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Posts Made By: Rod Mollise

May 1, 2011 10:14 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

First GEM , EQ-6 or Celestron CGEM ?

Posted By Rod Mollise
Scott Fairbairn said:

Hi,

I am looking to buy my first GEM and a local astronomy store has these two mounts(plus others of course). I would appreciate any comments about these two mounts and which mount you think would be better and why. They both seem pretty similar to me, but I am no expert!
thank you in advance
Scott Fairbairn

Both are good mounts. The EQ-6 is more proven technology, while the CGEM has had some teething pains (which appear to have more or less cleared up of late). The Celestron software is far more advanced than the SynScan software.

May 1, 2011 11:27 PM Forum: Politics

What makes someone think so differently

Posted By Rod Mollise
Rob Wiederrich said:

I'm not one to follow conspiracy theories...but there must be some thing wired wrong in the mind of a left thinking liberal. Example #1 Only liberal democratic patients

You _want_ to piss off your customers?!

Oh, I know...YOU HAVE THE TRUTH AND THE LIGHT AND ALL THE ANSWERS...why-oh-why don't people want to hear it? LOL!

May 14, 2011 11:09 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Nexstar GPS 11" Case

Posted By Rod Mollise
Andrew Albright said:

Hi, I am new here. I have a Nexstar 11 GPS and am looking for a case besides the JMI. Does anyone have any other ideas? I thought about just getting a large cooler to put the OTA in with some padding but thats not what I really want to do. I know Pelican is a good company but I really have no idea. Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
Andy

My advice? Reconsider the JMI. I've used one for damned near a decade and it has been one of my best purchases ever.

May 14, 2011 11:10 PM Forum: Telescope Making

Sand Blasting large mirror blanks for web structur

Posted By Rod Mollise
Gordon Brown said:

Hi All,
Acknowledging that webbed mirrors are lighter; cool more rapidly that full thickness mirrors; and offer more rigidity, facilitating fabrication, and avoiding astigmatism; has anyone investigated sandblasting older thick blanks to where they would have a webbed pattern?

It is anticipated that removal of the glass via the blasting process would generate strains. Would the blank have to be re annealed? Could it be re annealed?

Regards,
Gordon

This has most assuredly been done over the years. I am reaching way back, but I believe Tom Johnson had this done on the 18-inch blank of his first big (pre Celestron) scope.

May 19, 2011 11:02 PM Forum: Politics

1967 Boarders

Posted By Rod Mollise
Andreas Saldivar said:

Obama's vision for the Palestinian state has Israel pulling back to the pre 1967 war boarders. A war that the muslims started and lost thereby giving up the land. It seems to me that we're turning our backs on our one true ally in that part of the world.

Andreas

Who are these dadgummed "boarders"?! LOL...

May 21, 2011 09:32 PM Forum: TeleVue

Nagler VS Radian

Posted By Rod Mollise
The Naglers work very well on the planets, but if planetary viewing is your major interest, it would be hard to recommend a better eyepiece than the Radians.

May 22, 2011 02:03 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

M83 Observing Sheet from Midsouth Stargaze

Posted By Rod Mollise
Roland Beard said:

This is a sheet developed on an April evening at the Midsouth Stargaze using a C8 with a MallinCAM Hyper Color video astro camera to deliver the live image to a little 10 inch HDTV. The top two left-hand column sketches/stories on the inspiraton page of our site have additional objects sketched along with stories if you are interested.

Nice! Sounds like everybody had a great time at MSSG. I am sorry to hear, though, that it sounds like Jim Hill is being eased out by the French Camp bosses. :C

May 22, 2011 02:05 PM Forum: Eyepieces

Is there some kind of RANKING ???

Posted By Rod Mollise
Joseph Babendreier said:

I have very little practical experience but I've been reading a lot on eyepieces lately. There seems to be an overall ranking (in descending order):

1) Televue Ethos

2) Televue Nagler

3) Baader Hyperion

4) All the rest

Is this an exaggeration?

Clear skies dusk to dawn
Joe

Your 1 and 2 I will buy...more or less. For one thing "how good is an eyepiece" is a subjective thing. For another thing, you've left a WHOLE LOT out. How about TV Panoptics? How about Explore Scientific's 100-degree wonders? How about William Optics' Uwans? Etc., etc., etc.

May 28, 2011 03:43 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Need a recoater for a SCT secondary?

Posted By Rod Mollise
Charles Peterson said:

I need help in finding a recoater to recoat a secondary from a early 80's Meade 2080 8" SCT. I have removed the 2ndary from the corrector and need to know what recoater i should go with it?
I just bought this scope that was stored away for about 30 years and looks like it was made today minus the bad coatings on the secondary.

Chas

Any coater can handle this. Closest to you would be Spectrum.

May 28, 2011 07:53 PM Forum: Comets

Comet Elenin stupidity

Posted By Rod Mollise
Charles R Genovese, Jr MD said:

Gear up guys- getting questions about "planet" or "dwarf star" Elenin causing earthquakes and such
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfOfBrNUOGA

No doubt...even the visually unspectacular Kahoutek (for laymen) caused plenty of foolishness.

And every great comet seems to cause dire reactions...the cyanide-in-the-tail hysteria in 1910 and the Hale-Bopp Heaven's Gate affair to name just two. cwy

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