Wilmslow Astro

Astronomy from a Cheshire suburb

My kit history

Many years ago I started with a 6" Fullerscope Newtonian on one of their own mounts. Then cars, girls, university, work, life got in the way...

Then I bought a Meade ETX-90EC telescope bought from Stockport Binocular & Telescope Centre.

This went in favour of a second-hand 10 inch F/10 LX200, I used this alt-az for some time and made a frame for a sack truck so I could wheel it out into the garden to use it.

Next a Milburn wedge was in order, this improved the LX200 no end, and led to the call for a permanent pier in the back garden. Also around this time I obtained a SXV-H9 camera.

Then a complete change to the setup...

  • A Celestron C9.25 SCT OTA with XLT coatings
  • A Losmandy G11 German Equatorial Mount with Gemini
  • A Williams Optics Megrez 80II for use as a travel scope.
  • AND (thanks Mike) the 'loan' of a 7' diameter dome :)

Well, it's changed again...

  • The C9.25 remains as does the G11/Gemini
  • The Megrez has gone, replaced with a StellarVue SV4 Apo
  • Mike has sold the dome - boo! :(, so now I'm looking at making a roll-off roof shed.

C9 + SV4 + G11

Oh, and again...

  • The SXV-H9 camera has gone
  • A QHY8 APS one shot colour camera has arrived
  • The C9.25 has gone - sorry to see that one go :(
  • A C14 has arrived :)

C14 & G11

A roll off roof observatory has now been built to house the G11/C14. How nice is it not to have to setup and pack everything away each night you are out.

I now have a HyperStar for the C14, everything else remains the same.

About Me

Me

I am Mark Crossley, and you may have guessed I live in Wilmslow, UK.

I am a member of the Altrincham & District Astronomical Society.

As you may see from this website I am more into imaging than visual observing. However the C14 gives me enough aperture to actually start to see stuff from my garden...