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Posts Made By: Jake Jacobson

September 19, 2003 08:12 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Mars

Posted By Jake Jacobson
I am just getting around to processing my Mars footage from this summer. This one is from July 31st, one day after the small N. hemisphere dust storm. In this image, you can see that the dust has moved S. into Eos and Margaritifer Sinus, partially obscuring some of the features.

Taken with my 8" f/5 Konus and SAC-7b.

-Jake

September 20, 2003 12:06 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Equipment Review websites...trustworthy??

Posted By Jake Jacobson
Anyone notice that a certain review website has become a commercial venture complete with "sponsors?"

I watch the review website often, and it seems that ever since becoming commercial, the reviews tend to be of products from the sponsors? Furthermore, I have yet to see a bad review of any of the sponsor's products.

Ever since S&T did the glowing LXD-55 review, I knew I couldn't depend on them for accurate eqiupment appraisals.......I am sorry to see the review website going the same direction.

I guess Ed Ting is about the only reliable reviewer left.............oops, I almost forgot, he is now a reviewer for S&T also.... :-(

-Jake

October 6, 2003 01:51 PM Forum: Pictures of Me and My Telescope and........

Beautiful observing site...

Posted By Jake Jacobson
Just got back from a vacation through the Sierras. Here is a photo of my observing site at Glacier Point in Yosemite. It was the most beautiful observing site I have ever used, with excellent dark skies and great seeing.


October 7, 2003 10:28 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

M27

Posted By Jake Jacobson
I got this image on my recent vacation. This is my first good DSO shot using my SAC-7b. Taken with a Konus 8" newt on a CG-5 mount.

-Jake

October 9, 2003 01:47 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

2nd attempt at M27 - Be kind!

Posted By Jake Jacobson
This is my second attempt at M27 with the SAC-7b. I am still learning the quirks of this camera, and how to process for them. This is a stack of 22 x 30sec images, with no darks. Taken with an 8" newt.

-Jake

October 12, 2003 11:41 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Telrad vs. Rigel

Posted By Jake Jacobson
Which do you prefer?

October 21, 2003 02:08 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Avoid these like the plague!

Posted By Jake Jacobson
I just thought I would pass this along.....

This came up today in a Yahoo! forum I moderate (chinesereflectors). A poor chap had purchased one of those ultra-junk 6" EQ mounted newts being sold on the "other" auction website by a seller known as "taximarket".

The man had this to say about the telescope he purchased:

"I'm new to this but I have to agree [that it is junk]. I would like to salvage it if possible. My impression is the quality is as poor as it gets. The mirror was covered with paint overspray and there seems to be something embedded in it. I've been using it but compared to my friends 8" homemade dob it is pretty lame.
Well chalk it up to experence and move on...."

I know that most of us here on Astromart would have the sense not to bother with one of these junkers, let alone purchase astrogear off the "other" auction site, but I just thought I would post this here, since many folks are duped by the guy selling this junk.

Whenever anyone asks about purchasing their first telescope, always direct them to a reputable dealer.

-Jake

October 22, 2003 12:10 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Iterative alignment with Sky Commander DSC's?

Posted By Jake Jacobson
I recently added a Sky Commander to my EQ mount, and am enjoying it very much.

I am used to using Meade "goto" scopes, and have grown spoiled by using the "iterative alignment" technique to accurately polar align instead of doing the tedious drift align.

I am wondering if it would be possible to do a iterative alignment using the Sky Commander. One of the problems is that the SC does not have a star database, and can only sync on the objects listed in it's catalogs.

I am wondering if I did a basic iterative alignment by doing a one-star, and then doing a "go-to" of a known object, and then moving the mount to center that object, and then resetting the SC, and repeating the process a couple of times, if it would work?

Has anyone tried this, or have any suggestions on doing this?

Thanks,

Jake

October 31, 2003 08:57 AM Forum: Religion

Bush hates Americans...

Posted By Jake Jacobson
Bush must hate Americans.....at least those Americans who are the working-class, and not among the corporate-elite. I guess since the economy is so wonderful now, corporations shouldn't have to pay overtime wages.

http://abcnews.go.com/wire/Politics/ap20031002_2282.html

What a wonderful President - I am so glad he is doing everything in his power to help poor Americans, instead of the rich!

November 7, 2003 01:27 PM Forum: Religion

Jessica Lynch's "rescue" a sham

Posted By Jake Jacobson
Well, she finally did an interview and spoke out. She had stated several times in the past that she was not being held by armed guards, and that she had been treated very well while hospitalized. She, as well as her Iraqi physicians, have previously claimed that the "rescue" was largely a fabrication.

Now she has spoken out about it:

http://www.cnn.com/2003/US/11/07/lynch.interview/index.html

Quotes from Jessica:

"It does [bother me] that they used me as a way to symbolize all this stuff," she said. "It's wrong.

"I don't think it happened quite like that."

"I don't know why they filmed it, or why they say the things they [say]"

Nonetheless, Jessica was thankful to her rescuers, whom she refers to as heroes.

Interstingly, the military apparently is now blaming the news media for not getting the story straight. I guess it was the news media who gave the cameras to those marines, and then convinced them to leak the tape.

-Jake



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