Posts Made By: Ed York

Paul Maxson posted this link and it is quite good:

http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/2004Q2_1.html

Also, from The Sky for Feb 10 9:30 PM (see Photo).

Ed

At this point it sounds like 3 are being discussed (only 2 may be considered for purchase).

Hardin - I really like the focuser. A good focuser helps find the sweet spot and get the most out of the mirrors. Overall it seems like decent quality. I have not viewed with one but have checked it out at the local scope shop. I would upgrade the secondary.

Orion - I can't speak of the difference on the mirrors, but while I had decent views with my 8" Orion, it was not 1/8 wave (1/5 with a turned edge and rough finish). It kind of shows the wide quality range on the chinese scopes that people mention. They seem to be decent quality. Mine keeps collimation well. I used a club owned 10" at a star party and it was a good scope. The focuser is garbage. I would upgrade the secondary. (by the time you do these 2 items you could have had the discovery)

Discovery - It's worth the extra money! My "Orion" 8" scope has been redone - new focuser, new secondary, re-figured the primary. I get better views with the 8" then then 10" off the shelf chinese scopes I have used. Quality optics are like adding aperture. By the time I tweaked, I could have bought the discovery for less. Another bonus, If you can handle/transport the weight and the length, the f6 is a better view then the f5 and you can have a bit more slop in EP's. A neighbor (and founder of a budding loose knit Astronomy club) has a discovery 8" f6 that is several years old. It is a fine instrument with beautiful views. I expect his kids will inherit it in 30+ years.

My 1.5 cents worth.

Ed

I put the quick connects back on tonight. I just had the trusses and cage poles anodized, painted the quick connects black and moved the finder around to below the EP so I don't need the ladder for the finder.

Obviously the photo is without the shroud to see the poles.

Ed

Floyd,

With your range of EP's you could swap off that barlow for something else. It doesn't look like you have much need for a barlow.

Ed

Thanks Floyd. I saw that classified and checked them out. Since I have the 24.5mm SWA and the 40mm SWA, the 33mm looked very tempting at that price. I will be very interested in seeing how they perform.

Ed

If you are really focused on planets, 1.52".

If you want both planets and DSO, 1.83" (a little more field in the 100%) and it still only has 18% obstruction.

Newt seems to say you can get away with 1.34" but your 100% is tiny.

Of course you will get 1/24 pv or better quartz Antares to go with that beautiful primary.

Ed

Ben,

It is a combination of your eyes and your expectations.

The color that you see in the photos is from long exposures (or tons of short ones). Your eyes can only see a single short exposure. The color doesn't have time to soak in. You will see very little color compared to photos.
The excitement is seeing it live, real time. That is, for some, far better then any photo. Of course as you treat your eventual aperture fever, you will see more color (never as much as some of the beautiful photos posted her on AM).

Ed

Floyd,

I already knew Zammit was building it.

Can't wait to see the photos!

Ed

Don't choke the Zambuto with a mediocre secondary.

ANTARES!

Someone once gave me this sae advice but I can't remember who .

The secondary is a small mirror with a big job to do.

Ed

If the car is next to you, I've rolled down the window, turned the defroster on and put the EP's on the dash (right by the window). If no one else is around, I will flip on the radio as well.

Ed