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Posts Made By: Doug Peterson

June 24, 2006 04:31 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Antares Optical rotating tube rings

Posted By Doug Peterson

According to their ad in the current S&T, Antares now offers rotating tube ring kits for newtonians. Parks and Parallax charge ungodly amounts of money for theirs, the possibility of an Asian source for this stuff is intriguing. Unfortunately, neither their website antaresoptical.com nor any of their dealers show any info. Anyone know any details?

July 9, 2006 09:17 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Clutching the CG4/EQ3 dual axis drive?

Posted By Doug Peterson

Worst drive system EVER. The RA drive has no cluch, unless you call loosening and tightening a setscrew with an allen wrench in the dark a clutch. Strangely, the DEC drive does have a clutch just like the GP/clone/EQ4 drive has on both axes. Anyone figure out a way to clutch the RA and make this into a decent mount? It seems like the drives are smooth and would otherwise be fine.

July 12, 2006 02:03 AM Forum: AstroMart FAQ

Beware of deals thru the Message system

Posted By Doug Peterson

A buyer doing a pretty good impression of an awe-shucks newbie wanted to buy my mount, but only communicated over the message system, despite my request that he email a response to my ad. He wanted to do a bank transfer where he would hand the phone to the clerk at the bank and I would give the female voice my account number and possibly my life savings. When I balked and tried to get him to go thru his claimed Praypal account, he in turn backed out of the deal. To date, I still do not know his email address or contact info, leaving open the possibility it is fraud.

July 17, 2006 12:52 AM Forum: Refractors

7" F7 ED Petzval

Posted By Doug Peterson

Well that is what I get with my new 8" F6 TMB achromat and a Chromacor. Anyone else tried this?

July 20, 2006 09:42 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Scopetronix still around?

Posted By Doug Peterson

My 37 bucks has disappeared into the void. Multiple emails unanswered, phone off the hook?

July 27, 2006 12:06 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

"ScopeTronix is closed until further notice." Just a bad redirect?

Posted By Doug Peterson

RIP. There goes my 37 bucks! How much you loose?

July 29, 2006 11:15 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

FC-100: what glass is the front element?

Posted By Doug Peterson

I have from reliable source it is Bk7, yet from other sources that the glass is more exotic combination than FS-102 resulting in better color correction. One difference of course is the fluorite element moved forward and coated. Anyone?

September 6, 2006 01:59 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Erect image 0-90 deg spotter: How do they do it?

Posted By Doug Peterson

What prism/mirror combination allows for an erect image with an adjustment range from straight thru to 90 degrees?

http://www.longperng.com.tw/product_in2.asp?id=456

They have patents on the adjustable angle erect image spotting scope in many countries. This obviously is the WO, Celestron and others' OEM.

September 8, 2006 12:42 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Yukon Scout 20x50 Spotting Scope ?

Posted By Doug Peterson

Rubber armored, 50mm achromat with drawube containing 67 degree ocular at 20x, erect image. It seems impossible that for 35 bucks it could be any good, but I am the eternal optimist. Anyone looked through one? What did you see?


September 10, 2006 12:59 AM Forum: Refractors

Astronomy Technologies 66F6 ED

Posted By Doug Peterson

I have now seen two of these and both are excellent. The second one had a small amount of astigmatism, this was easily fixed by loosening the lens cell retaining ring slightly and is now perfect. Also, squeal in the focuser can be fixed by finding a setscrew on the single speed side of the focuser, loosening it slightly, pulling the focus knob out slightly and resecuring. The color correction is quite decent, and the mechanics are really cool. Also Royce, the boss, will help you even if you are not the original owner. These are a best buy.