Posts Made By: John Holt

Heck yes! Seen them often.

In RKE's on bright objects, where they're not very intrusive, as the targets themselves are sharp and contrasty.

In various budget higher power six element wide fields. They're not scary in these either. Just annoying.

Here is another lunar guide.

http://www.shallowsky.com/moon/hitchhiker.html

Hope you catch some star light!

>>Ive been fristrated at the price of commercial alt az mmounts.<<

Not I. I followed the examples of others, like these guys:

http://www.astromart.com/forums/viewpost.asp?forum_post_id=241698&poll_id=&news_id=&page=
http://www.rtmcastronomyexpo.org/archives/photos/2004%20RTMC%20AE%20016.jpg
http://www.astromart.com/forums/viewpost.asp?forum_post_id=452610&poll_id=&news_id=&page=

No clutches here, but definately affordable and very well working IME.

And another thing!
Here's examples of a Berry type mounts, for big and little scopes:

http://members.leapmail.net/%7Eericj/refractordobmounts.html

http://www.homebuiltastronomy.com/kidpeek/index.htm

Enrique Barrio said:

As much as we like to put down department store scopes; I rarely see anything better for sale anywhere other then the internet. I googled my state state this afternoon, and except for a few camera stores with a beginner scope or two; there was nothing.

Are there any real store anywhere that actually carry equipment that would be worth a visit. Is our hobby really that arcane? Has science in general drifted that far from popular appeal?

I love the internet as much as most; but, every so often it is nice to be able to kick the tires and buy something on the spot.

Then the place to start is at an astronomy club, rather than a retailer. Clubs often have members with scopes available for sale or lend, with which you get tech support from some one actually familiar with the scope. You will do no better with a local retailer. Clubs also often have state of the art equipment, with folks more than willing to share eyepiece time. Scope ownership not required.

I realize that not everyone is near a club. But club membership can be worth a bit of a drive.

I've a pipe mount I use for a short nine pound newt and a home made 80mm. I have no pictures of my own to post, but here are some examples of what other's of our peer's have done in this area.

http://www.astromart.com/forums/viewpost.asp?forum_post_id=538663&poll_id=&news_id=&page=

Ken Edwards said:

I have developed an interest in the short tube refractors. I am having a problem finding a decent photo-type tripod that works well for the task of "grabbing the whole setup and take it to the yard".

I have tried a variety of the camera store, garden-variety of tripods (sub $150 range) but my problem is tracking...when I get an object in the field of view, the controls don't tighten smoothly, causing the scope to move off target when I let go of the control.

I have looked at other expensive (again photography, alt-az type) tripods but just wonder if there is a good standard model, or feature set, to look for, that I should be looking for? Any ideas?

TIA...

--Ken

Mike Alexander said:

Has anyone used the 1.25 inch University Optics 80 degree ocular, and, if so, what are your thoughts on it, particularly its performance with galaxies and other DSO's?

Thanks.......Mike

I have not used it.

Five element + 80 degree field + $60 retail = some kind of konig derivation with modest coatings and optical finishes that may work well on fuzzies in loooong sloooww focal ratio scopes starting at about f/10. Based upon my experience with other budget wide field ep's over the years.

>> Is there one you just put in the focuser and it works transparently or do I need my slide rule every time I change an EP? What about moving between 2" and 1.25" EPs? I do all visual push-to viewing and tend to change my EP's MANY times in a nights viewing. I have been working really hard to get collimation down pat and studied the virtues and trappins of various WF EP's - bought one - and now I see all these comets in ALL my EP's that I never really noticed or cared about before.<<

Paracorr.

They are 2" only these days, and tunable for more specific focal ratio coma correction. Some of the better commercial light bucket builders strongly recommend putting one in the focuser, and leaving it there. Optical guru's do the same, so as to yield the largest possible diffraction limited field in view in the focuser.

It is immediately obvious to me where coma correction is and isn't being used, when peeking thru different fast newts. That's not the same as one can't live without it. But it's not subtle either.

The wider the actual field, the more coma there is to be seen.

>>...I have two others to choose from... my Celestron 80mm widefield refractor or my Meade 2045D 4" SCT (usually my guidescope).<<



4"SCT.
Jupiter will look better with all it's colors focused together. So will Mars and Venus in the early am. M13 is small and easy to find. It will look better with more aperture and magnification. IMHO

Chris Watts said:

For searching and finding objects i would think I would want a low power eyepiece and a very wide field of view. Can you make some recommendations, attached to a 2" diagonal.

Thanks,
Chris

IMHO the best true finder ep would be the one on the end if a 50mm wide angle finder scope, on top of the 8" ota.