Posts Made By: Jake Jacobson

My first Jupiter of the season. Seeing was poor, and my processing skills are rusty, but it still feels great to finally have an image to work on!

Taken with my 8" f/5 newt and webcam.

Comments appreciated!

-Jake

I finally got a chance to see it yesterday, boy it is a big one! 8O 8O 8O


Attached is a white light image, shot with a 90mm f/11 refractor, Kendrick visual filter, and digital rebel.

-Jake

I've had pretty good luck with my Chinese equipment. My Synta 8" f/5 is one of the best scopes I own, and has an excellent figure - I use it all the time for imaging - see attached image.

I think the problem with Chinese (or any mass-produced scope/mount/etc.) is that there will always be a few stinkers on the assembly line that make it through. Meade and Celestron have had the same problem, too.

-Jake

I just saw a classified pop up for a vintage Monolux refractor for $185. I noticed that it strongly resembled an auction I was watching on another auction site recently. Curious, I went back and checked the other auction, and sure enough both scopes happen to have the same serial #. Incidentally, the other auction ended for $35.

Now, call me crazy, but since the other auction ended a little over a week ago, I wouldn't think the scope has been in the new owners' posession for more than 2 days - I can't imagine what he could have done to it in that short time span to add $150 in value.

I'm not sure whether or not I think this type of "flipping" is ethical or not. On one hand, who am I to begrudge someone for making a buck. On the other hand, this feels alot like ripping off fellow amateur astronomers - something which I generally feel doesn't happen here on Astromart.

I am curious as to what others think about this....

Ray -

While I agree with you that there has been little coverage of the civilian dead in Iraq, I don't agree that the current coverage of American victims means they are somehow more worthy.

It is as simple as the fact that this is a large natural catastrophe that hit on our own soil - and it is currently going on right now. That is why you see so much media coverage - it is our own land and our own people, simple as that. I think you might be reading to much into it.

-Jake

I guees I am going back to being a refractor user again! I have sold my trusty 8" imaging newt and CI-700 mount in favor of my new "dual apo" setup. Meade 102ED on bottom, and Vixen ED80sf on top - both ride on an LXD650 mount. Between the two, I am now in "refractor heaven".

Makes a very nice visual setup, but I am really looking forward to putting this rig through the astrophotography paces!

-Jake

This is my first time on this object, and it is a difficult one with the Digital Rebel. It's also the first light for my new imaging rig!

It's taken me 6 months to assemble this rig, but I really liked how well it worked for my first imaging session: Atlas EQ-G, Vixen ED80sf, and Meade 102ED. I shot this image with the Vixen, and guided with the Meade (+ST-4). I still need some processing work on this, but I think it shows the potential of my new setup.

-Jake

which is better?

A Celestron CPC-8.

I think Hillary lost to primary because of dirty tactics from the Obama campaign. They cleverly insinuated that Bill pulled the race card. In the meantime, Obama was blatantly pulling the sexism card, calling Hillary "Annie Oakley". They smeared her left and right, and then claimed she was the negative. They managed to turn the whole party against Hillary - whereas she was a star before. It is disgusting what they did to her - similar to what GWB did to McCain in 2000.

As a democrat, I am sorry to see Obama as the nominee. He has hardly offered a solution to anything, only using grandiose words. The few stances he took, he has gone back on. What's amazing is he has many people convinced he is the voice of "change", when the reality is he sounds pretty much like every shallow campaigning politician I have ever heard. I guess if you say it enough times, people will believe it (this is the lesson learned from GWB).

Unfortunately, I am also disappointed to see McCain is the R candidate. A so-called "Maverick" who stands for nothing but his own interest.

I was really hoping for Hillary - a candidate who firmly committed to pulling out of the war, and whom I am sure would fix the economy, just like Bill did in the 1990's.

Jim -

At least he had a teleprompter this time. Otherwise, it would have been, "uhhhhh, mmmmmm, hmmmmmm".