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Posts Made By: Barry Simon

April 4, 2002 02:17 PM Forum: Film Astrophotography - Imaging and Processing

Copying slides with a digital camera

Posted By Barry Simon

Most of my astrophotography is using an Olympus OM-1n or a Pentax 6x7. Prime focus and piggy-back with the Olympus OM-1n and piggy-back only with the Pentax 6x7 using 300mm, 165mm and 105mm lenses. My film of choice is either Kodak E200 or Fuji Provia 400F, both slide films.

I recently "discovered" that using a light table, an 8x Horizon loupe and my Olympus 3000 digital camera, I can make acceptable digital copies of the slides using an afocal method. (Essentially just placing the lens of the digital camera right on top of the loupe, setting the camera to the close-up mode, turning off the flash and underexposing the photo (range of -1.7 to -2.3, with -2.0 being a very good compromise). Posted is a recent picture of M-42 taken in January with Fuji Provia 400F thru my Brandon f/8 130mm APO (1040mm f.l.) The original was a 60 minute exposure.


May 15, 2002 12:10 PM Forum: Film Astrophotography - Imaging and Processing

Vixen GA-4 "Guider"

Posted By Barry Simon

Someone set up next to me at the Texas Star Party had a "guider" made by Vixen. Essentially it is a star diagonal/barlow combination with a red illuminated reticle which can be used with any eyepiece you want. The reticle can also be moved. I know Orion does not sell this item. Can anyone direct me to a vendor (Canadian?) that carries these. It seemed to be worlds better than my Series 4000 9mm Plossl guiding eyepiece from Meade.

Thanks!

Barry Simon

July 11, 2002 04:49 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Dewshade Length

Posted By Barry Simon

In the classic "Amateur Astronomer's Handbook", author J.B. Sidgwick states that a dewshield that is only twice the objective's diameter or shorter is too short. Most of today's refractors would not have an acceptably long enough dew shields. Takahashi comes fairly close, but still no cigar, so to speak. This is especially true as the internal lens cell sits fairly far forward in the cell/dewshield arrangement.

You can go the other way too and have a dewshield which is too long. The problem here is vignetting or light cutoff in the view. Does anyone know how to calculate how long, at max, a dew shield can be.

Thanks!

Barry Simon

July 26, 2002 10:39 PM Forum: Telescope Making

Telescope Tubing Source

Posted By Barry Simon

My apologies to all who know this already - a source for seamless telescope tubing is Hastings Irrigation Pipe Company. There web site is http://www.hipco-ne.com/

I just recently ordered a 7" diameter seamless aluminum tube 12" in length to replace my 6" length dewshield which Jaegers supplied with their 6" refractor kits. The new aluminum needs some sanding and painting, but it is a perfect fit. The transaction was very smooth. Hastings does have a minimum order of $40.00. Many different diameters and wall thicknesses are available.

Barry Simon

August 9, 2002 04:23 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Filter Distance Above Objective

Posted By Barry Simon

I am currently waiting on my Coronado 60. One question I have is does it make a difference how far in front of the objective the ERF/Etalon combo is? The units for TeleVue screw right on to the objective cell and are very close to the objective (this seems logical to me). My filter adapter will slide over the end of my TAK FS78 lens shade and will therefor be at least 3 to 4 inches away from the objective. I am thinking that I would be better served with a supplemental dew shield (I can buy one from Texas Nautical) that I can cut down so that the filter is relatively close to the objective. Any opinions?

Barry Simon

August 19, 2002 01:14 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Customizing Commercial Telescopes

Posted By Barry Simon

I have a few homebuilt telescopes using commercial components (6" Jaegers f/5 refractor, 4.25" f/4.1 reflector with Edmund AstroScan Optics, and a few others). Over the years as an idea hit me that I wanted to incorporate into these scopes - as an example I just added grab handles to the focuser of the 6" f/5, I did it without a second thought. On the other hand, I am very hesitant to modify any of my commercial scopes - Takahashi, Celestron, Brandon, feeling that a modification, especially one involving change that cannot be undone will destroy the potential resale value of the equipment. Any discussion on this?

September 2, 2002 02:27 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Modifications to Dovetail Finder Brackets

Posted By Barry Simon

One thing that always bugged me about the Orion dovetail finder bracket available for either the 50mm or 60mm finders was the height of the bracket, it was just to tall. Extending a finder out too far away from a telescope tube makes balance more difficult and may make it difficult to fit a scope in it's case.

I decided to take matters into my own hands, or shall I say a hacksaw. See the attached photos which show an original bracket, one cut down 1/4" which still allows the original ring plate holes to be used, and one cut down 3/4" which mandated that a new hole be drilled and taped for the ring plate.

