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Posts Made By: Mark Bayley

November 6, 2003 10:48 PM Forum: Meade

Tripod leveling and alignment for LX90

Posted By Mark Bayley
David,
Level the mount first. I take great care to ensure the mount is level before I attach the scope. I then check the scope by placing my level on the base, both parallel and perpendicular to the forks. This is usually a formality, as I have never had to re-adjust the tripod. YMMV however. Always use a level that clears the edge of the base, as the battery covers can cause issue here if they are perfectly flat. Also, make sure the OTA is level before you align. I sometimes use the bubble level to level the OTA, but I 'calibrated' my Dec setting circle, and mostly use that now. Good levelling and careful alignment has always resulted in perfect GOTO's for me.

Clear Skies!

December 29, 2003 05:26 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Saturn 03-12-26

Posted By Mark Bayley
Thanks to all for the encouragment. I have posted the original resultant stacked image. if anyone can coax a good image out of it and tell me how they did it, I'd appreciate it.

Clear Skies,
Mark

December 29, 2003 08:50 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Web-Cam modifications for long exposures

Posted By Mark Bayley
Here are a couple for the 3000, which is the same camera internally.


http://www.unm.edu/~keithw/quickcamPro3000mod.html

http://mypage.bluewin.ch/bm98/l3k/modification.htm

Good luck,

Mark

January 4, 2004 12:57 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

16mm Nagler Tpye 5

Posted By Mark Bayley
I've not seen this on my 16T5, but I've never used it on the moon either. It's mostly used for DSO work, but I have used it on planets, I have other ep's I prefer for planets, so I have not been particularly critical with the T5. For DSO work it is brilliant.
I might try it out tonight (on the moon) to see what happens.

January 15, 2004 01:11 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Saturn, one more time!

Posted By Mark Bayley
Hey, that is NICE!

Thanks for sharing.

Mark

January 27, 2004 12:41 AM Forum: Off Topic Discussions

I want to believe ...

Posted By Mark Bayley
It's quite plainly a spaceship whizzing past. Happens all the time here in Australia. Hang on a sec ..yep, there goes one now.

Excuse me, I have to go get my tongue removed from my cheek...

Clear Skies (without whizzing spaceships),
Mark

February 8, 2004 03:36 AM Forum: Eyepieces

BW-Optik 30mm 80 degree Eyepiece

Posted By Mark Bayley
I use one (1rpd version) in my 8" SCT. I'm satisfied. FOV gets soft at 80%. Acceptable, IMO, for the minimal investment!

Mark

February 11, 2004 02:36 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

EP Confusion

Posted By Mark Bayley
Naglers have an 82 degree AFOV. Radians have a 60 degree AFOV, and fixed eye relief of 20mm.

Well, a TV 32mm Plossl has a 27mm field stop, 22mm eye relief and a 50 degree AFOV, and the equivalent focal length Nagler (31mm Type 5) has a 42mm Field stop, 19mm ER and 82 deg AFOV. So you not only a get a wider AFOV, you get a huge (well corrected) True FOV for the same magnification. That is the allure, IMO.

Mark

February 19, 2004 07:37 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

If you could only have 3 eyep's

Posted By Mark Bayley
Very interesting. I've recently been comtemplating this very subject (academically, of course - for now).

31mm Nagler
GTO Zoom 7.4mm - 22mm
2" 2x Powermate

I'm including the Powermate as an eyepiece, for the sake of the argument.

February 27, 2004 02:56 AM Forum: Eyepieces

Antares vs UO vs Vixen ortho

Posted By Mark Bayley
I asked a similar question on another forum regarding the Antares and UO orthos. I was told they are identical. perhaps they have the same source in Japan, but this doesn't mean they *are* identical IME. I expect performance would vary little between them anyway. Let us know how it goes, I've been considering the Antares 12.5mm ortho.

Mark

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