bosun21

The BST Starguider have rotating eyecups.

A 0.63x reducer is a good idea for the larger targets but you should still be able to view quite a few of the messier objects without one. M27, M57, M13, M42, and M81 & 82 being some of the easiest ones. Globular clusters are relatively easy to spot as well as the open clusters. Try and get your eyes as dark adapted as possible and if you have external light sources beyond your control then a large black piece of cloth draped over your head at the eyepiece helps a good deal. A 9x 50 RACI is a good finder scope used in conjunction with your RDF. Happy hunting.

Great captures once again Geoff. The colour image is specially appealing. Just bought an IR pass filter so looking forward trying it out. Do I need to change the exposure setting for it? Thanks.

Welcome back Nick.

Great captures. I can imagine the difficulty of placing Neptune on a small sensor at that focal length. Perseverance pays off.

Which flip mirror was it? I'm looking to replace mine ATM.

Stars will appear as small specks of light in telescopes when focus is reached. You are simply defocusing the star to make it larger which will inherintly show the spider veins. Try looking at the planets, especially Jupiter at the moment. Your telescope is also a bird jones design which if collimated correctly should show you the disc of the planet and perhaps some details.

I used to own the 6" Classical Cassegrain from the same manufacturer. I could reach focus easily with an extension piece(s) to spare. The distance between the primary and secondary mirrors has to be exact in an RC and is reportedly difficult to gauge. I know that @Chris owned the 8" RC at one time, so maybe he could give you his experience of reaching focus. Good luck 🤞.

My Starfield 102 has 8 or 9 baffles in the focuser tube as well as the main tube being baffled. I kept going cross eyed trying to count them

I have just started planetary imaging as well and have only captured Jupiter twice. The seeing was terrible last night in Oxford. I got a semi respectable image last time out but really struggled last night. It was like looking through water. My attempt from last night below.

The TX worked just fine in my 8” and 12” reflectors.

Nice captures despite the conditions. The seeing was abysmal for me here as well. I persevered anyway and captured about 7 X 120 seconds of Jupiter and two on the moon. I haven't even attempted to process them yet as I know that they will be subpar. I swapped the imaging train for a diagonal and eyepiece but it was like looking through a goldfish bowl. Maybe next time.

I have one of each, and on most nights while out with the go to I just skip the alignment and use it solely as a tracking mount.

Out again to capture Jupiter tonight but it appears that the Jetstream has other ideas. This was the poorest seeing I have encountered since recently taking up planetary imaging. Jupiter appeared like it was underwater (sigh 😔) with the moon not much better. I persevered anyway and captured about 8 X 2 minute videos of Jupiter and a couple of the moon. I then swapped the imaging train for a diagonal and eyepiece. Still dismal here with Jupiter looking like it's submerged in a goldfish bowl. With my fingers and toes numb I accepted defeat tonight and withdrew indoors to heat myself up before returning to break down my gear. Lets hope that these colder nights bring with them clear skies.

The manual mount (EQ5) when you fit them with a dual motor kit leaves the DEC gears exposed. With the go to pro version of the mount both RA and DEC are covered.

While I liked the Vixen NPL 30mm I couldn't stomach the plastic assembly of the eyecup. I had to use an elastic band to stop the ER from changing. I bought two for binoviewing and both suffered from loose variable eyecups. Sold them both.

I can't see Skywatcher mounting an Askar in their display. Also can't see all the orange finishing. Mighty big refractor though.

The most important thing for me is that my Starfield with its FPL53 and Lanthanum glass lenses provides a CA free and good colour images. The rest of it I will leave to others.

Fast reflectors have an offset in the secondary mirror I believe.

How is Lanthanum coatings the same as Lanthanum glass?

I am beginning to regret getting rid of my 12" dobsonian now. It was just a bit too big to comfortably bring in and out of the house. I will probably get myself another 8 - 10" dobsonian in the very near future. I am really enjoying planetary imaging. Thanks again.

Great images Kostas. I missed those cloud gaps myself and I really need to grab those when they come around. Good seeing makes such a huge difference. I just bought a SV 685nm IR pass filter to try next time out. Is there much of a difference between IR pass filters like the Antlia?

Welcome to SGL 👋.

I also don't like filtered views and prefer observing without them. CA is a very personal thing and doesn't seem to bother some people at all. I didn't know about the green part of the spectrum and that probably accounts for the many people who use an achromat for solar with a continuum filter

I have owned a couple of FPL51 doublets and there is definitely CA visible at higher magnifications. For a doublet FPL53/Lanthanum make a great combination with no CA visible in my Starfield at >200x. I would only consider FPL51 in a triplet or long focal length doublet. Fluorite being the best of all.