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Posts Made By: Steve Stonehill

November 26, 2005 11:27 PM Forum: Refractors

small achromats and fringe/violet filters

Posted By Steve Stonehill
Hi Doug,

I had a very popular VR filter awhile back and I didn't care for it. It shifted the color too much and cut down on light throughput. I found that stopping the aperture of that particular scope from 150mm f8 to 114mm f10.5 was far more effective for me. I then had much less CA and a more natural view not to mention the cost savings. I only used the aperture mask for solar system objects but it defeated the purpose of having a 6" scope so I eventually sold both the filter and the OTA.

Clear Skies,

Steve

December 9, 2005 11:28 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

TMB 105 LW vs SV-105 vs Tak FS-102II

Posted By Steve Stonehill
Hi Dave,

I've never owned a triplet but I own a Tak FS102 and I've owned a Vixen FL102. They both cool down rapidly and show almost imperceptible in-focus color to my eye. I'm also a BV addict and neither refractor would reach focus without a corrector. A used Vixen Fluorite with a Moonlite or a Feathertouch as an add-on would be a beautiful planetary 4"er IMHO. I seriously doubt that any of the scopes you mentioned in your post would disappoint you though.

Clear Skies,

Steve

December 19, 2005 11:30 PM Forum: Binoviewers

what do you think of them

Posted By Steve Stonehill
Hi Mark,

I agree with all of the positive things mentioned so I'll go the other way and list the only negatives that I've experienced. They're heavy and cause balance problems. Most scopes need a corrector to reach focus. They have a tendency to cause problems in some inexpensive focusers. The length of some correctors can be hard on a diagonal's mirror. They technically degrade an image no matter how good or expensive they are. And their biggest disadvantage is the fact that you will find yourself on some winter's night with frostbite because you've never seen better views and can't bear to leave the scope and go in to warm up. wink

Clear Skies,

Steve

December 24, 2005 02:02 AM Forum: Refractors

Moonlite 2.5 inch Refractor focuser

Posted By Steve Stonehill
Hi Mike,

Although I don't have experience with the 2.5" focuser I do own a single speed Moonlite refractor focuser and a dual rate model. They are both fantastic in regard to quality and feel. The folks at Moonlite are also just about the nicest and most honest businessmen I've ever dealt with. I could not recommend them highly enough. The Feathertouch is also a top-notch no compromise unit but the Ford to Rolls Royce comparison is unfair nonsense. It would be more fair to say AP160 or TOA150, either way you're getting one of the absolute best in the business.

Clear Skies,

Steve

December 28, 2005 03:15 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Orion 10" XTI Intelliscope, Bang for the Buck!

Posted By Steve Stonehill
Hi Floyd,

Is the handle on the OTA your handiwork? I recently bought a 12" XTI and would be interested in a handle for it if possible. I took your advice as well as a few others and got a great deal from a local fellow Amarter. I was able to get away with a warp factor of 2.1 and still have an object in the FOV of a 2" 42mm EP. The sky wasn't steady enough for a star test but Saturn was incredible with A,B, and C readily apparent and 5 moons with direct vision. The Double Cluster was magnificent as well. These scopes seem to be a great value.

Clear Skies,

Steve

December 28, 2005 03:20 AM Forum: Reflectors

Opinions Wanted!

Posted By Steve Stonehill
Hi All,

Thanks for the great advice, I was lucky to find an XTI 12" 90 miles from my home and made a friend in the process. The scope puts up very nice views and the computer is accurate. I am awaiting a response from the guys at Johnsonian platforms regarding leadtime. I am also considering a roundtable platform.

Clear Skies,

Steve

January 31, 2006 12:50 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Celestron XLT Coatings

Posted By Steve Stonehill
Hi Joe,

Having owned a 9.25 with XLT I can comfortably state that they did not wash out contrast in any way. I have a feeling that most people that own or have owned recently manufactured SCTs that have not performed up to realistic expectations probably had miscollimated scopes or poor seeing, or both.

Clear Skies,

Steve

February 6, 2006 10:40 AM Forum: Refractors

Small apo or large achro?

Posted By Steve Stonehill
Hi Tim,

I own an Orion ED80 and an Antares 127mm f9.4. The 127mm, IMHO, is far more useful for astronomy but is a large scope that requires a solid mount. The tripod and mount combo that I use for the 80mm is lighter than the 127's OTA. Have you considered a 6" f8 Dob? They're very portable and generally provide very nice views.

Clear Skies,

Steve

February 11, 2006 05:05 AM Forum: Pet Pics

Our Two Rescue Pups

Posted By Steve Stonehill
Scout is 30lbs lighter than Jem but she's got spunk!

February 18, 2006 06:50 PM Forum: Reflectors

12.5" Discovery or 12"GSO with custome optical tra

Posted By Steve Stonehill
Hi Jim,

I have a 12" Orion XTi and a Discovery 8" f7 PDHQ. The overall build quality and motions of the Discovery beat the Orion. The optics in the 8" f7 are excellent but the 12" optics in the Orion, I think, would surprise the heck out of anyone who doubts China's ability to produce fine mirrors. The intelliscope option plus the excellent optics make the Orion a real bargain, IMHO. The Discovery is virtually guaranteed to have world class optics, very good motions, and it's all American made. That last bit is important to many, myself included. The stability of the Orion's base is subpar, IMO, and needs to be upgraded.

Clear Skies,

Steve

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