Dusting off an old reflector

[SnakeyJ]

We're all probably guilty of keeping at least one scope that seldom sees any starlight. So tonight I've brushed the dust and cobwebs from my Bresser Orion - a rebadged 1980's Vixen R200S.

No electrics or camera, just me, the scope and a box of EP's. Just a shakedown to get a better feel of this scope and the mount [emoji6]

[SnakeyJ]

Forgot to post the picture!

[RichM63]

Guilty as charged.

Nice Pier, is there a hydraulic ram under the raised paving stone to pop it up and down as required?

[John]

Thats looking nice Jake

I think I can remember when you 1st got that one. It looks a proper job now !

[SnakeyJ]

Guilty as charged.

Nice Pier, is there a hydraulic ram under the raised paving stone to pop it up and down as required?

Not quite, but that pier is a little short here - though just had some nice views of Venus at half phase. Should be better.

The proper pier footings are below the central slab!

[SnakeyJ]

Thats looking nice Jake

I think I can remember when you 1st got that one. It looks a proper job now !

Not so long ago, perhaps 20 months or so? I'm struggling with the focuser a little, which slides a little as you incline the tube. Just a question of getting the tension right.

The optics look good and the mount is probably better than my heq5, only manual, but closer to an EQ6 in capacity - I might have to look at automating this properly.

[SnakeyJ]

Hmm, a bit of flop/slop in the mirror cell - requiring a little recollimation and I think a little pinching, though I'm not going to take the mirror cell out now.   I've even discovered a pair of very respectable Meade 3000 possls (6.4mm and 25mm), which are performing very well, though my 8mm BST had the edge on Jupiter a little earlier on - though this may well be due to cleanliness.     I had four pin sharp moons, Ganymede and Io a close pairing to the left (EP view) and Europa just on the eastern limb and Calisto out on the far eastern side.   Visibility not super stable, but good definition of the main cloud bands.

The Vixen Sensor mount continues to impress

[SnakeyJ]

Great to be out last night, though with work in mind I had to pack up for midnight (almost dark at this point). Some nice views of old friends, with M13 providing the most reward and clear speckling of stars. I wasn't to lost with manual controls on the GEM, especially as the sky darkened and the constellations were more discernible.

In truth I do not love this scope, due to the quirky focuser, clunky push pull collimation cell and the weight of the heavy guage steel tube - but, I think the optics show promise and deserve remounting. The mount also is very capable, originally a rival to the Losmandy G11 and sized for Celestron's C11. Although this has dual axis drive and DD1 controller, I would like to investigate beefier motors , belt drive and computer control. Two separate threads to emerge here I think :-)

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Very nice scope you have dusted off there

[RT65CB-SWL]

Nice watering can 'scope and mount... 

Guilty as charged.

...as for the watering can... guilty! 

[damnut]

That's a nice scope to have under a dust cover. any more hiding SnakeyJ..

[SnakeyJ]

That's a nice scope to have under a dust cover. any more hiding SnakeyJ..

I'm back down to 5 at the moment, or 6 if you count the guidescope (Travelmate 70). I should probably slim down another two, but always looking for another refurbishment project [emoji3]

[SnakeyJ]

Off topic, but just been dusting off an old refractor....   A humble 63mm aperture from the DDR - Wow!    Jupiter and Venus were tiny sharp jewels in the 6mm Volcano top ortho, the moon stunning and sharp along the terminator.    Turning up to Vega, I have a sharp and concentric diffraction rings with a pin point blue-violet hue at the centre as I crank in/out either side of focus.    Perhaps the F13 and small aperture gives this an unfair advantage over the faster newts I've tried to star test, but despite many hours spent collimating the newts I've never had a star test as clearly defined or close to this.    Not even, I think, with the Vixen 80M - though a side by side comparison would be nice treat (if only the dovetails were the same size, to save setting up two mounts).

Just hoping the clouds that have put paid to my gawping will quickly clear so I can give this a proper run.   Mizar and Alcor look a good place to start! 

This tripod is really good, even at full height extension.