bosun21

I bought both the 10mm and 18mm when they first came on the scene. The 10 from eBay and the 18mm from Amazon. I have only got good things to say about them both and I’m pleased to have bought them. These are my first venture into the Flat field eyepieces so I can’t compare that aspect with any other makes.

Hi 👋 welcome to SGL

Is there an adapter required to fit the Steeltrack onto the CC8”?. Thanks

I myself initially bought the Svbony UHC filter. Then after hearing about the Astronomik UHC filter being better, I bought myself one. There’s a substantial difference in my opinion and I immediately then added the Astronomik OIII. I also have a Lumicon OIII which is another marvelous filter. To me, the world of filters is definitely one where you get what you pay for and it’s a no win situation buying cheaper makes.

For this focal ratio the reflection of the cap Isn’t supposed to be in the centre. I ran into the same thing with my Stella Lyra Dobsonian 8”. See attached

Personally I have not needed to use any Barlow with my 127. I usually go down to 7mm on the planets giving me 214x. I can go down to 5mm on the moon. I upgraded the diagonal to a dielectric and fitted a telrad finder as the supplied 6x30 was a struggle. I of course upgraded the eyepieces. It’s a great little scope that punches way above it’s weight

Hi 👋 welcome to SGL and you have gotten yourself some decent gear to wet your feet

The fact that China has just closed two of its major shipping ports is definitely not going to help things

Welcome Emlyn from Ian in Oxford 👋

I’m another that has nothing but good things to say about the Stella Lyra Dobsonian (8”). I have also got a 127 Maksutov Go to. What I did with my Dobsonian was bought a sack trolley and fitted longer rubber feet on the base. This makes wheeling it around a piece of cake. I mainly use my Maksutov for the planets and the SL Dobsonian for everything else. You will be very happy with your purchase.

I read somewhere that the SVbony and the Optolong are actually the same filter only with different labels. This was somewhat confirmed.

Yes Orion have bought the same scopes from GSO and put their labels on them

Two of the best for visual are the Astronomik and Lumicon. As a previous member has stated, don’t waste your time on the cheap substitutes ( as I did) as they are no comparison.

Hi 👋 welcome to SGL

Congratulations Peter. I’ve been following this thread closely as I’m in the same boat you found yourself in. I already have two scopes and now want to have a go at AP. I took on board the mount being stressed over and over again, therefore I’m getting ready to buy myself a HEQ5 pro. I can then look at the scope to buy. Good luck in your endeavors Peter 👍

The route i took with my Eyepiece journey was somewhat circumvent. I initially replaced the no name 10mm at the same time I bought the first of my two scopes with a 9mm Celestron Omni. The short eye relief nudged me onward to a set of the BST Starguiders (minus the 3.2mm). I then added several Explore Scientific 82 degree and a few ultra flat field 65 & 70 degree topped off with a Baader Hyperion Zoom and a couple of Nirvana’s.I can honestly say that the BST Starguiders are a fantastic eyepiece for the price, and punch way above it’s weight. FLO still have them at £49 so they are just inside your budget. To me eyepieces are the candy of astronomy, such that I always want to taste another flavor even though my teeth are falling out (wallet). Clear skies and good luck 👍

Welcome back to the Stargazers Lounge 👋

He was using a collimation cap not a Cheshire/ Sight tube and he was asking how to position the secondary back into place.

When I first tackled the collimation procedure I found it an immense help if I placed a yellow card in the tube blocking the reflection from the primary mirror and a sheet of white paper behind the focuser. This allowed me to focus on the secondary alone without (at that time) the confusion of reflections in both mirrors. This will allow you to centre the secondary and get the tilt close by getting a nice perfect circle. Try this to get a better handle on your wayward secondary mirror

If this is the telescope you are talking about you should be aware that it is basically a kids telescope. Saying that even with a kellner eyepiece you should be seeing a single image of the moon. Check that the main lens in the front of your telescope is sitting square and secure (no movement). Also give the eyepieces a gentle shake to make sure that there’s no loose lens. Sometimes the QC isn’t up to standard.

My concern is that it’s from China and the seller has a feedback score of 1 ! These two things tell me to leave alone.

Hi 👋, welcome to SGL

In your first image your secondary is not central to the focuser. It needs moving towards the primary until it’s central. This is done by turning the centre screw on the secondary Anti clockwise.

Thanks to all who replied to my query. I’ve decided to go for the ROR for any of the heavier soiling, and the Zeiss moistened lens wipes for any light marks or dirt. I have also ordered a healthy supply of organic Q tips and fine multi fiber cloths.

I just noticed that on several of my eyepieces i have what appears to be a greasy oily film forming on my eyepieces with a shorter eye relief. This is obviously from my eyelashes making contact with the glass. I have all the relevant cleaning equipment, soft brush, blower, microfiber cloths etc. What is the best cleaning fluid to use? I’ve got both Zeiss and ROR in my basket and just wanted to check that there’s not a better option. Thanks