Posts Made By: Ronald Abraham

November 18, 2007 10:51 PM Forum: Zeiss

85* 30mm Super Erfle

Posted By Ronald Abraham

This is that huge Zeiss with the built-in diopeter adjustment and odd rectangular flange between the body and the barrel.

I decided I had to have one after a friend who is a master astronomer use her's.

No doubt, this piece is a very well kept secret that has a contrast advantage over the Nag 31 and beats every othe UWA have tried.


January 25, 2008 03:31 AM Forum: After Dark

RC Telescope Design

Posted By Ronald Abraham

Forgive my ignorance - please. The fact is that few of us know the nomenclature of each major telescope design.

A Newtonian design is basically a parabolic or spherical primary combined with a seccondary flat.

A Schmidt Cassegrain, Maksutov Cassegrain, RC, Yolo, APO, etc is essential describing an optical path from initial incidence to resulting focal plane for an eyepiece, ccd, or other instrument. A newtonian would be a PMFM or SMFM.

When I utter the words "Ritchey" or "Schmidt", I really don't know what I'm talking about. Maybe there schould be an effort to standardize descriptions by using acronyms incorporating letters like "H" for hyperbola, "S" for spherical, "F" for flat", and so on.

Honestly - the Meade system uses a refractive element in place of more expensive reflective profiles to achieve the same end.

Armchair astronmy catches all of us using terms we don't really understand. My mouth moves, but I'm far from knowledgeable enough to speak authoritatively. Meade will have to just get over it. Maybe someday they won't have to treat customer service as a waste of their time.

July 14, 2008 02:26 PM Forum: Star Parties

2008 OKIE TEX STAR PARTY - KENTON, OK

Posted By Ronald Abraham

I have attended the OT event for several years and hope to return this year. I have no club affiliation but would like to start a contact list of people from the genral area of western Arkansas and the eastern half of Oklahoma who will be or will be considering attending.

I intend on being there the first day and would like to compare notes with other AAs from this area regarding observing locations, weather, light domes, local clubs, etc. Having travelled much in Arkansas and eastern OK, I feel like I know the area fairly well; I just don't know very many AAs, but would like to change that.

RA


February 15, 2010 03:28 AM Forum: After Dark

How is this a new discovery?

Posted By Ronald Abraham

We may have more knowledge now about the sun's variability, but I learned about the sun being a variable star in the mid-1970s. Perhaps my professor was incorrect, but (evidently) back then scientists thought the multi-cyclical nature of the sun was a major factor in the coming and going of ice ages as well as the tendency of lesser, apparently cyclical climate changes.

There are many variable stars which exhibit behavior that would affect any "habitable zone planet" the same way our sun has been affecting ours.

August 30, 2008 02:21 PM Forum: Polls

All cars built after 2015 should be powered by...

Posted By Ronald Abraham

Let's consider gasoline: Very high specific energy output - most easily obtain able and affordable specific energy output per dollar at $6+ per gallon. Direct injection, higher compression ratios can increase engine efficiency, lighter vehicle weight, better aerodynamics. more efficient opower transmission can delive a high performance family car that gets 35 MPG hwy and 24 MPG city.

Liquid fuels with 75% or more of gasoline's energy/per liter can be produced economically from coal, and other solid natural sources, as well as trash & garbage.

Hydrogen presents more significant problems than can be affordably overcome.

The United States and Canada are among the richest nations in the world in subteranean fuel resources and wind, solar, and water power potential is staggering. Our Nuclear capabiltiy has great potential.

The energy crisis is a fact based on the free market system of the new world order and growing numbers and affluence in world population have revealed to us that our energy sources must be developed. Fuel may temporaril get more expensive, but will ultimately continue to decrease in cost for generations.

Global warming solutions are being discovered weekly. There is solid evidence that used of a variety of biowastes and industrial wastes can be used to culture an uncomprehensible amount of materials that will stimulate oceans to release billions of tons of oxygen into the atmosphere.

These are not earth problems; they are human problems. Human resources have theorized and proven more solutions than we'll need for the next century. The answer is to allocate the funds and commit to a well rounded group of solutions.

There is no reason we should not be able to spend $200 on fuel costs to drive a large motor home from coast to coast and back on $500 worth of fuel, or drive a Corvette or Porsche, or Buick for two weeks on less than $30.

The difference between success and failure in this pursuit is no less than the difference between selfless and selfish attitudes among leadership.