Longest 2" diameter focuser extension tube?Posted By Doug Peterson |
TV has a 3-incher, AP a 3.6. Anyone know of a longer adapter?
Posts Made By: Doug Peterson
September 15, 2006 08:54 PM
Forum:
Equipment Talk
September 28, 2006 01:50 PM
Forum:
Takahashi
MT130 2" adapter?Posted By Doug Peterson |
Does anyone know whether one of the standard Takahashi adapters will allow the 53mm internal threads of the MT130 to mate to a 2" adapter?
October 15, 2006 02:42 PM
Forum:
Telescope Making
PreciseParts rocks!Posted By Doug Peterson |
I used their online estimate calculator to get an idea what my adaptor ring would cost, whether it was worth persuing. Then followed up with a personal email confirming the details. A few days later I received a photo of the finished ring and a link to Paypal. In less than a week total, I had a custom part in my hand that mated a TMB and a Takahashi, maybe the first time this part had been made in the known universe. I love it! These guys are Astromart sponsors and deserve our support.
October 15, 2006 09:12 PM
Forum:
Equipment Talk
Orion TeleTrack Altazimuth Tracking Mount?Posted By Doug Peterson |
Anyone know how it works? Is it just an altaz with slowmo, or is there something more sophisticated going on?
October 27, 2006 05:46 AM
Forum:
Equipment Talk
Well my Zenithstar 110mm is a winnerPosted By Doug Peterson |
I got mine from the clearance at Astronomics for a price that couldn't be beat. What I got was a scope that was a little out of collimation, but once squared up, is really very good, perfect spherical abberation correction, and very good color correction. Anyone else?
December 2, 2006 08:54 PM
Forum:
Equipment Talk
Widespread misunderstanding of Strehl ratioPosted By Doug Peterson |
A recent ad for a Takahashi "figured to an almost perfect strehl ratio of .992" and a similar spec for the TEC140 reminds me that nominal design specs extracted from a Zemax CAD model (which these are) and actual results in the real world (which would require an interferometric test report, NOT a zonal focal length smoothing type test used by some mirror makers) are not the same thing.
December 10, 2006 05:47 PM
Forum:
Investment Discussions
Fidelity 401k loan from hellPosted By Doug Peterson |
It has now been six weeks since I initiated a loan from Fidelity and still no money. A 401k loan is from my own money, not theirs, and I pay it back to myself.
At each point in the process I was told I would have my money in two days. One excuse after another. The last incredible development is they supposedly mailed this big check in this busy Xmas season rather than with a tracking number as promised and I was paying for.
Has anyone else had this mind boggling problem with this company? Am I being scammed?
At each point in the process I was told I would have my money in two days. One excuse after another. The last incredible development is they supposedly mailed this big check in this busy Xmas season rather than with a tracking number as promised and I was paying for.
Has anyone else had this mind boggling problem with this company? Am I being scammed?
December 18, 2006 10:59 PM
Forum:
Equipment Talk
Scopetronix--pull the plug on that server!Posted By Doug Peterson |
The Scopetronix site is still up and taking credit card orders. As is well known the company is gone, the store has been abandoned, there is no longer any earthly contact info. Question: where is that credit card info going? Another: where is our credit info for placed orders, and those of us who lost money already? Several months ago, I started receiving fraudulent credit card charges about the same time I placed an order and never received the item, email entreaties ignored, yada yada. Can this be for real?
December 28, 2006 07:43 PM
Forum:
Refractors
Do classic achromats outperform modern APOs?Posted By Doug Peterson |
A recent ad for a 4" Unitron claims it outperforms modern 4" APOs. I see this claim a lot, usually from someone selling an achromat to buy an APO... 8) Does anyone have any data to support this conclusion?
January 5, 2007 08:08 AM
Forum:
Off Topic Discussions
Proof of the non-existence of UFOsPosted By Doug Peterson |
1) Millions of cell-phone cameras.
2) Automated telescopes taking pictures of the night sky.
3) Amateur astronomers.
Any others?
2) Automated telescopes taking pictures of the night sky.
3) Amateur astronomers.
Any others?
