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Posts Made By: Stephen Collett

March 19, 2008 03:44 PM Forum: Star Parties

Kern County Astronomy Day

Posted By Stephen Collett
The Foothill High School Astronomy Club, in collaboration with Kern Astronomical Society, will host Kern County Astronomy Day on Saturday, April 12, 2008, at Foothill High School in Bakersfield, CA. Events start at 2:00 p.m., with a smorgasbord of activities until 5:30. Drawing for prizes will be at 7:00, followed by star gazing at least until ten. NO charge for admission -- children of all ages are welcome.

Foothill High School is at 501 Park Drive in Bakersfield. This is 1/2 mile south of Nile Street, across from the junction with Eucalyptus Drive. More information at kernastro.org.

June 30, 2008 06:18 AM Forum: Digital SLR AstroPhotography

OPT cable

Posted By Stephen Collett
I'm probably not computer savvy enough to solve this problem, but I thought I'd ask. I purchased the OPT serial-to-usb cable to control the bulb shutter release on my Canon Xti. I can't get it to actually release the shutter -- the camera ends up being a very expensive paperweight while the software (ImagesPlus) waits to download an image that was not taken.

Has anybody had a similar problem with this combination?

February 7, 2011 07:12 PM Forum: Telescope Making

FRP cement

Posted By Stephen Collett
What's everybody using with their white Fiberglass Reinforced Panel (FRP) pebble-surfaced paneling? The recommended adhesive is not available in small quantities. The surface is basically the same as Bondo (you can tell by the aroma when you cut it. What sticks best?

March 10, 2011 04:28 AM Forum: Star Parties

Kern County Astronomy Day

Posted By Stephen Collett
The Kern Astronomical Society, in conjunction with the Foothill High School Astronomy Club, will be hosting a huge star party on Saturday, April 9th. The fourth annual Kern County Astronomy Day will be held in the gymnasium at Foothill High School in Bakersfield, with displays, activities, and presentations from 2:00 to 5:30 pm. A drawing for door prizes, including an 8" dobsonian, will begin at 7:15. This will be followed by a huge star party on our athletic practice fields behind the gym. The address is 501 Park Drive, Bakersfield, CA 93306. Google Kern Astronomical Society for details.

March 27, 2012 03:10 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Spectrohelioscope question

Posted By Stephen Collett
I've been researching for some time now about building a spectrohelioscope, and now I've acquired some gratings so I guess I'd better get started.
One of the most interesting designs is by Gene Frazier, described in an Amateur Scientist column in Scientific American back in 1974. What's interesting about this design is that it uses a large grating to "pick off" the intended wavelength before it even enters the telescope, and then a second grating in the synthesizer disperses this first line into an image of the sun without using Anderson prisms, moving slits, or nodding mirrors.

Question: Why do I see no later examples of this design? Has it been discredited? Is there some flaw in the physics behind it? From reading the Scientific American article, the design seems to have significant advantages over other system.

March 30, 2012 03:45 PM Forum: Star Parties

Kern County Astronomy Day

Posted By Stephen Collett
The fifth annual Kern County Astronomy Day will take place Saturday, April 14th, from 2:00 to 10:00 pm at Foothill High School in Bakersfield, California. For details go to kernastro.org.

June 1, 2005 04:15 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Epoxy for telescope construction

Posted By Stephen Collett
It's been my sad experience that even the best epoxy (JB is very good) fails and fails suddenly (depending on investment, perhaps tragically) on aluminum.

September 8, 2005 03:22 AM Forum: Telescope Making

Extending Aluminum Tubing?

Posted By Stephen Collett
A guy I had built a 12.5 inch for ended up getting a new mirror with a longer focal length. He found some tubing with an ID a little larger that the OD of my original tubes, and spliced it in with pop rivets. Turned out pretty stiff, although not as stiff as originally built. He also had to add some weights to the back to get it back in balance. Haven't seen that scope in a while.

September 19, 2005 04:55 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

First light, finally!

Posted By Stephen Collett
Pretty scope, Floyd!! Does it shake?

September 19, 2005 05:00 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

University optics 2.8x Klee Barlow

Posted By Stephen Collett
I do not believe your Latin has any meaning at all.

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