Posts Made By: Greg Nowell

November 17, 2007 09:07 PM Forum: Refractors

"for that nineteenth century look"

Posted By Greg Nowell

The local Dudley observatory celebrated its 150th anniversary last night. The Dudley observatory sponsors astronomical research and civic astronomy outreach, but since the 1960s doesn't really operate a telescope. I was asked to provide one for the event's group picture. Some of us also attended the event in period costume.

The Tak is precariously perched about five feet off the ground on a piece of plywood that rests on two wooden boxes that are on a plank that is on two heavy plaster support boxes. I don't know how I got persuaded to do that. The group portrait will look something like a choral arrangement for Messiah with a lot of people on stage, the Tak is high up to one side above the last rank of people.



regards
Greg N

November 17, 2007 11:05 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

The impossible screw

Posted By Greg Nowell

(got your attention?)

I'm having a lot of difficulty getting a .8 metric screw with ***fine threads***. Needs to be maybe .8 to 1 cm long. Socket cap head, stainless.

The purpose: I'd like to replace the screw on my Tak finder, which goes in the illuminator hole, with something that I can turn in and out by hand. The default screw looks pretty but it is slotted and therefore requires a tool or a dime, not the best thing for cold weather. (I always remove the illuminator, having found them to be finicky)

Please don't suggest mcmaster-carr or a google search. I've done both and am not having luck; even bought the mcmaster-carr coarse threads to discover that fine means fine.

If there is someway to improvise a plug that would work too. Though of course "pretty is preferred," since "pretty" seems to be what refractors are about (among other things).

thanks
Greg N

November 19, 2007 02:23 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Swarovski bino repairs - make a note!

Posted By Greg Nowell

Friendly smart people here gave me several recommendations for getting my Swarovski binos repaired/collimated, and I decided that the logical place was the national Swarovski HQ in Rhode Island. Binocular mavens had told me that something wasn't right with the way they were working.

These were purchased by my parents in 1990 (I inherited them). They are being repaired FREE under the lifetime warranty (apparently not limited by my parents' lifetimes)!! Wow. Apparently if you crack a lens that costs money, but collimation is a covered repair.

I was expecting this exercise was going to cost me $50 or $100. I just wish my parents had sprung for 8x50s!!! Oh well, I'll just have to make do!

regards
Greg N

November 22, 2007 01:00 AM Forum: Eyepieces

Light from outside fov

Posted By Greg Nowell

You're looking through an eyepiece, and a very bright star is just outside the field of view. You see a ray of light from that star across your field of view (a focused ray).

Does this mean it is a no-good-for-nuttin' eyepiece?

I'm curious about it because I have seen it in a very high end eyepiece line that I consider to have excellent contrast and great light control, well baffled too; for example when you're looking directly at Jupiter, it's excellent. I have also seen the phenomenon better controlled in eyepieces I don't like as much.

So I'm curious about the correct nomenclature and whether it is "invariably bad" or just one of those tradeoff issues.

thanks
Greg N


November 26, 2007 08:09 PM Forum: Eyepieces

Putting a TV dioptrx on a Pentax XW 40 or XW30

Posted By Greg Nowell

http://www.astromart.com/articles/article.asp?article_id=612

regards
Greg N

December 5, 2007 04:51 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Cure for light pollution

Posted By Greg Nowell

http://tinyurl.com/yp4f26

(I hope the link works) Greg N

December 10, 2007 02:07 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Re: equipment pricing

Posted By Greg Nowell

If you know the new prices of what you paid you can figure an average liquidation value of 70%. regards Greg N

December 28, 2007 02:31 AM Forum: ASTRONOMY

Re: Staying Warm in 30 degree weather?

Posted By Greg Nowell

Technically 30 degress does not qualify as "extreme astronomy" but if you have a hankerin' to join the group you can:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/extremeastronomy

For 30 degrees I'm still in my "intermediate insulated boots" I don't bring out the heavy duty ones till it gets below 20. Otherwise my feet get too warm.

regards
Greg N

December 28, 2007 02:43 AM Forum: AstroMart FAQ

kickin' in ten bucks or so

Posted By Greg Nowell

Usually I contribute when I sell a big ticket item but I haven't sold anything in a while. I was looking over the modalities for kickin' in ten bucks. Don't really need to buy purple for example because it will expire long before I use it.

I was thinking about the highlight five ads option. I didn't see an expiration date listed on the five ads. By this I mean, not whether the ad is highlighted for a week or whatever, but how long I can keep the highlight option after paying for it. Is there an expiration?

Thanks
Greg N

December 28, 2007 02:47 AM Forum: AstroMart FAQ

the new no-email policy

Posted By Greg Nowell

I interpreted this policy to mean, that I won't be able to alert some of my buds to deals on the 'mart via the "tell a friend!" option.

Do I have that right?

thanks
Greg N