Posts Made By: Tom Lacovik

Hi All,
Just watched a repeat of a Discovery show on hunting for extra-solar planets, and they spent a good deal of time on the Roger Angel LBT (large binocular telescope) project. I've seen this show before (a long time ago), but again, was dumbstruck at how advances in optics still continue in leaps and bounds.

At the time of filming, it looked like they were just finishing the first of the 2 twin interferomerty driven 8.4m mirrors. A search on the net reveals the estimated completion date for this binocular scope is 2004. And it blows my mind, that, if it works, it will be 10x better than hubble's images.

But I was just wondering, in the mean time, is that first mirror, the world's largest, in place anywhere, being tested on its own somewhere (before they make 2 only to find a problem in one is being duplicated), or just wondering if so, then are there any images which even as a monocular, would surely be stunning in it's own right, interferometry aside.

Or is it just being stored until the 2nd is ready so that one doesn't 'age' without the other.

Anyone know?

TomL.

p.s. i'm just going to take a guess here, but i bet it is a finished blank and they won't coat it at all until both are ready to be coated at the same time, with the same batch of metal. just a guess. is it right?

Has anyone used the Nikon Zoom EP (modified to fit 1.25" telescopes) that would care to comment on it's quality? TV like or not?

TomL

If I wanted to put an 8" f/6 weighing in at 18 pounds onto a GEM and out of my Dob mount, would a TAL Gem-2RA be sturdier than an LXD55?

I take it the LXD55 10" SNT weighs about that or more and many people consider it marginal for visual use.

Of course my Newt is longer than a 10" LXD OTA since it is 44.5" long, but I am still ineterested in GEM mounting it if it could be done inexpensively and solidly well, solidly for visual use i should say, some vibration dampening is fine, but not 10+ seconds worth if you get my drift.

Naturally G11s kick their collective butts, but there's no money around for that type of thing right now...so....? TAL GEM2? LXD 55? or neither and wait?

TomL

I'm a happy dob devotee, BUT, it sure would be nice to get my wife to view some stuff side by side with me. She does have some interest but limited patience, especially in the cold. In other words, she likes looking AT stuff (the more visually obvious stuff...nebula, planets and the like) as opposed to looking FOR stuff, which I actually enjoy.

So, I thought I could pick up a Celestron 60 or 80 GT (1st question: is this the SAME mount for 60 or 80 or is the 80 beefier). Then for really cheap, she could point and view and at least get 20 minutes of fun before getting too cold (wimp!) and running back inside. I know the OTA is super beginnery but it might benefit from my better EPs, and also, I have a future OTA upgrade path idea (below) that is REALLY the reason I am considering this now.

Also, if I put a telrad on it, we could quickly match up the telrad on the bigger dob and compare views instantly. Of course, I like hopping/searching on my own, but it takes me a lot longer (to put it mildly) than 2 seconds, and I would just do that when alone not with someone waiting (ie. getting there is half the fun for me, but not with someone waiting to see something!)

Also (deciding factor alert), I could, down the road, mount a DECENT refractor on it, could I not???

Borg? TV 102 or 76 APO? I'm aware of people doing this with these cheaper gotos, and mounting good optics, I just don't know how happy they are or what the maximum is? So in other words, it wouldn't be garbage after a few years, even if my wife loses interest, because it might have a secret, selfish use as a portable goto with decent refractor down the road? thoughts on this last one especially valued!

TomL

Surely M42, Pleiades, Saturn and Jupiter, but as I'm new, I find it hard to tear myself away from any of those 4 things long enough to go hunting for other caldwells or messiers.

But may I ask, which of the other Cs or Ms would really be worth my limitted light polluted observing time to tear myself away from the main attractions above?

What are the best 5 'other' targets and I will try to focus on those for a change...provided the great Pacific Northwest Nebula blows away soon

TomL

I have an 8" dob with a thin Taiwanese mirror in it. The cell supports the mirror on its perimeter with clips. The mirror cannot shift or fall our in any way, and holds collimation really well.

But the whole back of the mirror is exposed, with no central support. I have a metal plate that would perfectly and snugly fit in the OTAs rear ring, and can be and thought if I put three felt pads near the center of that plate, that those could add some support to the center of the mirror.

I don't SEE anything resembling distortion due to sagging, and wonder if sagging could even be a real issue with thin 8" mirrors. Real or imagined, should I go through with this 10 second modification?

TomL

I was wondering what the concensus was about these scopes/mirrors...anyone have any thoughts on it?

there is a super suspicious 12" lx200 for sale on ebay. i asked the guy for some technical info, like "focal ratio". he just keeps nastily diverting questions. saying "it's like new with some water spots that's why its cheap..no i don't have any pix take it or leav it."
"i think i will rechrome the legs and wipe up the mirror myself charge an extra $1000 if you ask any more questions"

but rechoming a spot on the legs has nothing to do with astronomy!? I was asking about what the condition of the optics were...he said the thing was left out in the rain, that's why it's got "optical blemishes on the leg and tube" ... i think he means "cosmetic" not "optical"...basically he didn't use any correct or even approximately right astronomical jargon in describing "his" scope which leads me to suspect it's hot. plus he won't post any pics nor does he know anything about it really, but he says, "ask meade if you have any questions".

So basically, I wanted you guys to know that I think it's stolen, in case anyone needs to try to track their scope down...it might be there.

I know nothing about SCTs really, in fact, I only just borrowed a classic orange c8 from our club's library. and this is my first direct contact with one.

Looking at celestron's modern lineup, I was wondering how something like that one armed nexstar stacks up (optically) to the other celestron 8" SCTs tubes, both this classic one i have and others like the carbon tube ones and all that.

Mounts, carbon, forks vs gems, and goto aside, is the nexstar 8 the same optics as any celestron scts more or less?

Thanks,
TomL

Hi All,

Further to a recent thread, I too am starting to wonder if I should pick up a refractor in time for Mars. I don't have APO bucks, but don't want a kaleidoscope (of color) either. I have an xt8 as it is, but was wondering if i could do better on planets with an achromat without busting the bank.

I see that Orion's AstroView™ 120mm is now only $439, while Antares is at least double that. Both appear to be mounted on what is that? a cg5 or eq4 or gp mount (btw, are all these just 3 names for the same thing? i've never quite figured that out).

Aparently Synta makes the glass for orion, whereas vixen makes the glass for antares.

How are either on false color? and is 8.3 too fast to be a planet killer?

Thank you.
TomL