Taurus T400 Dobson F4.5 FL1800mm

[Simon128D]

Thanks all for the kind replies. Nice to know what I wrote came across well. 
Yes, the scope is wonderful. The more I work with it the more I fall in love with the design and it becomes more clear how much thought and practical thinking went into the design. The wood is so nicely crafted and finished. Opening the storage bag to get that aroma of wood is a pleasure worth having. 
I only went for the standard optics, the professional mirror may have a better PV but I cannot imagine any human eye being able to perceive the difference between the 93% light transmission over the 95% of the professional. 
The views I have been getting and how super pin sharp stars are - when the mirror is fully cooled down - to the incredible details I am seeing in nebula and galaxies, there is nothing to be disappointed by. It is optically excellent. 

@Captain Scarlet The B&B owner was an elderly lady and it's the typical situation there. Person who has lived their whole life under some of the darkest skies in Europe and never bothered to look up. She didn't know a single constellation. 
I did try to show her a few things, M42 being the first but sadly due to her eye sight condition I don't think she was seeing things very well. 
I did teach her a few of the easy constellations, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia and Orion. 

@niallk I will be going back there for sure. There is also a few other Bortle 2 locations in Donegal I want to try. I am also planning to go down to Mayo or Galway for a weekend session in May - before the summer takes away our dark nights. 
I am also booked in for Skelligs star party, not sure if you'll be going to that but if so then you'll see me there and I will have this scope with me. 

 

[Captain Scarlet]

1 hour ago, Simon128D said:

... I am also booked in for Skelligs star party, not sure if you'll be going to that but if so then you'll see me there and I will have this scope with me.

Thanks for the reminder. I've just made an enquiry. Hopefully they'll have space, and hopefully I'll be able to meet some other Ireland-based astronomers. My big dob might even be ready by then!

Magnus

Edited April 2, 2022 by Captain Scarlet

[Dave scutt]

If you make it down to mayo give me a shout you could pop round for tea or coffee 

[Simon128D]

1 hour ago, Captain Scarlet said:

Thanks for the reminder. I've just made an enquiry. Hopefully they'll have space, and hopefully I'll be able to meet some other Ireland-based astronomers. My big dob might even be ready by then!

Magnus

The hostel were we do all the observing is fully booked I am sorry to tell you. I got booked into a B&B just down the road from there.

[Simon128D]

56 minutes ago, Dave scutt said:

If you make it down to mayo give me a shout you could pop round for tea or coffee 

Appreciate that Dave, I will keep that in mind and my just do that. 

I did go to Mayo in September last year, I booked a house for three nights at Blacksod. The location was stunning but sadly the weather was not on my side. I want to try again. 

Edited April 2, 2022 by Simon128D

[Dave scutt]

Belmullet is a lovely area just a cross the water or a long drive round is achill island stunning place to go

[Captain Scarlet]

19 minutes ago, Simon128D said:

The hostel were we do all the observing is fully booked I am sorry to tell you. I got booked into a B&B just down the road from there.

At the very worst I'm 2.5 hours drive away in Baltimore, I'll get there one way or another! My neighbour will know plenty of people who live much closer so I'm sure it won't come to the full drive.

[niallk]

@Captain Scarlet, @Simon128D,

In previous years I've both pitched a tent on the dunes behind the beautiful beach there in Ballinskelligs, and another year I had the family with me and pitched in the grounds of the Skellig Lodge itself - along with several other campers!  I requested permission beforehand, and it was no prob - in return for a donation to the chosen charity, which I was glad to do.

This year I might wild camp on the dunes again if needs be 😉  Not strictly permitted, but...

I can drive the scope up and just leave it in the car at the end of the night. probably have a few beers and collect the car during the day!

[nfotis]

Surprised to read that the Sahara dust has reached all the way up north (here in Athens it's quite visible these days)

Enjoy your new scope,

N.F.

 

[Simon128D]

@Dave scutt Yes it is, I spend a day at Achill and it's a stunning place. 

