cajen2

I use one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B09MZ736CZ?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title Not had it long enough to know how long one charge lasts, but it's still showing full charge after at least an hour of slewing. Good connectivity, with 3 USB, two 12v jacks with cigarette lighter adaptor and AC if required. Small and light too.

All ready for AC 23? I'm hoping to bring my new Starfield rig and give it a good first light in dark skies.... that's if we get any!

As does the Celestron Ultima Edge 30mm, supposed to be the same EP. Edit: Oops, sorry @paulastro , missed your post.

+1 for the SL 2" 20mm. One of my favourite EPs.

I now have the AZ GTiX (people keep confusing it with the standard GTi). Even with a 2" diagonal, 6x30 finder and an EP, my Starfield comes in at only 5.2kg - the X version has a one-side 6kilo limit. I've bought a Baader Vixen clamp/counterweight combo which I'll use if the mount seems like it's straining (total weight limit of 10kg). I'd love to tell you how it's going but I'm STILL waiting for Berlebach to send my tripod! 😡

Watched both: excellent. TSAN I thought was rather better than it has been of late but needed a longer programme to do the subject justice.

And before it, there's "Hubble: the Wonders of Space Revealed".

I have an Oklop bag for mine, but not the 102 bag (that's for a 1000mm f/l and so rather long). The bag they do for an EQ6 tripod is exactly the right diameter, with a small space at the end for accessories.

Likewise!

That's a pity, Mike. You've been waiting so long. I'm not very surprised that the Long Perng won the battle of the 14mil EPs. My 20mm from that range is very very good (StellaLyra in the UK).

A warm welcome to SGL. If you want any help with the 'jargon' (and yes, there's plenty!) or scope choice, please just ask. You'll get lots of opinions (mostly contradictory.....😄).

I've never used a Meade EP of any description, so can't help there. As to a Bahtinov, I've never felt the need for one - I don't find it difficult to focus with the 250p, just different. In the case of EPs, the 150p certainly rewards good optics. I use a variety, but mostly Baader Morpheus and Pentax XWs. Both really suit the scope. I hardly ever use a Barlow with it. You're right about the mags: theoretically it should support 300x max, but that's unrealistic at those short focal lengths. I'd say about 200x is its practical limit but it feels more comfortable at 150x.

Yet another delivery (FLO is doing well out of me this month!): an Oklop bag "for medium mounts" which will hold my AZ GTiX with all its accessories, my little power station and numerous other bits and pieces. Everything fits in there like a glove!

IMO your best compromise is the Heritage 150p Virtuoso. Yes, you'll need to buy/make a light shroud, but this is easily done, get a stout base for it to sit on (a three-legged stool is ideal) and use PTFE tape for the focuser. But none of this is difficult, you'll be way under budget and you'll get excellent views - the optics are much better than you'd suppose. Above all, it's a portable rig - I can easily pick up my manual version with one hand. The only caveat is whether you'll get on with the helical focuser: it doesn't bother me but some aren't keen.

Have you already got a controller for the heater band or are you going to do without one?

Rather than mess about with counterweight shafts, etc, I decided to buy a Baader 1kg weight + dovetail clamp, which I've affixed to the L-bracket supplied with my new AZ GTiX mount. Baader stuff is pricey but SO well engineered: for such a basic item, it feels like it should belong on the JWST! It won't balance my Starfield completely but should serve to take some of the strain caused by just mounting one scope. I can't test much of this setup out till my tripod arrives! 😥

Thanks very much all. I think I'll try the 1kg at the extreme end of the bracket first and see if the mount sounds as if it's straining. I was a little worried about using much more as I'd be approaching the total payload limit.

It has a lovely purple fringe through some scopes....very pretty! 😉

Before I begin, a disclaimer: I know nothing about mounts or go-to - I've always used dobs. I've just bought a SW AZ GTiX dual go-to mount for my new (to me) Starfield 102. The specs say that the max payload for one side is 6kg. I weighed the Starfield at 5.2 kg with all the fittings (dovetail, rings, diagonal, finder and a medium-sized EP). The mount comes with an L-bracket for mounting another scope, giving a max payload of 10kgs with two scopes. 1. Is it a good idea to counterbalance the Starfield as it's fairly near the one-side weight limit? 2. I've ordered a Baader 1kg weight which is attached to a dovetail clamp. I've calculated that if I fit this to the end of the L-bracket, I'll get an effective weight of 2.5 kg. Will this help to ease the strain on the mount significantly or make no difference? I can also order another weight, giving an effective load of 5kg, which will all but balance the scope perfectly. Is that worth doing, remembering it's an alt/az mount, not an EQ and I don't do AP? All advice gratefully received.

Sure. I'm going to bring all the EPs that I currently use, including three Morphs, two Pentaxes , the 2"SL 80° and the Celestron Ultima Edge 30mm. You're welcome to try any/all of them.

I'm with you on this one: my Morph 12.5 mm is one of my favourite EPs: light, comfortable to use, good eye relief and no obvious EOF aberrations. I've just been reading a thread on CN where people were comparing the APM with other 12ish mm EPs and many people preferred the Morph over the APM.

Got to move fast, mate....which is difficult at my age! 😉

As some of you may have seen on the "Postman" thread, my scope (thanks @Mr Spock), mount and sundry accessories arrived today..... For anyone wanting to store or transport a Starfield, the Oklop bag for an EQ6 tripod fits it well, with a slight gap. I had an inspiration: I have a small spare padded shoulder bag. I put my 6x30 finder and 2" diagonal in separate compartments, folded it and slotted it into the gap in the Oklop. Perfect fit and no chance of the scope sliding around.

Can't compare the optics, since I've never used a SW, except their Heritage 150p tabletop (which is optically very good). However, StellaLyra scopes have many advantages. On my 8", the az axis was buttery smooth, and the alt was excellent. You can do so much more with the SL: the alt bearings are adjustable to achieve good balance and it comes with some really useful accessories: a RACI finder, a cooling fan with battery pack, a focus extender and two better than the usual giveaway EPs. So imo, the SL is better value.

I'd actually decided on a Starfield before that review..... let's just say nothing in it changed my mind!