What did the postman bring? V2

[josefk]

On 08/09/2023 at 20:03, Paz said:

I've never hear of these before but I've been on a constant look out for ways to balance different eyepiece weights and this looks good - can you get these in the UK, I've had a quick look around but can only find them the other side of the pond.

My current arrangement is I balance my scopes with the heaviest eyepiece I'm planning to use and they when lighter eyepieces are used if the difference in weight is enough to matter I screw smallrig weights into a finder shoe to keep things about right.

cool approach - i also like those smallrig weights...very useful.

[PeterC65]

An "Optolong" UV/IR Cut filter, bought at a really good price from AliExpress.

My plan was to check whether it is parfocal with the Optolong Clear Filter, a real one, bought from the Widescreen Centre, but now I will have to wait for a real Optolong UV/IR Cut Filter to arrive from 365 Astronomy.

If they are parfocal then I'm planning to switch my EAA filters from Astronomik to Optolong as the Astronomik UHC filter doesn't cut IR (I'll swap it for an L-eNhance).

 

[Franklin]

So there I was selling some scopes, trying to thin out my Vixen collection and then this beauty hit the market in Japan and I just couldn't resist.

This is from the early 2000's and is from the final production run of the Vixen ED102S F/9 before they changed to the more photo/visual F/7.7 of the ED103S and the current SD103S.

 

[IB20]

20 minutes ago, Franklin said:

So there I was selling some scopes, trying to thin out my Vixen collection and then this beauty hit the market in Japan and I just couldn't resist.

This is from the early 2000's and is from the final production run of the Vixen ED102S F/9 before they changed to the more photo/visual F/7.7 of the ED103S and the current SD103S.

 

That is a beautiful scope.

[Franklin]

I'm seriously thinking of blocking Buyee from my laptop!😁

My new grab'n'go, the Vixen ED70SS came out in 2015 but Vixen ceased production just 2 years later in 2017, presumably because of the release of the FL55SS. I haven't seen many of these around and their short production run is probably the reason for that. I've read that this scope was Vixen's reply to the release of the Tak FS-60, I'm not sure about that but the optics are very nice with no visible CA at 120x in a daytime test on power lines against the sky. It came with it's own dedicated 0.7x focal reducer which I suppose I could use as a paperweight!😁

 

[Alan White]

18 minutes ago, Franklin said:

I'm seriously thinking of blocking Buyee from my laptop!😁

 

 

Nice little scope, as is the ED102.

I do agree that Buyee needs locking away from you though 😉
You must be the biggest UK customer by far!

Perhaps you should be the founder of Vixen Owners Annoymous, for those so afflicted such as you and I?

Edited September 14, 2023 by Alan White

[bosun21]

44 minutes ago, Franklin said:

So there I was selling some scopes, trying to thin out my Vixen collection and then this beauty hit the market in Japan and I just couldn't resist.

This is from the early 2000's and is from the final production run of the Vixen ED102S F/9 before they changed to the more photo/visual F/7.7 of the ED103S and the current SD103S.

 

I was trying to track down one of these a year or two back but couldn’t locate one. Lovely scope Tim and I’m looking forward to your first light with it.

[Franklin]

32 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

I was trying to track down one of these a year or two back but couldn’t locate one. Lovely scope Tim and I’m looking forward to your first light with it.

Yeah, I've been looking for an F/9 Vixen ED/FL for a while and this one is near mint with great collimation, should make a cracking planetary scope.

[Franklin]

39 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Nice little scope, as is the ED102.

I said I was missing the SD103!

[Zermelo]

Courtesy of @Astro_Dad , a barely-used 12.5mm:

I'm now in serious danger of completing a set.

 

Edited September 14, 2023 by Zermelo

[Alan White]

3 hours ago, Zermelo said:

Courtesy of @Astro_Dad , a barely-used 12.5mm:

I'm now in serious danger of completing a set.

 

Nice ep that

One of my favourites 

[Captain Scarlet]

On 08/09/2023 at 20:03, Paz said:

I've never hear of these before but I've been on a constant look out for ways to balance different eyepiece weights and this looks good - can you get these in the UK, I've had a quick look around but can only find them the other side of the pond.

My current arrangement is I balance my scopes with the heaviest eyepiece I'm planning to use and they when lighter eyepieces are used if the difference in weight is enough to matter I screw smallrig weights into a finder shoe to keep things about right.

