Posts Made By: sanders chai

hi folks,
anyone have any insight into the collins i3's
i know i should ask about bright light exposure, pixels out and hours of veiwing.
anything else?

hi folks,
anyone have any insight into the collins i3's
i know i should ask about bright light exposure, pixels out and hours of veiwing.
anything else?

Hi Folks,
So I picked up a used I3 - pretty amazing. From the city, m13, m15, double look like they do 1 hour's drive away. HAvent been able to test out on edge-on gal which it is suppose to be good on too - any suggestions for this time of year?
HAs anyone ever used the ep with an objective lens as a "mini telescope"? Bill Collins sells 50mm/f1.3 objectives to use in just sucha manner, but low power. You can get an adaptor to fit camera lenses - is this crazy? Camera lenses I noticed have a lot more glass. How would NONPHOTOGRAPHIC astronomical images via camera lenses look I wonder through sucha configuration?

Also, I suggested to Herb to start an I3 forum. He said he'd consider if there was enough demand.

Sanders

Hi there,
Anyone ever tried the howie glatter nebula fiters for binoculars or anything similar?

Sanders

Hi Folks,
I'm headed south (hemisphere) on business and figure I need to work the astronomy angle - need a guide book:
Not too thrilled with Tiron's 2 books (amazon has samples online, table of contents not too enticing).
very little on Reidy and Wallace's book out there along with Lantsen's - no reviews or exerpts that I can find.
Anyone down-under care to comment or any experience out there?
May just take my trusty Karkoschka.

Sanders

Hi Folks,
I did a search on the forum here and maybe I'm missing it but...
I'm looking for the software that'll be a substitute for my telescope on rainy nights.
Of course, I'd like it to become an aide for my real observing sessions.
I'll have a system with dvd capacity if that makes a difference on what is available.

Sanders

Sorry folks,
I'm about to plunge in and order a highlander.
I've read through the thread started by George Page on deliberations for his kowa highlander setup as well as others that mention mounting big binocs in passing. Also have read CN review on the unistars.

Still cant decide though:
- unistar heavey-duty delux
- bogen video head (516)
- bogen geared head (405)
- bogen 3way (3047)
Any others that are favorites?

What are pros and cons? - I dont have a lot of experience with any of these, I've been using a Giro mount for some time.
Am i right when i say it sounds as though the unistars are more stable overall, lighter and have more range of motion, but when it comes to panning, the bogens may be better suited for a binocular such as the highlanders?

And i've had great experience with the bogen 3036 tripod with a 100mm refractor (mated to the giro) which I got about 4 years ago - would this still be the way to go for the kowas?

Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated,
Sanders

Sorry folks, (I wanted to post this here vs binoculars but I couldn't change it, sorry admin...)
I'm about to plunge in and order a highlander.
I've read through the thread started by George Page on deliberations for his kowa highlander setup as well as others that mention mounting big binocs in passing. Also have read CN review on the unistars.

Still cant decide though:
- unistar heavey-duty delux
- bogen video head (516)
- bogen geared head (405)
- bogen 3way (3047)
Any others that are favorites?

What are pros and cons? - I dont have a lot of experience with any of these, I've been using a Giro mount for some time.
Am i right when i say it sounds as though the unistars are more stable overall, lighter and have more range of motion, but when it comes to panning, the bogens may be better suited for a binocular such as the highlanders?

And i've had great experience with the bogen 3036 tripod with a 100mm refractor (mated to the giro) which I got about 4 years ago - would this still be the way to go for the kowas?

Any wisdom would be greatly appreciated,
Sanders

Hi Folks, this is a rammble...
- Kowa Highlander Prominar with 9,14,and 21mm ep's(Anacortes)
- Universal Astronomics MACROSTAR (prototype Larry sent me - thanks!)
- Bogen 3036 (ebay - my dad got my old 3036 which I luv, so hunted down used one since Bogen d/c'ed line)

I'm in the Netherlands now - about 30min outside A-dam. I bicycled to the viewing site with the setup loaded into a custom padded pelican 1510 - call me crazy (call me crazier when i get my motorcycle in Tanzania!!)
First-light tonight, typical dutch clear-skies weather: cool, 40F-ish, 5-10mph breeze, rel humid - subsealevel damp (view time was 2hrs before dew buildup was proibitive).

I never saw so much color (the good kind - i hope)! Ive been using my 4"apo and 14.5"newt for a few years, have had handheld binos also. never had context to marvel at contrast in this aspect of stellar viewing until now. I've never heard anyone discuss this about bino viewing - has anyone comments on this, the fact that color viewing is enhanced?

all objects noted close to zenith, at least 45degrees above.
no "false" colors that I can detect on mine as others have reported. This was on Vega and a few nights before on the wanning moon. can see some comma (? - vignetting?) with 21mm eps at edges, about 10% in.
M13, I imagine granularity with 9mm.
M33, faintfaint smear. amazed i could find it to begin with out here in NL
M51, no go (but low on horizon, <45degrees)
M57, impressive, can see central clearing
NGC7000, ok I saw it with Zeiss 20x60 IS outside seattle. just for kicks tried it here, but no luck.
M45, marvelous, icy white stars.
NGC884/869, ok, now I know what they mean by 3-D effect. I stared at it for "hours". Also wowed some folks walking by who wanted a peak.

The spring retention system for the eps is annoying. it takes some force, so you loose the object in sight as you wrestle out the eps. Markus or anyone else out there with these binos reading this - any fixes?
The focus is delicate, you can really hone in.

the Macrostar is nice, about par with Giros that i (or I should say my dad) use with my apos. only wish there was altitude friction control that was easy access (need wrench to adjust it).

the bogens i am bummed. bad dampening, never remembered these as so heavey (then again, never biked with them before when i was a lazy-assed car-driving home-boy). think i might try to find a gitzo (1227, 1228G) - any input?

ok, should i be bummed about the comma/vignetting at edges? On center and about 70-80%out they are crisp.

if i am moved (which i hope to be) will write from tanzania in about 2months.

By the way, i think i am going to post my Zeiss 20x60 IS on astromart. any takers?

sanders

HI Folks,
I am thinkning of sinking some money into a carbon fiber tripod (gitzo 1228G with geared center column). I use a Bogen 3036 that I am finding doesnt have ideal dampening for my application (binoculars with a Universal Macrostar mount, about 15-20lbs - I use a giro wiht the 3036 for my 4" apo and it seems to do fine for that setup). Also concerned about weight as I will be travelling with this setup.

How do carbon fiber tripods handle? they sound so light, I am concerned about stability compared to the stuff being mounted on top. I've heared that they do improve dampening.

Any thoughts?

Thanks for reading,
Sanders