cajen2

C'mon, MS, want to see the 12"!

Yes, already investigating heated dew shields .... I'll need a power supply too

It's virtually the same scope, except for the RACI finder, cooling fan and (I think) the focuser.

All I need now is to check collimation and then first light! Probably a month from now.....😛

Blame my daughter - every time she comes to visit, it ends up like this!

Weren't you getting a SL too, Stu?

Oh, she will....my partner does bird impressions - she watches me like a hawk! 😛

First impressions: Beautifully built and finished - lighter than I was expecting. Really good RACI finder. Very smooth alt/az bearings Nice focuser (though I've never had a Crayford and it took me a while to learn how to adjust it). The only negatives: The end cap is crazily difficult to get on and off. The alt bearings are adjustable to achieve balance, but you need an Allen key and take the OTA off to do it - a bit of a PITA. You need the (supplied) extension to achieve focus on the 30mm 2" EP. No build /adjustment instructions. Downloaded them from FLO's website, but it was just a list of parts and an exploded view. BUT extremely pleased with it so far.

And some more! 😄 Sundry accessories... The Rigel was ordered separately! And build / setup finished....only took three hours! Final resting place (unless cajenette dictates otherwise! 😛

Hi folks Thought I'd bore you with a few pix of my latest acquisition. Arrived about noon: Unboxing pix:

What's this, then? It turns into: StellaLyra 8" dob. It's freaking huge next to my Heritage Flextube 150p dob! And SWMBO hasn't seen it yet.....😱 Think I'll do an unboxing thread....due warning so you can ignore it! 😄

Perhaps you just mean I'm a nobody because I haven't got a Tak! 🤣🤣🤣

Yes, please clarify the 'elitist' comment. The hobby in general? SGL? Both? I have no opinion or axe to grind - just curious to understand.

That's a thing of beauty..... How long is the OTA? I believe the 80 has two f/l options.

Demo nihon-go ga hanase masen, sumimasen. 😄

Beware of relatively low eye relief with the Nirvanas (12mm). Worries some people more than others. FYI: Hyperflex Zoom FOV 60-40° . 15mm eye relief. Baader Hyperion Zoom: 68-50°. 12-15mm eye relief.

+1 for the 7-21 (ish) Hyperflex.... good EP as long as you don't rely on the longer f/l for widefield. I think it's the same with nearly all zooms, though I haven't used the Baader. That plus a decent widefield low mag would probably cover all eventualities.

An ancient pair of Olympus 8x16-40zoom bins. Must be 30+ years old, still going strong and the zoom is very useful for stargazing.

You could also check out the StellaLyra LER (long eye relief) range

The Vixen SLV range has 20mm and are very good but over twice the price.

The usual advice for a reasonably-priced EP range is BST Starguiders. Eye relief is right on the edge for you at 16mm.

Think I'd be investing in a ratchet strap or two by Friday....😱

Hmmm, wonder why? I suppose it's just that at this time of year, Orion must be the most viewed constellation.

Addendum to my post: while I was viewing the Trapezium, something flashed across the FOV (I was viewing at 150x on an AFOV of 70°). At first, I thought it was a meteor but seemed too regular, so I suppose it was a satellite, but it was certainly shifting! It took less than half a second.

Cloud off and on tonight but during the clear spells, I looked at my go-to constellation, Orion. Saw some doubles / multiples which I've seen before but then dodged the clouds for two new ones: Meissa (relatively easy) and ETA O (quite difficult). Also picked out all four stars in Sigma O. So that's 12 multiple systems in Orion alone in my notebook! I have great difficulty star hopping with my dob - only an RDF for finding which seems to cover half the FOV even at its lowest setting. Roll on the new scope with a RACI and Rigel! 😛