I decided to plump for an Astrozap four output dew heater. It was £40 more than a four channel Hitecastro, possibly because it is actually made in the US, but it's more compact overall.

 

Astrozap makes some very good things, Mak - I dare say you'll be a happy-camper with their dew-shield. Though I've never needed one here, it would be the Astrozap if that should change (which wouldn't surprise me these days...).

Mak - as you're closer to Germany than I, I do hope you avail yourself to scrounge-up a B+W FL-D Filter over there. They're not expensive from what I've seen. Mine was only about £19.50 as a 46mm, and about £2.30 for a 'step-down' adapter of 46mm - 48mm (sensei?). I'm only on my primary testing of this (the lighter megenta)B+W model, but judging from what I've seen thus far, it's a definite winner! Not deep enough a magenta colour to be obviously so, and just enough so to to hint it's there.

Thanks, Gabby, for bringing this to my attention.

​

B+W FL-D on right, other (made in USA) is the Tiffen
​

​

 

I've got a couple of their dew shields. Dew isn't a huge problem for me most of the year, but autumn is approaching and I can be out at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning. It's the finders that seem to go mainly.



I've ordered this Kendrick heater for the TS reflex sight. I should be able to heat both finders, the OTA and the eyepiece now. I might check out the B+W FL-D, nothing's cheap in Germany though!

 

".....I've ordered this Kendrick heater for the TS reflex sight. I should be able to heat both finders, the OTA and the eyepiece now. I might check out the B+W FL-D, nothing's cheap in Germany though!"

Yes - but mine I bought used on eBay from a fellow in Hungary. Arrived in A+ condition nicely packaged with a tracking-number.

 

Hungary is a distance from Bavaria though lol.

 

Fussy to the end, eh? It did take a week to leave Hungary and enter the international mail-stream...Then it took 3-days to crawl into my post-box.

 

Well I'll tell you: As you know, I'm not a fan of most - things - USA, but we do have excellent post-office's and exceptional delivery service. The USPS will get a letter from the West-Coast to the East-C0ast in about 3 or 4 days' time - for the cost of .49¢.

I consider this to be a true bargain!

 

Don't get me started about the Royal Mail ....

 

Canada Post is pretty bad too, very expensive to start with, especially to send a small parcel. Each options are fairly expensive (insurance, signature) and the overall price is a killer to sell second hand things by mail.

Plus:
- They don't deliver mail at the door anymore (At most places), you have to drive your car to a common mailbox.
- They installed their community mailbox close to private homes causing stop and go in front of these private houses 24/7
- The price of stamps is a total rip off
- Phone numbers of local offices are nearly impossible to find on their website.
- Opening hours of office (at least mine) from 9:00 to 17:00 closed between 12:00 and 13:00 (Very convenient if you are on welfare)
- You can fight against their automatic voice machine for 10 minutes before you can speak with a real person on the telephone, you need to write the number sequence on a sheet of paper in order to start all over many times.

But the primary thing is because of their commercials probably, where they have a very high esteem of themselves which is insulting considering they canceled the home delivery, especially.

Little Justin was supposed to restore home delivery, that was a major election promise but he lied and didn't do it, won't do it either.

So..

 

Reasons to cheerfully use the 19mm Panoptic:



1/ Superb optics with a relatively simple design. It gives sharp, Plossl quality contrasted images right to the edge of field.

2/ Very high build quality (including brass drawtube).

3/ Ergonomics are a factor; it is light in weight and has a 13mm eye relief which is the sweet spot for me. Eye positioning feels perfect, the 21.3mm field stop makes it seem like its FOV is as large as, or larger than, some 82° EP's I have.

4/ I have a bino pair.

5/ Barlows and reduces well.



The 30mm NPL is a firm favourite on my refractors and some nights it's all I've used. Again, superb optics, large eye lens, ergonomically comfortable viewing with sharp and contrasted views. Easily rivals the TV 32mm Plossl. I keep going back to these two eyepieces, and have been for years. They both just feel right.

Nebula said: ↑
But now barn owls.. I would like to see them one day, big fan of birds.
Bloody noisy though! lol

========================
I am jealous of your Panoptic @Mak the Night, they must be incredible in the binoviewer, they look perfect. We have barn owls in Quebec but so far the only owl I was fortunate enough to see many times is the snow owl, they are very common here and they perched on street lamp posts, absolutely beautiful birds.

But no barn owls yet.. or any kind at all.. I saw a massive great horned owl (15 years ago) once in the north of the province, the most impressive bird I ever saw. Perched on a wire close to a house, but you have less then 1 person per km² there so, they need space, not much of them around my home.

 

Right after I wrote my last post on using CdC for Asteroids, guess what happened? I went to update the Asteroids like I always do - AND THE ASTEROIDS-UPDATE GAVE ME AN ERROR-CODE AND CRASHED!

I tried several more trys, and crashed & burned on every attempt giving the sare 404 Error message:

Cancel Finished: Request sent,waiting response/Error:404 Not Found

I've sent in a report to the CdC - Team. I even tried re-installing the entire program - no go! I'm waiting to hear back. Want try your luck? Try updating your copy.

This is out & out bizarre! Perfect timing, don't you think? No other problems - just the Asteroid Update!

 

Yeah, it's at their end obviously:



Comets are OK:

 

Yeah, the Panoptic rocks. I didn't see or hear Screechy the noisy barn owl tonight, he's probably on holiday lol.

 

Had an ST80 session from about 23:30 ~ 01:15, managed to just about split the Double Double at 125x. I usually go for more than that but I could just about see all four stars.



I only had four eyepieces with me: 30mm NPL, 14mm ES, 9mm Expanse and an 8mm TS HR. I used a 2.5x Barlow with the 8mm HR for 125x. I've read that 120x is the lowest magnification to split the Double Double into its four constituent stars, I believe it!



Highlights included the Andromeda Galaxy, Veil Nebula and the Owl Cluster.

 

Heya Mak?

You reproduced this Asteroidal on your copy. too? I should have contacted you right-off. I managed to have a 'momentray-lapse regards you and your longtime affair with CdC! I am a 'Goofball.' - Part Time Practitioner thereof.

And I thank you for your verification of this!

I rather thought this was on their end. But you have to admit - the timing is pure sychronicity as well as serendipity! Whomsoever (or Whatsoever there is) is behind the Universe - must be having a good laugh at us!

 

I tried to update the asteroids with CdC and same issue here.


I also looked at Andromeda tonight, incredible at low or high power (; has well has Triangulum. Mars was very interesting tonight, the features are impressive now, not quite clear 100% but very impressive, I had by far my very best observation of the planet to this day. (((;

It,s been a while since I looked at the double double, that's a true spectacle especially with the constellation that high.

 

I haven't checked it on Ubuntu yet, but there seems to be some progress on Windows.



It seems to get a bit further.

 

I saw Mars with the naked eye but decided not to view with the telescope. But if it's starting to get better I'll have to check it out when I get the chance. I saw Andromeda at 13x with the Vixen NPL, I'll need more aperture for more power I think. I've seen it higher with the ST102.

 

'It,s been a while since I looked at the double double, that's a true spectacle especially with the constellation that high.'

Yeah, probably hard work with a Newtonian on an EQ, but quite comfortable with a refractor on an alt-az.

 

Yeah, probably hard work with a Newtonian on an EQ, but quite comfortable with a refractor on an alt-az.

You have all the requirement to observe with the highest comfort possible.