Tweedledee Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Just ordered this handy adapter... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Explore-Scientific-to-Orion-Vixen-Finder-Adapter-w-shipping-to-United-Kingdom/273091350329?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649 Scopestuff also do the "other way round" version to fit an ES/Meade finder to a Synta/Skywatcher base. I already have a 3D printed "other way round" version. I have a mixture of different makes of scopes and finders, so I will now be able to mix and match at will. ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 1, 2018 Share Posted May 1, 2018 (edited) Had a very enjoyable morning out with SmithySteve on a visit to our local candy store, Rother Valley Optics. ? Bought one of these. Explore Scientific HRCC... Edited May 1, 2018 by Tweedledee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Just received the following eyepieces to add to my collection. A 4mm Clave' A 8mm Clave' A 10mm Clave' The 8mm and 10mm are side marked, so now i have the full side marked collection of 8,10,& 12mm. Apparently these were made in 1982 and only 100 of each were made so they are pretty rare. The three side marked Clave's together. djpaul, tuckstar and Tweedledee 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Very nice Mick. ? It would be good to see a pic of your full set of Claves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 21 minutes ago, Tweedledee said: Very nice Mick. ? It would be good to see a pic of your full set of Claves. Will do Pete. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Bino-viewer Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 Not been to RVO in a while. Is Adam still there.....? Any Tak gear on display......? Did you have a drool....? ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 2, 2018 Share Posted May 2, 2018 2 hours ago, Bino-viewer said: Not been to RVO in a while. Is Adam still there.....? Any Tak gear on display......? Did you have a drool....? ? Adam was there, as always in the sharp suit, waistcoat and tie ? Adam and Ian are always very friendly and helpful. Locked away in the glass cabinets are some smaller Tak apos and a lot of Tak eyepieces. Although the Tak stuff is obviously top quality, it wasn't quite big enough to have me drooling, especially the little eyepieces. I'm just a heathen! ? +Bino-viewer 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 Had a frustrating collimation session on the 14" the other night. Just couldn't get a good repeatable result. I'd get the laser dot all perfectly centred, take out the laser, put it back, check again and the dot was well adrift every time I checked. So I ordered a Hotech 2" SCA. This is self centering, no need to tighten the thumbscrew and twist it off centre. It also has the laser cross for easier use. Looking forward to trying this ? tuckstar 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 I have one Pete a very good piece of kit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 (edited) Bought this old wooden box, as you can see it has a lift out tray which will have holes drilled in so I can put my new eyepieces in. Lots of spare room underneath for all your accesorries you collect. Edited May 9, 2018 by Doc Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottletopburly Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 2 hours ago, Doc said: Bought this old wooden box, as you can see it has a lift out tray which will have holes drilled in so I can put my new eyepieces in. Lots of spare room underneath for all your accesorries you collect. Somewhere there’s a link to a company that will make bespoke foam to fit your eyepieces will see if I can track it down 3 hours ago, Tweedledee said: Had a frustrating collimation session on the 14" the other night. Just couldn't get a good repeatable result. I'd get the laser dot all perfectly centred, take out the laser, put it back, check again and the dot was well adrift every time I checked. So I ordered a Hotech 2" SCA. This is self centering, no need to tighten the thumbscrew and twist it off centre. It also has the laser cross for easier use. Looking forward to trying this ? I have the standard laser collimator I’ve never been happy with it’s results and always end up using the Cheshire collimator , think it would help if the focuser was rock solid , stock SW are a bit naff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 That looks like the perfect box to compliment your Claves Mick. ? Maybe some sort of foam filled lid lining covered in a nice velvet type material in a mauve or burgundy colour could be an idea to keep them sitting in the holes during transit. ? Doc 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 (edited) 2 hours ago, Bottletopburly said: I have the standard laser collimator I’ve never been happy with it’s results and always end up using the Cheshire collimator , think it would help if the focuser was rock solid , stock SW are a bit naff My Orion (US) focuser doesn't move the laser dot while racking in and out, except for the tiniest jiggle from turning the focuser knob. That jiggle is probably less than a quarter of a millimetre despite the relatively long optical path (2 times the 1650mm focal length). My problem comes from tightening the focuser thumbscrew on the laser, which changes its angle every time so I can't get repeatable results. The Hotech's self centering adapter should solve that. ? Edited May 9, 