Posts Made By: Vince Clements

I am ready to order the spider and secondary holder for my 18" f4.5 project. The two choices I see are Protostar and Astrosystems. Which is the better spider? Which one is the easiest to use? Is there a big weight difference? Are there other companies I have not looked at?

I am looking for the best wide field eyepiece for an 18" f4.5 scope.
I am looking at spending up to $300
Any suggestions?

I am about to cut my poles. I know the Kriege-Berry book says to put the mirror box and upper cage on a table and focus on an object over a mile away. I do not have that luxury. Can you safely determine the length of the poles by subtracting the distance of the racked in focuser to the secondary to the bottom of the upper cage and the distance from the primary to the top of the mirror box from the focal length. To that add the distance of the pole seats to the top of the mirror box?
It would look like this:
81.75" - 11.50" - 4.25" - 13.75" + 3" making the pole length of an 18" f4.5 my scope 55.25" Is this the best way or is there a better way. The only other way I can do the Kriege way is to build a stand to prop up the mirror box and slide the upper cage on a couple of boards to focus on Polaris. To me this seems cumbersome and dangerous. I want to get this right so I don't have to buy 8 more poles to try again.

I have always wanted a large scope. When I got a great deal on a new OMI-Torus 18" f/4.5 mirror I started to build one. Since this was the first scope I have ever built, I had no clue what I was doing. Thanks to the Kriege-Berry book the assembly was pretty straight forward. Well last night was the first night it was finished. I took it out even though the Sacramento valley is currently blanketed by smoke. I did manage M13 M57 M31 and M27(and the central star) All the work was worth it and I can't wait to get it to a dark sky.

I just re-watched this movie. It has been years since I saw it last. George C. Scott as the Air Force General and Slim Pickins a the B-52 pilot are worth the watch if you have never seen it. Guard your precious bodily fluids!

Any one out there ever make a powered ground board? I know that StellarCat makes one but at nearly $200 I thought I might try to make one myself.
Any help would be uh...helpful

I have a PST and it was one of the first ones out. I sat on a waiting list for nearly 6 months waiting for them to be released. It does not have the rust issue but it is barely used. Out in the sun for a total of 10 hours. Were the lenses on the first ones out coated at Coronado? I have heard the coatings that failed were coated at another company. Is mine going to be fine or at some time in the future start to fail?

I have an 18" f4.5 dob and am looking to add another eyepiece. Should I buy a 9mm or 7mm Nagler.
I own a 16mm Nagler, 25mm Meade 4000, and a UO 5mm.
Any help would be.. er uh... helpfull.

I am looking for the best observing guide book. I have only seen a couple and I know there are many. A couple of years age at GCSP a gentleman had a book that listed objects and included pictures of it with a short description. I do not know the name of it. I am looking for something like that.

How about a really cool sport car that is all electric.
0 - 60 in 4 sec.
200 mi. per charge.
I wish I had the $96.000 to buy one

http://www.teslamotors.com/