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Posts Made By: Adam Albino

November 18, 2004 01:37 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Meade GOTO Kit for Vixen GP

Posted By Adam Albino

I don't believe any are a direct bolt on - you have to fabricate some brackets. There are a number of sites that show how and at least one site that sells a bracket Kit. I'd call Bill Vorce or Gary Russell for info as both sell the meade goto systems as ATM parts.

December 3, 2004 02:06 PM Forum: Celestron

Celestron Polaris 8x50 right angle illuminated fin

Posted By Adam Albino

What are you looking to know? I've owned many of them - works basically the same as any other "Polar" finder - these are well made, by Vixen I believe.

Wether in the RA shaft, or in the finder - JMI, Losmandy, AP, Synta - all of these polar finders get you in the ball park but one still needs to do the drift method if you are doing any long term photo stuff....

December 9, 2004 02:51 PM Forum: Mounts

December 15, 2004 09:36 PM Forum: Eyepieces

Russell 2" eyepieces

Posted By Adam Albino

I own a whole slew of Gary's eyepieces. Some are quite good and do compare very well to some higher priced ones, others are "ok" but still quite functional. I have used them in some fast refractors (F/5 and 6)and had no problems that others have found with "Fast" scopes, but admit most of my scopes are between F/8 and F/10.

He has made me over the years some VERY special eyepieces that he does not offer in his regular production run - including exotic glass "APO" 2" Barlow and ones using high end commercial lenses (like Pentax). It's interesting to note that his early eyepieces were in Alum housings and not all "Plastic" (Which BTW is really Delrin, a high quality plastic that has Alum like properties for machining).

I have been toying with the idea of writing a review as I have quite a few (Currently 2" Barlow, 50mm, 26mm, 24mm, 21mm, 19mm 15mm 16mm, 9.5mm, 7mm - all 2" formate) and have compared many to Naglers, Celestron and TV Plossels, and Meade Super Wides.... If I get the time.....

December 29, 2004 04:13 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

ST237/ST5 vs. MX5C + Star 2000

Posted By Adam Albino

I have owned all 3. I just picked up the MX5c a few months ago – so I’m still learning the camera but…I find the MX a far easier to use. Coupled with "AstroArt" (v. 3.0) it's easy to capture and process at the same time. Has a larger Chip (image scale) (500x580 hi-res mode) then the 237 or 5c. Pics in raw are gray scale but contain the RGB image "data" so it's like having three separate images combined. You process the image in Grey then you use either the MX color processing in AstroArt (or one of the after market "plug-ins"). You can separate the three and work on each channel. The whole process is VERY easy.

As for auto guiding - only the MX can be used as a stand alone imager while guiding using the "Star 2000" hardware. There are downsides to this as it basically "splits" the chip so you need to (approx) double your exposure time over not auto guiding. The ST's need a seperate Autoguider if they are being used to image.

Positives:
MX is easier to use.
No filters/wheel needed.
Much lower noise - I almost never need Darks.
Small - well made – although I’d say the ST’s are a slightly better made – especially in the power supply and hook-ups.

Negatives:
OEM Software is lousy - Need to buy AstroArt (to be far I really never really used the OEM SW as the camera came with Astroart).
Not quite as sensitive as the ST's.
Instructions nearly useless.

December 29, 2004 02:13 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Deep Sky Software

Posted By Adam Albino

Most charting/planetarium software I know do what you want. A pretty nice one for short money with lots of power is David Lanes "Earth Centered Universe". See:
http://www.nova-astro.com/

January 11, 2005 08:16 PM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Macholz or Machholz ??

Posted By Adam Albino

Machholz or C/2004 Q2.

January 12, 2005 01:38 PM Forum: Meade

Tuthill Star Trap drive

Posted By Adam Albino

Roger tuthill was one of the leading retailers of astro stuff from the 60's through the late 90's - he was a real inovator of lots of things we take for granted on today's scopes - and a few odd ones that didn't "catch on". He died a few years back and his Wife kept the biz going with inventory till this year. I noticed they liquidated the inventory on "*-Bay" and have shut down the tuthill web site. Shame 'cause there were lots of good "history" there.
http://www.asterism.org/aaipeople/tuthill1.htm
http://www.asterism.org/aaipeople/tuthill2.htm

The "Star Trap" was, I believe, tuthills replacement DC drive for the stock older c-8 AC dirve. Probably just a dead rechargable battery.

January 21, 2005 03:21 PM Forum: Home Observatories

Skytent

Posted By Adam Albino

Good Luck! I tried for two years to find one used. I think only one came up on AM in that time - If I remember correctly guy wanted 2+ grand - which was more then I wanted to pay for a "tent" from an out of business company.

Also looked for the Tradewinds Dome (Dark Site Dome) and couldn't find one. Ended up with the Kendrick Observatory Tent - and have been fairly happy with it. I have it set up permanently for 7 months - with gear inside. Overall it works quite well. Everything has been kept dry even with winds up to 60mph. The only problem was during a snow/ice storm about a month ago - one of the fiberglass poles snapped and the tent partially "laid down”, but even collapsed it kept everything dry. The new Alum poles are supposed to reduce this happening even further.

January 25, 2005 08:33 PM Forum: Refractors

Sky Objectives

Posted By Adam Albino

Site was http://www.so-nl.nl/RR%20Refractors.htm

But it seems to be down...