2018 by Tweedledee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 34 minutes ago, Tweedledee said: That looks like the perfect box to compliment your Claves Mick. ? Maybe some sort of foam filled lid lining covered in a nice velvet type material in a mauve or burgundy colour could be an idea to keep them sitting in the holes during transit. ? Couldn't agree more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottletopburly Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 9 hours ago, Doc said: Bought this old wooden box, as you can see it has a lift out tray which will have holes drilled in so I can put my new eyepieces in. Lots of spare room underneath for all your accesorries you collect. Found it https://www.mycasebuilder.eu/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 Thanks David I'll look at it tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 6 minutes ago, Bottletopburly said: Found it https://www.mycasebuilder.eu/ That casebuilder site is quite good and lets you design your case in an online CAD type application. I found that their library of eyepieces is rather limited, though it does contain a small but incomplete selection of Televue, Explore Scientific and a couple of other makes. I emailed them to see if they could add other eyepieces to their library at my request, but their reply was "only if I could loan them my eyepieces so they could measure them". That would mean a trip to, or posting them to, the Netherlands!!! You can try and draw-in other eyepieces on their CAD program, but you need to know what you are doing to get them accurate, eyepieces can be very awkward shapes. Here's another more local company... https://www.trifibre.co.uk/ These people are in Leicester and can supply the CNC cut foam only and many different cases as well. They were very friendly when I phoned them and explained what I was looking for, and told me I should pop in with all my eyepieces and they would photograph, measure them accurately and cut the foam to suit while I waited. I think I need a fairly sizeable case. ? Doc and Bottletopburly 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 9, 2018 Share Posted May 9, 2018 Mick, the casebuilder library has all of your Delos and your Nagler 31, but no Claves. But I think you already have an excellent case fitted out with your Televues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottletopburly Posted May 10, 2018 Share Posted May 10, 2018 8 hours ago, Tweedledee said: That casebuilder site is quite good and lets you design your case in an online CAD type application. I found that their library of eyepieces is rather limited, though it does contain a small but incomplete selection of Televue, Explore Scientific and a couple of other makes. I emailed them to see if they could add other eyepieces to their library at my request, but their reply was "only if I could loan them my eyepieces so they could measure them". That would mean a trip to, or posting them to, the Netherlands!!! You can try and draw-in other eyepieces on their CAD program, but you need to know what you are doing to get them accurate, eyepieces can be very awkward shapes. Here's another more local company... https://www.trifibre.co.uk/ These people are in Leicester and can supply the CNC cut foam only and many different cases as well. They were very friendly when I phoned them and explained what I was looking for, and told me I should pop in with all my eyepieces and they would photograph, measure them accurately and cut the foam to suit while I waited. I think I need a fairly sizeable case. ? Local company is better nice find Pete easier to pop to Leicester than the Netherlands Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweedledee Posted May 11, 2018 Share Posted May 11, 2018 On 10/05/2018 at 06:44, Bottletopburly said: Local company is better nice find Pete easier to pop to Leicester than the Netherlands They all know how to charge for these one-off custom jobs. ££££ Bottletopburly 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottletopburly Posted May 12, 2018 Share Posted May 12, 2018 6 hours ago, Tweedledee said: They all know how to charge for these one-off custom jobs. ££££ The name of that company rings a bell for some reason ,think my company used them in the past Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bottletopburly Posted May 22, 2018 Share Posted May 22, 2018 meade 6mm s/h from ENS OPTICAL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Bino-viewer Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 (edited) 4 new eyepieces coming my way.......! Its been a couple of years or more since i treated myself, and they were Baader zooms which i didn't like and sold. Firstly a pair of Edmund Optics RKE 28s Well.......it should have been a pair, but they only sent me one ! ☹️ Not impressed !! Edited May 23, 2018 by Bino-viewer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Doc Posted May 23, 2018 Share Posted May 23, 2018 I've used this eyepiece in the past Rob and found my copy was very poor around the edge of the field stop, let me know if your example is as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Bino-viewer Posted May 25, 2018 Share Posted May 25, 2018 Hi Mick. I've not had chance to use it in the field yet, i'll wait for its partner to arrive first. Looking through it it looks clean and sharp to the edge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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