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Posts Made By: Randy Roy

June 3, 2005 01:51 AM Forum: Eyepieces

Leitz 30mm 70 degree?

Posted By Randy Roy
Yes, I believe so. Here is a review Ed Ting did a few years ago.

http://www.scopereviews.com/page3c.html

Randy

June 6, 2005 11:10 PM Forum: Eyepieces

TV Radians...or equivalent

Posted By Randy Roy
Mark,

Buy the Radians. . . Come over to the dark side. . . You know you want them . . . You deserve them.

I have the 14, 10, 8 and 6 Radians. . .I didn't need them. . . I wanted them . . . I deserved them. . .

My wife wanted me to spend the money on surgery to stop my snoring. Instead, I bought a case of Breathe-Right Strips. . . and the Radians, though I still snore.

Randy . . .

June 7, 2005 11:53 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Comparing Telescopes of Different Apertures

Posted By Randy Roy
Alan,

That is very interesting. I regularly observe with a 16" Starmaster and an FS128. My sense is that the more I use my 16", the more I enjoy my FS128. I cannot fully explain it, but I think it has to do with being more familiar with what I am looking at by having had time studying various objects with the larger diameter.

That said, I wonder if I would be a better observer over time, if I used the 5" exclusively. Your wife is noted for coaxing a lot of detail out of small instruments as is Stephen O'Meara. I've read where O'Meara regularly uses instruments of larger aperture than the 4" Televues he popularized with his books. Could you share whether or not Sue French uses telescopes of much larger apertures on a regular basis?

Randy

June 9, 2005 05:12 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Re: resolving power defined

Posted By Randy Roy
Ha! Right you are. I remember Dawes limit in inches where r=4.56/D. I quickly multiplied 4.56 time 25.4mm and . . . well, I got to get me one of them new fangled calculators.

Randy

June 12, 2005 04:57 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Flea Market Finds

Posted By Randy Roy
I have an old Japanese scope in the attic with the Circle T on it. I believe this is a logo for a Japanese company that OEMed a lot of 60mm refractors in decades past. The company was called Tansutzu. I do not know what became of them. I believe they also OEMed the University Optics orthos in years past.

Randy

June 14, 2005 04:35 PM Forum: Eyepieces

2" ZOOM Where?

Posted By Randy Roy
John,

I have the excellent Zeiss 8.4-24.1mm zoom. It's AFOV ranges from 48° at 25.1mm to 67°. You can buy either a 1.25" adapter or 2" adapter. It is as bright and sharp at any magnification as my Radians. It is very smooth to operate mechanically, weighs only 8 oz and has a lifetime transferrable warranty. With all that bragging about the Zeiss, though, I still keep and use the Radians as well as a set of Tak LEs. I love the Zoom for travel and quick peeks, but prefer the individual eps for more serious observing. Why? I don't know--could be one of those pardigm things :>)

Out of curiosity, why would you prefer 2"? You could theoretically go up to a 68° AFOV at 24mm using a 1.25" barrel. Of course, I realize some simply prefer the 2" format.


Randy

June 15, 2005 02:11 PM Forum: Eyepieces

f5 scope-1.25" wide field eyepieces

Posted By Randy Roy
Just about any 30-32mm plossl will give you the widest field possible in a 1.25" eyepiece. Look for a 32mm with an AFOV of 50° or a 30mm with a 52° AFOV. I especially like the 32mm Televue plossl which sells new for $110 or the 30m Tak LE which is a bit higher. For $69, you can get a 32mm Meade Series 4000 Super Plossl. Any of these will give you the widest field possible with your 1.25" focuser.

Randy

June 21, 2005 01:22 AM Forum: Eyepieces

Tak LE EPs

Posted By Randy Roy
Hi Doug,

Part of that was me. I just sold 6 LEs in the past two days. First, I think LEs are really good and in fact, the best eps for the money. I really like them in my FS128. But, I just did not like them as well in my 16" Starmaster. It had nothing to do with the sharpness or contrast, etc. It is just that with a big dob, I want a bit more FOV (even with tracking) and I also found that while I like to get close and personal with the refractor, I prefer more eyerelief with the dob. The LEs have decent eyerelief--not much different from the TV Zoom, but my viewing style with the Starmaster is much more physical than with the FS128 and I find the Radians to be better in that respect.

I guess, in the end, I could not see having a set of LEs and a set of Radians. I am one ep short of a full set (don't need the 3mm) and have the 22 Nagler and the 35 Panoptic. I did keep the LE-50, though. This has to be the best 50mm eyepiece around and has a much more reasonable back focus requirement than the TV 55.

Randy

June 22, 2005 10:36 PM Forum: Eyepieces

Eyeball fogging

Posted By Randy Roy
I have never had an eyepiece fog that was protected with a Kendrick dew strip. As long as the glass stays at least 1° above C ambient you are ok and eps are easier to keep stabilized than most other optics.

Randy

June 24, 2005 04:51 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Best DSC pointing model

Posted By Randy Roy
I use the Pocket Sky with my Tak EM200 Temma 2 mount and find it the easiest alignment program I've used. I just polar align with the scope, unlock the clutches and center any object in the sky, select the object from a graphical interface on my IPAC and then select "Synch" and I am good to go.

I do use Sky Commander on my Starmaster and find it to be quick, simple and almost always gives me a good alignment the first time.

Randy

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