Posts Made By: Don Raciborski

I have noticed a lot of people selling "Silvertop" Plossls in the classifieds,that are not real Silvertops.I know ,i know,technically the top is silver.But the "real" Silvertops are the older ones with the orange lettering made in Japan by Vixen.They also have the "circle V" inscribed on the barrels.They are excellent quality by comparison to the newer Chinese or Taiwanian ones.It just bugs me when i see an ad for a "Silvertop" and then look at the picture,and it's a mediocre ep that has a silver top.Is it just me?Anyways, i thought i would try to clear this up for some.There was a time when i didn't know the difference either.If i can stop one "AW MAN!" from happening when someone opens a package they thought was a Silvertop,it will be worth it.Later, Don

Any opinions? I'm sure.I'm looking for the ultimate high power EP (Maybe 8mm or so)with "some" eye relief and a fair field of view.Orthos just don't do it for me with the squinting to look through the little peephole.Are good Plossls still the best answer?Are the Radians good on Planets or does the field expansion soften the image?Thanks, Don

The Terrorists,Al-Quaeda,All of them.Why can't they just worship their god and leave us alone? Did we start it?Is there no one to blame but ourselves?Are we really the bad guys?I would like to think not.

I just wondered how many others had gotten the "diamondbright" coatings and what you thought of them?Mine were shot after less than 1 year.I was told by them that it was a "chemical reaction" due to humidity or some other environmental condition.Then i was told they (the diamondbright coatings) would be better suited for optics that were in an airtight optical tube.I don't remember anyone telling me that when i first brought the mirror to be coated.Not to mention that i had no recourse whatsoever or warranty. Another guy in our club also had the exact same problem.Anyone else?

This would be Thursday morning about 2 hours before sunup.I drove about 23 miles of rural southerly travel.I would swear that i could see two somewhat prominent aurora spikes in the south.White and kind of faint,but bright enough to see while driving. I stopped and double checked several times.I've seen several auroras and would swear that was one. But i didn't think it could be possible from my location.About 65 miles NW of Chicago.Unless there was a massive southern aurora?maybe?Anyone know anything? Thanks, Don

Looking for a friend.possibly getting one of these.Are they good for a 1st timer? Can a finder be added? can you learn the sky with one of these? Thanks, Don

A shorter focal ratio will yield a wider FOV(field of view)A long focal length will be a smaller FOV at higher power.Short focal is usually better for deep sky because you don't need high power as much as you do aperture.Many deep sky objects don't need lots of magnification.You can get some nice views at low power of deep sky objects.But a short focal length scope is usually not going to take a lot of power unless it is high end.There is no better view of deep sky objects than a large aperture-short focal length newtonian or dob.For planets and high power,a long focal length is usually better.hope this helps.

If my wife knew what i spent on astro stuff there'd be hell to pay!(just kidding,but seriously she doesn't have a clue)She's better off not knowing.It's the only way unless you are rich which most of us aren't.I usually trade up in small monetary increments.(Sell the scope i have,then buy one a little more expensive with the money i got for the scope,plus money i have saved.)I haven't bought a new piece of equipment since 1998 when i bought my
C-8 deluxe.I have since sold it off and have tried just about every scope around thanks to astromart.I have settled on a 10 inch Starmaster EL and have a couple of smaller scopes for quick looks.A bigger newtonian would be nice if i had an observatory to keep it permanently mounted.Someday..........

I have tried a few of these.Namely the Starmaster, Obsession,and the Portaball.I found the optics to be nice on all.The only drawback to the portaball in my opinion is the "daintyness"(is that a word?)A little more balance problems with heavier ep's than the wooden dobs.I also noticed you can lean on the wooden dobs a bit more without seriously knocking them around,but the portaball will move almost too easily.The portaball does however reduce into a very nice little neat package.Much more so than any of the others.If you're limited to space or drive a compact,it might still be for you.I really like my Starmaster 10 inch.Very sturdy.I'm like a bull in a China shop so it suits me well.It is the older EL model that has the one piece truss assembly.I love this feature since it doesn't need collimating every time and can be set up in close to a minute.The only drawback is the space it takes to transport it in only three pieces.Since the only Obsession i've used is a friend's 20 inch,what can i say except quote the owner"Aperture rules dude!" The mechanics are smooth and flawless.Takes a lot of effort to transport and setup,then collimate.So,unless you have dark skies or can leave it setup in your backyard,it would be a consideration of mine as to whether i would get to use it much.He uses his probably 1-2 times a month on average(if he's lucky)You can also check out Ed Ting's review site.I'm sure he's reviewed most of them if not all.Another quote from a club member:"The best scope is the one you use the most" Don

Or a couple of planets short of a solar system.