Get flocked!

[Knighty2112]

Hi all. After upgrading my Skywatcher Startravel 120 refractor with a nice new dual speed 2" Crayford focuser, I also splashed out on some flocking to install in the frac too after reading good positive things about flocking the inside of your telescope to reduce light glare and improve image contrast. Not going to do the flocking until I have fitted a new synta shoe for my finder scope to the tube (so most likely a job for next weekend at the earliest), but was just wondering if anyone else has flocked their refractor at all? Most people that I read who had flocked their scopes were talking about Newtonians or big dobs, so just curious if flocking my frac will improve my views?

As the flocking only cost just under £12 with p&p from FLO if it doesn't do too much then nothing much lost anyway.  

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, Knighty2112 said:

As the flocking only cost just under £12 with p&p from FLO if it doesn't do too much then nothing much lost anyway.  

Got mine for Wilkos £4.99 exact same stuff cant vouch for a frac but i imagine stray light is stray light at the end of the day. I flocked my 6" newt and it looks awesome but i can only assume it has better contrast as i

didnt do a before and after, there is however some pics somewhere that some one did and the gain was worth the effort

[Knighty2112]

5 minutes ago, LeeRich said:

Got mine for Wilkos £4.99 exact same stuff cant vouch for a frac but i imagine stray light is stray light at the end of the day. I flocked my 6" newt and it looks awesome but i can only assume it has better contrast as i

didnt do a before and after, there is however some pics somewhere that some one did and the gain was worth the effort

Wow! Never thought to check out Wilko's for the stuff. Well done on a bargain that man!  

[Guest]

lol cheers, but it was some one else on here that steered me in that direction good luck with the flocking mate, you wont regret it. Its incredible to see how "shiny" mat black paint is until its flocked.

I was super impressed

[faulksy]

its called dc flock from wilkos

be carefull flocking a sealed tube, this stuff does shed fibres and will probably end up on the inside of your class. i did my cat but used one of those lint rollers before sealing it up and it was fine

[moriniboy]

Hi, before and after on my Equinox 120 if these photos help, not 100% certain its made a dramatic difference as I do not know another Equinox 120 owner to do a side by side but at least I know it has been done.

[Knighty2112]

4 minutes ago, faulksy said:

its called dc flock from wilkos

be carefull flocking a sealed tube, this stuff does shed fibres and will probably end up on the inside of your class. i did my cat but used one of those lint rollers before sealing it up and it was fine

Thanks for the advice. I'll make sure I do that too. Cheers!  

[Knighty2112]

3 minutes ago, moriniboy said:

Hi, before and after on my Equinox 120 if these photos help, not 100% certain its made a dramatic difference as I do not know another Equinox 120 owner to do a side by side but at least I know it has been done.

Wow! Really dark down at the bottom of the tube now! I guess it might be hard to judge how effective its is without a side by side comparison really. Got to be some difference really as your pics show.  

[Size9Hex]

11 hours ago, Knighty2112 said:

Wow! Really dark down at the bottom of the tube now! I guess it might be hard to judge how effective its is without a side by side comparison really. Got to be some difference really as your pics show.  

I can't answer on refractors unfortunately, but I lined my Dob with flocking material a few weeks ago. Was planning to see how it performed and write a more detailed report at some point, but in short there's a lot less glare when observing the moon, or observing targets within maybe 5 to 10 degrees of the brighter lights surrounding my garden. Other than that, I'm happy to believe there might be a minor improvement elsewhere in the sky, but it's not obvious to me. As you suggest, a side by side view might make it more apparent. Overall it was worth the effort for the moon alone from what I've seen. I did question my sanity when I started taking apart a perfectly decent scope though! Looking forwards to hearing how you go.

[Knighty2112]

1 hour ago, Size9Hex said:

I can't answer on refractors unfortunately, but I lined my Dob with flocking material a few weeks ago. Was planning to see how it performed and write a more detailed report at some point, but in short there's a lot less glare when observing the moon, or observing targets within maybe 5 to 10 degrees of the brighter lights surrounding my garden. Other than that, I'm happy to believe there might be a minor improvement elsewhere in the sky, but it's not obvious to me. As you suggest, a side by side view might make it more apparent. Overall it was worth the effort for the moon alone from what I've seen. I did question my sanity when I started taking apart a perfectly decent scope though! Looking forwards to hearing how you go.

