Posts Made By: Tim Parsons

Is there any info on proper element spacing for homemade eyepieces. The Surplus Shed instructions say space as close as possible. I'm sure this does not provide the best configuration for all types. Also where does one find spacing material? I have a 25mm Erfle and 11.5mm RKE lens set. Thanks for your help.

I have been contemplating purchasing an enhanced mirror diagonal. I probably will not have a large collection of 2" EPs. Would there be any advantage of having a 2" diag vs. a 1 1/4" if my primary EPs are 1 1/4?
Thanks for your opinions.
Tim

I currently own an AT1010. Aperture bug has hit me. Between the two scopes mentioned, what would be the pros and cons of each, comparatively. I would use the scope for everything, i.e. planets, lunar, DSO, galaxies, etc. Please help me with your own experiences.
Thanks,
Tim

If someone came to you and said they wanted to purchase a telescope with minimal accessories (e.g. one eyepiece, simple mount), soley for the purpose of observing Mars this year, what would you recommend?
Keep in mind this would be the only time the scope would be used.

What is different about the ETX EPs from other Meade EPs? Will they work well in other scopes? I have not found any info on these, other than they are less expensive than regular Meade EPs.
Thanks in advance,
Tim

I can't decide.
For those of you who have the MaxView, do you find yourself wanting to use other eyepieces or does the 18mm or 14mm suffice?
For those with the Digi-T, do you tend to stay with one eyepiece mostly or do you change FL often?
Thanks for your help,
Tim

To those who have a 1278 and like it, which mount are you using? I have mine on a LXD500B with the aluminum legs. High power viewing is nearly impossible due to vibrations. I know that a leg update is in order, but will this really be an adequate mount when it is said and done? Thank you in advance for your words of experience,
Tim
s/n 58

I just posted a mod for cutting the compression rings off by about 1/4" in the Yahoo Burgess group. This will help grab the diagonals and eyepieces better. My rings were too long.

Tim

Hello fellow EP junkies,
Based on the following list, am I setup pretty well, or could you suggest something to enhance the selection I have? I am on a budget, so don't burn my wallet too bad.
Thanks in advance and have fun,
Tim

I have the following eyepieces to use with my 80mm f6 and 127mm f8 refractors;

5mm Tak LE
9mm Stellarvue Plossl
12mm Circle T ortho
18mm Celestron Ultima
26mm Meade 4000 Plossl
32mm Stellarvue Plossl

Thanks for reminding me Floyd,
I do have an Celestron Ultima 2x barlow.

The company Bill is using to make these scopes and accessories is a former Chinese military contractor. I guess the keyword here is FORMER. How difficult can it be, especially if you have a "pattern" available, to make a diagonal??? And what is with the can't make a 40:1 ratio so we're going to make it 150:1 or whatever; it's just a matter of number of teeth per gear. IF one has a sound mechanical design, it could be made to [(wife's bra size/shoe size)*interest earned on 401ki]. With the lens problems aside, one would think that if this company made anything mechanical for the military, a few simple telescope parts would be, "no problem".
Waiting ten months for a scope from a small startup company is one thing. But over a year for some simple accessories, something ain't right.
And while I'm ranting; Shame on Anacortes for shipping incomplete orders. If the order states scope, diagonal, 40:1 focus knob, COLLIMATABLE diagonal, and rings, then that's what they should have shipped OR not collected the full balance until all parts were made available. As a reseller with NO stock on hand, and therefore I assume no real financial obligation, I think they would have been in a better position to pressure Burgess Optical in providing these items than a bunch of impatient stargazers who have had their money sitting in China for a year.
I'm through now. Go back to your nebulas.

Tim