@Captain Scarlet Hopefully you'll get over. Don't be afraid to say hello if you see me. Usually easy to pick out having long hair and if that fails there is always my scope to look out for. 😆

@niallk That beach is lovely. I went down there every morning for a full walk of it to try and shake out the late night cobwebs and get an appetite for breakfast. I've often thought the beach car park would make an excellent observing spot too and if it's too much chaos getting the car into the lodge and setup there I may just fall back to there and do that. Being such a remote place I wouldn't expect any youth or yobbos in their cars being an annoyance. 
I did get permission to camp at the lodge - should all else fail - for €10 a night but thankfully I got booked into the B&B by the beach. 

@nfotis We get it every year. Usually around the start of spring. Normally only lasts a day or two, up to a week and we usually notices our cars covered in sand after a spell of rain but this year it has been hanging around for weeks. It's incredible how global that phenomenon is. 

[bomberbaz]

On 02/04/2022 at 12:08, Simon128D said:

Thanks all for the kind replies. Nice to know what I wrote came across well. 
Yes, the scope is wonderful. The more I work with it the more I fall in love with the design and it becomes more clear how much thought and practical thinking went into the design. The wood is so nicely crafted and finished. Opening the storage bag to get that aroma of wood is a pleasure worth having. 
I only went for the standard optics, the professional mirror may have a better PV but I cannot imagine any human eye being able to perceive the difference between the 93% light transmission over the 95% of the professional. 
The views I have been getting and how super pin sharp stars are - when the mirror is fully cooled down - to the incredible details I am seeing in nebula and galaxies, there is nothing to be disappointed by. It is optically excellent. 

@Captain Scarlet The B&B owner was an elderly lady and it's the typical situation there. Person who has lived their whole life under some of the darkest skies in Europe and never bothered to look up. She didn't know a single constellation. 
I did try to show her a few things, M42 being the first but sadly due to her eye sight condition I don't think she was seeing things very well. 
I did teach her a few of the easy constellations, Ursa Major, Cassiopeia and Orion. 

@niallk I will be going back there for sure. There is also a few other Bortle 2 locations in Donegal I want to try. I am also planning to go down to Mayo or Galway for a weekend session in May - before the summer takes away our dark nights. 
I am also booked in for Skelligs star party, not sure if you'll be going to that but if so then you'll see me there and I will have this scope with me. 

 

Although I agree with you on this one I still went for the professional anyway as it wasn't just about the coatings, I believe the mirror for the pro version is made of a more resilient and reliable material. 

Optics | (taurustelescopes.com)

Also when it comes down to the faintest of fuzzies, when you are literally searching for the odd photons hitting ones retina, that extra bit of reflectivity can make the difference between a tick or a cross.

And for me the buy was a once in my lifetime purchase, that is why I decided on all the bells and whistles anyway but I totally agree with everything else you said.

It is a beautiful piece to work with, a doddle to put up and down, the DSC is so accurate it makes separating tight galaxies so much easier in cluttered regions of the sky and I love it. 

[Simon128D]

Took me longer to get around to doing this than I expected but I finally got in the mood to do it when setting up for an observing session. 

It's crude, all done on my phone, so is lacking in any professionalism and was all done on the fly in one take. 

Hopefully it's helpful to anyone else wanting to know more about these scopes as a possible next purchase. 

 

[StefanS89]

Hello,

 

i just want to Link to another thread:

i have  the T500. Its a nice scope but i also have some quality issues for example splintering wood, rust….

 

Greetings Stefan 

[bomberbaz]

1 hour ago, StefanS89 said:

Hello,

 

i just want to Link to another thread:

i have  the T500. Its a nice scope but i also have some quality issues for example splintering wood, rust….

 

Greetings Stefan 

Where do you keep the scope when not in use?

[StefanS89]

I keep it in our house, around 20 degree Celsius, normal humity. I had an T400 before and had Not such problems…

[BGazing]

On 27/08/2022 at 22:17, Simon128D said:

Took me longer to get around to doing this than I expected but I finally got in the mood to do it when setting up for an observing session. 

It's crude, all done on my phone, so is lacking in any professionalism and was all done on the fly in one take. 

Hopefully it's helpful to anyone else wanting to know more about these scopes as a possible next purchase. 

 

Very nice scope. Not sure that the laser compliments it. It could be collimated, though...

My back would not handle that mirror box, for sure.

[cajen2]

Beautiful scope and so easy to set up. Jealous? Me? 😉