When I ordered my SV refractor I added this to the purchase. It looks v good but I’ve not used it yet.

https://www.stellarvue.com/cw-1-counterweight-system/

[bosun21]

4 hours ago, Zermelo said:

I'm now in serious danger of completing a set.

Go on! You know you want to. Then there’s a nice perfectly cut out case to keep them in 😂.

[bosun21]

30 minutes ago, Captain Scarlet said:

When I ordered my SV refractor I added this to the purchase. It looks v good but I’ve not used it yet.

https://www.stellarvue.com/cw-1-counterweight-system/

I think I’d blacken an eye or two fitting it the way it’s demonstrated 🤕.

[Zermelo]

15 minutes ago, bosun21 said:

Go on! You know you want to. Then there’s a nice perfectly cut out case to keep them in 😂.

I already have the case 😀

The final EP will be on my Christmas list.

[bosun21]

9 minutes ago, Zermelo said:

I already have the case 😀

The final EP will be on my Christmas list.

Which focal length is still missing from completing the set?

[Zermelo]

1 minute ago, bosun21 said:

Which focal length is still missing from completing the set?

The 4.5mm

I managed to pick up all the others second hand, but I may have to get that one new.

[bosun21]

3 minutes ago, Zermelo said:

The 4.5mm

I managed to pick up all the others second hand, but I may have to get that one new.

It’s a very sharp eyepiece and is the only one where I fitted the extension piece to the eyecup.

[Stu]

A Baader Contrast Booster for me, having read all the positive reports about its performance on Mars.

 

Also, many thanks to @Ratlet for designing and printing these two brackets for my StarSense unit. I particularly wanted one which mounted sideways on my Tak when on the ScopeTech Zero mount, works really well though yet to be tried in anger. Will report back once I have.

[glafnazur]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

A Baader Contrast Booster for me, having read all the positive reports about its performance on Mars.

But will it perform as well on Earth........................................ 😉

[bosun21]

A couple more binoviewing pairs delivered by the postie. 2 x  Vixen NPL 30mm plossl’s and a 40mm of the same ilk courtesy of @Franklin . Plus 2x Celestron Ultima 12.5mm courtesy of @Alan White. Thank you gentlemen.

 

[Stu]

This arrived a week back but I forgot to post it up. A lovely Vixen GP2 with single axis drive from Tim. Nice and simple for Solar, Lunar and Planetary observing. It sits well on the Vixen Pillar and HAL130 tripod.

[PeterC65]

Real Optolong Clear and UV/IR Cut filters from The Widescreen Centre and 365Astronomy respectively.

When we get a clear night I will check whether these two are parfocal, and if so, add an L-eNhance so that I can replace my Astronomik filters with Optolong in the EAA filter wheel.

Here is the "Optolong" UV/IR Cut filter that I bought from AliExpress (the Laida shop). Marketed as Optolong but not. I wondered whether the low price would be too good to be true, and so it was.

 

[DaveL59]

Been a while for me, but idling some time I took a closer look at one of the Logi C270's I have kicking around when I'd picked a couple extra up cheap. An 8mm (M8) lens and I wondered about trying it as a sky camera, perhaps. So duly ordered an M8 fisheye lens that arrived this morning. 

So off with the trim and faceplates and remove the std lens that has a dab of glue locking it into focus position and that of course made screwing the new lens in quite tight. Looking at positioning I refitted the faceplate and screwed the lens in which fits just fine. Had to use a plier to grip the lens enough to screw it in far enough for focus but it works.

Didn't take a snap of the lens as delivered but heck it looks the same as any other M12 type. Here's the lens fitted tho:

Some scuffs from the pliers but not so worried about that, a touch of black paint pen will cover that nicely 😉

You don't get a full 180,probably close to 150 degrees wide, but for literally a couple quid the lens works and if the C270's low light ability delivers it may make a fair replacement for the generic webcam I currently use that these days picks up almost nothing.

Of course with the skies here more grey than black nowadays, may be a pointless endeavour but its been something to do for a short time 😉 

 

 

 

Edited September 18, 2023 by DaveL59

[Zermelo]

Courtesy of @The60mmKid, some excellent books.

Although I use planetarium software to manage sessions and and create plans, I also like to have books to browse and inspire me.