Doc

I have used the Canon 10x42 L IS bins and they are fantastic but are pretty heavy so the 18x50 will be heavier still. I chose the Swarovski 10x50EL Swarovisions to keep and I think I made the right decision.

Just increased my Clave family. I've just bought a 55mm Clave' eyepiece and a full set of Clave coloured filters including a Neutral transmission filter. First photo shows the set I have now and the second photo the eyepieces I still need to collect. Once all have been collected I will cut holes for them all inside the wooden box. Hopefully no more will come along straight away as I'm totally skint

Wow you have been busy, I have seen 13 of them with my 120ED so thanks for the info Nick it's something I will concentrate on.

The core is incredibly detailed, well done.

Love it, you have a very special skill.

Amazing stuff David

Aluminium warehouse for tubes. https://www.aluminiumwarehouse.co.uk/aluminium/round-bar

I know exactly what you mean James, I just couldn't resist, it seemed like a bargain. I just like looking at it.

I don't suffer static at all. What it does do is expand quite a bit. Even though the rubber goes under the skirting board and has about 10mm to expand into it still bows and needs a bigger gap then 10mm, but then when it's cold it's fine.

My new Rapidor Manchester Donkey Saw for my workshop. Pretty much spot on, cuts washers 1mm thick and within a couple of thou, so cuts dead staraight. Only problem is that I need a new spring as the tension has gone and the clutch jumps out once in a while so sometimes the auto cut off doesn't always work. Need to rig up an on/off NVR switch as all I do at the moment is turn it on and off at the mains. It has a damper so cuts on the forward stroke and lifts on the backward stroke. It can handle up to 6" in diameter. Lovely machine and fits the workshop perfectly. Now for the photos:

I'm after the following Clave eyepieces to finish my collection, all of them are 1.25" and have no filter threads in the barrels. Must in excellent condition. 3mm 5mm 30mm 35mm Also after any eye caps and filters. Michael Bird

I do too, the price is good as well.

Just had a look through my observing notes and came accross this: Meade Lightbridge 16" f4.5 FL1829mm 24.07.09 - Back garden No moon Seeing mag 4.2 Next was my sole purpose for observing tonight and I waited until 00.30 to see Neptune. I had a quick look at Jupiter and it's four moons but used Jupiter as a starting point for my star hopping adventure via Mu Capricorn to Neptune. In fact it turned out pretty easy and Neptune was easily found. At only 2.5' in size and shining at Mag 7.8 it looks like a star in my 21mm Hyperion. But I increased the magnification to x228 by inserting my 8mm hyperion and the star like object turned into a disc with a slight hint of blue/green. Tried the 6mm ortho and at x304 it was just to much and the view was a bit hazy. The best view came at x146 with my 12.5 ortho the disk at this mag was unresolved but with this eyepiece I could just make out a couple of little pinpricks of light. One was very close to the disc, I estimate 3' away but I cannot be sure if this was actually a individual pinprick are a part of the disc, it was very hard to tell. The other pinprick was in the three o'clock position and at least 20' away from Neptune. It was fading in and out with seeing but I observed it for at least 15 minutes. At the time I had no idea how far Triton, one of Neptunes moons was away from it's parent. The next day I downloaded the Trition Tracker from SkyandTelescope website and it does show Triton at about the same place as I saw a pinprick of light so I'm at least a little more happy with my observation and a little more confident I saw Triton. It gives Triton's magnitude as 13.5 which is possible in my scope.

One thing that used to annoy me with my scope was the thumbscrews that tighten your diagonal into the focuser drawtube. I could never tighten them enough and the diagonal could be turned so I discarded the Esprit connectors and replaced them with a M86 adapter with a M68 internal thread. I then was able to screw a Baader Zeiss click lock adapter into the M86 adapter. So now my APM AMICI diagonal is secured by the click lock adapter so simple and fantastic to use.

This is something I must try one day. I have a few DIY mounts I've designed and built in my workshop which work fantastically but really need a finish putting on them.