Posts Made By: Malc Shedden

It is quite common to receive emails that purport to come from EBAY asking for account information, including id, password, credit card number, expiration date, address etc. I have received several in the last few weeks.

The emails are not from EBAY. They look very realistic, and in some ways they conform to the 'rules' that EBAY states should be used in identifying emails and web links from them - for example, the URL should conform to a specific address. The emails I have received include links that look like secure links to EBAY, but in fact are links to some other site with a form that sucks your information to who knows where.

The information you unwittingly supply by filling out one of these forms can be used to hijack your EBAY account and defraud other innocent EBAY users, using your good feedback to avoid suspicion long enough for a transaction to go through.

Point of fact - my brother recently was interested in a high end canon digital camera - the seller stated that he was a German customs officer selling confiscated goods. (ya right!!) Checking the sellers feedback showed that the same guy had recently bought a coupon to a restaurant in Kansas. Very unlikely to be the same guy - so the account had obviously been hijacked.

NEVER, NEVER, EVER, fill out any form that comes to you as a result of an EMAIL! In my case, several of the emails were directed to a company employee who was no longer with the company, and NEVER had an EBAY account anyway.

Basically, these emails are a dangerous form of SPAM. You can infer nothing from the email adress they sent the message to, except that it is now a SPAM target. A high percentage of random users will have an EBAY account, so that is what they are relying on.

ALSO NOTE that even if you have an Email address you use for a single purpose (like astromart), there are VIRUSes out there that will propogate your address to all and sundry, and the virus may reside on some other astromarter's computer which found your address in the guys address book.

Malcolm.

Normally, if you are reasonably polar aligned, you should not have to move the scope in declination to track an object - with the RA motor running, the scope should track reasonably well without human intervention.

You said:

>>I noticed the RA on the dual axis drives slewed very
>>quickly and I could keep up with the fast movement of the
>>moon

Do you mean you were using the hand controller to track the moon 'manually'? That should not be necessary, it should be automatic.

Are the DEC and RA motors plugged into the correct sockets on the controller? I can see how that would cause a problem.

Why not get either a Casady saddle, (see astromart home page), an Astrophysics one or a Losmandy G11 saddle?

All of the above will take Losmandy style D series dovetails. Bolt that to your top plate, and you're set.

I think a DC10 *is* made for holding the whole OTA. Check www.losmandy.com

Regards,

Malcolm.

My TMB 105 (CNC version) is so heavy I wouldn't even consider mounting it piggy back on anything. It is a serious lump of metal and glass, even without the mounting hardware. To put things in perspective, would you piggy back a C9.25 on your 8" LX200? They weigh about the same, give or take a pound or three, and probably the same length.

Malcolm.

Maybe with a web cam and an ep in a *binoviewer* - that would give a *simultaneous* view of some objects.

Don't know, but here's a site that may help:

http://www.eisystems.be/astronomy/menu_EQ6.html

Malcolm

I seriously doubt that these sellers intended to deceive - most likely they picked up the 'wrong' camera in the mistaken belief that it was OK, then didn't use it, and sold it without ever being aware it was the wrong model.

Malcolm

Brian,

The left one says PK-AF, where AF presumably means autofocus (which your K1000 does not). It may however be the same as the right one though.

My guess is that the one that is not 'flat' - ie the one on the right is coming apart. If you have a jeweler's screwdriver, try loosening the set-screw(s) and screw it back together, then tighten the screws.

Hope that's it...

Malcolm.

Barlow? Powermate? Or possibly one of those devices that clamps around the EP and holds the camera in position over a regular EP?

That's about it I think.

Malcolm

Yes, you can buy the second etalon on its own. I believe Coronado recommend getting the second one directly from them so it can be matched to the existing etalon. You also need a stacking adapter I think.

Malcolm