Posts Made By: David Colton

One thing is obvious - they're nearly twice the price of the UO orthos. It will be interesting to read a comparison.

Is anyone familar with LunarPhase Pro software that is marketed by Agena (agenaastro.com)? The marketing description of the software makes it sound like it would be a great observing aid, but it would be nice to obtain the opinion of someone who is using it.

Is anyone familar with LunarPhase Pro software? The marketing description of the software makes it sound like it would be a great observing aid, but it would be nice to obtain the opinion of someone who is using it.

I view from light polluted skies and part of my view is obstructed by trees. Is it possible to align the Sky Tour DSC by backing into it? By that I mean can you go to a star and type in its RA and Dec and then go to another star and do the same thing in order to 'tell' the DSC where it is pointing?

There are some contributors to this forum who evidently don’t have a problem gobbling up Naglers, losing a couple thousand to upgrade to a larger scope, or can invest in numerous scopes. Then there are contributors like me for whom buying a Nagler or PST is a major purchase.

I have been wavering about buying a PST in part due to discussions on this list that indicate it is a very basic instrument that is not really acceptable unless one double stacks the optics, at an additional cost of $800. Since the $500 for a PST IS a major purchase, I keep wondering if I want to invest this kind of money in a scope that is barely adequate. Am I the only one who feels this way?

For high power viewing with my TV102 I have a 7.5mm Sirius Plossl and a 6.4 Meade Plossl. I was thinking of getting an Abbe Orthoscopic in the 4mm range, but I have been finding that it is uncomfortable looking through such a small aperture eyepiece. Therefore I am saving my money for a “premium” 4mm or 5mm eyepiece. Considering the price of a Nagler as being the most I can afford, what other brands would you recommend?

I recently asked for advice on a high power eyepiece and got a lot of good feedback including considering the Tak LE 5mm. I did a search of the forums and haven't found a lot of discussion about this particular eyepiece. From the reviews I have read, it would appear to rival the Nagler T6 5mm in build quality and performance. Given the $80 price difference, I'd appreciate feedback about this particular item.

I recently used distilled water and q-tips to clean some eyepieces and noticed that the water did leave a little bit of residue. I'm wondering what others use to clean eyepieces with. I've seen reference to using denatured alcohol or lens cleaner like that sold to clean eyeglasses. Any concerns or precautions with these products?

I ordered my PST from Anacortes Friday a week ago and it arrived this past Friday. Naturally, the sky was totally overcast and didn’t clear until a couple of hours ago. So I did have a few minutes to check it out. I also purchased the Astrozap sun shield which is a handy accessory.

I currently have the PST mounted on a camera tripod and it is evident that I will need to add some slow motion controls or seek something better suited to the scope. I definitely want a tripod that is adjustable in height as the best way to use this scope is sitting down and taking your time to appreciate surface details.

In brief, my first look through this little scope took my breath away as I was amazed at the prominences emanating from the rim. The sun appeared as a perfectly round red ball, somewhat 3-dimensional in appearance. The contrast was perfect with no hint of a bluish cast or haze, as some have reported. Some granulation was visible, but somewhat difficult to observe. As I understand it, surface features become more evident as the focus (and tuning?) knob are adjusted. I was able to make out one sunspot, but it will need a bit more power to appreciate the details.

In addition to the included 20mm Kellner I used a 12.4mm Sirius Plossl and it provided excellent views. In fact, I found I had to keep my eye about an inch from the eyepiece to prevent some blacking out with the Kellner but had no problem with the Plossl. I do want to try my 9mm Meade Plossl next time out.

The weather forecast for the next few days is for cloudy conditions. However, I am very pleased with this purchase. Hazy nighttime skies have kept me indoors for most of the spring and summer. It’s good to get back outdoors with a scope.

I got tired of waiting for the night skies to clear. REALLY. The skies in the Shenandoah Valley have been hazy and/or totally overcast about 90%+ of the time this past year and I've gotten virtually no nighttime viewing in. This little scope has saved the day. I can pick the entire setup with one hand and be set up in 30 seconds.

Coronado PST with Astrozap sun shield on Celestron Alt-Az