New addition arrived this morning!

[Mart29]

Actually really happy with how this feels , set the spotter up perfect. Build quality isn't to bad all round. 

Be interesting to use this along side the VX6L tonight  ( weather depending)

 

Edited September 10, 2022 by Mart29

[200pman]

Great Scope.love mine.

[Mandy D]

2 hours ago, Mart29 said:

Actually really happy with how this feels , set to spotter up perfect. Build quality isn't to bad all round. 

Be interesting to use this along side the VX6L tonight  ( weather depending)

 

You will love it! They really do pull in lots of light. Hope you get clear skies really soon.

I just noticed that you are only in the next county across from me! 

[Mart29]

8 minutes ago, Mandy D said:

You will love it! They really do pull in lots of light. Hope you get clear skies really soon.

I just noticed that you are only in the next county across from me! 

Thanks Mandy! Yeah , Derbyshire is just up the A50 from here. 

Definitely up for meeting people in the hobby if you ever fancy a meet up . I know zero people apart from on here in the hobby, and I have lots to learn 🤣

[Mandy D]

7 minutes ago, Mart29 said:

Thanks Mandy! Yeah , Derbyshire is just up the A50 from here. 

Definitely up for meeting people in the hobby if you ever fancy a meet up . I know zero people apart from on here in the hobby, and I have lots to learn 🤣

I prefer to think of it as being up the A53, a much more scenic route! I'm no fan of the A38 / A50. When I'm able to drive again  a meetup could be on the cards as I am frequently near Staffs.

[Mart29]

10 hours ago, 200pman said:

Great Scope.love mine.

Obviously the collimation screws , but what do the others do? Why do they stick past the base, seems odd?

[Spile]

Mine have recessed Allen bolts and Phillips screws https://astro.catshill.com/mirror-cleaning/

[Mart29]

9 hours ago, Mandy D said:

You will love it! They really do pull in lots of light. Hope you get clear skies really soon.

I just noticed that you are only in the next county across from me! 

Well , you were right! LOVE IT. Honestly the best viewing I have ever had , using the 11mm DeLite . Jupiter,  the Moon and Saturn all around my trees and TV aerial.  

Jupiter- the red spot and lots of banding and four moons , the best I have had Jupiter. 

 

Saturn- moons and great rings . The most detail on Saturn to date.

Now I need to stop being lazy and start to sketch and document.  Galaxies next!

Edited September 10, 2022 by Mart29

[Mart29]

12 hours ago, 200pman said:

Great Scope.love mine.

Wow, that's an impressive set up!

[Mandy D]

10 hours ago, Mart29 said:

Well , you were right! LOVE IT. Honestly the best viewing I have ever had , using the 11mm DeLite . Jupiter,  the Moon and Saturn all around my trees and TV aerial.  

Jupiter- the red spot and lots of banding and four moons , the best I have had Jupiter. 

 

Saturn- moons and great rings . The most detail on Saturn to date.

Now I need to stop being lazy and start to sketch and document.  Galaxies next!

Glad you had such a great first night with it. Nice set of eyepieces, too. I don't have any decent eyepieces here and use the scope with my cameras. I put mine out to cool last night with not a cloud in sight, then as my target, the Moon, rose it began to cloud over. By 11 the whole sky was gone.

It looks like someone has replaced the collimation screws with different ones on your scope so you don't need tools to collimate it. Normally you ned hexagon keys for this, but it is really easy and they hold collimation very well. My 250PX has never needed adjustment from new. The 200P, which I bought used, was so far out I could not even see a hint of the primary mirror through the focusser. Do you have a Cheshire eyepice? That is what I used to collimate mine. It took about ten minutes, most of which was figuring out which way each screw moved the primary mirror and how the Cheshire was used. Doing the adjustments only tokk a couple of minutes and it now gives lovely photographic results on the Moon and Jupiter. Bright stars give amazing diffraction spikes which I think look great in photos.

Enjoy your new toy!

[Mart29]

34 minutes ago, Mandy D said:

Glad you had such a great first night with it. Nice set of eyepieces, too. I don't have any decent eyepieces here and use the scope with my cameras. I put mine out to cool last night with not a cloud in sight, then as my target, the Moon, rose it began to cloud over. By 11 the whole sky was gone.

It looks like someone has replaced the collimation screws with different ones on your scope so you don't need tools to collimate it. Normally you ned hexagon keys for this, but it is really easy and they hold collimation very well. My 250PX has never needed adjustment from new. The 200P, which I bought used, was so far out I could not even see a hint of the primary mirror through the focusser. Do you have a Cheshire eyepice? That is what I used to collimate mine. It took about ten minutes, most of which was figuring out which way each screw moved the primary mirror and how the Cheshire was used. Doing the adjustments only tokk a couple of minutes and it now gives lovely photographic results on the Moon and Jupiter. Bright stars give amazing diffraction spikes which I think look great in photos.

Enjoy your new toy!

Honestly,  never used a cap or tool and only do collimation if something looks wrong or I have given the scope a bump or fall.

If I do collimation it is using a star and zooming out ,  adjusting until it looks right.

I know people do collimation regularly,  sometimes before every session , which is fine for tiny details.  In my experience and for my needs it isn't necessary unless something is looking off.

A good scope with good holders really shouldn't need doing if not bumped. 

Also  , does the planet even need clouds! 🤣

[Laurieast]

13 hours ago, Mart29 said:

Obviously the collimation screws , but what do the others do? Why do they stick past the base, seems odd?

Longer thinner ones are the locking screws.

Edited September 11, 2022 by Laurieast

[Mart29]

28 minutes ago, Laurieast said:

Longer thinner ones are the locking screws.

So they literally just screw up to support the mirror. I don't get why they made them stick past the base , if you store it upright,  it sits on the screws. 

Will just keep it in the mount ! 

[Laurieast]

34 minutes ago, Mart29 said:

Will just keep it in the mount ! 

I have seen the occasional photo with OTA's sitting on a floor resting on the screws, but have never done that.

Where possible mine live on the mount indoors, the AVX sits on dolly wheels, so its really easy to move about and to the back sliding door to lift outside one leg at a time, minus the scope and weights!

Edit: Forgot, the ETX 105 and the ST80 OTA's live on the floor, but face down. 

 

Edited September 11, 2022 by Laurieast

[Mart29]

9 minutes ago, Laurieast said:

I have seen the occasional photo with OTA's sitting on a floor resting on the screws, but have never done that.

Where possible mine live on the mount indoors, the AVX sits on dolly wheels, so its really easy to move about and to the back sliding door to lift outside one leg at a time, minus the scope and weights!

 

Where possible in the mount is the safest.  I didn't have any trouble lifting it outside so will do that! 

Nice set up !