Some pics from Astrofest yesterday....

[Peter Drew]

Thanks a million AB, you pretty much photographed all the things I would have headed for if I could have attended! .

[RobB]

Ahhh is that what they were Actually no I did't see them. sorry Merlin. didn't notice them at all if they were there they weren't very prominent.

They were there...I think on the lower floor demonstrating the spectrum of a light bulb. Grabbed some leaflets as they were busy. They also had an SBIG guy on the stand as well.

[pvaz]

Thanks for the photos AB!

Would have loved to go. Great scopes to see and lots of people to meet...

[NickK]

There's something about CNC machined metal..

Looks like it's designed for mobility rather than the EQ8 which is very much designed at piers and observatories. Although looking at the size of the wheel and worm gear I have this ikky feeling that it could be form over function *cries*.

[daz]

The SBIG guy was Matt Thomas - author of CCD Commander - very nice guy!

The EQ8 they hoping to be between £4K and £5K, but it was a very cagey "maybe"!!! There will be an EQ7 (or 6.5 as the Chinese think 7 is an unlucky number) that will be sized between the current EQ6 and the EQ8.

The EQ8 was obviously still in design phase, but they are hoping (again, cagey) to be ready for launch end of this year. Knowing how these things go, I would reckon on mid-next year. Plenty of time to sell a kidney and the cat!!

Excellent pics AB, what day were you there?

[Astro_Baby]

I was there on Saturday Daz. ....didnt buy anything. Nothing I could afford actually took my fancy really.

[msinclairinork]

Thanks for the pics AB,

That EQ8 is mental! really though what would you put on it to justify those counter weights and price? A quadruple scope setup?....actualy that does sound justified to me!

Thanks for sharing,

Michael

[daz]

I was there on Saturday Daz. ....didnt buy anything. Nothing I could afford actually took my fancy really.

Shame not to have seen you Mel! Would've been nice to say Hi!

[AlexB]

And now back to the immense for all you solar fans out there - heres the new Lunt 150 - yes thats right a solarscope with a 150mm aperture. The guy on the Lunt stand was also very charming I thought

The cost for this one is going to hit about £8,500 but I can tell you this was beautifully made, total quality throughout.

They also have a 200mm version upcoming

Why are these things so darned expensive?

Staying on the large side - heres the centrepiece of Orion Optics stand a massive ODK scope on a Paramount (I think) a mere junket at £14k Lovely looker though.

The pic doesnt really do this one justice - it was H U G E !!!!

Any idea what the aperture size was on this?

Great pics, thanks for sharing.

[klytus]

And thats it - there is one more pic of Brian Cox but I am keeping that for me

Hope those of you who couldnt make it like the pics.

Great pics and info A_B, though when my wife Gill read about you keeping the pic of Brian Cox jealousy reared its ugly head that and the fact if she'd known he was there she'd have wheelchair'd it to the event from Doncaster!! .

[JB80]

Some great pic there it makes me jealous I couldn't go.

I wonder if Belgium has a similar type of event.

It's doubtful.

[philj]

F15 would love this some gorgeous Lyra scopes from Peak 2 Valley.

Now this refractor stole my heart - its HUGE and looks just like a classic refreactor from the golden age. I didn't get specs but it must have been approaching 9' long.

Peak 2 Valley had a few scopes like this at the show and they were so gorgeous I started considering armed robbery to fund one

I visited John Timmings last year and saw a few of his scopes there. I see hes putting the fullerscopes MKIV to good use, thats what my 4" f15 Fullerscopes Deluxe used to live on before he sold me the scope.

Did Skylight have the proposed 60mm Skylight F15 on the stand by any chance?

Philj

[Astro_Baby]

I didnt notice Phil - they had the Skylight F13 which was a smaller scope but still to big for me.

Daz sorry to have missed you though you may have seen me as the haggard looking witch giving people the death ray glare

The ODK on the Orion stand was a 16" and with the mount was (I think) £14k - so a bargain really. I was going to buy two and use them as a reverse binocular LOL.

[Marmite]

...who like me, is something of an EQ6 guru...

[budski]

On Friday a group of us did pressurise the boss man who said that the HEQ8 would probably be in the region of £4.5 to £5k while the EQ7 would be 'somewhere around' £2k-ish. These values are very much based on pre-production estimates and there may be a re-design to put the socketry onto a non-moving section of the mount. The all-up weight of the HEQ8 would require a permanent pillar of substantial proportions. I'm not likely to get that approved by the 'other half '.

[rfdesigner]

F15 would love this some gorgeous Lyra scopes from Peak 2 Valley.

Now this refractor stole my heart - its HUGE and looks just like a classic refreactor from the golden age. I didn't get specs but it must have been approaching 9' long.

Peak 2 Valley had a few scopes like this at the show and they were so gorgeous I started considering armed robbery to fund one

Always good to see a Fullerscope MkIV in operation... one solid mount.