Posts Made By: Floyd Blue

You know it seems to me that these discussions about aperture are getting nowhere. I realize that each person likes to think they have made the best possible choice of scopes in their purchase.

The fact is that just as each person likes something different in an automobile, so they make Porsche to Fords, people will like different things in scopes as well.

I think that if you find a better view with a smaller scope in your area, then that is very good for you because you don't need to buy a bigger one. But if you really like to go to places that have great viewing you will find that you would like more aperture in the end. I usually view at a site in the mountains nearby at 8,600' called Mt. Pinos. When I go there can be 150 scopes set up and maybe several hunded or more people there to look through them. You find all sizes and types there, but the larger scopes always get the most attention. People want to look through them to see the view. Maybe it is the shear size of the scopes or the beautiful designs and fantastic setups they have going for them? Maybe it is the great views they provide? I am not sure but I still like to look through them.

If I had the money I would have an observatory with a 200" reflector in it for sure. Heck, I might even throw in a 20" Refractor for good measure, but I am not a rich man!
:^( Because of this fact I must settle for the 8" SCT and the 15" DOB that I own. Could be worse! I could just have a pair of 8x50 binoculars like I had for many years. :^)

Why don't we move on to a subject that is less opinion and a little more fact. Opinions are just that and it seems that everyones is different. Even the pros can't seem to agree on this issue.

I think that conditions and darkness of sky is much more of a issue than aperture. We need better skies not telescopes IMO. Sky and Telescope just had a great article about this, Dark skies or aperture who rules? Darks skies rule every time! If we don't do something to preserve a few dark skies areas our fine scopes will become worthless! I hate to think that I will have to drive hundreds of miles to get to use mine.
Floyd

I coundn't help myself from psoting something a little different, hope you don't mind.

Here is a fall shot, hope you like it.

Here is a clouds shot, hope you like it.This was taken in the late afternoon with a storm coming.

A small shot of a mushroom in spring. I liked the color contrast.

A flower shot of a Pansy in spring. Just liked the colors.

Here is a PoemPic. I do photography to match my poetry.:^)
This is an example of my work. Hope you like it.
Floyd

I have a 15" DOB that I recently purchased and just got around to weighing it.
The secondary cage weighs in at 13#
The Primary mirror box weighs 60#
The Rocker Box is 32#
The Truss tubes weigh 10#
TOTAL 115#
Is this a typical weight for a 15" with a 2" thick mirror?
Not too many people list the complete weighs of scopes.
Thanks,
Floyd

http://www.cleardarksky.com/c/MtPinoskey.html?1
Looks like a good night for astronomy tonight on Mt. Pinos. I am going up with a couple of people for a try at Mars. Going to take the 15" DOB and see if I can bring it in close!
Club members were there on Wednesday and they said it was the best they ever saw there! So if we are lucky it will be that way tonight.
Dark skies to you all.
Floyd

I took out my 15" f/4.9 DOB out last night. I have only owned it for a short time. This is my first DOB and I don't know a lot about observing with one. I have owned SCTs in the past.
I did a lot of looking at Messier objects and NGCs before Mars came up and the views were very good. Others checked it out and said that it had good looking optics. (Swayze Mirror)
When Mars came up I tried to look at it with my 31mm Nagler and I had a very large starburst looking bright spikes in a + pattern. I tried several other Naglers and a couple of Meade UWAs and basically saw the same thing. A filter suppressed them quite a lot. Is this what the diffusion spikes look like when looking through a DOB at a bright object? If not, what else could cause this. The scope was well collimated with a LaserMax collimator. It looked textbook perfect.
These spikes were not apparent at all until I tried to look at Mars. This is the first time I looked at Mars with it.
Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.
Floyd