Posts Made By: Alex McConahay

As a variation to what Rod suggested.....

instead of a remote control, use software in your laptop to control the time of the exposures. You will, practically speaking, need a laptop out there for focusing, processing, and all that eventually anyway, so you can skip the extra $140 a good remote costs.

Alex

You know, as far as the government being able to squash all the reports........

What government? The US govt?

How does the US govt squash the reports in China, or Ethiopia, or Namibia, or Slovakia? The Seychelles?

Or do all ufo's land in the United States?

Or is it the international government?

Is the UN really all that effective?

Interpol?

International Postal Organization ("meeting in Berne, Switzerland," I think you have to say whenever you mention them)?

Just which international govenrment?

Or do all governments squash the reports in the same way?

How did whoever did it get all the governments in the world to cooperate like that?

I want to know.

Alex

Conduit is cheap....DIgging is difficult. Once you have dug the hole, put in several runs of large conduit for in case things change later.

Alex

>>>>>It seems odd that Synta should essentially be competing against itself, at least on paper.

I don't see them as competing against themselves so much as cutting out a lot of problems (of dealing with the end users).

For years, we have had "twinning" in automotives. The Chrysler/Dodge/Plymouths all offering essentially identical platforms, with different color paint, and maybe slightly differently packaged accessories. And in lots of other products.

We have also heard about how companies slap their logo on somebody else's product. Where, for instance, is the "Radio Shack" factory. I doubt you will see many in the world with that sign out front. Same is said in automotive industry--How many American GM cars are actually Korean imports?

I think we have all heard stories about how Pillsbury flour mills changes the bags on the production line when they produce flour for other companies.

Furthermore, how many "components" manufatured by one company are sold in a final product by somebody else? Who makes the chip in your digital camera?

I see Synta doing the same thing. It is easier to sell the product in the thousands to end assemblers than to individual consumers. Synta just seems to have taken both routes--supplier as well as retail seller.

By the way--this does not mean, in my mind, that all these products are the same. They may be.....But there may also be an inspector sitting there from the company grading the products as they come off the line. A one tenth wave mirror goes to the XYZ company, with a one sixth wave goes to ABC.

I think this is all the way manufacturing goes nowadays--and probably for some time. And, as you said, the results are not too bad for all of us at the general consumer level. As long as there are the true high quality boutique models available for us also if we have the bucks, why quibble?

Alex

I would ask two questions before I started to give advice--

What size/type tube are you putting on it?
What are your goals (astroimaging, visual)?

After that, we can start getting more specific as to portability, stability, goto, digital setting circles........

Alex

I believe it would have to be bigger than the CG-5/LXD75/and that class. I base this on the fact that you eventually want to take pictures. And you are using a C9.25.

And if you are going into astroimaging, I need to tell you a story about me and NEAIC. This is a big imaging conference where a couple of hundred imagers come to learn from the best. I asked a couple of the experts where I could most effectively spend money to upgrade my images. I described my camera, software, mount, etc. And each said I needed to upgrade the mount. And I was using a $3300 Losmandy G11. So--if you want to get deep into astroimaging, there is no such thing as a "budget." mount according to the really good imagers.

(That is not to say you cannot take good images with less----just be prepared to spend more if you want the top rate good images.)

ALex

The more you magnify the movement of air (poor seeing), the more you will see the shaking and shimmering. (The more you magnify any defect, the more you will see it.)

Longer focal length telescopes magnify more than shorter focal length telescopes.

Therefore, you see the errors more in a longer focal length.

Alex

Yes, Outreach is a lot of fun.

Alex

This is commonly done.

Basically, you remove the lx200 from the forks, then you get an approprite dovetail and radius blocks (any good telescope shop can tell you what you need. Call Anacortes.)

Then put it on your mount of choice. You did not say what size scope you have, but be careful to get enough mount to hold it.

Alex

YOu can post more than one classified......

If you are doing this regularly, you should be a supporter--which is a voluntary thing, but I think should be expected if you post a lot.

And if you are a dealer you have certain other restrictions.

Otherwise (from the terms of service):

(c) You have multiple active advertisements posted for the same item at one time.
(d) Your account has more than 35 advertisements posted during any 6-month period.
(e) Your account has 10 or more ads in a one-year period for the same product.

If any of the above apply--consider yourself a dealer, and go look up the rules in the terms of service.

Alex