Posts Made By: Ted VanSickle

Guys, I have a problem. I get condensation inside on the corrector plate of my Classic 12" LX200. The telescope is pier mounted inside of a dome. I usually keep the back end of the tube closed tightly when not in use, but some how moisture has gotten inside. Any suggestions on how to remove moisture from the inside of the OTA?

BTW, this instrument is the finest performing telescope that I have ever encountered. I am certain that there is better somewhere, but I am satisfied thoroughly with what I have.
Ted

I want to take a moment and thank Herbert for his exciting and thought provoking posts to this group. It seems as if every time he originates a discussion, it is timly, technically solid, and of general interest to the group.

My thanks to you Herbert, please keep up the good work.
Ted Van Sickle

Hi all, Last night was a good viewing night and I didn't have anything planned, so I picked up a list of Fine objects for public nights to observe. I found several double stars like Epislon Lyra, SAO30447, 95 Hercules, SAO30012, etc. My telescope is a classic LX200, f/10, 12" with a diagonal and a 13 mm SWA Meade eyepiece. It is mounted on a pier in an observatory. I think that the magnification was a little over 200.
After about an hour of viewing, I started looking at the sky for targets of opportunity. To the south of my observatory, west of the trees, I could see a lonely star that I cannot usually see. A quick check of my planisphere showed me that the star was Antares. I am at 40 degrees N and Antares is at dec -26 degrees. I usually cannot see that far south. What I saw was amazing. The star looked like it was flaming. The colors were intense. The bottom was the brightest red. This red faded into white or perhaps yellow which in turn changed into an intense blue on the top of the picture. I am certain that an atmospheric distrubance caused this view, but I have never seen such a display. When I moved it out of focus, the rings were like a kalidiscope of vivid red and blue. It was a beautiful sight.
I have seen lots of red stars. In fact when I am portable and in the winter, Betelgeuse is my favorite alignment star because its color makes it very easy to identify. That color is a pale nothing compared to what I saw last night.
Anybody have any ideas about what I observed?
Ted

Hi folks, I am setting up a fully automated observatory and have a little problem. I need a video camera to use on a finder. Do you have any recommendations. I have an MX-7C for the main scope for now. It is not practical for a finder because it takes single pictures only, no video mode.

Thanks for your help,
Ted

Herb, I think that the news page is a great addition to Astromart. I find that I look at the lead article almost every time I log on. Thank you for a great site with this great addition.
Ted

Steve, There is no simple formula. The sidereal day is about 4.25 minutes shorter than the solar day. That is caused by the fact that the Earth moves around our orbit during the day. If we measure the length of a day as the time required for the Sun to pass from the zenith to the zenith the next day you will find that time is exactly 24 hours. On the other hand, if you measure the time required for a star to pass from the zenith one day to the next, the time is less by about 4.25 minutes. This can all be figured out exactly from the geometry of our orbit.

Anyway, since the sidereal day is somewhat shorter than the solar day, you have to basically count the number of solar days from a known sidereal time and adjust the day count from solar days to sidereal days. These days are measured in fractions of a day which can then be converted to the appropriate time.

Just remember, the Local Sidereal Time--LST--is the Right Assention of the zenith at your current location. You will find some algorithms to calculate the LST in Meeus, Astronomical Algorithms.

It is a fun problem to try to work out on your computer.
Ted

Hi Hal, Glad to see you back. I have a 12"LX200 Classic and am 73. Probably more frail than you are. I solved my problem by building an observatory. It was a great investment and I can keep my big scope set up all of the time. That is my best solution.

Regards,
Ted

Hi guys, Last February while I was spending my annual 4 month visit in Florida, I got a shot of the largest alligator that I have ever seen in the wild. It was on the Peace River up stream from Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. Our boat passed about 10 feet from it and it waited until we were about 100 feet beyond it when it went into the water. Hope that I never meet it on a dark night.
Ted

Hi folks, A neighbor of mine has a Meade Model 114 EQ-ast. She asked me to help her learn to set it up and use it. I am an LX200 user and have never used a gem style mount. I am certain that the users manual would be all needed to get this scope up and running. Can anybody help me with a copy?

Thanks much
Ted

Hi Folks, I punched an incorrect button after starting this post just now and lost all I had written. I'll start again.

If the lords of building permits have no objections, I will start reconstruction of my HomeDome Pro 10 next Monday. I purchased it in 2002 and built it up in Noblesville, Indiana. Early last year, my wife and I decided to down size our home in Indiana. I struck the dome, packed it on a truck, and shipped it to Pt. Charlotte Florida where we have a winter place. I have taken a picture of the site location, but will not post it until I have a before/after set to show. I'll post plenty of photos as the dome goes up.

The dome has been a great observatory. It should be better here in Florida because the skies seem to be much better than those seen in Indiana. I am in the city, and the horizon does not present very good views. At higher altitudes though the viewing is spectacular.

I have had the dome for four years, and it has provided excellent service the whole time. When I tore it down, the windlass used to open and close the shutter got messed up and I sent it to the Technical Innovations. They provided a rebuild system. It was a good decision because the steel cables get tangled and kinked so badly during disassembly that they can never again be used safely.

BTW, I have one of the last run versions of the 12" LX200 classic. Meade had a great sale on these scopes, I ordered one, and before I received it, they announced the GPS version. I was not dissapointed at missing the newer GPS system. I had been using a 10 inch LX200 for quite a while before I got my current scope. I have been very happy with the 12 inch scope. Well, maybe it could have a bit more aperture!! The whole system is pretty well automated. I do not have a very good camera arrangement to allow viewing remotely. Otherwise, I can run the dome very well from my study. I had CAT 5 ethernet cables in IN, but it will all be wireless here.

If anybody is near Pt. Charlotte, let me know. I am not looking for a lot of help. Just to meet some friends who can help me enjoy getting my scope up and going again after a half-year vacation from observing.

Ted