Equipment

My telescopes are for looking through them not at them!

(Joseph von Fraunhofer)

Celestron 6″ Newton
(150 / 750 mm)
on Vixen GP-E

2006 I bought a C6-Newton with a Sky-View mount so I could also take photos later. But the mount turned out rather flimsy so I sent it back and got a Vixen GP-E mount second-hand. Its not tracked yet but since I got a better camera its on my list now.

Photo © by Matthias Schneider

Bresser 3″ Newton (76 / 700 mm)
also called „Tchibo-Scope“

My first telescope that had to endure a lot with me since I got it in 1999. From telescope meetings in Germany, the Silvretta High Alpine Road and all the way to Scotland, this telescope was my companion. Even though larger optics are appealing for many, I did like to push the boundaries with this relatively small telescope. Another point for it is its handiness. I can just grab it and don’t need a lot of setup.

Celestron StarSense Explorer LT 114AZ (114 / 1000 mm)

In 2024 I got this telescope, admitedly mostly for the StarSense-Explorer-App. On the first light it worked pretty well even though I just roughly adjusted it. Not sure I will use or keep the telescope itself as it is rather flimsy.

Oculars:

  • SVBONY 1.25″ 68° wide angle oculars
    (6 / 9 / 15 / 20 mm )
  • TS 1.25″ zoom ocular 21-7 mm
  • 1.25″ Huygens-ocular 12,5 / 20 mm
  • 1.25″ symetric Ramsden 4 mm

Camera Setup:

In 2019 I finally decided to retire my EOS 350 D and got a mirrorless EOS M50 that I got recommended. Except for the facts that it needs more energy and that an adapter is needed for standard EF-lenses, the advantages of a lot less weight and size in my hand (and on the telescope) convinced me.

Open Astro Tracker (OAT)

This is an open-source DIY star tracker with 3D printed parts. I got the pre-printed kit in 2021 but it had a little accident so it’s currently not in use.

Other practical stuff:

  • Karkoschka, Atlas für Himmelsbeobachter
  • head light with red foiled LEDs
  • flash light with red filter

Projects

  • My spraypainted telescope with clear coat
    A spray-painted telescope pt. 4
    It’s been a while since I talked about this. But after those wrinkles I was a bit frustrated because sanding it down was quite some work. But with the wet sanding it worked best and I could smooth out most of the wrinkles.
  • My spraypainted telescope with clear coat
    A nightsky telescope (pt. 3)
    Last part for the design, adding stars. After that it was just clear coating. Wait, just? If I hadn’t made a big mistake…
  • My spraypainted telescope
    A nightsky telescope (pt. 2)
    The next part of my spray-paint experiment. This time I added more details to get that milky way look.