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Posts Made By: Bill Barrett

March 15, 2005 04:59 AM Forum: After Dark

Neighbors lights wiping out contrast?

Posted By Bill Barrett
I live and have been observing from my home in north Seattle for several years.
Although most DSO's are out of reach, I have previously been able to resolve excellent detail on the planets. My neighbor has recently installed a set of lights on the front lawn which are so bright they are painful to look at & I can almost read the paper by them on my deck.
Even though I have contructed baffles to block out the light when observing, I have not been able to get anywhere near the detail on Jupiter, Saturn & the moon that I have in previous years on any of my scopes! Although the orbs are in focus the low contrast details are much fainter than before. Is it possible my neighbors lights could be the reason?

March 22, 2005 02:01 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Over corrected one night under corrected another?

Posted By Bill Barrett
I live in Seattle where the skies & temps. are never completely steady. My 4 inch F15 refractor seems almost immune to the viewing conditions.
However I have a 6 inch F8 refractor that seems to struggle with unsettled conditions. Star testing can be very frustrating.
Is it possible for a scope to star test slightly over corrected on one night,then undercorrected on another? thank you, Bill

March 29, 2005 04:54 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Do all achros of =F:ratio have = false color?

Posted By Bill Barrett
I have had achromats my entire life...some longer, some shorter. All have had their fair (or more) share of false color.
I was wondering if false color is proportional to the F ratio, and do all scopes of similar size & F ratio have the same amount of false color?

Can the false color be minimized by the prescription or quality of the lens?

April 2, 2005 08:48 PM Forum: Refractors

Decided to get 4" APO...Should I sell the 4" F15?

Posted By Bill Barrett
I love my old 4" F15 scope. It's like an old friend. I have taken it apart,time and time again, to flock, baffle, or change something here or there. It is a great scope strictly for planetary use.
However, portability & versatility are pushing me toward a 4" APO. I am raising
funds for the new scope. Would there be any reason (other than sentimental) to keep the 4" F15?

April 6, 2005 01:17 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Diffractions rings sharp extra focal, fuzzy intra?

Posted By Bill Barrett
I have been trying to determine if my scope has a bit of over or under correction. Over several nights I tried observing the diffractions rings intra/extra focal. Extra focal the diffraction rings were consistantly very fine and sharp. Intra focal however, the rings were still quite discernable but appeared a bit fuzzy in comparison.
Would that be any indicator of over/under correction? thank you, Bill

April 22, 2005 03:43 PM Forum: Refractors

What are typical mags used for planetary viewing?

Posted By Bill Barrett
I have read so many posts about using 250x, 300x, 400x and more with 4" & 6" refractors, that I'm beginning to feel like I'm doing something wrong. What are the typical magnifications you use for planetary observing? thank you, Bill

April 29, 2005 04:43 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Atmospheric Dispersion Corrector?

Posted By Bill Barrett
I read the review of the atmospheric dispersion corrector in Sky & Telescope. It seemed too good to be true. Does this corrector actually produce a stable, clear image in unsteady conditions?

May 8, 2005 08:26 PM Forum: TeleVue

How to collimate a Pronto

Posted By Bill Barrett
I have had my Pronto for a few years, and it has been a very good scope. However, I just checked with a cheshire and found the collimation to be slightly off. Is there a way for the owner to adjust collimation or does it need to go back to Televue? thank you, Bill

May 10, 2005 03:08 AM Forum: Beginning Astronomy?

Urban astronomy; bright skies & dim views

Posted By Bill Barrett
I have lived in Seattle for the past 25+ years. It seems like year after the year, the skies have steadily gotten brighter. The once visible Milky Way, is now a sodium vapor memory. All that's left are the usual planetary suspects & a handful of DSO's.
It may just be me, but even the low contrast details on jupiter and Saturn have gotten harder to detect.
I'd love to hear from other urban astrophiles about their observing experiences, triumphs, and frustrations. thank you, Bill


May 18, 2005 03:59 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Is there a reason not to ship to an APO address?

Posted By Bill Barrett
I have an eyepiece listed and was contacted by someone who asked if I would ship to an APO address. I was wondering if there would be any reason not to?
thank you, Bill

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