Posts Made By: Glenn Bauer

I believe the color you saw on Mars was either caused by the atmosphere with Mars being so low in the sky (I have seen this many times on Venus with my old 130 f/8.3) or was something actually there. I have read several references to a blue edge on Mars and have noticed it also on a Hubble shot. In the end after you get a chance to do more testing with both scopes under good seeing I would be willing to bet that the TV 102 is the scope we will be seeing up for sale on Astromart.

Does anyone know where I can pick up a quality hybrid diagonal so that I can use my 1.25" eyepieces in a old classic scope that has a .965 focuser? I ordered one from Orion but the housing is made of plastic and the .965 barrel end is too loose of a fit in my focuser so that it's having collimation issues. The original .965 prism diagonal is actually pretty usable and is better than the Orion but I can't find any decent .965 eyepieces either. I sent e-mails to Hands On Optics and Apogee both who have the hybrid listed on their web sites to find out if their version was also made of plastic or perhaps is even the same exact diagonal that Orion sells but have not received a reply from either one. Also what is preferred for this application, a mirror or prism diagonal? Any help is much appreciated.

Glenn

AP does not make a 102.

So Bill,

Are you not happy with your Traveler for this purpose (moon and planets) and if you had to do it over again would you have gotten on the 130 list instead?


Glenn

All I have been hearing lately is how aperture rules. Then this past month all I have been hearing is how people have been masking their large Dobs down to 6" inchs or even smaller for Mars trying to get a decent image. If aperture rules why bother stopping down your scope? Could it be aperture rules only sometimes? Charles, yes at least four years. I remember you telling a bunch of us about your will money and plans to buy a ultra expensive scope with it back in Sping of 1999 in The Planetarium Chat room. Only I think the number was more like $300,000 back then. It seems to me with your planned purchase you're more concerned about getting something to impress others than getting something you know will be more practicle for your own needs. Don't make that mistake. If it were me, I'd take that money and buy some land somewhere were the skies were blacker than coal. Then even a $500 8" Dob would work wonders.


Glenn

This is the second comparison I've read between these two scopes. The other I read went in favor of the Traveler with the owner of the Tak agreeing and wanting to do a trade. What are we to believe?



Glenn

Too bad that neither the AP Traveler or TMB 4" f/8 were represented.

I think it would be easier to mount the scope to the AP 900

Mine is due in October. I was on the original AP 130 F/8.3 list from April 2000 which now seems like an ice age ago. I also ordered it with the 2.7" focuser because at this time I don't do any imaging. Other factors were weight, cost and the fact that Roland said the 4" focuser could always be added later on down the road. I have heard some comment that they turned down the 140 because they already have a 130 and thought the step up would not be enough of a gain. Back when I had my 155 f/7 I did a little experiment and stopped it down to both 130mm and 140mm. I have to say a 140 behaves much more like a 6" than a 5". In fact I thought the view from 140 to 155 was rather subtle whereas from 130 to 140 was quite dramatic.



Glenn