Astromart

July 22, 2003 06:04 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

star testing

How do you know that they were not tube currents?

July 31, 2003 07:14 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Same thing happened to me last night, Paul, in SE Michigan (Ann Arbor). Just got my mirrors (new 8”f/8 + diagonal) back from Spectrum, and installed them in the old scope to get me by until the new one is done. Anyway, set it up in the back yard, waited for it to cool down, started to do some star testing with it. Mosquitoes pretty much drive me back inside after not too long. Doesn’t really matter, clouds are rolling in, Clear Sky clock calling for clouds later and into the morning, so I pack it all in for the night. Don’t bother setting the alarm I think to myself. Around 4:00 I wake up for no apparent reason, so I look out the south facing window only to see a nice, hazy sky with a brilliant Mars blazing away! Too late now to get it all set up, as it will take too long for that full thickness mirror to cool down without a fan (the new scope will have one tho), so I have to imagine how steady the images would have been with all that haze. ARGH!!! From now on, once it’s set up, I’m leaving it set up until morning!

August 14, 2003 05:50 PM Forum: Solar System Observing

Mars Sketch 8.14.03

Posted By Doug Scobel

Hey Sol, fantastic sketch!

I'm jealous. Where are you located? Here in SE Michigan I've never had the seeing (at Mars's altitude of 35 degrees or lower) better than maybe 6 or 7. I get fleeting glimpses of such detail in my 8" f/8, but it never lasts long enough to get a good handle on it. It's probably the (lack of) altitude because straight up star images are textbook.

I was out last night around 3:00 EDT (07:00 UT) looking at Mars and the seeing varied from maybe 5 to 6. ARGH!!!!!

Doug

August 18, 2003 10:35 AM Forum: Solar System Observing

Finally, some decent seeing 15-Aug-2003!

Posted By Doug Scobel

Thanks for the input, Sol & Paul. Right now, 340x is as high as I can go, with the 4.8 Nagler being my shortest FL. I'm thinking of getting a 4mm Radian, which would give me just over 400x which would be perfect for that scope, but wow, that's a lot of $$$!

Doug

August 20, 2003 06:00 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Telrad, Rigel, Red Dot.

Posted By Doug Scobel

I own both a Rigel and a Telrad and I consider the Rigel a better deal. For the price of a Telrad alone, you get two bases, a built-in blinker, and it's more dew resistant. Functionally, they’re about the same.

I've never used a red dot, so I can't comment on what type is better.

For an awful lot of objects, all I need is the Telrad/Rigel. It's only when in sparse star fields do I need to go to the 8x50.

Regards,
Doug

August 21, 2003 08:06 PM Forum: Telescope Making

Refiguring versus buying new?

Posted By Doug Scobel

There is no difference final figure-wise between making new and starting from scratch. If you start from scratch, the figure of the mirror immediately after polishing it out is almost always far worse than the worst already finished mirror. The final figure is all that matters.

Doug

September 2, 2003 12:48 PM Forum: Telescope Making

Dual Rate Focusers

Posted By Doug Scobel

Floyd, I own a Moonlite Telescope Accessories dual rate focuser and I love it. Its motions are almost as smooth as a Feather Touch, and at $265.00 it is a bargain in comparison. Check it out on their web site.

My $.02
Doug

September 2, 2003 02:26 PM Forum: Solar System Observing