Posts Made By: Drew Sullivan

With the current sale the price of a 60mm Coronado scope is about that of a blocking filter + SolarMax Filter (both in about the $2000-$2500 range anyway).

Is there a strong reason to choose the Solar Max 60 scope over the filter/BF combination? I have a couple of refractors I could put the filter on (Tak FS 102 for one). I would be using this exclusively for imaging, likely with an ST2000XM.


Thanks in advance

Drew Sullivan

Maybe if Astromart supporters at the very least give a break on price or shipping to other Astromart supporters it will encourage more to sign up. In bad times one might as well give a boost to those who are contributing something.

Drew Sullivan

Is it allowed to copy one user's photo to use in another user's ad without asking permission?

I posted a photo of my Axiom EP:

http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=698206
(See the second photo)

Another User than listed the same product (not the same physical EP, another Axiom 23mm EP) using my photo:

http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=698490

without asking. Is this allowed?

Drew Sullivan

I see a number of new ads in categories I have ticked, but haven't gotten an email notification for something like 12 to 24 hours. Is the email notification system down?

Drew Sullivan

Is there a way to tell if another user has signed up for the New Subscriptions? (So I can tell if a person I might be dealing with has signed up or not)

Thanks in advance

Drew Sullivan

1) If you are willing to spend $2500 you can get a used CGE for that. What are the new CGEs going for? I thought there was a sale.

2) I have a CGE and like it a lot. I have never tried a G11 and can't comment. The new HC/software for the CGE is very nice. The older Software is certainly useable. If this is for astrophotography aren't you going to use NexRemote (the on-laptop virtual HC) anyway? With NexRemote you don't use your HC at all and whatever version of the software is in NexRemote is what you are using (you will want a Wingman Game wireless controller to control the mount for centering/alignment with NexRemote but not a hand control).

With either mount don't forget to budget for NexRemote or whatever other software you will need wiht the G-11 to run it from a laptop for imaging.

Drew Sullivan

There is a PoleAlignMax/FocusMax users group on Yahoo. The authors of PAM hang out there.

Feel free to email me as well but I'm just an ordinary user, not the author.

What software are you using? What version and what version of PAM? There should be a box on your screen - a white outline of a box.

There was a bug with PAM not showing the box on the screen with some software. IIRC it was with an old (maybe 1-2 year old) version of Maxim. But with the current Maxim (either the newest version 4 or the newest version 5 of Maxim) and with the current version of PAM the box shows up fine.

Drew Sullivan

It is the bridge that, I think, comes as part of a package with the Tak Tube ring set. As people have said you may be able to get one from TNR separately.

Why not, instead, take a standard Losmandy dovetail and have it tapped to mount in the four holes on top of your tube rings? If you do that you can mount a guide scope/telrad etc on the top dovetail.

Mounting something on the bridge is possible but not as handy.

Drew Sullivan

I don't have numbers for you and am not as precise/particular and image imager but I have done some nature imaging with a DSLR with this scope without problem. I have also used it with an ST2K with FW. That is about the weight limit for the focuser. With the ST2K I used a WO reducer/flattener (this was a while ago, it was their first 0.8 reducer).

Here is M31 with an ST2K and that reducer:
http://www.ancientstarlight.com/M31.html

Here are some bird shots with a Canon and the Z66:
http://www.ancientstarlight.com/Great_Blue_Heron-2008.html

Note those are pretty old images and only have so-so processing.

It is also a very nice light travel scope for visual use.

It is not an AP Traveler but it's a lot less expensive, smaller and lighter. I am happy with mine.

People seem to like the SD more than the ED or Petzval. Are you sure it isn't one of those that has trouble coming to focus?

Drew Sullivan

I have used a William Optics Z66SD for bird/nature photos. It's pretty small and light for an astronomical scope. It has the disadvantage that you have to focus manually but it's light enough and of short enough focal length you can use it hand held (no tripod).

It has 66mm aperture and 388mm FL.

This is with the WO Z66SD and a Canon Rebel using a tripod:
http://www.ancientstarlight.com/images/Great_Blue_Heron_D.jpg

This is using the Z66 hand held. Note the resolution and note I can use a shutter speed fast enough to freeze the propellors. These were _not_ taken at an airshow. The planes were just flying overhead (the airshow was about 10 miles away).
http://www.ancientstarlight.com/AC_demo.html


The criteria it doesn't fulfill is that it's not rubber coated/waterproof.

Drew S.