Show us your Frac

[fondofchips]

More rocket launcher photographs needed please

[Roy Challen]

Just a couple of weeks, I promise;-)

[Bobble]

My Explore Scientific ED127 0n a HEQ5 mount.

She is my baby....

Bob

[StevenWhatley]

My ED80 Pro on NEQ6 Pro 

First Light CCD by Steven Whatley, on Flickr

[Macavity]

Finished "stealthed" ST102!  My FIRST ever scope - Poor thing had been modded so much,..

So I felt she deserved a little TLC. Now with TS Monorail focuser and "Carbon Fibre" finish.

Intended for the (vanishingly small) times local Astroc Soc "Observing Evenings" are clear!

[Interstellarshaw88]

On Sunday I got my brand new Altair star wave 102 triplet pro and 60mm guide scope, being mounted on a heq5 pro, only problem is I've not even been able to have it out the box with the weather, work, and Christmas decorating for the kids.....

Really hope I can get it together some point at the weekend even if it is just to stare at it in my living room.

Darren

[Marki]

On Sunday I got my brand new Altair star wave 102 triplet pro and 60mm guide scope, being mounted on a heq5 pro, only problem is I've not even been able to have it out the box with the weather, work, and Christmas decorating for the kids.....

Really hope I can get it together some point at the weekend even if it is just to stare at it in my living room.

Darren

Pics or it didn't happen . Congratulations, I hope you get the chance to get it all set up and in action soon Love to hear how you get on with it!

[Interstellarshaw88]

I've got pics honest haha, just. Not upload on my phone for some reason is there a certain way to do this ??

And I certainly will let you know

[Marki]

Some instructions on image posting here:

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/154704-sgl-how-to-attach-images/#entry1561785

Not sure if you have to have a certain amount of posts though?

[Interstellarshaw88]

Thank you I will have to look into it

[Stub Mandrel]

I think you need 50 posts.

[CHASLX200]

Here are two more. Soon a 3rd will join them when i get it.

[John]

Very nice

Wooden tripods as well !

[CHASLX200]

Very nice

Wooden tripods as well !

Thanks.  They are the older Vixen scopes from the early 90's and a 80's SP mount.

[luminova11]

A friend really galvanised my interest in astronomy in the late 90's thanks in no small part to his 4" Vixen on a SP mount. One like it is still at the top of my wish list. I suppose the A105M is the current equivalent but whether it is just the change in colour scheme (gone is the grey/green hammered finish), the appearance of quality in the acros seems to have fallen. Don't know if that's true, after all it's just my visual perception.

Sent from my LG-D802 using Tapatalk

[CHASLX200]

The newer scopes and mounts are not the same. Once Celestron went to the China stuff around 1996 it broke my heart. I bought the first run of the CG5 clone mount and it was total junk compared to the SP mount.

[John]

One of my early scopes was a Vixen SP102M. I have very fond memories of it. My current Vixen ED102SS dates from around 2000 and is Japanese made. It looks like a shorter version of the SP102M but with a 60mm focuser. It's a fine scope too

I believe that some of the current Vixen scope range are still Japanese made or have Japanese optics and are of very good quality. They tend to have comparatively high prices in the UK though.

[moriniboy]

First photo of my new scope, it's a TeleVue Ranger achro, 70mm f6.8, was hoping to get a first light photo under the stars but the weather is not playing ball.

Bit of a quirky scope as it does not have a traditional crayford / R&P type focuser instead rough focusing is achieved by sliding the focuser tube out part way to suit the ep and the helical element takes care of the fine.

Weighs 1.5kg excluding diagonal etc.

Edited December 6, 2015 by moriniboy

[John]

Thats a nice, compact scope

You don't see many of the TV Rangers about. There are a number of eyepieces around that weigh more than the Ranger does !

[moriniboy]

Thats a nice, compact scope

You don't see many of the TV Rangers about. There are a number of eyepieces around that weigh more than the Ranger does !

Agreed and the neatest thing is that you also get a booklet signed by Al Nagler as well.

[John]

I've owned dozens of TV eyepieces over the years but never got a signature in the instructions

Perhaps Al reserves that for scope owners !

[DRT]

I've owned dozens of TV eyepieces over the years but never got a signature in the instructions

Perhaps Al reserves that for scope owners !

I've got a signed booklet that came with my TV Pronto so perhaps you are right John.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Newest incarnation of one of my fracs:

SolarMax-II 60mm with 60mm Double Stack unit

I must say I agree with the comments on older Vixen mounts. My Great Polaris mount sits beautifully on its wooden tripod, and has worked perfectly for 20 years. Lovely piece of kit

[mikeDnight]

Here's one of my early scopes, circa 1983. Made by a Burnley firm called Cosmotron, this 4" F10 achromat was the start of my obsession with refractors. Optically it was uncoated and showed a little too much red but never the less was able to deliver some seriously nice views of some brighter DSO's and the moon. The mount left a bit to be desired but the whole thing only cost £99, so I didn't complain too much.

Mike

[Frank the Troll]

Here's another oldie, 4.8" F8  Cant decide wether to turn it into a guider, or upgrade the focuser, or perhaps both

Edited December 10, 2015 by Frank the Troll