bosun21

The focal length of a 150P is only 750mm. Unless it’s the Dobsonian then it’s 1200mm

You must have been using a 2x Barlow with the 6mm eyepiece to achieve the 250x?. As the 6mm eyepiece alone will give you 125x considering that the focal length of the 150P is 750mm

The Bobs knobs that fit the secondary mirror on the Stella Lyra Dobsonian are the 35mm length. They make the collimation check/adjustment before viewing a piece of cake

Some 2” eyepieces require the extension piece to reach focus. This is the reason it’s included and it’s not a big deal to me to simply either use it or pull the 2” EP out 5mm. The plus points on this scope negates this minor niggle in my opinion

Hi Matt 👋, welcome to the lounge. You have made a solid choice for your first telescope. A planisphere is great for showing and learning the constellations

I can sympathize with you in the up/down left/right scenario. I found turning the hand controller upside down helped a great deal with this. I have now conquered this thank goodness 😅

Further to my previous post I had an hour to kill before going out to a function tonight. So all dressed up i looked outside to see my skies being clear, so just had to grab my binoculars. I had forgotten just how much can be seen with binoculars. I was totally surprised just how well I could see M42 and how much nebulosity was visible. I used my Pentax 20x60 which were crystal clear. If I had longer I would have brought out a tripod for even more enjoyment.Binoculars are the ultimate grab and go

Hi Dave, I’m also from Oxford and rekindled my astronomy bug last year. I’m going to embark on a Messier journey myself very soon. I have an 8” Stella Lyra Dobsonian, a 127 Maksutov Go to, and a 120/1000 achromatic refractor with a semi Apo filter for it if needed. I also bought a Lumicon OIII and Astronomik UHC filters. Is there anything else that I need before starting this journey? Thanks

Hi there 👋 A warm welcome to SGL. You will find a treasure trove of information and solid advice here.

I currently have a pair of Opticron Oregon 15x70 and a pair of Pentax WP 20x60 both on tripods however i seem to be using my 120 refractor more often and I’m actually contemplating putting one of them up for sale in the near future

Hi Dustin 👋 a warm welcome to SGL

I bought the BST Starguiders full range apart from the 3.2mm, and was pleased with the performance from them. For the price of them (£49) they are really hard to beat. I also bought the Explore Scientific 82 degree eyepieces in 14mm and 11mm. I would most definitely get a few shorter length EP’s if you plan on any planetary or lunar viewing. On a decent night Mars and Saturn can easily take 200x. If you want to try the 82 degree eyepieces without the cost of the Explore Scientific then there’s always the Nirvanas that are considerably cheaper, yet still good quality and added to my collection. Then there’s always the zoom option which works for a lot of people myself included. Good luck with whichever you decide

A pair of Opticron 15x70’s and a pair of Pentax 20x60’s both on tripods

In your part 2 forget about the reflection of the primary and concentrate on positioning your secondary mirror perfectly central and concentric in the focuser tube. Ensure it’s a perfect circle. Once done the crosshairs on the Cheshire/sight tube should be centre

The Telrad is the more expensive one in my shopping venues 🤔

This is what you are aiming for

Hi 👋 welcome to the lounge

You have moved the secondary

It’s looking good and as has already been said a final star check would be ideal

Hi 👋 welcome to SGL

I have experienced some dew on my secondary mirror of my 8” Dobsonian from time to time, although not very often. I simply bought the Astro Essentials dew shield from FLO which took immediate care of the problem. These are competitively priced and good quality

For myself when observing Jupiter i always find myself in the range of 100x - 200x. I more often than not find that using my Baader zoom allows me to home in on the sweet spot much easier and faster than if I were using fixed fl eyepieces

Hi Daf👋 welcome to the lounge

I also have the Telrad fitted to my 127 and find it great to use. I just need to upgrade to a RACI finder as well

Hi there 👋, welcome to SGL