What did the postman bring?

[LukeSkywatcher]

13 minutes ago, Dave scutt said:

Just the thing for Ireland 

Usually. The weather over the last 2 weeks had been very mild. We have the back door open most nights and no heating on. I'm sitting in the kitchen as I type, door open and wearing a t-shirt. 

We'll pay for it in Feb/Mar I bet.

[Dave scutt]

4 minutes ago, LukeSkywatcher said:

Usually. The weather over the last 2 weeks had been very mild. We have the back door open most nights and no heating on. I'm sitting in the kitchen as I type, door open and wearing a t-shirt. 

We'll pay for it in Feb/Mar I bet.

This is our summer 🤣

Edited December 29, 2021 by Dave scutt

[LukeSkywatcher]

32 minutes ago, Dave scutt said:

This is our summer 🤣

Christmas Day, it absolutely chucked it down with rain. We still had Shrimps on the bbq and crab meat on lettuce with Mary Rose sauce because the SIL is a true blue Aussie.

Edited December 29, 2021 by LukeSkywatcher

[Stardaze]

3 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

That's actually a great book. Good arm exercise too.  Enjoy the read. 👍

I’ve been listening to it on audible and enjoyed the series so thought it worth adding to the collection. 

[JeremyS]

Another classic (1958). Signed by the author 

[PeterC65]

I may have got a little carried away with EP purchases ...

To be fair, the two BCOs were Christmas presents, but the three ESs were a post Christmas splurge.

The BCOs are intended for planetary observing with the Mak. The 3mm and 4.7mm ESs are to cover the higher magnification range of my new Photoline 72 (which has still not seen first light itself!). The 14mm ES is an all rounder, and to see what an 82 degree FoV is like (in daylight, very immersive, but more than my eye can take in all at once).

I just need the ES 82 degree 8.8mm now and then that's it for EPs. Yes really ... honest ...

 

Edited December 30, 2021 by PeterC65

[Victor Boesen]

38 minutes ago, PeterC65 said:

I may have got a little carried away with EP purchases ...

To be fair, the two BCOs were Christmas presents, but the three ESs were a post Christmas splurge.

The BCOs are intended for planetary observing with the Mak. The 3mm and 4.7mm ESs are to cover the higher magnification range of my new Photoline 72 (which has still not seen first light itself!). The 14mm ES is an all rounder, and to see what an 82 degree FoV is like (in daylight, very immersive, but more than my eye can take in all at once).

I just need the ES 82 degree 8.8mm now and then that's it for EPs. Yes really ... honest ...

 

Great choice! After getting a 10mm BCO for Christmas I just ordered the 6mm and 18mm today I think you'll like the ES eyepieces as well. Haven't tried the 3mm, but the 4.7 and 14mm are great.

[Nigella Bryant]

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Another classic (1958). Signed by the author 

Well done Jeremy, love it. 

[HollyHound]

Non Astro purchase… DJI Mavic 3 drone… got so bored with not being able to get out and actually see anything night or day right now, so decided to get something to play with, even when the cloud is around 🤔🤣

Don’t know why I didn’t buy one of these things years ago… we’ve had great fun today with it… perfect for around the farm (see photo from drone) 👍😃

 

 

Edited December 30, 2021 by HollyHound
Updated farm photo

[HollyHound]

2 hours ago, PeterC65 said:

I just need the ES 82 degree 8.8mm now and then that's it for EPs. Yes really ... honest ...

The ES 82 degrees are great eyepieces… I’ve had the 4.7 and 6.7 👍

Good luck with not buying any more though 🤞🤣

[faulksy]

Santa brought me a 2" cateye autocolimator and a pentax xw 3.5 mm

[niallk]

1 minute ago, faulksy said:

Santa brought me a 2" cateye autocolimator and a pentax xw 3.5 mm

Congrats - would be interested to hear how you get on with the autocol, and how you find it in the dark.  I've flirted with the idea of getting one many times!  I use a barlowed laser.

[Dean Hale]

24 minutes ago, HollyHound said:

Non Astro purchase… DJI Mavic 3 drone… got so bored with not being able to get out and actually see anything night or day right now, so decided to get something to play with, even when the cloud is around

Very nice. Can you airdrop me some pork chops. They do seem like fun. 

