Posts Made By: Steve Sands

I realize that this subject has probably been discussed before, but I would like opinions from current Moonlite focuser owners. I am replacing my 20" f/4 focuser and this seems to be the one for me. I have not seen one in person, but have read up on them. Ron at Moonlite couldn't possibly be more responsive and accomodating! I am NOT looking for Feathertouch vs. Moonlite vs. JMI comparisons. Thank you for any input you may have!

I now have a Coronado PST. What is the ideal way of mounting this instrument? What would be the ideal solution?

I would like to pose a question and solicit opinions. I have a pair of Denk II premium binos with a 2 arm power switch. I use this outfit on a 4" apo refractor with a Coronado SM90/ BF30 and a couple of large dobs. I currently have the following eyepiece pairs: TV 24mm Pans, TV 19mm Pans, TV 15mm Pans. I find myself only using the 24mm Pans with the power switch. The 24 Pans do an incredible job on the sun, as well as planetary and deep sky objects in the dobs. The power switch gives me a very nice range of magnifications. I rarely experience skies which allow for super high power. Should I keep these 3 pair or sell the 15 and 19 Pan pairs? Why? Thank you for any input you may have! 8O

Did anyone else see the ad for a G8 WITH GEMINI for $1000.00 (or best offer!!) ???!! And no ratings.... 8O

I sent my beloved 10" f/4.5 mirror to Paul at Spectrum Coatings to have failed coatings (from another unnamed coater) stripped and redone. It was sent USPS Priority Mail in their packaging completely surrounded by high density packing foam. I was notified by Paul today that the mirror was broken during shipment. It was insured for $400.00, but that may have not been enough. It is too late to worry about that now. My question is this: Where can I purchase a high quality pyrex full-thickness 10" f/4.5 primary mirror? It goes in a Starsplitter truss dob I own. I have no idea where to start! I would appreciate suggestions. Thank you!

I received an e-mail notification from Anacortes yesterday to inform me that my new Coronado CaK scope was shipped today!

David,

It may make you feel a little better to hear about an episode I had: I purchased a Coronado filter from someone in AstroMart ($4,500) and it arrived damaged (questionable cause, by the way). Not only did I have to coordinate the entire claims process with UPS and have the filter evaluated by Coronado, I paid for all overnight shipping and associated expenses. The seller received payment from UPS 6 months later (I am out $4,500+ for that duration). He had insured it for the full amount and only refunded the $4,500 (6 months later 8O ), so the jerk made $1,000+ off of the deal and stuck me with the expenses. Of course, the ad and user disappeared, so no ratings could occur.

Quite simply, it all boils down to the basic fact that online transactions are inherently risky, even in a controlled environment such as AstroMart. (Caveat Emptor). Throw another country in the mix and it gets even more complicated. I find that the more clearly things are communicated (i.e. shipping methods, payment, etc) BEFORE the sale, the less chance for problems. Also, if I am not familiar with the buyer/ seller, I take a look at feedbacks given and received and make a decision.

Hello,

I am considering purchasing a block of time at Arnie Rosner's Rent-a-Scope and would like to hear from anyone who may have done this. I am only a seasoned visual observer with no experience CCD imaging. It sounds like a fun activity to try. I have been through some tutorials on his website which seems fairly straight forward. Without any CCD experience, I am not sure how I would know what values to use to capture an image. I would appreciate some feedback from anyone who has actually done imaging at this site. Thanks!

I received an email from a relative a few days ago. I explained seasons, the approximately 22.5 degree tilt of the earth, latitude etc., I really can't fully answer his question. Anyone care to help out?

"As you well know, on December 21st, the days (in Alton, at least) start getting longer. However, on the clock, the extension in time is greater at the “end” of the day, compared to the mornings. That is, the sunset times, e.g, extend by 2 minutes per day, but sunrise time are only 1 minute earlier each day. So, yes the days are getting longer, but not equally at both ends of the day. Why is this, and does this reverse when days begin to get shorter on June 21st or thereabouts?

Hello All,

I realize that this topic has been discussed in the past, but I think that there are new solutions for what I am seeking. I have a PST double stacked and use a Denk bino with their PST corrector. I am finding that my Bogen tripod and head are exhibiting some annoying limitations:

1. Even though the Bogen arrangement is fairly beefy, I have apparently reached its load capacity

2. I can not aim the scope straight up due to the mechanics of the head I am using.

What is the ultimate alt-az mount/tripod arrangement I could get to correct these issues? I assume it will involve a side-mounting arrangement. Anyone care to comment on alt-az rigs they use for the PST or offer links to companies selling such things? Thanks for any assistance you can provide!

Steve 8)