Feel like I did when I got my 1st scope

[Naemeth]

Just come in from one of the best nights' I've had in a while, and surprisingly I didn't use my 10" dob. Being quite tired, I went for my Vixen 80M which had yet to have a first light, and I mounted it on my AZ-4 (steel-legged tripod).

I spent almost the entire session on Jupiter - when I got backed in I was stunned to realise I'd been out an hour - it felt like 5 minutes!

First started with the Panoptic at 38x, lovely clear banding but the seeing didn't seem to be up to much, I let it drift across the FOV and noticed an arc of light when Jupiter left the FOV - how odd. It seems when I tried the scope on bright stars it does a similar thing - not too much of an issue just something to get used to.

When the seeing had calmed down a bit, I popped in the 10.5mm TV plossl (87x) and was amazed by the view, sharp and contrasty, almost like I was seeing in the 10" dob when the seeing was right, sharp orange bands, differentiation of the colour of the clouds either side, but there was some CA. Can't really complain though, it's an achro and the CA never got in the way . I must've stared at Jupiter for 30 minutes with that eyepiece in, brought a tear to my eye - almost exactly like some of the images of it I've seen on SGL.

I was feeling brave, so popped in the Nagler Zoom, amazingly managed to take it to 4mm (228x) but decided not to go to 3mm (303x) as hand tracking with the AZ-4 wasn't as smooth as I would like. The 80M seemed to handle this magnification no problem, and the seeing didn't seem to impede it much, especially compared to my 10".

I did some observing of M45, lovely bright stars but 910mm focal length really is too much for it, you need less to enjoy it fully. I did observe M42 too, but it's really an object that benefits vastly from aperture, and was not in the same league as the 10". While I was doing this, I rather annoyingly found it increasingly difficult to balance the OTA properly so the altitude axis was locked so it wouldn't slip - I found this only possible with lighter eyepieces if you are observing under 60 degrees or so (well, below Jupiter!).

Perhaps I might need to look at a new mount, typical

[knobby]

There's a vixen porta mount on abs :-)

[knobby]

http://www.astrobuysell.com/uk/propview.php?view=76745

[Naemeth]

Thanks, but I might go for a giro type mount - not quite sure yet and I'm trying to avoid buying anything before my holiday in March .

[crimpshrine]

Good read! I spent the best part of 2 hours on Jupiter tonight. Looked stunning with 2 moons each side. I have just got in from my second viewing which was much clearer than earlier in the eve. Much less heat wobble and much darker skies at this time. Also had a look at my other faves too as it is the clearest night I have had since getting the scope set up.

I really should look at some other things but find it hard to pull myself away!

I think I could see Mars with the naked eye just now? It was so low down I would have had to move the scope down the other end of the garden and I was frozen by this time.

[John]

Nice report Jonathan 

Refractors always seem to "punch above their weight" when the seeing conditions are not 100%. 

If the AZ-4 is not fully up to the job then a Vixen Porta won't be either - having owned both !

A Giro-type mount will do the job but it's the tube length that it is the killer and the balance has to be kept an eye on.

[Naemeth]

Nice report Jonathan 

Refractors always seem to "punch above their weight" when the seeing conditions are not 100%. 

If the AZ-4 is not fully up to the job then a Vixen Porta won't be either - having owned both !

A Giro-type mount will do the job but it's the tube length that it is the killer and the balance has to be kept an eye on.

Do you think the Ercole would be overkill for it (with counterweight bar and weights)?