[jacko61]

The postie came earlier and dropped off a package from FLO - may contain snow - I wish!  I'd much rather play in the snow than trudge around in the rain. Their package contained a lovely Celestron Losmandy plate to replace the vixen on my C8 in anticipation of me possibly getting an EQ8 mount in the not too distant future. (I already have my ASGT fitted with an ADM dual saddle so I'll still be able to use the C8. I'll be looking for a similar plate to fit my ZS73 soon. 

Also in the post was this SVbony UV/IR filter courtesy of @PeterCPC. This has now been fitted to the Flat73A santa left in my stocking

graeme 

[badhex]

20 hours ago, PeterC65 said:

I may have got a little carried away with EP purchases ...

To be fair, the two BCOs were Christmas presents, but the three ESs were a post Christmas splurge.

The BCOs are intended for planetary observing with the Mak. The 3mm and 4.7mm ESs are to cover the higher magnification range of my new Photoline 72 (which has still not seen first light itself!). The 14mm ES is an all rounder, and to see what an 82 degree FoV is like (in daylight, very immersive, but more than my eye can take in all at once).

I just need the ES 82 degree 8.8mm now and then that's it for EPs. Yes really ... honest ...

 

 

20 hours ago, Victor Boesen said:

Great choice! After getting a 10mm BCO for Christmas I just ordered the 6mm and 18mm today I think you'll like the ES eyepieces as well. Haven't tried the 3mm, but the 4.7 and 14mm are great.

I have the BCO 10mm and 6mm - both great EPs for planetary. I actually even tried out the 6mm with my Astronomik Oiii while viewing the Orion nebula and was pleasantly surprised - I will have to have another go next time I have clear skies! 

Edited December 31, 2021 by badhex

[badhex]

Bought one of these for each of my parents' Christmas presents and after 3 hours observing in -8°C I decided I might as well pick one up for myself! 

Edited December 30, 2021 by badhex

[Stardaze]

1 hour ago, badhex said:

Bought one of these for each of my parents' Christmas presents and after 3 hours observing in -8°C I decided I might as well pick one up for myself! 

Something else I keep meaning to buy.

[PeterW]

Great minds think alike…. For keeping things warm in my pockets and for powering/recharging things at the same time. Didn’t need the version with lights on.

Peter

[faulksy]

3 hours ago, niallk said:

Congrats - would be interested to hear how you get on with the autocol, and how you find it in the dark.  I've flirted with the idea of getting one many times!  I use a barlowed laser.

Hi nial. 

Had one before but sold it. Got the glatter kit so it will be interesting to compare. 

Quite a difficult piece of kit to use but the best really .

Let you know 😌 

[Ande]

A bumper haul….

An ASIAIR PLUS, to replace my PRO, a William Optics Dovetail, and a ZWO Dovetail Clamp for the ASIAIR.  Very disappointed with the clamp, as it has been very poorly designed. Of a possible 8 orientations, only 2 are viable. So the way that I intended to use it is a non-starter unless I get all Heath-Robinson, which is exactly the situation I was trying to avoid when I bought the bloody thing.

[niallk]

4 hours ago, faulksy said:

Hi nial. 

Had one before but sold it. Got the glatter kit so it will be interesting to compare. 

Quite a difficult piece of kit to use but the best really .

Let you know 😌 

I've often thought of getting one to act as a baseline comparison for my Astro Systems barlowed laser - and my quickie method in the dark.  I've read some exceptionally detailed and authoritive threads from Jason and Vic over on CN.  Expensive though.... but probably well worth it.

[Captain Scarlet]

8 hours ago, HollyHound said:

 

Presumably the big roof in the centre is your ROR observatory 😃 ?

[HollyHound]

14 minutes ago, Captain Magenta said:

Presumably the big roof in the centre is your ROR observatory

Ha ha… not that one unfortunately, but I am working on it 🤣

[Alan White]

Postie Pete been again, wished him a very Happy New Year and he left boxes for all the family.

Boxes for me add friends to the Tak LE 5mm I bought recently,
for those narrower fov moments you have every so often, or it just me?

And in company of the two Astro Essential 26 Plossl for the WO binoviewer I bought again recently….

I wish this cloud would go, it’s getting expensive!!

 

 

Edited December 31, 2021 by Alan White
typos of course

[Mr Spock]

Baader RDF for my 102mm.

Not impressed - out of the box the lens assembly was loose. I pushed the retainer back down the tube to secure it. Hopefully it will work - if not it will have to go back