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Posts Made By: Timothy McDougall

February 16, 2006 05:40 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Auction Withdrawls???

Posted By Timothy McDougall

Whats up with the last two Auction withdrawls of high end refractors? Isn't the point of an auction to get the highest price that buyers are willing to pay? Are A-marters allowed to pull their item at anytime during the auction? :S

March 7, 2006 04:49 PM Forum: Eyepieces

University Optics #1

Posted By Timothy McDougall

I just got off the phone with UO minutes ago and have been so impressed I wanted to post here of my experience. It was coincidental to see the "Mid-priced" topic underway but decided to break this out to highlight my comments.
Two weeks ago I purchased the full set of classic Abbe orthos. From the get-go, UO was very helpfull and answered all of my questions. The orthos arrived and to my suprise, half had the smooth barrels and half had the captive barrels. UO is switching over, which I didn't know. I called and asked if I could get a set all the same and they easily agreed to exchange them. So I shipped back the smooth barrels. In the interim, a back ordered 4mm came in and this was the one I wanted the most. They shipped it out soley at a greater expense to them just so I'd have it sooner. Then after about a week, I called to see if they had recieved my returns and to my suprise the exchanges had already been shipped!!! THis all in about two weeks time! To see this level of customer support about miniscule problems in this day and age is amazing! UO is ALL about the amature and their needs.
I have been testing the eyepieces on my TEC 140 and love their performance on all objects, particularly planetary. And the 4mm beat a high end eyepiece I have used for years on saturn. The quality and service is UNMATCHED at its price. Thank you University Optics...I have seen the light!

April 18, 2006 11:21 PM Forum: Celestron

CG-5 GO TO help

Posted By Timothy McDougall

Can someone tell me how to slow the scrolling speed of the text? I know I read it in the manual but can't find it again...thanks in advance.

May 7, 2006 01:35 PM Forum: Refractors

C80ED "Spotting Scope" report

Posted By Timothy McDougall

I have posted about this scope before but after last nights session I was again inspired to report on this scopes performance.
Last night I chose the C80 ED over my TEC140 because the sky looked alittle turbulent and the jetstream forecast had it overhead, but I didn't want to miss the Io transit of Jupiter, so I ran with the "grab-n-go" It was my first transit this year(my favorite observing pastime) and the little "spotting scope" impressed me again.
At 04:00-04:10UT Io was distictly a seperate disk, slowly gliding over the limb darkened edge of Jupiter over time. It was still held as a seperate disk and took on a three-dimensional quality over the darkened limb. Apparently I had decent seeing although I was limited to 120x-150x with U.O. orthos. I have had this scope up to 234x on Saturn on a great night with plenty of contrast and cloud belt detail with straw color.
The NEB,NTB,N Polar region,SEB,S polar region and detail within the equator that wouldnt resolve into festoons but let you know something was going on, were all visible.
I followed Io across the southern edge of the SEB for afew minutes and then found the shadow fully at 04:25UT, about 6 minutes after predicted time. I watched Io and shadow appearing in contact at the 11 oclock position from Io about a third of the diameter across Jove. I lost Io at that point but followed the eclipse until CM at around 05:30UT.
The shadow as well as Io was not as pronounced as it was in my old Genesis,but was pleasing and acceptable. I find all the moons of Jupiter to appear as disks and can identify which is which. They don't show different colors but slightly different shades. I've read in reports where this is something for 4"-5" scopes...rubbish. To my eyes a good 3" is quite capable. And I understand the difference between a point source of different magnitude and a disk of different size. Incidentally, plato was showing 2 and on occasion 3 craterlets.
All in all a pleasing night of galilean transit watching with my little "spotting scope"! smile

May 7, 2006 03:09 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Used scopes-WARRANTY???

Posted By Timothy McDougall

Wondering if most manufacturers honor the warranty on a second hand scope or if most are voided? Especially the high end APO's. Anyone have good/bad experiences or thoughts?

May 10, 2006 01:19 PM Forum: Refractors

Best Planetary 4" refractor?

Posted By Timothy McDougall

Forgive me...I did a forum search but I couldn't find this direct topic anywhere. Opinions please on the best 4" Apo for planetary viewing. Visual only, binoviewer. To me there would be a difference in the non-baffled short focal ratio TV's vs. the fully baffled longer focus Tak's, SV's for the finest planetary details. Support your choice with examples/comparisons please, thank you in advance.

June 27, 2006 06:17 PM Forum: Star Parties

Was CSSP a washout???

Posted By Timothy McDougall

How was this weekends CSSP? Looked pretty bad on weather radar...anyone get some observing time??? Looking forward to the Black forest SP, better time of year I think!

July 23, 2006 12:58 AM Forum: Refractors

Orion 120ED Ad

Posted By Timothy McDougall

Orion's 120ED has a full page ad on the last page of Sept. S&T issue. F/7.5 and priced at $1999. I wonder if the orions are of the sky-watcher ed quality? Orion uses FPL-53, do the sky-watchers? I think its priced abit high, does 20mm more glass really more than double the price?(100ED is $899) Never quite understood the the jump in price for such a small difference in area. Maybe the price will "correct" after the newness wears off...it would then be a great buy if it can match the 80ED's quality.

September 28, 2006 12:19 PM Forum: Refractors

Market Flooded???

Posted By Timothy McDougall

Is the market place becoming flooded finally with APO refractors? There are new 5" apo's being offered at unheard of prices($3,790) and 66mm apo's included free with the purchase of 110mm apo's. Can one manufacturer actually get $7000 for a 5" anymore? The rest of the economy is correcting(auto industry anyway) does this not hold true for telescopes? Everyone needs a vehicle, but not every amature needs an APO! Hasn't supply exceeded demand yet???
I'm curious for what the future holds... 8O

October 15, 2006 06:07 PM Forum: Refractors

Indoor "star" test?

Posted By Timothy McDougall

I am familiar enough with an actual star test and understands its importance, but is there a test that can be accomplished indoors without an optical bench? Can you simulate a star with a pinhole or LED? Would you still see diffraction rings? I read with interest Rolands test of using tinfoil to reflect sunlight rays and look for color (error)correction...anything along that line for optical abberations with cloudy skies and no stars? Thanks...