What did the postman bring?

[Highburymark]

Lots of lovely bits arrived today thanks to FLO.
Baader heavy duty changers - essential kit for T2 diagonals and binoviewers. ZWO tilter, and the dinkiest little camera - an ASI1600 to start solar imaging once I’ve tracked down the right laptop. 

[Highburymark]

And here they are:

[IB20]

Can’t wait to get stuck into this!

 

[Stephenstargazer]

I am beginning to think we could do with a dedicated Topic  somewhere on the SGL site just for Books and other literature?

[Ags]

17 minutes ago, Stephenstargazer said:

I am beginning to think we could do with a dedicated Topic  somewhere on the SGL site just for Books and other literature?

"What did you read today?"

[Stephenstargazer]

I was reading my Observers Book of course, but there was a knock at the door...............DHL from FLO.

Even more unrecyclable exp poly nodules...............😠, but also well protected.

Takahashi Extender Q 1.6X (50.8) and a 260mm dovetail bar, because the extra back focus is going to need more adjustment to the rear for balance.  There are three versions of this extender on the Takahashi EU site with common optics of 5 elements as a focal extender, flatener and CA reduction. TKA 00595 - with M43 threads and a set of extension rings, TKA 00595L lens only (M43), TKA 36595- with 50.8 fittings each end. The various adaptions are shown on System Charts for the FSQ106ED, FC100 - DC,DF,DL,DZ (and others) which range from 560mm to 900mm but  always attached to the draw tube eyepiece adapter. I chose the 50.8 connection type (for convenience of adding/removing in the field) but the optics are no bigger.

Looking forward to using it purely for visual use giving me an f11.8 FC100DF (Q) for lunar, planetary and some DSO as well, whilst keeping the natural f7.4 for widefield use. No doubt some trials needed to find the extensions for back focus with diagonal and eyepieces (1 1/4") and I hope it might even work with a binoviewer 'unbarlowed'. There are significant advantages of balance over a conventional barlow placed on top of a diagonal and I shall get the best out of existing eyepieces too. Reports may follow!

Daylight Trial: the additional back focus created (over standard 223 mm) is approx 75 mm of which 55mm is used by the physical length of the Extender. This has not needed so much adjustment  for balance as expected! I normally extend the focuser with a 37mm Click Lock so need a bit more. However my Denk binoviewer (on a Baader T2 prism) comes to focus with the  Power Switch at all 3 positions with the 2" prism nose straight into the extender. The view through the Denk was brighter and sharper than I have ever seen and with no discernable CA, even slightly out of focus. That is a very big plus. Champing at the bit to get some starlight through this now.

 

Edited April 16, 2021 by Stephenstargazer
After daylight trial

[Dave61]

Thank you FLO, you are the best.

 

 

[Dean Hale]

A foldable stool. A few people have recommended them on SGL and it is actually quite nifty. 

[garryblueboy]

UPS Delivered today 

[Stephenstargazer]

2 hours ago, Dean Hale said:

A foldable stool. A few people have recommended them on SGL and it is actually quite nifty

Pleeeeease, can we see it folded - looks like magic! 😯

[Dean Hale]

21 minutes ago, Stephenstargazer said:

Pleeeeease, can we see it folded - looks like magic! 😯

@Stephenstargazer It certainly is - multiple uses, also arrives with an indispensable carry bag. The music sold it for me.

 

[Arneb]

A Tak FC-76DCU. It arrived this afternoon and at the moment the sky is clear...🤞

 

 

[HollyHound]

4 minutes ago, Arneb said:

A Tak FC-76DCU. It arrived this afternoon and at the moment the sky is clear...🤞

 

 

Another FC-76DCU... welcome to the club, they’re awesome 😃

If it’s clear, don’t waste anymore time on here, get it setup and get out there 🤞👍

[HollyHound]

1 hour ago, garryblueboy said:

UPS Delivered today

 

Nice... another FC-76, but this one’s a little different, not the DCU variant... presumably it’s the same apart from the split tube 🤔

Either way, I love mine and I know quite a few are getting these now... Superb grab and go scopes... enjoy 😃

[garryblueboy]

2 minutes ago, HollyHound said:

Nice... another FC-76, but this one’s a little different, not the DCU variant... presumably it’s the same apart from the split tube 🤔

Either way, I love mine and I know quite a few are getting these now... Superb grab and go scopes... enjoy 😃

Yes exactly same but different 🧐😂 I just sold my Sky 90 II it was nice but didn’t have that pop I enjoy with my Taks so thought I’d give this a try

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, Dean Hale said:

@Stephenstargazer It certainly is - multiple uses, also arrives with an indispensable carry bag. The music sold it for me.

