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Posts Made By: Matthew Ota

July 16, 2005 04:10 PM Forum: Pictures of Me and My Telescope and........

I didn't get so much as a Thank-You from my wife.

Posted By Matthew Ota
I would trade her in on a new model, if she complains too much about your hobby.

Matthew Ota

July 17, 2007 04:10 AM Forum: Meade

Autostar Suite software update

Posted By Matthew Ota
If you are a member of the Meade 4M Community, you can download free updates to the AutoStar Suite. The latest version is 4.0
You add new comet and asteroid ephermerides with the "Ephermeris" pull down. Click on "Import Active Comets" and you can append the existing list by importing a text file for hte comet you want to add. Comet Epermerides are available from CBAT in AutoStar format here:

http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Soft16.html

Have fun...and hope that this helps

Matthew Ota
16 inch Telescope Operator
Mt. WIlson Observatory

September 21, 2007 05:27 AM Forum: ASTRONOMY

"Seeing in the Dark"

Posted By Matthew Ota
I give a thumbs up on this show. Timothy Ferris had only one hour to show as many aspects of the hobby of amateur astronomy as could be done. It was NOT made for amateur astronomers, it is about exposing or promoting amateur astronomy to the lay public. There is only one professional astronomer shown in the program, and it was in the context of showing the collaboration of professional and amateur astronomers.

Our little hobby has been shown to the mainstream public, at least the mainstream public which chooses to watch enlightening programs on PBS instead of "reality" shows and celebrity drivel on the commercial channels.

The Los Angeles PBS affiliate KCET chose to show the documentary in Prime Time, at 8 p.m. Other PBS affiliates are showing it at other less optimum time slots.

Matthew Ota



April 1, 2008 01:07 AM Forum: Meade

Meade facilities tour

Posted By Matthew Ota
Since Meade has moved all manufacturing away from the Irvine facilities, all that is left is corporate offices and the manufacturing shop floor is most likely just a wharehouse now for incoming product.

I had the good fortune to get a personal tour a couple of years ago, it was impressive.

But now a view of the floor would most likely be a whole bunch of boxes.

November 15, 2008 09:31 AM Forum: ASTRONOMY

Most Influential Person in Astronomy Today

Posted By Matthew Ota
I would most assuredly say the Niel deGrasse Tyson is the most visible professional astronomer today. He is seen on PBS on Nova Science Now and is the director of the Hayden Planetarium. He is very articulate and has been seen in the History Channel's "Universe" series.

Also, there is David Levy, whose writings have inspired thousands. He has reached non astronomers in Parade magazine articles.

There is also Michio Kaku, the Nikkei theoretical physicist that frequently features astrophysics in his programs on cable. His books are fascinating, too.

November 15, 2008 09:44 AM Forum: ASTRONOMY

Astronomy touted in Men's Health Magazine!

Posted By Matthew Ota
Hah, buy a telescope to get women interested in you? come on....geez

Actually, it may be a great advertising angle for Meade and Celestron to increase their sales...

Celestron could bring back their telescope gals...

It reminds me of the TV ads for notebook PCS showing women "interested" in men looking over their shoulders as the cruise the web....

Haha! Come on, I was not born yesterday!

November 15, 2008 09:46 AM Forum: ASTRONOMY

images of exoplanets released!

Posted By Matthew Ota
Actually, news of this import should be read straight from the source:

http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2008-211

http://www.gemini.edu/node/11151

This is to prevent you from being misinformed by excited science writers

Regardless, it is a stunning discovery, so stunning it has generated headlines in the Fourth Estate. Already, it is CNNs feature story on its web page.

December 19, 2008 05:42 PM Forum: Meade

How Low Will They Go

Posted By Matthew Ota
Rod Mollise said:

.08

Jeezum...how low will it go?!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4f-P0Q-pqsw

January 20, 2009 02:37 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

LX10 OTA on LX200 Forks

Posted By Matthew Ota
Charles Solomon said:

Has anyone tried putting an 8" LX10 OTA on LX200 forks? If so I'd love to hear about it. Thanks.

I did something similar, put a 10 inch LX50 OTA into LX200GPS forks. It was easy as the bolt patterns were identical.

January 20, 2009 02:53 PM Forum: Meade

Piggyback weight

Posted By Matthew Ota
If you piggyback a refractor, you can add counterweights to the opposite side of the OTA. Losmandy sells a good counterweight system for SCTs. If you run your scope without counterweights, you can wear out the drive motors.

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