Posts Made By: Howard Platnick

New PST double stacked SM40. I have the 12.5 KE. What other EPs work well ... any suggestions?

howard

My PST came with a K12.5 EP.

Compared it to 5mm TMB, 9.7 Meade 4000, and 6mm Radian. I will do more comparisons - seeing was not the best with the sun at 30 degrees and slight haze.

The K12.5 showed the most contrast and detail.

any thought?

howard

My first experience with "dark skies" and a nice treat.

Makes me unmotivated to view in my LP backyard now!

Easily saw veil without filter using 6" refractor.

howard

Used my new (used off of AM) Tak 90 II on the moon for the first time. Had the q-extender, 1.25 Televue everbright diagonal, 9.7 and 20mm meade plossls plus/minus 2x barlow.

Images at 40 80 164x

Clear sky with good seeing and LP skies.

Views were beautiful, sharp and powder white. Nice contrast and detail. Little yellow along the limb of the moon that dissapeared when the limb was centered.

howard

I now use a standard black stars on white background chart for backyard visual work and want to upgrade.

Which one do you recommend below? I am comforatable with the black stars on white but see the field version below is white stars on black?

any suggestions?

Sky Atlas 2000.0, 2nd Edition, is available in five versions: Deluxe (black stars, white sky, deep-sky objects color-coded by type Milky Way isophotes, spiralbound, $49.95), Field (white stars and deep-sky objects, black sky, loose charts, boxed, $29.95), Field Laminated (same as Field, but laminated and spiralbound, $69.95), Desk (black stars and deep-sky objects, white sky, loose charts, boxed, $29.95), and Desk Laminated (same as Desk, Iaminated/spiralbound, $69.95). I do not recommend the Desk version with white stars on a black background for field use.

howard

I have my PST and use the tuner. I now have a SM40 at the front and it has an attched T-max tuner.

Do I use both tuners or do I unscrew the one with the SM40 and put it away and only use the one built into the PST???

Do the two tuners basically do the same thing???

thanks howard

I( am using a Baader AP bino with 16mm Naglers and want higher power.

I was thinking of either 9mm or 7mm Naglers (I know that under 10-12mm is pushing it with binos) or some simillar focal length AP SPL.

Any suggestions to achieve higher power with larger FOV.

I am using an alt-azmth mount and really like the larger FOV. I plan to do planets, lunar, and split doubles.

any thoughts

thanks howard

All purpose filter

I was thinking of getting one all-purpose filter for deep sky. I use a refractor and have heavy LP with mag 4.5 skies.

I was thinking of the Lumicon UHC to reduce LP, darken the sky and improve contrast to view planetary and emission nebula. I heard it also helps with mars and Jupiter contrast. I would also use it at my dark site too.

What about the Lumicon O-III instead???

Any thoughts or suggestions.

howard

To all members, I propose an AM used item rating system:

0 BNIB-UO brand new in box and unopened (not inspected).
1 BNIB Open and Inspected. Few items touched/visually inspected, few still in original wrapping. Item not used.
2 LNIB like new in box. Item used a few times but not over five times. No scuffs marks or blemishes – mechanically/optically perfect.
3 Pristine. used over 5 times but not over 10 times. 1-2 tiny marks, scuffs, blemish hard to see – mechanically/optically perfect.
4 Excellent. used lightly and few marks scuffs blemishes of light use. Item well looked after – mechanically/optically perfect.
5 Very good. Regular to moderate use with expected marks scuffs blemishes. Item well looked after – mechanically/optically near perfect.
6 Good. Regular to moderate use with more that expected marks scuff blemishes - might have one or two deeper nicks or marks – mechanically/optically excellent.
7 Average. Moderate to heavy use of 1-3 years with expected marks, blemishes, wear – mechanically/optically good.
8 Average Heavy Use. Item well used and looks it – mechanically/optically works well. Few minor parts might not work – might be some damage.
9 Below Average Heavy Use. Item well used with some damage – mechanically/optically mostly still works – might need repairs.
10 Poor Condition. Item well used, some damage, missing parts, might not function mechanically/optically.

Howard Platnick

Theoretically, if a person were at the Zenith, then in any direction they went forward in, would be south?



thanks howard