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Posts Made By: David McGough

June 14, 2005 02:06 AM Forum: Mounts

Pronto on Orion SkyView Pro

Posted By David McGough
Tom,

If the Skyview Pro accepts a Vixen dovetail, TeleVue makes an adaptor that attaches to the tube ring with two bolts.

Dave

June 14, 2005 02:12 AM Forum: TeleVue

Come to the Dark Side

Posted By David McGough
Aaron,

Based on the subject line, I thought this was going to be another "why evergreen is the better tube color" thread.

Dave with an Ivory TV85

July 9, 2005 10:05 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

I would like some opinions on a grab and go scope

Posted By David McGough
Just my opinion, but a 127 to 130mm APO is quite large to count as "grab and go", my AP130 on 900 mount is on the order of 120 pounds assembled. For protable and easy use, an NP101 and GM8 might be a better choice.

July 16, 2005 06:08 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Hair dryers

Posted By David McGough
Hi Dmitri,

Can't point you to anything specific for Sweden, but try an auto accessory store for a 12V hair dryer with a car lighter plug.

Dave

August 6, 2005 04:40 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Atten: 8 inch SCT owners....

Posted By David McGough
I own a 1975 C8 which does better than this image on a good night, and have come close to the level of detail, but not colors with a TV 85. Something missing from these discussions is that the telescope's collimation must be perfect and done on a star at high power in focus for the final steps and the scope must be completely cooled off. For a closed tube SCT, that can take a while. They are not quick look scopes unless you are in the sticky southeast where the nighttime temp doesn't drop much. Training of the eyes and becoming used to the details and contrasts over several years is also necessary to really see well. You need to get everything right a few times before your eye/brain can start to know what is signal vs noise.

Dave

August 6, 2005 04:50 AM Forum: Refractors

My new Tele Vue NP127

Posted By David McGough
Hi Ron,

Congrats on the new scope! What is the diameter of the main body of the tube (or the inner diameter of the rings)? I'm curious if the cradle and Gibraltar 5 might work with my AP130.

Dave

September 14, 2005 01:47 AM Forum: Film Astrophotography - Imaging and Processing

Lumicon refractor easy guider

Posted By David McGough
I had used one when I first tried phototgraphy with my AP130, and for visual guiding, it did get the eyepiece into some very uncomfortable positions! It also has issues on finding a guide star at the right distance from the object you are shooting. Other than that, it does work better on a refractor than on a fast newt or SCT as the star images look better to guide on. I used one when my mount was a bit light, so they work well, and with an autoguider, you don't have to worry about getting to the eyepiece other than set up.

September 17, 2005 04:15 PM Forum: Celestron

Optimal Back Focus for C14

Posted By David McGough
Hi Dan,

Much academic discussion has occurred on this subject over the years, but I think the difference in image scale is the most obvious effect. I have an old 1965 C10 which at f15 is essentially smae focal lenght as the C14. It had a firror flop problem which caused me to add a WO SCT crayford which is fairly long. I might detect some slight difference in the secondary shadow breakout on a star test, but it still deals with planets and lunar detail superbly, and in focus star images are still extremely sharp. At 14" aperture on yours, the degradation will be far less impacting than the atmosphere, so go ahead with the setup is my recommendation.

Dave

November 5, 2005 11:51 PM Forum: Celestron

C-11 screwhole patterns?

Posted By David McGough
Hi,

If you go this route, be advised you will need 1/4x20 by 5/8" socket head set screws to mount the tube to the fork. Anything over 5/8" will hit the mirror. McMaster-Carr Supply Company has these, www.mcmaster.com

The setup also had a couple of very short 1/4x20 socket head screws inserted in the tube rear cell with just the heads sticking out that slid into slots inside the forks so you can let the tube hang there (pointed straight up) while inserting or removing the 5/8" long bolts. The threaded length on these was on the order of 1/4" or 3/8" max and they were towards the front of the tube from the holes for the longer mounting screws.

Dave

November 13, 2005 04:53 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Older C-11 and C-14 Fork Mounts

Posted By David McGough
Hi Chuck,

Depends on which C11, the original C11 (orange tube and later black tube models with the holes in the fork arms) mounted on the C14 wedge and tripod, but needed an extra set of holes on the wedge to do so (larger bolt circle for the C14). The picture attached shows the C11 I used to own and you can see its drive base is a bit smaller than the wedge size.

When Celestron came out with the 11, they just used the tripod and wedge for the 14 but made the addition of the extra set of mounting holes on the tilt plate of the wedge. Putting a C14 on one of those wedges should be no problem, but you can't count on putting an 11 on an original 14 wedge.

The later Ultima 11 and wedge would not be sized for the C14 or able to handle the extra mass and overhang.

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