Image of the day

Captured by
Terry Wood

Jupiter (clearer) Nov 5th 2023 w/Mewlon 180c

My Account

New to Astromart?

Register an account...

Need Help?

Posts Made By: Steven Lynn

November 1, 2007 11:31 AM Forum: DVDs and Music and Books That You Recommend

KOYAANISQATSI

Posted By Steven Lynn

One of my favorite movies!

By the way, Philip Glass did not like the term "minmalist music." In the late 1960's early 70's he had a piece called Four Organs. It was played with electric organs. Basically, all four would start off playing the same very short 'sound' (chord?). Each successive sound would last a little bit longer, until each sound was lasting many seconds.

In the 1960s performances this was amplified to a very high volume level. NOT minimalist.

November 22, 2007 02:45 AM Forum: Bad to the Bone Autos

So, why can't Detroit do this?

Posted By Steven Lynn

To be more accurate the question should read: "Why won't Detroit do this?"

The answer: pick your conspiracy!
1. The number crunchers tell them they will lose money faster doing than that if they stay the course.
2. Cultural. It's like asking a Symphony Orchestra to play Purple Haze (now you know how old I am).
3. Political. The 'ruling class' is happy the way things are After all, they're ruling and rich!
4. Faith: there are new giant oil fields just waiting to be found. A lot of them.
5. Counter-conspiracy. There is no shortage of oil, and cars don't pollute, and global warming are all hoaxes perpetuated by (fill in whatever group seems appropriate)!
6. There are these people quietly buying up Ford, General Motors, etc. short.
7. Etc., etc.,



January 13, 2008 07:13 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Parks 80mm Refractor

Posted By Steven Lynn

SAM TOREN said:

I saw a Parks 80mm f/11 Refractor in a thrift store here in Southern California for $200 - is it worth it? The telescope and GEM tripod are in great condition. I don't see any reviews of these on any of the normal websites, and I just don't know the quality of these. The cost of the telescope new is $899 on the Parks Optical website (down from $1500 MSRP). Thanks for any input you have.

Could you tell me what thrift store so I could go shopping? wink For my 2 cents, the scope is a fine long focus achromat. Made in Japan, and Parks had better quality control than...well, they had quality control! Plus you got a mount. A useable, workable mount. I think for $200 you got a good deal. That set up may at times sell for $50 more or less.
The legs could be stiffened up by a brace.

SL

March 2, 2008 10:40 AM Forum: SCI-FI

The Moties

Posted By Steven Lynn

It must be 10 years since I read that. Good book, Jess. Yes, a little--uh, 'earth-morphic' to coin a phrase.

It's a problem with science fiction. Too alien makes it hard to relate, or even hang a plot on. I read a short story once where the author hit one aspect right on the head. Explorers had found an intelligent, alien species. But, it was a rock. Kinda. And all it did was sit there. It was like intelligence without motivation at all. After all, it's a rock. It doesn't need to eat, almost nothing can hurt it, and it's not about to go for a stroll. It just sits there.

So, trying to communicate with it was an exercise in frustration, due to the lack of common reference.

It was more--difficult--than I'm making it out to be, though.

SL

September 4, 2008 06:12 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

MT-160 questions

Posted By Steven Lynn

Douglas Reilly said:

...and a few days later a big well-padded box smelling of cigarette smoke arrived from overseas.

thanks so much!
doug

Hi Doug,
I can't help with your questions, but can if the scope reeks of cigarette smoke. Clean every part of the scope you can EXCEPT the optics by swabbing it down with and wiping off with
1. alcohol
2. and/or vinegar
3. and/or hydrogen peroxide. Each of those will dissolve different chemical. Maybe rinse with water; you don't want vinegar fumes hanging around too long.

The acid vinegar (please use clear vinegar, not balsamic! Or not even apple cider) will cut through stuff the alcohol doesn't and vice versa.
Hydrogen peroxide: get the stuff from the drug store, which I think is 3%. The stronger stuff is too strong. It breaks down aromatic hydrocarbons or something like that.

