Posts Made By: Dennis Owen

Hello all. I'm relatively new to this hobby (about two years) and I'm having a great time spending my hard earned money on stuff to improve (?) my astronomy experience. I'm not one to begrudge an entrepeneur his profit (I have my own business too), but sometimes I have the feeling that anything marketed to those of us who buy things labeled "astro" or "vue" is priced for suckers. (Who came up with the term "vue" by the way; was Nagler the first?)

My latest burr-under-the-saddle is for the dessicant being sold nearby for astronomy equipment cases. Now moisture protection is certainly important, but color indicating silica gel is not rocket science. It's a true industrial commodity, made by the ton in the U.S. and Asia. Without breaking a sweat you can find it in 5 lb. cans at industrial supply places for about $6 a pound. If you buy 50 lbs. I bet it's half that. For fun, calculate the cost per pound for the astronomy version.

Another one is the green laser pointer. Have you noticed how the price is dropping quickly on these? There have got to be factories in China working three shifts cranking these out. Be patient, I bet you'll see these in flea markets in the not-too-distant future for $5, three for $10.

I'd like to pass along one money saving astronomy tip, and maybe if anyone else chooses to respond to this posting they will do the same. After all, the more we save on asto gadgets and gizmos the more we can spend on scopes and eyepieces.

My finder has a red illuminated reticle that uses those SR-44 button watch batteries at about $3 apiece in most stores(mine uses 3, some use 2). If you're like me you forget to turn the thing off occasionally, and there goes three batteries. The weekend flea market in my area has several dealers selling cheap Chinese imported batteries (the ones I never buy for my flashlights cause I figure they are no good). Well they sell a 10 pack of SR-44s for $1.00. They seem to work fine, and when I leave my finder on I say "damn, 30 cents" instead of "damn, 9 dollars."

Any other ideas for saving money on "astro" products? Thanks,

Dennis

I may have to put a Meade SCT and Orion Dob in unattended extended storage (at least one year) in an unheated basement or perhaps a detached garage. The short-term, day-to-day temperature swings are modest in both locations. However, if they end up in the garage, over the course of the year they will experience humid summer weather and freezing winter temperatures.

I plan to protect them from dust with light weight plastic covers and add large dessicant containers under each cover. I'm inclined not to seal the plastic tightly, as I suspect allowing air exchange may help prevent any moisture formation after the time when the dessicant becomes saturated and no longer effective.

I suspect most modern telescopes, having largely powder-coated and plated surfaces, can tolerate storage pretty well. Accordingly, I don't plan anything elaborate beyond what I've outlined above. Any thought on this or critiques of my approach? Thanks.

Dennis