Posts Made By: Howard Platnick

November 11, 2003 06:59 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Focus Issue

Posted By Howard Platnick

I have a SCT 8 inch Celestar and have been looking at saturn with a 26mm plossal and a 2x barlow. I take out the scope an hour before observing to allow it to cool down. I think it is collumated, as when I de-focus on a bright test star the ring looks symetrical. Saturn comes into sharp focus and stays that way for just a few seconds and then it becomes fuzzy and stays fuzzy until I re-focus. This keeps happening.

Any ideas why and what I need to do to correct it?

much appreciated Howard

November 12, 2003 04:01 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Light gathering 8" SCT vs 6" apo

Posted By Howard Platnick

I have an 8 inch SCT and am considering a 6 inch apo ... what is the difference in light gathering of the two scopes taking into account the 25-30% obstruction of the SCT?

any thought?

thanks howard

November 14, 2003 04:57 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Star Atlas on the Net?

Posted By Howard Platnick

Please direct to any good Star Atlas' on the net

thanks howard

November 18, 2003 04:05 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

5" 5.5" 6" APO practical considerations

Posted By Howard Platnick

1. I live in suburban Toronto with light pollution
2. To view planets +- binoviewer
3. To view DSO
4. Light Alt-Azmth (?Giro-2)
5. Easy set-up and not too heavy (50-60lbs mount + scope)
6. Webcam astrophotography of planets
7. Future considseration for GEM and CCD astrophotography

Currently have SCT-8

TEC 140 (36" 20 lbs) meets the criteria but is an extra 1/2 inch advised - maybe a used AP 155 (41" 24lbs)?

November 23, 2003 03:36 AM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Horsehead nebula?

Posted By Howard Platnick

The other night it was a pretty clear moonless night. I live in suburban Toronto and could roughly count 200-300 stars and see 3 stars of ursa minor. I used a well cooled SCT 8" and Orion was rising in the southeast at around midnight. I could easily find M42-43. I found Alnitak (the southern most star in the belt) and scanned carefully a few degrees to the west for the horsehead. Is it just too dim to see in an average 8" with no filter in the burbs(I know it is one of the harder Messier's to see)?

thanks howard

December 10, 2003 04:17 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Loose Celestron Diadonal - 1/4

Posted By Howard Platnick

I have an Celestron Diagonal 1 1/4 "94115-A

The chrom part that goes into the visual back is loose and twirles. With a 32 Plossal it swings around from gravity. I tried screwing it in but it doesn't tighten. Can I fix it or do I need a new one?

thanks howard

January 7, 2004 02:50 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Focuser 2" 2.7" 4"

Posted By Howard Platnick

What is the actual measurement referring to?

The travel of the tube or diameter?

thanks howard

April 18, 2004 01:01 AM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Help we seeing!

Posted By Howard Platnick

Last night I was looking thru my murky light polluted skies on a "clear" night with my average, although collimated sct 8". I was using low power at 80-100

I was looking around Bootes and couldn't find M3 (and I might not have been in the correct spot!)

I then looked around the pile of galaxies below Coma Berenices and couldn't find any

Is there a list of which Meiser objects could be seen under these compromised conditions?

thanks howard

April 22, 2004 03:05 AM Forum: APM

LW TMB 140

Posted By Howard Platnick

Is this scope coming anytime soon?

what will be the Focal ratio, length, and weight?

Thanks Howard

May 1, 2004 07:45 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

New Eyepiece Collection

Posted By Howard Platnick

New eyepiece collection.

I have a used AP155 coming (1040mm f/7) and want to get some eyepieces:

Suburban with light pollution

Plus/minus glasses

Visual use on alt-azmth, mostly planets, lunar, double, some DSO

Radian: 4mm 5mm 6mm

RKE 8mm 12mm (pairs for bino)

Nagler Type 5 16mm

Panoptic 22mm

TeleVue plossl 32mm 40mm

Barlow x2

These would be picked up over a couple of years …

Any thought, suggestions, additions, or subtractions would be appreciated

Thanks Howard