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First light Sumerian 18 inch with Nichol's mirror.


alan potts

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Wonderful report Alan. Great reading that you had such a great view of Jupiter with a large Dob but I guess your seeing is usually better than here. Also great to read your report on doubles as well as I know you're very experienced in this field.

I'm a great fan of the Nexus as well. You can get it direct from Serge in Oz as well if your postal service can cope.

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Richard,

Many thanks for the kind words but I don't know where you got the idea I was experienced at anything, most ot the time I just thrash around in the dark. I do enjoy doubles but Nick is the one for them, I often observe purely on the back of his reports though I must confess to being in love with Sirius.

I am sure Nexas is great but it will be very difficult and risky for me to get hold of from Australia and I will not use the States to buy from unless I am there which was I different matter, I do like to try and keep it within Europe. I have just also got hold of 3 very high spec Lenovo pro Thinkpads for silly money all with the RS232 port, these are very rare now and dam costly to buy a Laptop with one on. I think Argo Navis just sounds as if it lends itself better to a laptop as I do not have an i phone.

I am going to play find the target for the moment as the strength of the pound and dollar has pushed the price of stuff up a great deal for me, just look at a 21mm Ethos form TS now 910 euros, though no doubt if you asked them to price match Telly House, which I did once, they would do it again.

Alan.

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Richard,

Many thanks for the kind words but I don't know where you got the idea I was experienced at anything, most ot the time I just thrash around in the dark. I do enjoy doubles but Nick is the one for them, I often observe purely on the back of his reports though I must confess to being in love with Sirius.

I am sure Nexas is great but it will be very difficult and risky for me to get hold of from Australia and I will not use the States to buy from unless I am there which was I different matter, I do like to try and keep it within Europe. I have just also got hold of 3 very high spec Lenovo pro Thinkpads for silly money all with the RS232 port, these are very rare now and dam costly to buy a Laptop with one on. I think Argo Navis just sounds as if it lends itself better to a laptop as I do not have an i phone.

I am going to play find the target for the moment as the strength of the pound and dollar has pushed the price of stuff up a great deal for me, just look at a 21mm Ethos form TS now 910 euros, though no doubt if you asked them to price match Telly House, which I did once, they would do it again.

Alan.

hi alan, with reference to the i phone i use a android smart phone you can also use a tablet

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  • 3 weeks later...

Alan, new poster here. Bit of a lurker till now.

I am trying to decide between a 18" Sumerian Canopus or Lukehurst UP2.

Would you mind if I asked how you are finding the alt/az motions now you have some experience?

I already have a 12" Lukehurst, 13 years old now and has been pretty much faultless, but keen to try something different with a bigger scope. Have read a few mixed reports on movements of the Sumerian, and would love to hear your thoughts.

Kev

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Kev,

PM sent.

One thing I did see last night and manged to follow it until it went into earth shadow completely was the ISS. I could see the main body and the solar panels, the 31mm Nagler helped me a great deal, it was really easy to follow it, sort of points to a good Alt/Az bearing combination.

Alan

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  • 2 weeks later...

A superbly detailed report of a beautiful scope. I wonder if you've written any subsequent impressions elsewhere in the forum? Couldn't find any.

I may buy a big dobson in a few months and I was already considering the combination of Sumerian and Nichol Optical. This is surely a reassuring report! Thanks.

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Hey Alan, how did I miss this? What a great review and a stunning scope! You have to try and get out to darker skies. The Flame nebula can look fairly impressive under NELM 5.5 skies through a 12" Dob, let alone an eighteen incher.... :)

REALLY getting the bug for a portable dob monster...

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I don't have an issue with skies to be honest though the SE direction of the town has got a little brighter since they have put up the LED type lights though I am sure I am better off than most people. It is worst when the snow is on the ground though that puts me off going out these days.

I would not have to drive far to find a darker site as this area of Bulgaria is very rural and even some of the villages only have a handful of people living in them. At the very moment we have one light source we can do nothing about making a mess of things, the Moon, now that is LP for a faint and fuzzy fan, though I don't really class myself as one.

Alan.

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  • 6 years later...

Great  report Alan and thanks for your thoughts in the PM.

I've now ordered a 16 inch f5 from John Nichol which should arrive in a couple of months. Now working on the base and truss tube ready for the mirrors. I like the look of your mount and can see me 'borrowing' a few pointers. Like others with my 10 inch dob I used an RDF rather than a finder scope plus a low power eyepiece.

Thanks

Francis

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On 09/06/2021 at 09:56, fwm891 said:

Great  report Alan and thanks for your thoughts in the PM.

I've now ordered a 16 inch f5 from John Nichol which should arrive in a couple of months. Now working on the base and truss tube ready for the mirrors. I like the look of your mount and can see me 'borrowing' a few pointers. Like others with my 10 inch dob I used an RDF rather than a finder scope plus a low power eyepiece.

Thanks

Francis

Quite an old thread and not seen Alan on here for quite some time. Congrats on the Nichol mirror you will not be disappointed.

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