Posts Made By: Steve Sands

I have recently received a 2.5" Nippon Kogaku K.K.(Tokyo) refractor and mount. This company is evidentally the predecessor to Nikon. Does anyone have any other information about this company and its telescopes? Thank you!

Is there an e-mail address where a message can be sent to Herb York directly?

Thank you!
Steve

On Tuesday, March 18, 2003 at approximately 3:00 a.m. a garage in Alton, IL was burglarized and a large amount of astronomy related equipment was stolen. Inventoried thus far is the following:

6 Aluminum Cases, 2 black, 4 silver
1 Pelican Case, contained Losmandy G8 Cables and reticle illuminator
1 Of the silver cases had 3 Gary Russell 2" eyepieces in plastic bags
TV Naglers: 4.8mm, 7mm, 9mm, 13mm, 20mm, 31mm
Zeiss 2" Zoom as sold by APM s/n 2592758
TV Plossls: 13mm, 17mm, 26mm, 32mm, 40mm
2" Howie Glater Holographic laser collimator
1.25" Meade Variable Polarizer
1.25" Meade Shorty Barlow
Meade 1.25" eyepieces: 12.5mm,16.8mm, 25mm
Telrad w/ Dew Shield and Pulser unit
Celestron Advanced AstroMaster Computer
80mm Lumicon Super finder with eyepiece
Solar filter for Yang 4" f/8 APO
TV 2" Big Barlow/ 1.25" Adapter
TV 2" Paracorr/ 1.25" Adapter
TV 2" Everbrite Diagonal/ 1.25" Adapter
Complete Antique 60mm Unitron Telescope, with tripod, alt-az mount,
solar projection screen, 4 eyepieces, UniHex all in original Unitron
wooden cases.
Assorted Camera adapters - Olympus mounts
Lumicon Filters 2"/ 1.25"
Orion Padded Tripod Bag
ARO Finder Scope with mounting bracket
Kendrick Dew controller w/ 4 heater straps

Other items still being inventoried. I will be updating this ad as items become apparent. No boxes on the eyepieces - I still have them!

Additionally, 2 Nishiki Trail Bikes were taken, one white and blue (men's) Saga s/n DS80901988, one red (womens) Sport. Stickers with Bicycles of Kirkwood on both bike frames.

Detectives feel that this was done by someone familiar with astro equipment and knew what they were looking for due to the nature of the theft.

If anyone has information that could assist with this investigation, please contact the Alton Police Department at (618) 463-3505, Case # 03-5179. Alton, IL is approximately 30 miles north of St.Louis, MO on the Mississippi River.

I registered for AstroFest a few weeks ago. The check cashed, but I have yet to receive my registration confirmation card. Are they just running late this year or what? Has anyone received their confirmation card?

I have a 9" ARO Mak-Cass built by Tom Dobbins a few years ago that is in need of service. It appears to be out of collimation and the secondary may not be properly spaced. Does anyone know someone or some shop that is able/ willing to service such an OTA? It is a beautiful instrument and I would love to be able to use it!! I have made attempts to contact someone, but have not been successful thus far. Thank you!

I have a 9" ARO Mak-Cass built by Tom Dobbins a few years ago that is in need of service. It appears to be out of collimation and the secondary may not be properly spaced. Does anyone know someone or some shop that is able/ willing to service such an OTA? It is a beautiful instrument and I would love to be able to use it!! I have made attempts to contact someone, but have not been successful thus far. Thank you!

Reference ads 238661, 238669, and 238671. Although I can't seem to locate anything in the Terms Of Service (TOS), is auctioning acceptable in AM? There is terminology in the TOS referring to "bid". I e-mailed this person and asked him for his firm price (and explained that this is NOT an auction site), he shot back a terse reply and basically wants bids on his items (won't happen from me!). He is new, based upon him having zero feedback. Any thoughts on this?

Happy New Year to all!! I need to send my WO 4" f/8 refractor in for lens cleaning and a check up. Who can be trusted to do this service? I contacted WO and spoke with a person who could not communicate well in English. He kept telling me to clean it with 99% alcohol. I tried to explain to him that the lens assembly needed to be removed and all surfaces cleaned, but the answer was always use 99% alcohol. WO evidentally does not service what they sell?? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Even though these events are on different weekends, I do not have the luxury of being able to attend both. I have attended Astrofest for over 15 years and have always enjoyed the event. So what are the thoughts out there? If you had to choose between the two, which would you go to and why? I "assume" that the vendors will stick with the Astrofest name, but I could be all wet.

I need to send my 10" f/4.5 mirror off for recoating and don't know who to send it to! The current coating is failing (as did other mirrors I had recoated by a certain unnamed coating company :C ) Any suggestions? Thank you!