Posts Made By: Jim Moscheck

Hi Floyd,
I agree, I like the 12T4 much better with it than without it for all the same reasons. I'm just glad I didn't loose the set screw.

Paul Preto said:

Has anyone else heard that Ed Stevens is taking a sabbatical?

Yes he is.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1570882/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

Don't know if it's good idea or not, but the Meade RCX 200 has them. They are a necessary evil for telescopes with corrector plates. :S

How do you plan on using the scope? Ease of transport or imaging? Are you "married" to an SCT? Lots of other kinds of telescopes out there.

Rod Kaufman said:
Little did he know...

Ain't that the truth! :S

Hi Floyd,
I'll get it started.

I keep my EPs in a black heavy duty plastic tool box I bought from Sears. It is 30" long X 10" wide and I use a piece of 3/4" birch plywood in the bottom on little risers and drilled with 1.25" and 2" holes to hold my EPs upright without the bottom caps on. This way I can keep the case on my observing table and easily reach for the one I need. I keep the top closed to keep out the dew. I have five main EPs all 2" and five 1.25" EPs and only have enough holes to store what I have. My Argo Navis computer rides next to the EPs in the bottom along with the AN holder.

For transport I have a piece of foam the goes over the top of the EPs and under the tray that fits in the top of the tool box which keeps the EPs snug. In the tray I keep my filters, cable, stalk base, pole, and alt. bracket for AN.

I keep a couple of large desiccant bags tucked under the EP tray and AN computer to help with moisture.

I rarely clean my EPs anymore since I've gone to longer eye relief models. The bottom lenses stay clean stored this way and I've never touched them.

I also have a nifty EP holder that Dave E. made for me which fits on the stalk with three 2" holes. 8)

As for security, it depends where I am observing. I've never heard of anyone getting ripped off when stepping away from their scope for a while but I am aware of who is around me and we rarely get real big crowds anyway.

I agree they can get expensive and I've recently took out a rider on my homeowners insurance covering my new telescope and EPs. Even if I drop my mirror while cleaning it it is covered. Cost me about $60 bucks a year.

Lee Spain said:
And, you were the next president, how you would handle the situation?

Honestly, I'd do what Joe Biden has suggested. Three states, one for the Sunni, one for the Shia, and one for the Kurds, united in a federation to share the oil revenue.

Judson Mitchell said:
Cheap widfield EPs in a fast dob (to quote a fellow astromarter) don't play well together.

Hi Judson,

Don't think I made it up, but that's the first time I've been quoted on AM.

From my first time under a dark sky in the UP of Michigan in the late 60's along with being a 10 year old space junkie at that time I was hooked.

Binoculars and the naked eye were all I had until taking Astronomy 101 my sophomore year at college. It met once a week in the evening and if it was clear afterward the professor would set up a small refractor. Got my first look at Saturn and Jupiter through a telescope and was still hooked, but poor.

Finally bought an 8" LX200 in 2001. I used plossel EPs until I winced and bought a 19mm Panoptic. So this was what everyone was talking about, wide fields and sharp images compared to other less expensive wide field EPs. I also tried University Optics MK40mm and a 32mm Konig. Great at f10, but when I bought my first dob they weren't good at the edge. My second premium EP was the 24 Panoptic-WOW!

I've since moved on to Naglers for the wider fields, but had a hiccup here too. Started with the new T6s' but they didn't have enough eye relief for my tastes and eyelashes.

I now have what I consider my "final" set of EPs. If I never buy another I would be happy with these for a long time.

26T6 - traded the 24Pan + $ to a guy needing another for a binoviewer
17T4 - bought new on sale a couple of years ago
12T4 - bought used here after I sold a 13mm T6
8mm Vixen super wide - got for a steal at a swap meet.
Nagler 3-6 zoom - bought new-OUCH! :S GREAT EP!

I have a 22mm Vixen SW - bought here used, too, and while it's a great EP the FOV is about the same as the 17T4, so I don't use it as much, but I'm also reluctant to sell it. :S

Some nights I am happy with just the 26 and 17, if conditions are better I go for the higher powers.

My 2 cents.

We saw one Sunday exactly like you discribed.

We got calling everyone we could in our club to look at it and one guy imaged it. I only saw it naked eye. I was in a neighbors' backyard and was going to run home and roll out my dob when it disappeared or popped.

http://avc.comm.nsdlib.org/cgi-bin/wiki_grade_interface.pl?Weather_Balloons

Hi John,

Is this a question or advice?

Hey Fred,

Looks pretty substantial to me.

But what do I know, I just a dumb dob guy.