My scope collection

[omaroo]

Just joined, so I thought that I might post an entry which shows my current lot. I tend to hoard gear because I ..well... just love optical equipment:

1) Dual 12" binocular that I'm copying at the moment:

2) 12" LX200GPS with EyeOpener, William Optics SCT focuser (not attached in pic), BucksGears upgrade, Petersen Engineering clutch upgrade, corrector plate heater:

3) SkyWatcher f/5 8" Newt on EQ5 (re-painted off-white because I can't stomach SkyWatcher Blue):

4) William Optics f/6 ZenithStar 66ED Petzval:

5) My wife's little Orion Space Probe 3" EQ Newt (which is now painted off-white like the 8"):

6) Meade ETX-60 60mm Autostar & T/Oaks Solar Cell (only really used for solar observing - which is very boring right now...):

7) Meade 80mm f/11 refractor which I was using as a guider on the LX200GPS. It's pretty dormant these days:

8) Saxon 120mm f/8 achromat (same as SW):

9) My Nikon cameras (all film!!! - a Nikon F, Nikon EL and N50.

Lenses:

1) 35-70mm 1:1.45

2) 55mm 1:3.5 Micro

3) 43-86mm 1:3.5

4) 35mm 1:2

5) 50mm 1:1.4 (Standard lens - Nikon EL2)

6) 50mm 1:1.4 (Standard lens - Nikon F)

7) 24mm 1:2.8

8) 105mm 1:2.5

9) 105mm 1:1.4

10) 300 1:4.5 ED-IF (AI)

[Trevor]

Blimey, must be some neck strap for the bins. :D

[russ]

Thats a huge almighty collection of scopes :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Know what you mean about Skywatcher blue.......yuk Although not as bad as Skywatcher gold......I reprayed my ED100 the day it arrived.

The binos should be impressive :shock:

Russ

[omaroo]

Thanks Russ

The binos blow me away every time I use them. I can easily say that views are as impressive as a 20" monocular dob such as an Obsession. In addition to those views, the bino gives "depth" to images that, although is slightly "false", are unbelievable to look at. Through a couple of 13mm Naglers the view approximates that which you might see when arriving at an object in a spacecraft - and you're looking through a porthole. The stereopsis achieved is far greater than looking through a set of bino viewers mounted to a large monocular scope. After using these I'd never go big again. I can just stand there - on the ground in front - at zenith and just comfortably look down into the EP's. No ladders in the night required.

Cheers

Chris

Thats a huge almighty collection of scopes :shock: :shock: :shock: :shock:

Know what you mean about Skywatcher blue.......yuk Although not as bad as Skywatcher gold......I reprayed my ED100 the day it arrived.

The binos should be impressive :shock:

Russ

[GazOC]

Very nice kit. That Saxon refractor doesn't look f5 though.....

[russ]

f8.3 perhaps?

[omaroo]

Very nice kit. That Saxon refractor doesn't look f5 though.....

Whoops Gaz - good typo pickup. Ammended :insects1:

[Vega]

OMG :shock: How much for those yummy super-bins ? I WANT THEM!

Nice set of scopes there

Matt

[barkis]

Oh!, you lucky man. What a prospect looking at that great glob. you have on your side of the planet. Please tell me you have seen it an.d it did blow you away.

You have quite an array of optics there Om. you could hold a star party annd provide all the hardware yourself.

You couldn't trip over here for the welsh star party and bring the binos with you could you. I would have to drop what I am doing and make the SP for a couple of hours.

Thanks for the look.

Ron.

[Merlin]

There must surely be a problem with convection currents emanating from the observer positioned in front of a binoscope.

I think I'd prefer side-on viewing with a binoviewer instead,even if it means having less aperture.

[omaroo]

There must surely be a problem with convection currents emanating from the observer positioned in front of a binoscope.

I think I'd prefer side-on viewing with a binoviewer instead,even if it means having less aperture.

I would have thought so, too, before I actually used one. There is no really discernable problem if it's just you, especially as you approach higher altitudes. If there's a crowd of people (which there often is - standing in line to look) then maybe.

Cheers

Chris

[tom.yates]

Very nice kit you have i must say.