Sounds like a worth while task even if it just stops this light coming down the tube. At least with a reractor I only have to take care with the lens cell at the front, and don't have to worry about collimation problems with the scope once it's all been put back together.  

[parallaxerr]

I have just flocked my F11 frac refurb from head to toe as an alternative to refitting the cheap nasty baffles which were all askew. Not had a chance to use it at night yet but contrast by day looks very good. Here's a pic of the tube half done, the diffrerence between the flocking and matte black paint is quite obvious.

[Knighty2112]

Ok, scope now fully flocked. Certainly a lot darker inside now with the flocking than without. Whether this makes a lot of difference to my observations time will tell. Now for some clear skies please!  

[Knighty2112]

Early results from last night; certainly less glare from Jupiter when I was observing it. Transparency was very low last night, so could only just make out M65, M66 & M51 in the scope. Tried observing the moon too last night, but cloud and haze made any details and structures hard to see, but if Jupiter has less glare, then the moon should too, although I won't know how much until I can get a clear look at it at some point this week. 

[Guest]

Hope you get some noticeable results Knightly....i am still waiting to just see some stars lol weather here in EY has been awful since i got my scope in Dec where abouts are you pal ?

[Knighty2112]

3 hours ago, LeeRich said:

Hope you get some noticeable results Knightly....i am still waiting to just see some stars lol weather here in EY has been awful since i got my scope in Dec where abouts are you pal ?

Hi LeeRich, live in Hull, so have all the LP from there to put up with, but looking to find a decent dark sky site in the East Riding to go to occasionally.  

[Guest]

1 minute ago, Knighty2112 said:

Hi LeeRich, live in Hull, so have all the LP from there to put up with, but looking to find a decent dark sky site in the East Riding to go to occasionally.  

Lol Hull eh, im just down road a tad....Thorngumbald. Me and a pal travel up to Wharram, its only 40mins away and super dark, there is car park just perfect off the main road at the medieval site..

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.0683345,-0.6763256,290m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

[Knighty2112]

6 minutes ago, LeeRich said:

Lol Hull eh, im just down road a tad....Thorngumbald. Me and a pal travel up to Wharram, its only 40mins away and super dark, there is car park just perfect off the main road at the medieval site..

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@54.0683345,-0.6763256,290m/data=!3m1!1e3?hl=en

I'll check it out. Thanks. Was also looking at the nature reserve as Tophill Low. Someone else on here said they go there too, although checking it out it looks like you have to be a member to use the site at night.

[Guest]

Went there one day and checked it out. The site I linked is only a few mins up road and loads better....and free ? 

I think TopHill after 6 pm is free as thats when the reserve hut closes and then its just a car park, its a public road around the water plant so dont think membership is an issue  ? 

[Knighty2112]

15 minutes ago, LeeRich said:

Went there one day and checked it out. The site I linked is only a few mins up road and loads better....and free ? 

I think TopHill after 6 pm is free ? 

From what I read on the web site for it to get access after 6pm you need to be a member, but I'll check it out when I visit at some point in early May. Wharram Percy does look as though it will be a good site too. Could even go for a ghost hunt in the medieval village too! Hehe!  

[Guest]

Wharram Percy is spot on mate, honest. Its super dark, the only real light is to the north from Malton but thats behind a little wood to the north of the car park. Its a great spot, we go there as often as the stars are out

[Piero]

For newton telescopes, it seems that flocking the internal area in front the focuser is what makes the difference.

On a refractor? Personally, I would not flock a refractor.. and no way I would flock my beloved TV60! 

Rather than flocking I would go to a dark place more often and add a longer dew shield.

Plus: is a flocked refractor while observing the Sun, e.g. in white light? mm... 

Just my 2c,

Piero

[Knighty2112]

13 minutes ago, Piero said:

For newton telescopes, it seems that flocking the internal area in front the focuser is what makes the difference.

On a refractor? Personally, I would not flock a refractor.. and no way I would flock my beloved TV60! 

Rather than flocking I would go to a dark place more often and add a longer dew shield.

Plus: is a flocked refractor while observing the Sun, e.g. in white light? mm... 

Just my 2c,

Piero

Use my smaller 70mm frac for solar observations, so no worries!  The larger ST120 is purely for the nighttime!