Posts Made By: Guy Earle

I have a helpful hint for those finding the perfect long-term/low voltage night light. Most new SUV's and cars have a 12 volt plug in the back. I bought a Kensington red LED USB light for my laptop a year ago. What I've done is purchase a 12 volt/USB adapter (8 bucks), and with an extra USB cable connect my nightlight to it. It draws minimal power (LED), so you can keep it going all night on your charts! The nightlight is flexible, so I just curl it up like a snake so it stands on its own.

To all:

Does anybody know where I can get some eyeguards that fit the Meade 24.5 SWA eyepieces? I have a matched set for my bino, but they are the older set that doesn't have the guards on them. I'd prefer winged, but at this point I'll take anything, since regular add-ons are not made to go as wide as the SWA's require. I contacted Meade, and got nowhere.

I've noticed that blocking the stray light from the sides with my hands dramatically improves the view. It always helped in mono vision, but it REALLY makes DSO's pop out in a binoviewer. Laying black felt over my head is an option I'd rather not repeat (too bloddy hot in Florida). I'm begining to think that horses have got something going with blinders!

Thanks,

guy
Tampa,Fl

I'm a dob man, so when I think about working on this refractor my eye starts to twitch. I've aquired an older Meade 80mm f/15 refractor that was attached to a Meade 12.5 research grade equatorial. Here's what I need help on:

1) The images are doubled, so I'm guessing the doublet isn't lined up right. There are no scrathes to line them up, just a crummy mark made with a pencil across both doublets. Even when I line them up as close as possible I still get the double image.

2) This is a .965 scope, which I can't stand. I had used a 965/1 1/4 adapter, but have since given it away with another scope. Is there any drawtube assembly that I can purchase to replace the one in the picture, that way I can use the scope with my 1 1/4 eyepieces?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Clear Skies,

guy
Tampa, Fl

Howdy,

I didn't see this artist's name on a search, so I thought I'd drop a suggestion. Get the CD, Encounters, by Michael Sterns. It is all instrumental, and makes perfect observing music. It actually "tells" a story. I heard it years ago from a co-worker in the Saunders Planetarium. We turned on the star projector, sat back, and looked up. I use it everytime I go out. Trust me on this one.

Guy
Tampa, fl

Hey, guys. A friend of mine who was in Chiefland with us forwarded me this link with a really nice picture of the aurora. Enjoy.

http://science.nasa.gov/spaceweather/aurora/gallery_01nov03_page11.html

guy
tampa,fl

Hi, all:

I've posted this question to a few forums to see if anybody has heard of this.

I recently went to a local photography shop to raid their old supply of 48mm filters and found a neat one. You can find 2" filters for 6-9 bucks each, instead of the triple price that Orion and others want. Most photography makers don't make 48mm filters anymore, as a rep told me, so most photo shops that don't deal with astronomy
stuff want to part with it at a low price.

Personally I don't like pure, full darkness filters, but the lighter shaded ones. I have a 12.5 f/6 dob, and I find a regular red, green, etc. all too dark. I like the filter to clean up the image and not darken it out. Anyway, I found a "Skylight" filter by Ambico with a serial number of R-8740. It almost looks clear, but in bright light you can see it has an almost pinkish tint to it. It's very, very light, like I said--almost clear. I was looking at Saturn at 270X, monocular (alas, I sold my Siebert binoviewer and am patiently awaiting my DenkII, which Russ
promises will be here this coming week).

The image of Saturn, even one-eyed, was intoxicating. The seeing was about an 8.5 out of 10, but I was getting a good sharp image at that power. The filter, having tested the view without, cleaned up any glare from Saturn, making the globe itself seem to be 3-D (yes, with just one eye!). It helped on the rings, but the planet itself was the really amazing difference.

Has anyone ever tried this? If not, I strongly urge that you find this filter and give it a go. I'll post a
picture of it. You can just catch a glimpse of the light pink in the photo.

Best to all,

Guy
Tampa,Fl

Aha, so that's what you've been doing! Looking very slick, my friend. Am I going to see this one at Baby Chief?

guy
tampa,fl

Hey, all:

I just finished using Protostar's black flocking paper. I had two coats of flat black paint on, which were about a year old. I used my digital camera, with flash, at a distance of 2-3 ft. from the tube. Same background lighting and nearly the same angle in the before and after pics. I wanted to test how much of a true difference it made. You be the judges.

Guy
tampa,fl

Did you all notice the spider??? My old tube had a 15" interior diameter, whereas the current one has a 14". Instead of buying a new one, I bent the arms into a curved-vane'ish spider. I'll be damned if the thing doesn't move and stays perfectly centered. One of the vanes is thicker too, because I wired it with a heater. This is my old U.O. assembley. I think if I redo it, I'll get a Protostar or at least something with wider vanes, as this one only has 1/2" or less to each.

I also added high tension springs and a knob onto the three setscrews. This means that whenever I wish to adjust one scew the secondary doesn't flop around. Using my sight-tube, I can adjust my secondary in under twenty seconds at worst.

Best to all,

guy
tampa,fl

Okay, can you tell I got a digital camera for Xmas..... ;-)

Two other shots: the first is me holding a flashlight, normal intensity, into the tube. The other post is of the whole scope, minus all the goodies I put on in the field. Spider vanes, whereeeeee areee youuuuu????

I didn't use a flash for either shot, however the surrounding light in normal indoor level, as you can see.

guy
tampa,fl