Posts Made By: Ed Fraini

I have an 8 inch orion reflector, first time owner, having trouble with initial line up and considering an upgrade in hardware. Wondering if the televue star beam at ~$250 is really worth that much more over the televue qwikpoint for $30, or even the orion EZ finder for $35.

Comments from users would be great!!

From my back yard I have a large arc of sky to explore but because of trees I can not see the north star. Is there a way to get the alignment using two bright stars manually, like the GPS units apparently do? (orion 8" reflector)

I would like to take the big step up from the Orion Sky pro 8 I currently have and have been collecting information about the Celestron CGE-11 and the Meade LX200 that sit on either side, the 10 and the 12. I would like to hear from the group what should be considered as the +/- before I spend this kind of money. I definitely am headed in the direction of astro photography and I want to take the scope on the road with me as my wife and I RV about the western states. Should I be considering a DOB instead??

It seem curious to me that there are a lot of second hand Meade LX200 10 on the market but you hardly ever see a Celestron CGE 11 for sale used.

Ed

I have a Orion SkyView pro 8 EQ. I am considering adding a Vixen SkySensor 2000 to it to make it a "goto" which I really would like to have. Orion advised it probably would work. Seems like this mount is from Germany and may have some commonality with a CG-5.

If this is true I wonder if I should be concerned about the "grease" issue I hear so much about. But my real question is putting a $1000 goto system on the this orion hardware a miss match in "quality". Do you think I can expect good results from it? If the mount is on a par with the goto system I would invest the money for the long haul. Later maybe use this for a nice refractor.

Comments please

From the gulf coast where the skies are nearly always foggy.

ED

Just starting to think about building a DOB. 12 to 14 inches is my target. Seems like a lot of resources are avialable for every aspect but one. I am considering using a tube because the overall project seems simpler. I am concerned about attachment points and overall fit. But there seems to be a lack of availability if you want more than a cardboard tube. So the question is does anyone know if Hollow tube (as in wood laminate) still available.

Why not?? Seems like an obvious leap since this is how you convert a SC from and AA machine to an EQ one.

Would this make tracking and exposure time easy?

I have read enough about the "sticky" grease to motivate me to relub my mount. But the disassemble has me stumpted. Do you have to have a special tool to take the worm gear assemble apart? Looks like it might require some kind of spanner wrench but the one I have is for retainers and is no where near strong enough.

Where should I look for 73P tonite?

is there an easy database where you can find NGC cat. numbers for stars you have the names of? Specifically the 40 named stars in the sky commander alignment star list

I have decided to purchase an equatorial platform from Tom Osypowski for my 16” DOB. But I would like to get connected with someone who is using one to help me resolve two questions.

First, how practical is it to keep the scope assemble and the platform as two separate units. This would allow me to keep the ground board and roller assemble that is a part of the telekit construction. I am puzzled about how you would mate the two in the field?

Second, seems most people have the wood version. Is this just because the aluminum is a relatively new offering? Seems its principle advantage is lower weight and higher stiffness. But there is a cost associated with these positives.

If there is a reader who has a DOB on one of Toms platforms in the Houston, TX area I sure would like to take a look at how you get it mounted in the field, or how you have made the permanent attachment.

Ed