 

Thanks a lot Dean, I’m not going to be able to get that “music” out of my head all evening 

 

🤣

Edited April 16, 2021 by JeremyS

[Telescope40]

Hello. Gone big so to speak on the RDF front. Very impressed. Fancied one for quite a while. Purchased via ABS website. 
John 

[JeremyS]

8 minutes ago, Telescope40 said:

Hello. Gone big so to speak on the RDF front. Very impressed. Fancied one for quite a while. Purchased via ABS website. 
John 

These are nice. Much better than all the other RDF offerings 

[Stephenstargazer]

22 hours ago, Dean Hale said:

@Stephenstargazer It certainly is - multiple uses, also arrives with an indispensable carry bag. The music sold it for me.

 

I heard the toon, Yeah Haaa! Got to get one of 'em zippity dang stools and learn to play the darn thing! 😎

[Dunk]

A mains power supply & a Skywatcher Eq6-r Pro mount for it to power. 

 

[F15Rules]

This purchase was inspired at short notice by @Stu's recent post in the scope forum, where he posted a lovely report on the amazing low power, wide field views he got with his TV Genesis and "TerminaNagler" 31mm beast of an eyepiece!😊 

Sadly, the TV Nagler 31mm is out of my reach, even used, but I saw some very positive reviews of this eyepiece as a seriously close rival to the Nagler in performance terms: the Celestron Axiom LX 31mm, 82 degree UWA..

Now, this is by some margin the biggest eyepiece I have seen in my entire life!! The photos below show it next to (from left to right) my Nagler T2 12mm, Morpheus 17.5mm and Aero 30mm. Honestly, the Axiom is MUCH bigger than any of these, and weighs in at 1.4 kilos😱🤣.

Perhaps a better idea of the scale difference between the Axiom and the others can be seen in the photo with the top eyecap in front of each eyepiece..the Axioms' top cap is bigger than many 80mm refractor objective lens caps!!

Apparently, some owners in the USA have "decloaked" their Axiom 31mm's, ie taken off the entire outer body, and this saves about 400gms in weight. I may try this myself...or I may just fit a handle (are you listening, Jeremy??)..

The Aero ED 30mm is a fine eyepiece, and I hadn't intended to sell it at all, until I saw the Axiom at a good price...truly an impulse buy. In the event the ED30mm sold within 15 minutes of posting it, and I'm pleased that it's going to @Ade King, a top SGL member👍.

The Axiom LX range is not the same as the similar looking Luminos range (that's a discussion for the eyepiece forum), but is widely accepted as being significantly better in performance.

The eyepiece in the flesh looks great, once you've stopped fearing it's sheer size..the build quality is excellent, the rotating eyecup is super smooth, and allows a very comfortable view. I had a short daytime view of our local church tower this afternoon, a real "Wow!" moment, using the Axiom in my FS128.

I could see the whole field quite easily, and, moving from one side of the field edge to the other, very slowly, with a wood pigeon extremely sharply displayed on one of the church tower's corners, I was delighted to see absolutely no deterioration in the sharpness of the view at all..the bird's image and plumage remained very sharp and well defined right to the edge. The Tak's focuser handled the weight no problem, but I do suspect that many smaller modern scopes focusers could struggle.

Early days yet, but I'm so looking forward to using this eyepiece in a proper session.

By the way, the Axiom 31mm delivers  about 33x in the Tak 128mm.

Dave

Edited April 17, 2021 by F15Rules
Additional text info

[JeremyS]

2 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

This purchase was inspired at short notice by @Stu's recent post in the scope forum, where he posted a lovely report on the amazing low power, wide field views he got with his TV Genesis and "TerminaNagler" 31mm beast of an eyepiece!😊 

Sadly, this eyepiece is out of my rich, even used, but I saw some very positive reviews of this eyepiece as a seriously close rival to the Nagler in performance terms: the Celestron Axiom LX 30mm, 82 degree UWA..

Looks like a handlegrenade, Dave 🤔

[Luke]

4 hours ago, Telescope40 said:

Hello. Gone big so to speak on the RDF front. Very impressed. Fancied one for quite a while. Purchased via ABS website. 
John 

Nice! I'd forgotten I had one of these and very much enjoyed using it the other night with my ED120. I normally used a Rigel Quikfinder, which is ace too, but looks less military grade! 💥

[AdeKing]

17 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Looks like a handlegrenade, Dave 🤔

Keep calm Jeremy, don't panic, I'm sure Dave can handle it! 😉

[AdeKing]

5 hours ago, Telescope40 said:

Hello. Gone big so to speak on the RDF front. Very impressed. Fancied one for quite a while. Purchased via ABS website. 
John 

Very nice, I liked mine so much that I got a second one.

Very nice piece of kit that is just about the right brightness on the dimmest setting.

Enjoy using it.