Posts Made By: Paul Preto

UTA inside diameter is 17 5/8" (radius 8.8"). Add the wall and mounting board thickness of about 5/8" and a Moonlite CR2 focuser racked-in height of 1.5". That's about 10.9". Plus some focuser travel? I think that takes me beyond the 3.1", doesn't it?

As already mentioned by others, you can use a variety of powers. It depends on what you're trying to see. With my 13.1" I occaisionally go up to 150X or so, but my most pleasing view is at 89X with an Orion Megavista 16.8mm (68 deg AF). The Megavistas were discontinued and are hard to come by. But to me the blacker sky and wider field of view of a lower power allows you to enjoy the jewel-like quality of these objects in contrast to their surrounding starfields better.

Looks great, Joel. James is going to build me a 16-inch, soon as I get my mirror from Steve Swayze. I wanted to get an Ed Stevens mirror, but he's not taking any more orders for a while. You lucked out.
I'll be interested in hearing your reviews of this scope (especially the Astrosky structure) once you get it and put it through the paces.

I have a Moonlite focuser which was really smooth manually. I decided to send it in for the motofocus upgrade. Now I cannot use it manually. If you buy one new with motofocus, it comes the same way. Yes, batteries can go dead, it's more effort to set it up each time, you have wires dangling. Also there are times when you would like to just focus manually. For example you're just getting your scope out for a quick look at Mercury before it sets. If you get a motofocus, try to get one that has a clutch to allow manual focussing.

I agree with Floyd - 9mm. You'll get a wider field and it gives you a better distance from your 5mm.

While you don't say "inexpensive", I gather that's what you mean, especially since you're just trying this out. I've heard some nice words here about the Super Polaris mount. Funny, I've had one sitting here for at least 5 years, 2 since I sold the C8 that came on it. No one has been breaking down my door with reasonable offers. Mine has dual axis drives and the wood legs. Tracks very well. I can tell you more if you send me a private message.

Mostly what I see on my eyepieces are fingerprints and other oily residue. I have no qualms about cleaning them in the field. I do blow them off first and/or use a brush to get any loose particles off. Then if it's just fingerprints, I will exhale on the lens (hope that doesn't cause any strokes out there) and wipe it clean with a lens cleaning tissue. If it's something more resistant like sap, I may use some lens cleaning fluid or alcohol. I have some eyepieces that have been cleaned this way for over 15 years, and I don't notice any deterioration of the coatings as a result. Okay, don't buy an eyepiece from me it you're skeptical.
On another note, a few years ago I got a used 22mm Panoptic that had dirt on the inside. Having taken apart barlows and other simple eyepieces, I promptly took it apart when to my horror I realized the whole thing was falling apart in my hands, numerous lenses, spacers, and all. I had no idea how to get it all back together. First I paniced. Then I sheepishly called Televue to see if I could send them my newfound collection of eyepiece parts. Believe it or not they had a customer service person who could actually guide me through the whole assembly procedure. I was amazed and greatly relieved. I probably wouldn't do this again, but I did get the crud out of it.

Another great idea, Floyd! Functional and looks good. If you got a dollar for each of your ideas, I'd probably drive down to Bakersfield from Santa Cruz and help you drink that beer you'd be buying. 8)

He's done it again! Keep it up, Floyd.

True the RA bracket screws come in from under the polar scope (RA axis) but the dec bracket screws are visible on the top of the mount, at least on my SP mount. Have you removed one of the other screws and tried it? Of course I may have a different model of SP than yours. Mine is Celestron/Vixen circa 1987.