Posts Made By: Victor Groszko

My first post here, so please be gentle but honest! I've had my lxd55 6" SN for over a year now, and I'm really finding it impractical with my "student w/o a car" lifestyle. I'd like to step down to a small refractor, something along the lines of a stellarvue or orion's new 80mm APO, which can be packed and carried in a packpack, etc....

However, I'd like to keep the mount but haven't been able to find too much info into other's experiences with using this mount on other scopes and what's required to make it work or mount other scopes onto it.

Secondly, I'm also having trouble determining what price to set for the 6" SN OTA for the classifieds section. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. It's had a bit of use, but it's clean, collimated and has the UHTC's. It would come without the finder scope or the original boxes, but with the OTA's packing foam and a large rubbermaid crate it's been living in. Again, if this isn't an appropriate question for this forum, I apologize.

Is this single mounting ring included with a Stellarvue Nighthawk sufficient, or should I be picking up a second ring for dovetail attachment?

This scope is also going to be riding on a lxd55 mount. Suggestions on what size of counterweight to look for, and where to find it? My mount already has a 10 lb. with it, but that might just be over kill...it'd be nice to have a smaller weight for transportation purposes.

Lastly, any suggestions for a dovetail plate? Cheaper the better, as far as I'm concerned....

Thanks guys!

This question probably applies to anyone with a small refractor on a regular tripod - It looks like I'll be ordering my 80 ED sometime soon, and I'm curious if anyone has experience mounting them to a camera tripod?

It'll be for visual observing only, so I'm trying to 'keep on the cheap' with a decent-quality camera tripod.

I've been looking at the tube rings Orion offers, for about $18, and if there's any good way to mount a pair of these onto a tripod head screw? Or would one be enough to support the scope?

Suggestions?

Any suggestions for a carrying case for an Orion 80ED? Cheap is good. Quality is good.

The conflicting criteria in my request is dualy noted.

I've got a new scope on the way (80ED) and I'd like to consider a new eyepiece or three. I've got a meade 4000 26mm plossl as of now, which I'm pretty happy with. There are a few ubber-cheap plossls which can go without regret.

My criteria are:

1) I'd like to keep the collection small, 3 to 4 eye pieces would do me just fine. Not like I switch them up too much.

2) Affordable is great. I'm still paying tuition bills, so I can't spring for the panoptics or naglers quite yet....YET!!

3) One decent planetary eyepiece - Perhaps an orthoscopic?

4) One decent widefield/low-power eyepiece for some widefield scanning.

5) Something to fit the range in between.

Any suggestions or input on what you would include in the small general eyepiece collection?

I inherited my dad's 60mm refractor when I first his Jr. High School. I remember it having a wooden tripod, came in a large but flimsy wooden box, took .965 eyepieces, and was the coolest thing in the world for a few years.....

Now I'm a senior in college who misses the simplicity of that little refractor!

What'd have to be my favorite? One of Gary Hand's 40mm plossls. Cheap, fits the student budget, and gets swapped between several scopes in a night of observing with the club.

Something cheap with a zipper sewn into the roof! Around here, we have a shoe repair / tailor shop that takes care of all things apparel. A similar establishment should be able to help you out for a reasonable price.

Just make sure you get a heavy-duty zipper and apply a GENEROUS application of waterproof sealant if you are planning on / concerned about leaving it out durng rain.

If you have the OEM box/foam, I stored mine with the two foam end pieces in a large rubbermaid plastic footlocker style trunk that, with the top block of foam the eyepieces and parts came packed in sitting on top of the scope, was just the right length to comfortably pin the scope and secure it fairly reasonably for a fantastic price ($20?).