Of course, if the optics look yellow from smoke...you've got a project.

Steven

September 13, 2008 07:07 AM Forum: After Dark

Land Viewing

Posted By Steven Lynn

Hi Roger,

Jon's suggestion is a good one. The William Optics (WO) scope Jon suggested is an all around telescope. For terrestrial viewing you need a diagonal to tilt the image at an angle to the scope. A porro prism gives you an image that is not reversed left-right or upside down. The common diagonal used in astronomy flips the image left-right.

Spotting scopes
are designed for terrestrial viewing, and (usually) will give you a natural (non-inverted or non-reversed) image. The eyepiece is often tilted at a nice angle for viewing. But, a spotting scope is not as easy to use for astronomy as an astronomy scope can be used for terrestrial use.

A good example of a spotting scope is a Leica Televid.

The Televid costs up around $1,600 to $1,800, more than I would or should spend. The WO scope is in the high hundreds or low 4 figures.

These are both refractor designs. The benefit of spending more money is that you can get an APO scope. That means there will be little or no color fringing (false color) around objects. A low priced refractor will have color fringes around objects, and really cheap ones will have poor quality images.

Another option is a Mak, short for Maksutov design. This design is immune from the false color problem. Anacortes has 6 listed in the spotting scope category (do a search for maksutov) ranging in price from $178 without a tripod to $400 with a tripod.

To zoom in on your choices, a few questions:

Is this for casual viewing, or serious viewing?
Did you have a budget in mind?
Will this scope ever be used to look at the moon, planets, or stars?
Is the ability to use more than one magnification important?

A trek up to Anacortes would be great. A few years ago I had my sights set on a particular telescope, but when I saw it in person I realized it was too big for my needs. Nothing like kicking the tires, so to speak.

September 17, 2008 04:01 AM Forum: Global Warming - REAL or NOT

Rocket from UK with Global Warming Experiment

Posted By Steven Lynn

That was fun. I moved recently and decided to pass on cable TV for a while. The cable provider in my new location doesn't have TBN Movie channel! A crime.

Anyway, I miss Mythbusters, my favorite show for blowing things up!


Here are some to-the-point quotes from the commentary:

Until an actual vehicle is selected what does this do other than generate publicity and act as a stunt.

reply:
It serves the essential commercial mission of filling cable and satellite network time with content sufficiently puriant to attract viewers and force them to accidentally see their commercials.

Let's be clear about that.

<><><>
end quotes.

Interesting idea, though, launching a gazillion little lenses high in the atmosphere to increase the albedo of planet earth in an attempt to cool it.


November 10, 2008 01:19 AM Forum: CCD Imaging and Processing/Solar System

Saturn this morning

Posted By Steven Lynn

Even so it is still a nice picture!

November 17, 2009 05:02 AM Forum: Eyepieces

Flex Band Deteriorating!

Posted By Steven Lynn

I had the rubber grips around a William Optic SCT focuser deteriorate after a few years. I inquired with Anacortes about replacements. A few weeks later new bands arrived in the mail from William Optics, free!

William Optics considered the first bands defective, and I think switched to a different material. ???

I suggest you contact either who you bought it from or the manufacturer. There may be a replacement part.

Steven

November 23, 2009 12:04 AM Forum: Pictures of Me and My Telescope and........

custom alt azimuth mount

Posted By Steven Lynn

Richard, who made the 5" fluorite doublet? Vixen and Takahashi used fluorite doublets. The largest Vixen was 4". Takahashi made several larger ones, but not with a black tube! According to MBM (my bad memory), Showa also sold fluorite doublets, but it could have been another company. Few from that third company ever made it to the US.

I have the 4" Vixen, perfect airy disc. Also a 70mm Vixen fluorite, also great optics.

Anything you can tell us about you 5" fluorite doublet?

Thank,
Steven