Posts Made By: Kevin Beebe

Hi Gregg,

You're getting a 22" Nightsky dob with GOTO and you're wondering what else to get to spruce it up? 8O
Wow! You sound as bad as some other people I know.

I would get the UHC filter as a first filter. It is a narrowband filter that screens out everthing but the O3 and H-Beta lines from the visual spectrum. There was a very good article on CloudyNights with extensive comparisons of filter types on different objects. I think they rated the UHC the most useful on the widest variety of objects, followed by the OIII. The H-beta filter was good on only a few objects, but very good on a few (like the Horsehead).

I don't think I would get a finder, other than a Telrad, with goto.

The only other item I can think of is a focuser. The dual speed comes in really handy with a fast scope. Either the Moonlight or the Feathertouch. I bought a Moonlight and it's very nice, but I've used a Feathertouch a few times and they are very nice. I went with the Moonlight because they make a filter slide that fits with the focuser. It makes it really easy to pop different filters in and out to see how they improve the view.

Congratulations!
Kevin

Hi Larry,
I bought a TV 17mm Plossl from Pocono Optics in early 1998. The salesman said it was discounted becuase it was being (or had been) discontinued. I might have some old magazines to look through the ads.
Kevin

How much travel does your current scope have?

I'm not personally familiar with Gatorboard, but I have seen pictures of telescopes built with Gatorboard. Other composites I have seen people using is Alucobond (I think that's the right name) and Alumalite. I built my 16" telescope with Alumalite.

Kevin

Hey! I like it. Does anyone know what the ring is made of? Seems to me like it would need to be pretty stiff.

kevin

My favorite is a 6" f/4 Mak-Newt. A 26mm Nagler gives a 3.5 degree field with stars still pretty sharp at the edge of the field. A view of M31, M32 and M110 all in the same field with a 20mm Nagler was very nice!

Dannon Vick said:

I have been pricing equatorial platform's but they seem to be as much or more than a ServoCat; therefore, is there an advantage to a equatorial platform?

Hi Dannon,

I chose a platform over GOTO mainly because I like to starhop. I thought GOTO was too high-tech. I use computers all day at work and it just seems more relaxing to swing the scope around the sky by myself. There is a joy in being alone under the stars with your scope. I think I would get bored using GOTO all the time. Now, GOTO has advantages in a group setting, but depending on the size of your scope, most of the brighter objects can be found pretty easily with a Telrad and wide field EP.

I've never used a ServoCat (but my friend just got one and I'm dying to try it out), or even had a scope with GOTO, but using the platform is just like using a dob without any of the disadvantages. You can switch EP's and use high power without the object drifting out of the field. Or go consult your charts and know you will be right where you left off when you get back.

Kevin

I would prefer number (3) myself. A well-balanced scope is always the best.

Other options you might try:

1. Moving the teflon pads farther apart will increase the friction.

2. Add a spring as a virtual counterweight. Many of the Orion scope had something like this. Except I think the spring just pulled on the center of the altitude bearing to increase the friction, thus minimizing balance problems. You can also attach the spring below the center of the alt. bearing. If the scope is top heavy, the spring will stretch more and more as the scope is pointed toward the horizon, and help to pull the scope back upright.

Hope this helps,
Kevin

Tony Leung said:

O.K., I changed my Orion XT dob's alzimuth bearings by swapping out the teflon pads and added the ebony star surface. Seems to work good... Smart old me, decided to change the altitude bearings also. Since it seemed so easy. Now my bearing surfaces are too smooth on the altitude and with my scope so out of balance, it'll swing easy to one side or the other...

So what should I do (short of adding ebony star surface to the altitude surface):
(1) Sand the teflon surface with very fine sandpaper.
(2) cut down the teflon surface
(3) Try like hell to rebalance the scope - i don' think this will work by itself...
(4) Go to Orion and beg for some cheap pads

Your suggestion is greatly appreciated.

I store them apart. I have a 22" scope with a Tom O. platform. To set up, I put the platform on the ground, then attach the wheelbarrow handles to the rocker box and roll the scope out and set it on the platform. When the scope is in storage it sits on a small wheeled cart that I can roll around the garage.

I've been considering something like a Scopebuggy, though, if I could leave the platform and scope assembled on the buggy. I never thought the weight of the scope on the bearings would be a problem, but I was concerned with damaging the platform while transporting.

Are you taking into account that the compass may not point due north? Does your compass use GPS or is it manual? I believe GPS units automatically make the adjustment from magnetic north to true north, but old fashioned manual ones don't.

Is that what you mean by, "With The Sky Pocket Edition on a PDA set for my locality and time, the compass set for the current declination adjustment and the compass arrow pointed at Polaris,..." ??