Tuesday Moonie Tuesday...................

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 11:11 am

Tom,
if youre looking for a good small portable refractor, you'd be hard to beat a celestron 80ED, its a fine scope, optically very good, and doesnt cost the earth, there are better ones out there, but the costs sky rockets.
It got a good reputation a few years back, here is a review.
http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1272
I was going to get one a few years back, but got by on the refractor I've got.

As for deep sky books, ones, try out
"night sky observers guide", volumes 1 and 2, by kepple & sanner
They show realistic drawing of objects from many catalogues in every constellation.
For nights with a moon or light pollution where clusters are the choice, try
"starclusters" by Archial & Hynes
These are great referance books and I occasionally use them at the scope. they'd do you for life.

and the eyepieces we used were
14mm UWA (ultra wide angle meade series 4000
and the ones with the binoviewer were 26mm series 4000 meade plossels
31 t5 nagler,
the filter we used was a lumicon UHC filter.

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 5:46 pm

So what do you think guys, which scope is it going to be for the eclipse in June, this image is the result of testing the 4" SCT last night,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61288385@N ... otostream/

this one was from the eclipse 3 weeks ago using the refractor,
http://www.flickr.com/photos/61288385@N ... otostream/

The SCT is a clear winner in my books, far better image scale and resolution, and whats better is I worked out a way of using the flipmirror I've got already, so, happy days!

Tom Walsh · Post by **Tom Walsh** » Wed Jan 19, 2011 7:02 pm

Thanks for the info Dave. Now I know what I want this year for my birthday if asked!
I got that loaner celestron bino today with 2 x 32mm eyepieces. Might bring it along if Fridays session goes ahead.
Looking at your pics the SCT wins hands down!

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:21 am

The SCT!!

Pity I missed last night,
Richie said he called out but ye were finished.

I've the ETX125 set up for the eclipse and was hoping to test it also.
Last night would have been perfect!

I've invested in a f6.3 focal reducer for the ETX125
(to reduce it from the dizzying heights of it being an f15 scope!)
It'll make for a nice compact lunar / solar imager.
I really need to get a small handy driven mount for it...
The Manfrotto tripod and geared heads are excellent but manual tracking is
a balls.
any sugestions?

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Thu Jan 20, 2011 1:37 pm

Oh yah.......The SCT hands down.