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Posts Made By: Greg Shaffer

December 31, 2014 09:13 PM Forum: Refractors

aligning objective lens

Posted By Greg Shaffer
What Jeffery said....laser is the best and most accurate way to test it....I just used one to rough align a mock up for an 8" f/16 I am building.....

January 5, 2015 03:35 PM Forum: Politics

Conservatives Start GOP Fight On Day 1

Posted By Greg Shaffer
Rod Kaufman said:

Here thet are again, up to their old tricks:
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/01/05/more-conservative-republicans-say-wont-back-boehner-for-speaker/
Break out the popcorn and enjoy!

Nor should they back that spineless narcissist who obviously spends more time in a tanning bed than doing his job......

January 5, 2015 06:49 PM Forum: Beginning Astronomy?

Taking the plunge

Posted By Greg Shaffer
Congrats Charles....that's how it begins. My 1st was a old beat up 8" celestron dob I gave $200 for with three EP's. You and your family should get many many hours of enjoyment out of your choice. The C8's are a great 1st real scope and are very capable..... I would highly recommend you think on a set of binoviewers for it. There is no substitute for being able to use both eyes......not necessary by any means but it sure adds a WOW factor over single EP viewing.

January 22, 2015 03:18 AM Forum: Telescope Making

8" f/15 under construction.....

Posted By Greg Shaffer
Setup a final mockup this afternoon to test with my binoviewers since we got clouded out last time before I could check the binoviewers. Want to setup for it to work natively with the BV's with no barlow or OCS. I would rather do it with a tape measure than a calculator smile




January 23, 2015 10:57 PM Forum: Reflectors

Parallax Instruments

Posted By Greg Shaffer
Paul Maxson said:

I guess this question was inevitable. Does anyone have any experience with Parallax Instruments? Since I can't get a 12.5" DK OTA from Royce anymore I'm looking for alternatives. This is strictly a planetary scope so a RC is not an option. I want to stay away from corrector plates as well. Besides a Mewlon 300 does anyone have any other ideas? How about European companies. I kind of want to avoid Newtonian's as well. I have looked at this company:

http://www.cfftelescopes.eu/index.html

Thanks!!
Paul Maxson

I have a PI-250 10" f/5 newt he built for someone using a Ed Stevens mirror. I did not buy it directly but from the 2nd owner. I have had a number of conversations with Joe Nastasi of Parallax over the last few years. Both by phone and email and he has always been both pleasant and helpful. Getting on to the scope itself. 1st class quality build and I have enjoyed owning it for several years now. It does a fantastic job both visually and for imaging. It was specifically setup to be an astrograph primarily and binoviewing secondarily so I have to add an extension for single EP viewing. I have not one single complaint. I also own another scope he built using a vixen spec lens, a 90mm f/16.6 that is also an excellent little scope.

I can only speak about these two scopes.....very nicely done. If I were in the market I wouldn't hesitate to buy from him based on the two I own......

January 25, 2015 07:04 PM Forum: Mounts

MI-250 and Titan

Posted By Greg Shaffer
John MacDonough said:

I've asked this question of a few Astromart members via private messages, but I'm hoping this forum post will help me gather more information.

I'm getting ready to upgrade mounts and am wondering what people's experiences are with the Mountain Instruments MI-250 and the Losmandy Titan. I think either would satisfy my needs but would like to hear owners sing the praises of the mounts. Or curse them, if appropriate.

I don't specifically own either but I have had the opportunity to play with both and I own a GM200 which is the tangent dec drive predecessor to the Titan. Neither made me want to sell off the GM200 and "upgrade". What I will say is both are fine mounts as long as the equipment load you will be using isn't much over 100 lbs. I might add I have no experience with the Mountain Instruments support structure but I have had to deal with Losmandy for support a couple of times and think HIGHLY of them based on that alone. If my memory serves me the MI-250 may require swapping some parts out depending on where it was setup up for originally and where you live latitude wise as they have limited adjustability in that respect. Assuming my memory isn't faulty, if for no other reason I would lean towards the Titan which offers full adjustability in that regard.


February 6, 2015 02:55 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

“Your Favorite” or “The Best” Telescope for Visual

Posted By Greg Shaffer
Paul Knight said:

I have been dreaming of building an observatory. I’m interested to hear opinions on what great telescopes are out there for visual use (no photography as I prefer sketching). Binoviewing is required--either a binocular telescope or a binoviewer. Here are some of my initial thoughts:

Celestron 14� SCT
Tele Vue 5� Refractor
Questar 7� Mak

For visual use, I would like to minimize chromatic aberration, maximize contrast, and maximize sharpness. I would say 50% of my observations are planetary, 40% deepsky, and 10% lunar/solar.

I found an interesting review comparing a C14 to a Questar 7. Per the reviewer, while the C14 obviously beats the Q7 in pure light-gathering power, the Q7 exhibited superior contrast.

Interested to hear your thoughts. Thanks!

If I am picking from your list (and from just about any reasonable list) it would be the C14....matter of fact if you replaced the C14 with a C11 my answer would still be the same.

February 10, 2015 07:52 AM Forum: Telescope Making

8" f/15 under construction.....

Posted By Greg Shaffer
Final testing and measuring done last Sat night....ready to order the tube and proceed with the build. Pic of me staring at the moon with binoviewers at 264x....amazingly good considering the open construction and white'ish wood construction scattering light all over the place......


February 21, 2015 07:05 PM Forum: ASTRONOMY

sale-telescope.com - Reputable?

Posted By Greg Shaffer
Bruce Wataru said:

I'm curious if anyone has purchase from sale-telescope.com and what was their experience? Is sale-telescope reputable? Looking at some of the prices, you know that saying, "If it looks to good to be true, then it is." Curious, Bruce

Google finds the site but it doesn't appear to be active.....wont pull up. But as herb said....just burn your money and at least it will keep you warm for a bit smile

March 1, 2015 03:45 PM Forum: Politics

Whacko Walker Back At It!

Posted By Greg Shaffer
You already fell on your face once over Walker.....glutton for punishment? Are you a closet masochist? lol

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