mine is the DC but I think they are pretty similar. Caveat ... I'm a tad biassed and obsessed Malcolm

The only time (so far) my heart has stopped was not the clam shell to OTA, but the dovetail bar in the saddle (if that's the right word). I hadn't tightened the dovetail enough in the saddle and only for the finder coming up against the saddle dovetail locking knob (hard!) my 100DC would have hit the concrete from 4 or 5 feet up! A small nick in the finder was luckily the only damage! My Manfrotto equivalent (video fluid head) has a built in stop that prevents the plate sliding too far. I'd love something similar on the dovetail/saddle. Apologies, I'm straying from the original topic! Malcolm

I agree with this, though I think for me it probably tends towards 'Brand Obsession' and I am rational enough to realise that this is irrational behavior For me. I simply get huge value out of looking through them, looking at them and owning them. One member here, I can't remember who, pointed me to a video of the scopes being made and whereas I understand it was probably marketing, it just looked like real pride and love goes into their manufacture and for me that comes through in ownership, it's not just a scope Malcolm

Great read and great photos too! Malcolm

Tak stock focuser, Tak diagonal, Tak eyepieces, Takalicious Malcolm

I'm with @JeremyS and @dweller25 ... my mentors, though they probably don't know it Malcolm

Hmmmm I'll try Because the scope is attached to the Giro about 6 or 7 inches from the centerline I cannot grab the diagonal say and twist it left and right (which you could do if it were attached on the centerline). Instead, to turn the scope to the left, I have to pull the scope back (if it is on the left hand side of the mount), if you see what I mean? On looking at the picture of your mount again, your scope will be much closer to the centerline and so you may not have this problem (and it's not a problem, it's just I find I'm trying to turn the scope left rather than pulling it left!) And now I'll shut up having probably confused you even further! Malcolm