Posts Made By: James Barnett

Is there an off-the-shelf solution for mating a G11 head to an AP portable pier, or would I need to have something custom machined?

Thanks,

Jim

Your Classifieds search function has been broken for several days.

Whenever I search for anything I get the following error message:

Microsoft OLE DB Provider for ODBC Drivers error '80040e31' [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver]Query timeout expired D:\WEBSITES\ASTROMART\CLASSIFIEDS\../common/lib_utils.asp, line 449"

Any ETA on correction? Lacking historical Classifieds search capability really reduces the value of a Classifieds website. Thanks!

First light regretably postponed due to resumed rain in northern California .

I'll keep you posted...

Peter:

A couple of thoughts. First, certain "premium" stuff does indeed sell for as much or in cases more than the same would cost new from the manufacturer. Astro-Physics refractors with their extremely long waiting lists are one example. That, however, represents the exception rather than the rule in my experience.

While many sellers ask in their ads for what looks like a premium or "near new" price, I've found most to be extremely flexible. Often these are folks that (1) need to sell in order to fund another purchase or (2) have simply found themselves with too much equipment they never have time to use. Sellers in this category usually deal considerably from their original asking price.

It never hurts to ask if a seller will accept less for an item. The worst they can say is "no," and unless you bother to ask, the answer will de facto be "no" anyway.

Happy shopping.

Jim

I saw one for $450. That's not really a premium now.

They are now $499 new from Orion.

Orion has had such huge demand, they are raising prices. The Catalog says $429, but try and order one for that.

Jim

Any idea whether the FS-128 or FS-152 will also receive this treatment (lightening, fine focus and retractable dew shield)?

Thanks!

Duane, I would watch the Astromart classifieds in the Refractor category for a couple of weeks. That is a very good refractor and the fact that it is complete with the Super Polaris mount is a plus. It is not particularly uncommon as not only Celestron but also Orion telescopes imported this model as well as similar but cheaper ED and achromatic versions for many, many years. Both the OTA and mount are by Vixen in Japan.

There is a used SP-C102 achromat with Super Polaris Mount listed for $650 on Astromart. New this was a $1,100-1,400 set up. It looks like for the achromat set up at least, a 50% discount is in the range for a "well loved" but used model.

There is also an SP-C102F with mount listed, but without a price. The SPC-102F set up new was a $3,000+ package I believe. Yours sounds pristine rather than well loved and used, and is much rarer and more desireable than the achromat and ED versions. I'd therefore apply a much smaller discount.

Here's a link to a description of the Orion version with some 1988 Mars opposition commentary you may find helpful.

http://www.company7.com/orion/telescopes/vixen102fl.html

Ah, I do get it.

I routinely use a 78mm Takahashi as my "grab-and-go-scope."

I have owned a 5" Orion Mak and an 80mm Stellarvue achromat, have an 8" Celestron SCT and 4 and 5 inch refractors (Vixen and D&G).

The 3 inch Tak is virtually flawless optically. I can see more planetary detail in the Tak than I ever could in the Stellarvue or Mak or usually than I can in the 8" SCT (well collimated with Bob's Knobs; nicely figured Ultima 2000).

On Jupiter generally I can see the GRS, mottling in several of the 8-9 bands visible in the scope, etc. It equals the 4" Vixen (which is probably the next scope to retire) and is surpassed only by the 5" D&G in planetary detail detection.

I pick it together with its alt-az mount up with one hand and walk it out of the garage to the observatory pad and back in the dark. Virtually zero cool down time. Mechanically it is a work of art. The focuser is like butter. At even 60x per inch, the focus snaps to. The combination of perfect optics and beutiful mechanicals in a one hand package is what sold me on the scope. Having had a "good" 3" refractor previously, the difference between "good" and "phenomenal" is like night and day.

Is it the perfect scope? Nope. Light grasp is extremely important for most DSOs. While this scope is marvelous for surfing through the Sagittarius summer milkyway and identifying the brighter Messier and NGC objects, it takes imagination and averted vision to extract details from all but the brightest DSOs.

But when I am after fainter objects or more detail, I switch to the 8" SCT. It takes more set up time, more cool down time, etc., but is still readily transportable by auto and with GOTO makes faint fuzzy hunting extremely easy. I found that I was never using the Mak for either casual observing or serious observing, and ended up replacing it with a 5" D&G, which is my lunar, planetary, double star and open + globular cluster scope.

Different strokes...

My new D&G 5" f10 just saw first light last night.

I am sorry to say that my results were not very encouraging after more than a 15 month wait from order date to finaly obtain the last piece (an A-P focuser which was on backorder). Not sharp at focus at modest powers (120x), and some false colour on Jupiter.

I will troubleshoot, as it could be collimation (which didn't look too bad on casual star testing) or perhaps squaring off of the focuser (unlikely as it threads perfectly into the back of the OTA), but as it stands my 3-inch Takahashi is a superior planetary scope to my 5" D&G achromat, and the Takahashi is actually cheaper ($1100 vs $1600).

I am crossing my fingers that the problem is not the optics but rather my assembly of the OTA (the lens cell ships separate fom tube). I'll update you after I've tinkered with collimation, etc., but for now I'm not a particularly happy camper.

Obsession 15. Better woodwork than Starmaster (IMO, of course), much higher production volumes and only a 30-day wait usally from time of order, and cheaper than the Starmaster 14.5 EL. Also, you can get more up-to-date electronics (Argo Navis DSC installed rather than the Sky Commander offered by Starmaster). Downsides are that you have to buy the shroud on the Obsession and Starmaster includes it. Of course, Obsession includes the wheely bars and you have to buy those with Starmaster. The ONLY thing I like more about Starmaster than Obsession is the primary mirror cell design and the Zambuto versus Torus-OMI optics.