Posts Made By: Rod Mollise

Mark Lancaster said:

Does anyone know if Gary of LunarPhasePro fame is still active? His web site is still up and running, but he's not answering his email. I sent a few requests for technical support, with the last one sent on 11/6.

I need to transfer my copy of LunarPhasePro to a new computer, which is why I'm trying to get in touch with Gary.

Thanks,

Mark

Dunno. I wanted to put a piece on LPP in my new book, but repeated emails to Gary yielded no response. Result? Virtual Moon Atlas took that spot instead.

Keith Garrett said:

I picked up an old 2080 with an LX5 drive this week. It has been
sitting in a shed for over 10 years, the OTA was stored indoors most
of the time. It is in pretty rough shape, but was in working order
when stored. I have cleaned most of it up, and now Im trying to figure
out if the LX5 RA drive is working. When you plug it in, and turn it
on, it lights up, and makes the ticking noise- however after sitting
for a few hours, it has not rotated at all. The ticking noise is also
not consistent, 4-5 seconds on, 1 second off. I have not had one of
these before and have no idea what noises it should make.

I took off the front panel, and opened up the bottom, separating the
worm gear from the main gear. The motor seems to turn the worm gear-
but does not turn the forks. The RA lock is engaged, and I have let it
sit for 2 hours twice now, with zero rotation. Any ideas? Am I
missing something simple?

Regards;
Keith G
Wolfeboro NH

Are you SURE it ain't tracking? Have you tried it on the sky? Remember, the scope will make 1 revolution only every 23hrs, 56min, 4sec. Do you have the hand control? It has a few higher guide speeds that you can try. Finally, does it rotate freely in RA? Lock firmly in RA?

Kurt Horsley said:

I'm really, really, REALLY familiar with Celestron SCT's. I've had 8-9 of them myself and used 50 others. I've also adjusted C5 and C8 focusers many times.
But I just bought my first C-11...and the mirror shift when focusing seems ridiculously bad to me.
I've seen good, bad and everything in between on focus shift, but this one is clearly the worst I've ever encountered.
Is this normal with the larger scopes (C11 and C14)?

I called Celestron and got the usual brushoff. Despite the fact that they've never even seen the scope, they tell me "it's within specification". I asked exactly what "the specification" is but they couldn't seem to tell me...probably because there is no such thing.

How much _was/is_ it? If it's around 45", that's purty much normal.

Hans Tucker said:

I came across an ad in the classifieds section for a Meade 7" Maksutov. In the ad it states "Supercharged by Dr. Clay Sherrod at the Arkansas Observatory". How do you Supercharge a scope? Obviously this may elude to some enhancements so what did Dr Clay Sherrod at the Arkansas Observatory do to this and possibly other scopes that warrant the tag 'Supercharged'?

The "Supercharge" was/is a tuneup service offered by Doc Clay which has in some instances made the difference between a scope bein' great and bein' a lemon. You can read about it here:

http://www.arksky.org/supercharge.htm

Tony Aguire said:

Mentioned this in passing in the Mounts forum, but I really could use some advice.... Xmas is coming, my wife says I can get the mount I want (Cg5)...here is the question. I have an Ultima 8, nicely accesorised (sp?) WO 2 speed focuser, Astromaster, Starizona counterweight system, 9x5 illuminated RA finder, piggyback camera mount. If I get the mount, I will definitely ( try to) sell the forks, with DSC and counterweights. However, I am also looking at selling the whole shebag instead and opting for a WO zenithstar 80 to mount with an Orion ST 80

I was kind of in the same boat a few years back. In the end I did not sell the U8 forks because I didn't need the money and I couldn't bear to part with them. Eventually, an 80s vintage C8 OTA fell into my hands and a put it on the U8 fork and even use that configuration occasionally. As for as the OTA? I've done a hell of a lot of imaging with the U8 OTA on the CG5. I've also done quite a bit with a WO 80mm I like both for different subjects. I'd advise holding onto the C8 and purchasing an ED 80 to go with it to serve as both imager or for guidin the C8.

Scott Brdlik said:

I have more play than desired in my C8 motors- 120 VAC Synchron. C8 is late 70s/early 80s orange tube.

Does anyone have a good supplier and/or specs/part no. for replacement motors? Thanks!

What do you mean by "play"...?

Rod Kaufman said:

http://news.aol.com/article/bush-unveils-his-presidential-portrait/282823

What's missing?
How about an alfalfa straw sticking out of his mouth?
Western boots with cow pie attached.
Six pack at his side.
Hands in cuffs...

A flyin' Hushpuppy?! LOL

Some, but you get a MUCH more noticeable gain by going to a C11 which is not overwhelmingly heavier or more expensive.

Jon Isaacs said:

Hi folks.... Now that we have changed the name of this forum, I would like to see some lively chatter... As a relative newbie, well, there are a few things to discuss, favorite radios, favorite antennas and favorite stations...

So how about starting out with Favorite Radios...

As an astronomer, well, I am a dyed in the wool starhopper, it's not that I have something against all the electronics motors, wires and stuff, it's just that I like the simplicity and the personal relationship with the scope and the night sky...

So when it comes to listening to shortwave, I have found myself to be a "Band Scanner." Give me an old fashioned tuning knob, a few knobs to twist and a few buttons to push and I am happy-happy.

Right now my favorite is the Kenwood R-1000

Kenwood?! Hell, I guess I'm gonna date myself when I say "Hallicrafters SX42", huh Jon?

No, I ain't quite old enough to have been around when this one was new, but as a sprout I remember playin' with one The Old Man had not long after that. When I was a wee bit older and had a _few_ pennies in my pocket, this was one general coverage receiver I could afford used from the hamfest tables to supplement my HW-16 CW transciever and other modest (to put it mildly) rigs.

How good was this big, honkin' thang? Purty good. Hallicrafters was really the Meade of receivers, I reckon. Not too fancy, not blow you away good, BUT DECENT. Reasonably selective, lots of audio, decent bandspread. I loved mine until that dadgummed ex-wife #2 (AKA "The Wicked Witch of the West") threw it, and a couple of teletypes, and my beloved Swan 750 (THEY were the SYNTA of transcievers...do y'all see a pattern in my radio and astro tastes? LOL) out before I could remove the gear following THE BIG BREAK UP.

I still see one at the off hamfest, and have to walk past it quickly, lest I succumb to its alluring whispers: "Come on Unk...I need a good home...you know I ain't really a BOAT ANCHOR." LOL

73s de AC4WY

Dawn Grove said:

Okay gang,

What do you think? SHould I do a color version too?

http://www.astronerds.org/astronerds.html

Dawn

Oh, I dunno, Dawn. I liked this one so much just the way it is that it's the one I used in Skywatch this time:

http://skywatch.brainiac.com/newsletter/skywatch.htm