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Posts Made By: Kim Colter

March 22, 2003 03:11 PM Forum: Eyepieces

Tak 2.8mm and 3.6 mm LE eyepieces

Posted By Kim Colter

I would appreciate hearing from someone who has used these extremely short focal length Tak eyepieces. What was your impression of using these versus Barlowing longer focal length eyepieces? How would you compare them to Tak orthos, Zeiss orthos, Televue Plossls? Thanks
Kim Colter

April 15, 2003 11:09 AM Forum: Telescope Making

collimating laser collimator

Posted By Kim Colter

Has anyone collimated a LaserMax holographic laser collimator? Mine is clearly not well collimated when tested by rotating in blocks. There are two screws on the barrel that appear to be "push/pull" design. Thanks
Kim Colter

May 8, 2003 01:56 PM Forum: Eyepieces

TeleVue 41 Panoptic

Posted By Kim Colter

I would love to hear from anyone who has observed with the new TeleVue 41 Panoptic. I think there may have been some at TSP from what I hear. What were your impressions? What scope did you use it in? Thanks
Kim Colter

July 2, 2003 02:35 PM Forum: Zeiss

Zeiss 20X60 image stabilized binoculars

Posted By Kim Colter

Anyone have experience with the Zeiss 20X60 image stabilized binoculars? Anyone have an opinion about whether they would pursue the 20X60 image stabilized versus the highly touted 15X60 BGAT's (what do all those letters stand for anyway?) Thanks--perhaps this message will kick start the lull in this forum.
Kim Colter

September 5, 2003 02:42 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Optimal computer for doing CCD imaging

Posted By Kim Colter

I would appreciate hearing from some of the experienced deep sky imagers and planetary imagers on this forum what computer they feel is ideal for garnering and processing images obtained with an SBIG camera. What makes the process fastest/most convenient after the images have left the camera? If anyone wants to address the same question for video images please do so. Thanks
Kim Colter
Washington Missouri

October 24, 2003 11:52 AM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Clear sky clocks

Posted By Kim Colter

In the last twenty four hours I've been getting an "expired domain" message when I try to check my favorite clear sky clocks. Anyone know what's up? I have come to depend on these more than I realized.

December 20, 2003 06:18 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Starhopping to NGC 4565

Posted By Kim Colter

Any of you veterans have any special tricks for star hopping to NGC 4565? Sometimes I find it quickly and sometimes I wander all over the open cluster looking for it. Early this AM the seeing and transparency in the Midwest were superb but my starhopping skills were not. I spent an embarassing amount of time looking for 4565 after the battery in my Sky Commander died. Thanks for any suggestions.

December 31, 2003 12:46 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Omega Centauri from 38.5 north

Posted By Kim Colter

Saw Omega through 14X100 binos at astronomical twilight this AM from 38 degrees north latitude. Perhaps the earliest in the winter I have been able to spot it. Spica had not quite culminated. Seeing Omega from home has become a bit of a "stupid pet trick" as Johnny Carson used to say, also something of an astronomical winter time rite of passage.

January 21, 2004 04:40 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Wes Higgins Space Station photo

Posted By Kim Colter

Perhaps everyone else has seen Wes's view of the ISS posted on the cloudy nights astrophotography forum. If not, take a look at www.cloudynights.com. Wes, this is a single frame shot through your 14.5" starmaster with the ToUcam Pro? Great snakes! What does the ISS look like visually through your scope? I have never tried looking at it at high mag with mine. Thanks for this image!

January 24, 2004 04:07 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Any satellites that blink steadily?

Posted By Kim Colter

I was out in the predawn hours cruising favorite galaxies. While looking at NGC 4565 at 0530 CST I spotted a very slowly moving object moving from west to east that was rhythmically blinking at a rate of 30 flashes in 47 seconds by my stopwatch. This object was moving more slowly than most satellites and much slower than most aircraft. The light it was flashing was white. It took about 3 minutes for this object to cross the field of a 26 Nagler in a 20 inch f4.35 Starmaster (about a 1 degree field of view.) If this was an aircraft it had to be extraordinarily high and there was no hint of red or green color to the flashes. I suppose a balloon at high altitude could have moved at this slow rate, and the wind present at the time would have moved it in this direction. I am located in Missouri, west of St. Louis.