Posts Made By: James DellaPenna

July 11, 2005 07:41 PM Forum: Binoviewers

Denkmeier Kicks.......

Posted By James DellaPenna

As a fellow Denk owner it is very heartwarming to hear such reports. This small company genuinely cares about its' customers and the condition of its' product in the field.

August 4, 2005 09:13 PM Forum: Binoviewers

Binoviewer and counterweight on NS11 ?

Posted By James DellaPenna

Jean,

While the N11 will handle the load without counterweights it is not recommended. I understand this places considerable strain on the gears that control your ALT movement.

I have the same set-up and use the complete (top & bottom) counterweight set.

August 13, 2005 11:47 PM Forum: Beginning Astronomy?

Accessories

Posted By James DellaPenna

Jim,

I'm not sure where you are located but you will soon likely discover that dew shield and heater will be a necessity. These items are sold separately because owners have specific requirements and preferences. I would not worry about an eyepiece heater unless that proves to be a problem later on. If budget is a problem I would make due with your present finder; a right angle 9x50 may be preferred later. Again, if budget is a problem you can hold off on filters entirely for awhile until you can afford them. I, like many others, own a pile of filters which rarely get used, either because they are too much bother or sometimes fail to live up to the advertising hype.

Later on:

If you plan to do a lot of lunar gazing then a polarizer or standard Moon filter will be needed for the SN10. Also, a narrow band filter or Oxygen-III filter may be desired at some point for certain types of nebula. You might find colored filters helpful for some planetary viewing but you may also discover they rarely get used.

My comments reflect my own experiences and preferences but many accessories are not as critical as you may think. Go with the dew heater and shield first. After that, let your budget guide you and get lots of input from others, particularly from a local club if one is available.

Clear skies.

August 13, 2005 11:55 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

SCT History

Posted By James DellaPenna

Don,

The only source I have found was http://home.att.net/~telescopebluebook/sct/celestron.htm , starting with Celestron SCT's in 1971 and working forward.

August 14, 2005 09:29 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Re: Mars Filters

Posted By James DellaPenna

During the last opposition when I was using a C9.25 I tried a standard yellow filter on Mars at a club event. A couple other members were surprised at the good result. With the exception of the polar cap a yellow filter may provide better contrast on surface details. Your milage may vary.

February 15, 2006 10:32 PM Forum: Beginning Astronomy?

Need help teaching children

Posted By James DellaPenna

Sonya,

Your range of kids ages makes it a bit difficult but here's something we came up with for a local space camp for the 12-17 year old range. "Astronomy 1 & 2" by The Standard Deviants comes in DVD or VHS versions. It can be ordered from a company called Just For Kids (do a Google search for them, then in their web site search for "astronomy 1&2").

The Standard Deviants are a bunch of teenagers who present the subject matter in a corny but effective manner that appeals to kids of many ages.

May 17, 2006 08:45 PM Forum: Beginning Astronomy?

Celestron 9.25 eyepiece suggestions and eyeglasses

Posted By James DellaPenna

Joe,

If you just purchased a Pentax 14mm XL that should be a perfect EP for that range given its 20mm eye relief. If eye relief is really important to you I would recommend other XL's or Radians for higher powers. You probably would want something in the 24mm range such as a Panoptic. Coupled with an f/6.3 reducer it would yield about 1.10 degree FOV. Some of the much longer focal length EP's may begin to conflict with your astigmatism.

If you can afford a CGE you can also afford a binoviewer and some sort of CCD camera to really keep you out all night. I know, that means two of each EP plus a laptop. etc. Somebody stop me!

May 23, 2006 08:08 PM Forum: After Dark

First Outreach Attempt / Seeking Object Advice

Posted By James DellaPenna

David,

I've done lots of these for 5th grade groups of 25. One comment I would make is that you have planned for 25 people to look at 15 different objects in a 2-hour span that begins in daylight (8:30PM) and you are looking for more. That's a minimum 375 looks through your scope in between switching objects and answering questions! It may not be practical to cover this many objects.

Everybody does these sessions differently according to their own interests, the type of group, and time restraints. Many of us include a brief talk on some subject or two appropriate to the age of the students.

Since this is your first attempt I would suggest keeping it simple. You will soon learn how much you can and cannot accomplish in a given period of time. Aside from that, jump in, get your feet wet and enjoy the experience.

Jim DellaPenna
Raleigh, NC

July 18, 2006 11:08 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Nexstar/CGE tripod compatibility?

Posted By James DellaPenna

Nobody has any input? Surely there are Nexstar users out there who can address this question.

July 18, 2006 11:10 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Vixen Hal-110 vs. Al's Astro oak tripod

Posted By James DellaPenna

Would appreciate a response from a Vixen GP-D2 owner. Thank you.