Posts Made By: John Melendy

Are there any polar axis finders that fit the the CG-5? (newer style) The Celestron one is just a crosshair and I was wondering if there are any of the type with the star pattern that fit to get a more accurate alignment.

I am terribly nearsighted, have significant astigmatism and to make matters worse, presbyopia has set in. In other words, it's eyeglasses or nothing. I must say that there is no substitute for a quality EP. Most things in this world are priced on "perceived value". The better something works, the more you can charge for it. Radians are nice, a Nagler Type 4 is better. Both are designed for those of us who need eyeglasses and aren't big fans of barlows. Trouble is, Radians and T4s have barlows (powermates) built into them. I'd love to be able to afford everything, I would buy a 5X Powermate, couple it to my UO 40mm MK-70 then compare it to a 8mm Radian, then sell the loser. I guess this sort of questioning is why there are so many EPs for sale every day!

Do you really need goto? If so, a Celestron Nexstar may be a good fit for you. My first serious scope was a Celestron Super C8+ on a Byers Drive fork mount. I got spoiled by that scope and when I bought a Nexstar, I was disappointed. I sold it and got an Orion 120mm short tube on a Meade LXD-55, I liked the scope, the mount sucked rocks and I sold both. I bought a Celestron Ultima C9.25 and love it. I can carry the scope in one hand (nice handles) and the tripod in the other (other gear in a back pack if I don't want to make two trips) and it's OK for a couple hundred yards. A friend of mine has a Meade 10" SCT and his scope is much heavier. I always found the EQ mounts to be a big pain to transport due to the weights and all the pieces. Did I mention that I really like the C9.25? A C9.25 on a goto CG-5 with the roller bearings and 2" steel tripod legs may be a good setup, I just prefer fork mounts (a decent EQ mount will eat up your budget and leave you with nothing left for a scope).
Good luck,
John

This is from memory, I may have missed something. I have a binoviewer (Denk Standard) so I may have more eps than average (but I'd bet not).
40mm UO 2" KonigII MK70 (a fave) 8)
32mm Celestron Ploesel (x2)
26mm Meade 4000 (japan) (x2)
25mm Celesron/Vixen Ploesel silver top
25mm Homemade Erfle :S
19mm GRO 2" Super Wide :S
9.7mm Meade 4000 :S (not enough relief)
8mm Celestron X-Cel (x2)
7mm Celestron/Vixen Ortho :S (not enough relief)
5mm GTO LER Superwide :S
2.3mm Celestron X-Cel :S

12mm Radian is next on my list to buy. Do I really need two for my binoviewer? Less expensive EPs seem to be OK with a binoviewer, I notice less difference in the binoviewer than when used as a monocular. Is it just me?

PS I have two SCTs and a Refractor, thus more EPs and I am in the process of deciding on power and field, then upgrading on quality. Eye relief is a huge issue, I wear eyeglasses.

AMEN!
Startrek has become too politically correct. Some things in this universe just can't be talked out of killing you, other things don't want you to talk them out of having sex with you. Kirk always knew which things to be mad at and which things to make love to. Picard is never sure of anything and always needs the advice of everyone on board. Kirk was a leader, Picard a follower. On board ships, the crew follows a leader and leads the followers to the gang plank!

First you trash Kirk, now Clint Eastwood? What are you, some kind of subversive? ........ Now I get it, since the fall of the evil empire, who needs tough guys. What's this world coming to? If Teddy Roosevelt were President today, would he be impeached for "speaking softly and carrying a big stick"?