The job was relatively easy and the cut is completely hidden by the plate that the rings attach to. The mild cut reduces the bracket weight by about 0.7 oz, and the more drastic cut reduces weight by about 2 oz. The real benefit is that I can now get my scope with finder attached in it's case and getting the finder closer to the telescope long axis makes balance a bit easier. I think the low profile bracket looks nicer as well.

Note that the 60mm bracket with dovetail attachment and rings is still available at the Orion Clearance Center - part # 05041 at a price of $34.88

Barry Simon

October 18, 2002 03:07 PM Forum: Star Parties

Deep South Regional Stargaze

Posted By Barry Simon

The 20th annual Deep South Regional Stargaze begins on Wednesday October 30th at Percy Quin State Park near McComb, Ms (100 miles north of New Orleans and 90 miles south of Jackson, MS). The setting is very nice with setup on a well cut, level football field surrounded by pines and hardwoods. Accomodations are reasonable and within a short walk of the field. David Levy is our guest speaker this year and major door prizes include a Nagler 16, Nagler 9 and a Celestron C80.

Your best source of info including a wealth of pictures is likely the Deep-South-Regional-Star-Gaze Yahoo Group. We pull attendees from all over (approx. 12 to 15 different clubs and registrants this year from as far as Wisconsin and Arizona).

Barry Simon

October 28, 2002 06:21 AM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Coronado Filter Storage Advise

Posted By Barry Simon

I received my Coronado Solar Max 60 with T-Max and a BF 15 last Tuesday and had just a few sucker holes in the clouds to play with it for a short while. I hope to get in several good viewing sessions this week at the 20th Annual Deep South Regional Stargaze. Right now the weather is looking fairly favorable. That will be appreciated after the wettest October in south Louisiana since 1985.

Anyway in respect to storage....., I got an adapter in order to use my filter with my Tak FS78. The plastic case that the Solarmax 60/T-Max and BF15 come in looked like it had enough space in it to cut out some additional foam for the adapter. I cut out the foam and indeed the adapter will fit. Closing the case is a bit more difficult. It got me thinking about just how secure this case may be as the plastic latches are very much like those on a plastic Orion eyepiece case. I had an unfortunate accident with one of those about a year ago. A moderate bump opened the case while carrying it out to the car and a 2" amici diagonal and several eyepieces spilled out on the concrete carport. The rubber caps on the eyepieces saved them from harm, but the diagonal suffered some internal chipping of the amici prism in two corners. It is still useable, but it is not what it used to be.

Anyway the thought of seeing better than $2500.00 worth of solar filter falling out of the case (in slow motion) with me helpless to do anything about it, is a frightening thought. Why entrust the safety of a Coronado filter to a $20.00 eyepiece case? No reason to do it, so I went out and bought a Model 1450 Pelican Case. You can get these mailorder for about $75.00. With this case, all anxiety about it accidently coming open is eliminated. To get it open, you have to want to get it opened. It floats, and it is waterproof. I consider it an appropriately priced compliment to an investment that I want to keep as good as new for many years to come. The Model 1400 would do, but the slightly larger Model 1450 allows me to comfortably fit the filter, the BF15, the Tak FS78 filter adapter, plus an extra dewshield from an old University 80 refractor which I have fitted for the SolarMax 60 cell.

The dewshield, with some internal felt, slides right over the outer cell of the SolarMax 60. It extends about 2.5 inches beyond the front of the filter. This in my opinion, minimizes the chance of curious fingers touching the filter. I am not sure yet if the additional protection it provides in respect to shielding the filter from off-axis light will be of any consequence. If so, great, but the real purpose here is to protect the filter surface from the curious who just feel compelled to touch it.

I would strongly recommend both improvements that I have made.

Barry Simon


November 11, 2002 06:58 PM Forum: Coronado-Lunt-DayStar Solar Filters

Light Shielding a Solar Scope

Posted By Barry Simon

I have had my Coronado SolarMax 60 and BF15 for a few weeks now. My first observing session made it apparent that some sort of light shield to block the Sun from hitting the side of my face while viewing thru the eyepiece would be a good idea.

I reasoned that a ring cut out of black construction paper and fitted to the objective cells of both the main scope (TAK FS78) and the 60mm (f/7.2) white light filter scope would be a good idea. This prototype was made and it did help. I have subsequently made some sturdier light shields out of two sheets of 12"x14" plastic sheets with a thickness of 0.080". The two sheets have an o.d. of 14" and 12" (for the 60 mm). Neither has the full circle completed, but has another radius curve cut into it so that it conforms to the curve of the tube it is not being used with and is prevented from rotating. The attach photo should explain what I am trying to describe. Each has an appropriate cutout for the objective cell of the scope it is being used with. The one for the FS78 is fitted over the objective cell and is in turn held snuggly in place by the Coronado filter adapter. The one for the 60 mm scope is held in place by that scope's dewshield.

It works very well, but small strips of velcro could be attached to the perimeter of the plastic circles to allow for placement of supplemental sections of plastic shielding as needed.

Barry Simon