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Lawrence Parchman

Sculptor Galaxy (NGC 253)

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Posts Made By: Mike Clemens

March 31, 2004 11:33 PM Forum: Telescope Making

ZEISS AS 80/840 Homemade ota.

Posted By Mike Clemens
Nice work! Stainless tube connections.. very fancy and will last forever.

I like it. Impressive light weight. Nice work. How did you baffle it?

April 1, 2004 03:08 AM Forum: Telescope Making

APM focuser for 6" Jaegers?

Posted By Mike Clemens
I don't see anything about APM focusers. The D&G site talks only about AP focusers that I see. (Astro-Physics). These are first class units and you cannot go wrong with one, especially with a D&G backplate supplying the threaded adapter.

Make sure it's the latest AP 2.7" focuser model with the no-lube drawtube. That model will for sure accept the new pinion block that has the Feathertouch focuser conversion.

If I were you, I'd buy the backplate from D&G and buy the focuser directly from AP.

The 2.7" AP focuser is the one on the right in this pic. AP's 4" focuser is on the left. I think they're works of art personally. Can't go wrong.

Mike

April 1, 2004 09:42 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Alpine valley

Posted By Mike Clemens
OK thats just an insanely good shot of the AVR. The picture has a bizarre quality about it, as if it were an actual miniature. Like it is shrunk down into a tiny model I could drive toy trains around.

Impressive!


April 4, 2004 08:06 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

TMB 7" Fluro-Brite?

Posted By Mike Clemens
Hi Floyd, curious where the term Fluro-brite came from. TMB in WYO tubes were once called Fluorostar, but I haven't heard any model type names since those days.

Mike

April 28, 2004 07:20 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Priming/Painting aluminum tube?

Posted By Mike Clemens
I had my scope painted by an aircraft painter. He did an alodine conversion coating first, then epoxy primer, followed by urethane paint. It's the same system he uses on aluminum aircraft and helicopters, so you can imagine the flexing and vibration encountered in those applications.


May 2, 2004 08:44 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Eyeglasses

Posted By Mike Clemens
I find that eyepieces were a leading destroyer of my eyeglasses. My current glasses are the most destruction resistant I've ever had. They have a "quartz" coating which is anti-scratch, but they have no anti reflection coatings.

The "quartz" coating has done wonders to prevent scratching. I do see reflections in the lenses at times of planets, but not usually bothersome. The scatter has been very low compared to what I had been used to since they are so much less scratched.

May 15, 2004 06:39 AM Forum: Telescope Making

fiberglassed phenolic tubes

Posted By Mike Clemens
Hi Bill, thanks for the tip. I am looking at fiberglassed phenolic, so perhaps just the ends, ?or maybe the whole inside? need sealing.

May 17, 2004 10:12 PM Forum: Telescope Making

fiberglassed phenolic tubes

Posted By Mike Clemens
Furthuring my multi-prong attack at the TMB175 project, I have ordered a fiberglassed phenolic tube today from publicmissiles.com, we'll see how it looks in a few days. It has a 7.512" I.D.

I look forward to seeing how round, smooth, heavy it is.

Their published spec. is for 66 ounces at 42" length. My tube is being cut to 34.5" so I'm expecting something about 3.38 pounds. To pull this off with aluminum tube (having the same I.D. of 7.512", and weight of 3.38 pounds) the tube would require 0.042" thick walls...


May 19, 2004 06:04 PM Forum: Pictures of Me and My Telescope and........

Scopes please Scopes

Posted By Mike Clemens
My favorite refractor picture I've taken. My TMB'ahashi-Physics 130 /6. I should only take pictures of telescopes in birch trees during the Fall. I miss my little GM8.

Mike

May 20, 2004 12:03 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

New Meade LXD75 Series-Pic

Posted By Mike Clemens
Nice product photography. Why do they even bother putting that joke of a dewshield on??? Is it supposed to do something, I think they generally need to be longer than the lens is wide...

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