Posts Made By: Robert Howe

Any thoughts on the best EP for planetary viewing with a large apo? Something in the 5 to 8 mm range. I have a Nagler 9 which is awesome. An Ethos 8 gives too much FOV, it is distracting at this magnification.

Televue Radian?
Pentax?

Cheers

Robert Howe

Hello all,

for a trip to Hawaii I want to bring a 4 or 5 inch apo. I have a DiscMount DM6, which I know will be more than adequate for 15# of telescope. Having Sky Commander will be important in these unfamiliar skies. Can anyone advise the lightest pier or tripod that I can take for this? I use it at home on a 6 inch AP portable pier, but that's a pain to transport.

CHeers

Robert Howe

Hello all,

for a trip to Hawaii I want to bring a 4 or 5 inch apo. I have a DiscMount DM6, which I know will be more than adequate for 15# of telescope. Having Sky Commander will be important in these unfamiliar skies. Can anyone advise the lightest pier or tripod that I can take for this? I use it at home on a 6 inch AP portable pier, but that's a pain to transport.

Cheers

Robert Howe

Has anybody here used the Gran Turismo case offered by ScopeGard to travel by air with a GT? The GT case fits into the standard dimensions for carryon luggage but the case with GT inside would weigh 30#. Any experience out there?

Here's a photo some of you will enjoy, my daughter took it as I was setting up for the last eclipse.

Cheers

Robert Howe

Added October 13--Does this mean NO ONE has taken a GT on a trip by air?

I had a disappointing experience recently.

Went to a professional meeting on the Big Island a fortnight ago, stayed there last week for fun. Brought my Traveler, I've tried the GT but it is too heavy for me to lug around. Observed repeatedly from the golf course of my (very isolated) hotel, even with a little stray light from the buildings the southern objects were wonderful. Old familiar M31 was especially outstanding, brighter and with MUCH more detail in the Traveler than seen at home with a 5 or 7 inch apo. Went one night to the Onizuka Visitors' Center on Mauna Kea where the seeing was just outstanding. The little Traveler showed its stuff, even novices were lined up to view through it rather than the Center's 12 inch cats. Could see more detail on Jupiter low in the east than I can usually see overhead. Omega Centauri gave me the chills. An enthralling session.

Damn, I love this hobby!

Came home to Wilbraham, had a nice dark night, opened my roll off. Took a look at Jupiter. Took a look at M31. Took a look at a couple of other things. Closed the roll off, went inside, had a double shot of bourbon and went to bed shaking my head.

What's the sense of straining at faint, hard to see, uncertain objects with a large expensive scope through crappy East coast air, when the same object looks 100 times better through a 4 inch apo on an alt-az when viewed in fine skies?

Damn, I hate this hobby. I'm selling everything except the Traveler and moving to Waimea. I wonder if they need an endocrinologist there...

I am enjoying a new Lunt 60 mm hydrogen alpha scope, when doubled stacked (aperture 50mm, FL 500) the image is wonderfully detailed. In a 9 mm Nagler EP or an 18 mm Coronado CEMAX Barlowed 2x the sun just FILLS the field. Unfortunately both of these set ups are a little dim.

Can I have advice on finding an 8-10 mm EP with a decent field stop and a VERY bright image? It looks like the field stops will be a little tight on the TeleVue 11 and 8 mm Plossls (9, 6 mm) or I would buy these right off. All of my other EPs are TeleVue Naglers, Panoptics and Ethos.

Thanks!

Have not heard any rumors or of any telescope production in a while, are the GTs being made now or 140s or 160s? If the latter, how many centuries back does the waiting list extend?

Cheers

Robert Howe

Yesterday I finally broke down and became a lifetime supporter of AMart. In looking at my account today, I note that I am indeed listed as a "Lifetime Supporter" and that my support ends on 12/7/2016.

This is spooky. Do I now know the day of my death? How will I tell my kids?

I'm looking for someone to work with in Reno next May (2012) to photograph the annular eclipse, skies should be clear there and the sun high enough, but I don't know the area. It will be a 3-4 day trip for me, come in, set up, go home, because of my daughter's high school graduation. Two weeks later I want to see the transit of Venus, too.

I took this photo in Madrid in October 2005 and hope to do better this time.

Cheers

Robert Howe
Wilbraham MA

Hi Guys,

I'm looking for someone to work with in Reno next May (2012) to photograph the annular eclipse, skies should be clear there and the sun high enough, but I don't know the area. It will be a 3-4 day trip for me, come in, set up, go home, because of my daughter's high school graduation. Two weeks later I want to see the transit of Venus, too. Yeah, good luck with that, Robert.

I took this photo in Madrid in October 2005 and hope to do better this time.

Cheers

Robert Howe
Wilbraham MA