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Douglas Rollain

M20 Trifid Nebula in LRGBHa

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Posts Made By: Doug Culbertson

April 10, 2003 03:20 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Extension tube needed

Posted By Doug Culbertson
Not sure how long you need it to be, but Moonlight has a 1.5" extension tube at http://www.focuser.com/cgi-bin/dstore.cgi?category=Focuser+Accessories

Anacortes has a TeleVue 2" extension tube with brass compression ring at http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?t=&pid=4305&m=3

and 3" ones at http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?t=&pid=1139&m=3
and http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?t=&pid=4306&m=3

Hope this helps!

Doug
Midway, FL

April 21, 2003 07:27 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Eyepiece help

Posted By Doug Culbertson
Sounds like a Takahashi High Eye Relief Orthoscopic. Nice eyepieces, by all reports.

Doug
Midway, FL

April 29, 2003 07:36 PM Forum: Star Parties

TSP weather?

Posted By Doug Culbertson
According to weather.com, they are having sunny days, clear nights, highs in the mid 80's and lows in the mid 50's, plus humidity from around 12% to 25%. Sighhhhhhh

Doug
Midway, FL

May 3, 2003 09:52 PM Forum: Takahashi

FS 128 versus TOA130????

Posted By Doug Culbertson
Hey, you know what would have been cool? If Takahashi had called the TOA an Apochromatic Orthoscopic instead of the other way around. Then you could own the TAO of telescopes!

Doug (who with a TEC 140 on the way has no dog in this hunt!)
Midway, FL

May 10, 2003 09:05 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Losmandy Mount Grease!

Posted By Doug Culbertson
Not sure what Losmandy means by "standard grease", but most of us that use Losmandy mounts have relubed with white lithium grease, or something similar. You can get white lithium grease at a lot of places, but it is pretty cheap in the Walmart automotive section. There are several there to choose from too. I have heard of good results from using Slik 50 grease...this is NOT to be confused with the Slik 50 synthetic oil additive! It comes in a short squat can that says Slik 50 on it, and it has a snap on lid.

When relubing, make sure you get a decent amount on your finger and make sure that it gets pressed into the races on the roller bearings pretty good. You don't want any areas without grease in them.

Also, I recently picked up something at Radio Shack called "Lube Gel" on the recommendation from someone on the Yahoo Losmandy Group some time back, but I have not yet used it.

Hope this helps...

Doug
Midway, FL

May 16, 2003 04:39 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Collecting shipping insurance, damaged scope

Posted By Doug Culbertson
I have had experience in NOT getting insurance $$$ from UPS. In spite of the shipper's best efforts in getting UPS to pay for a damaged item that was sent to me last year, to the best of my knowledge UPS never did pay up. As a word of caution, UPS will try to claim "insufficient packaging" to begin with. Do not accept this, and advise your shipper to stay on them. My package would have withstood all but a direct nuclear hit (apparently UPS' tender touch is much harsher) and they still claimed insufficient packaging. Oh yeah, when UPS finally gets around to coming and picking it up for "inspection", try your best to repackage it *exactly* the way it was packed when you received it.

I have often wondered why someone doesn't investigate UPS for fraud. I have heard the same story as mine over and over again about UPS selling insurance and then not paying for damages.

Good luck!

Doug
Midway, FL

May 19, 2003 02:19 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Parfocal rings?

Posted By Doug Culbertson
Gary Wolanski is the guy in Canada that makes the parfocal rings. http://www3.bc.sympatico.ca/gwolanski/GARASTRO.HTM

Don't know who else makes them though...

Doug
Midway, FL

May 21, 2003 11:59 PM Forum: Astro-Physics

Re: New AP130 f8.35 EDT

Posted By Doug Culbertson
Don,

I still miss that scope, and that is why I am waiting for my next apo! Not a TMB, I am waiting for a TEC 140 as I wanted another oil spaced triplet...and it also uses the Feathertouch focuser!

Doug
Midway, FL

May 26, 2003 02:44 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Zambuto Mirrors?

Posted By Doug Culbertson
Starmaster, Starsplitter, Teleport and Portaball are the only telescope makers carrying Zambuto mirrors. I think that Starsplitter and Portaball have 8" versions, but don't quote me on that. You can't buy a Zambuto mirror for an ATM project unless you can find someone who is selling one on their own, and that is not likely!

Carl makes mirrors that are *consistently* excellent, but I think that there are other mirror makers that are capable of making mirrors that are every bit as good. Every Pegasus mirror I have looked through were also of the same caliber, as were mirrors from Steve Swayze. I have also heard wonderful things about R.F. Royce, Mark Harry, and Mike Spooner. The point is, there are several mirror makers out there that are putting out some amazingly good optics, as long as you are willing to pay the price. Take a look at some of the specs and guaranteed minimum standards that some of these guys are putting on their mirrors and you will see what I am talking about. Can you tell the difference between .98 and .99 Strehl? I can say for certain that I can not.

I have owned two Zambutos, one Pegasus and a Swayze during my time in the hobby and I would be hard pressed to say which one was a hands down winner, though my current 11" F/5.4 Starmaster w/Zambuto would come mighty close!

Doug
Midway, FL

June 7, 2003 01:05 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Which scope then?

Posted By Doug Culbertson
A friend of mine has a Discovery 12.5", and it is excellent. If it is any indication of the smaller ones, then it would make for a great scope.

I recently received the Hardin 8" DSH, thinking that it would be my least used scope (also have a Starmaster 11" ELT), to only be used for public and camping trips. The optics are surprisingly good, and Jupiter looks amazing in it! For $299 I consider it a steal, and no longer think that it will be my least used scope! It came out of the box practically collimated already, but the primary was not center spotted for collimation. This was easy to do, however. Comes with a pair of marginal plossls, an 8x50 finder that is a pretty good finder, though I added a Rigel to it as well, and a well written instruction manual.

Hope this helps,
Doug
Midway, FL

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