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Posts Made By: Charles Hakes

October 16, 2003 03:59 AM Forum: Eyepieces

Wide Scan 20, 30 mm From APM

Posted By Charles Hakes
I just received a BW-Optik 30mm 80 degree eyepiece from Anacortes. Is this from the same family as you are asking about? Maybe it is a cousin to the widescans. I think I have seen Markus Ludes mentioned with this eyepiece. Anyway, I have an f9.6 scope, so I think it works great. I can see a slight bit of fall-off as you get near the edge, but I have to look for it. As a test, I tried the double double and could easily make out the correct orientation with this eyepiece, (although I would normally want to do something like that with a bit higher power). It is also much more comfortable to use than I had expected. This one definitely goes in my best buy category. I hope this helps.

Charlie

October 28, 2003 06:37 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

solar viewing and aluminized mylar

Posted By Charles Hakes
Maybe I shouldn't use the term "mylar", but instead just say some sort of "plastic" substrate. I think Thousand Oaks wants to make sure we know that they don't use mylar. Is that important except for the color?

November 2, 2003 03:00 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

To buy or not to buy binoculars?

Posted By Charles Hakes
I vote buy.

However, if you don't already own a good hand-holdable pair like 10x50, then buy those first. I haven't used 15x70, but 16x80 show MANY Messier objects.

Charlie

November 5, 2003 01:17 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

This is probably a stupid question, but.....

Posted By Charles Hakes
That little cap is to cut down the brightness on some objects. You can also cover it with solar filer material. or use just that small hole bare for solar projection viewing.

For $2000., you can get a really big dob. Lots of options there.

Charlie

November 9, 2003 03:12 PM Forum: Home Observatories

Fort Lewis Observatory

Posted By Charles Hakes
The Duango Herald this morning reported that this would house a Meade 16" refractor telescope. They used the term refractor twice. Maybe this is some new Meade product that will fit in a dome this size. I don't know the f-ratio yet

November 10, 2003 01:55 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Clamshell mount for a large refractor?

Posted By Charles Hakes
I must not have the picture quite yet. Isn't a "clamshell" just a single, really fat, ring? Why would that be easier? Unless your "rings" don't open, and you have to slide the tube in. Is that normal?

Charlie

December 14, 2003 01:46 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

GM headlights - help!

Posted By Charles Hakes
Thanks all. I just tried the parking brake trick in the garage and that seems to work. I just need to try it in the field and hope I don't forget it the next time I need it.

Now about those silly automatic lock and unlock features... At least reprogramming those is in the manual.

Thanks,
Charlie

March 31, 2004 01:44 PM Forum: Telescope Making

Improving a dobsonian azimuth movement

Posted By Charles Hakes
I haven't seen the Celestron version, but probably the Teflon is OK if it is cleaned. Where I think you could get improvement is increasing the diameter of the center bolt. I have used a 1/2 inch carriage bolt that I attach permanently to the ground board and then on the rocker box I have a bigger hole that can fit a brass sleve that the bolt goes through. You could try the milk carton washers around what you have in the center already. That seems to help quite a bit too.

Charlie

May 26, 2004 08:00 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Meade 16" LX200 GPS

Posted By Charles Hakes
Darrell,

This sound like my summer project at Fort Lewis College. We have the 16" non-GPS version with two mounting options that we are setting up. The first is puting the scope and giant tripod on a set of tri-dollys so we can roll it out onto the sidewalk when it is not in the dome. The second set up is for inside a 12' clamshell dome at a dark site several miles out of town. In the dome it will sit on a third party pier. Both options are "in progress". We should have power to the dome next week, after which we should be making faster headway. (The reason for two locations is that without some serious road work and plowing in the winter the dome is inaccesible.)

I'll try to let you know how it goes as we get things set up.

later,
Charlie

May 26, 2004 08:23 PM Forum: Telescope Making

My ATM project

Posted By Charles Hakes
Here is the rear view.

I got this last year on out trip to Hawaii and the observatory. It is the Keck scope if you don't recognise it. The model is 1/160 scale, or N-guage for all you model railroading astronomers. Now how do I add this to my home layout?

Charlie

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