cajen2

The Morpheus 17.5 is a real gem - you wouldn't be disappointed. Personally, I'd go for Starguiders (Paradigms) if you can handle the smaller FOV for other focal lengths. They're cheap and very good quality for the price.

Might be a bit warm.....😅

Good session, good report, Mike!

Both? 😛

Ah, ok. A 102 shoot-out, eh? Should be interesting.....😆

Sure - you'd be very welcome. I have a pretty good selection of mid-priced EPs to choose from (including Morpheuses and Pentax XWs) but if you have any personal favourites, bring them along. You'd be comparing like with like that way.

Booked....pitch 20b.

Only 10, plus a few reserves which I don't use.

A good, cheap low-mag EP is a Vixen NPL 30mm. Ok, not a particularly wide FOV (50°) but plenty at that mag. The image is clear across the FOV and sharp.

No word yet on weight, etc?

Nice one, BL. I look forward to hearing how you get on with it.

I have no experience of the SupaTrak but a good and relatively cheap mount is the Skywatcher AZ GTiX. I'm not sure how 'sturdy' you need it to be but it can take 6kg on one side and up to 10kg with two scopes.

You're going to have to change your username! 😆

I've never used the ES but I have observed through a friend's Luminos 31mil and was less than impressed. I'm with Louis on this one: my Ultima Edge 30mm blew the Luminos out of the water! Half the weight and size and with a sharp image clear across the FOV.

Likewise. Adders are pretty shy and will normally skeddadle before you get too near.

Nothing earth shattering or even exciting: an extension for the tripod for two reasons. One is to raise the scope to a more comfortable height and the the other is that (I'm told) it's a more solid bit of kit than the small extension supplied with the AZ GTiX.

It's a good question and one that you'll get different answers to. It's all a matter of what's most important to you. Rather than being limited to a go-to mount with tripod, another option would be the Skymax on a Virtuoso mount: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/sky-watcher-skymax-127-virtuoso-gti.html The advantage here is that the scope has a dovetail, so can also be used manually on a light mount and tripod if you prefer. As to the StarSense scope, I don't know how good the scope itself is, but the SS system is great - as you say, it needs no power supply and is easy to use. It's the one I'd probably go for myself, as a dob owner, I'm used to nudging the scope to keep stuff in view. The idea of needing no alignment and being told exactly where a target is strikes me as ideal.

I hardly ever use my filters. Jupiter, Saturn and Mars are fractionally improved by my Baader Contrast Booster, but the difference is so small that I don't often bother.

Great post - could be made into a book! While I don't really share your love of faint fuzzies, your dedication and obvious love for the subject shines through, and what I love the most: all done with (relatively) cheap and cheerful gear, proving that you DON'T need to shell out tens of thousands to enjoy the hobby.

Mike, I've just re-read the whole thread. You've done a cracking job and kept us all entertained too. Kudos.

I said the same many years ago when the change happened; now I don't even think about it.

One day, it'll all be sorted to your complete satisfaction, Mike! 😉😆

Yet another happy Starfield user (Mr Spock's old one). But nobody seems to have addressed your mounting question. I think it would be rather undermounted with the AZ5 or AZGTi, both of which have a 5kg limit. I weighed my Starfield at 5.3kg with all the trimmings added (even an EP), and while you could shave a few grams off that, it'd still be pushing those mounts pretty hard. I use a 6x30 finder and a 2" diagonal but changing those wouldn't make a huge difference. My mount is the AZGTiX, which has a 6kg one-side limit and a 10kg total limit and even that is only just enough.

A top retailer supporting the best astro site.... doesn't get better than that!

Making a light shield for the 130 or 150p isn't as easy as it sounds. Because they are collapsible dobs, it's difficult to fit one over all the lumps and bumps, so lots of cutouts are necessary. It's possible to make one that fits inside the trusses but it's still a bit awkward.