Posts Made By: Todd Gray

I have a newly aquired ccd and was wondering what is the best barlows I can get?
I have a few 2" EP's and would like to use the barlows visualy as well as for ccd use. I was thinking a 2"4x powermate and a 2.5x 1.25" powermate, but without much experience do not know if 2 are necessary or if I should have them at different powers. Can someone please share thier thoughts? What do you have in your case?
Thanks,
Todd Gray

I have recently purchased a Meade LXD55 mount for a 6" f/8 reflector. The mount does not have tracking so I need to install a clock drive of sorts(non GOTO).
I have placed a classified with no results for the lxd55 motors themselves. I know I am not the first to have this problem and it seems to be increasingly harder to find the factory clock drive for this sucker. Surely someone has tackled this problem before. Are there any other clock drives that are compatible with the lxd55. I do not mind getting my hands dirty either.
Please help,
Todd

Need the clock drive for the lxd55 mount or instructions on how to modify/build one.
Thanks in advance,
Todd Gray

I have a Meade LXD55 EQ and just purchased a dual axis drive system via astromart. The 2 motors do not snap in like I thought they would but are black and say Meade. The hand pad has the red print running right to left and it came with a 10 AA bettery pack. How do I know if this drive system will work for my scope? If it will how do I make it work? I already have 2 gears that came with my scope that fit my shaft.
Thanks
Todd

Looking for a economical mirror coater that does enhanced coatings. I know of some major ones like spectrum, just trying to see if there are any off beat guys I should look into. BTW the mirror is a 12.5" and I am not entirely dead set on enhanced coatings, so feel free to try and talk me out of it.
Thanks,
Todd

Anyone know where I can find some aluminum trunnions for a Truss DOB mount on a 12.5"f/4.7?
Or even some plans on fabricating them myself?
Any information is greatly appreciated,

Todd

Hello everyone,
I have a new-to-me 6" f/8 Skywatcher refractor that yields excellent images with very little color. My problem is I can not get my 13mm nag, 9mm nag, 7mm ortho, or 4mm radians to in-focus enough. I even tried taking out my diagonal and only using the 1.25" adapter. I got this scope for planetary use primarily, but if I can not bring any high power EP's into focus what is the point. Am I missing something? I am new to refractors and I have only owned DOBs in the past. If not is there anything I can do to correct this problem? :S Need a little help.
Thanks,
Todd

Hello everyone,

I purchased(paid in full) a 12.5" f/4.7 from Mark Cowan almost 17 months ago from that other auction site for a good price. The auction stated 4-6 weeks delivery time. Since then I have been in loose contact with Mark and been given various reasons as to why my mirror is not done yet. I have also come into contact with several other people in my similar situation. Here on Astromart I have witnessed several mirrors ranging in size from 12.5" to 16" being offered for sale. I would like to pose a few questions concerning one of the sponsors of this site, Obsidian Optics.
If I thought I could get a timely response outside this forum from Mark personally, then I would have contacted him directly.
Why are finished mirrors being offered for sale on Astromart when he has customers who have paid in full waiting on optics??? I understand a week or two off on the estimated date of completion, but years? Is this the industry standard? If so, why do we the consumers allow this to continue? We want the mirror, not the refund. Perhaps all mirror makers are fully aware that they place the customer between a rock and a hard place.
How many others out there have purchased a mirror from Obsidian Optics and told it was going to take a couple of months only to find yourself a year later still without a mirror???
If you opted to wait it out, in the end, was it truly worth the wait?

Todd :S

Update: From original thread in telescope making forum
3 weeks have now gone by and I have nor received a refund or mirror or any contact what so ever from Mark. I have filed a complaint through the Consumer Protections Department at the Attorney Generals office of Salem, Oregon. There are now a total of 3 seperate cases filed on Mark Cowan of Obsidian Optics from this year alone. These are complaints referring to the refund of the original payment made and are not even seeking resolution upon receiving a mirror or additional money.
If you are in a similar situation and would like to file a complaint call 503-378-4320 or visit www.doj.state.or.us and click consumer protection.

Hello,
I am finishing up a 12.5" f/5 dob and have a large gap in my eyepiece selection. I have a 22mm T4 nagler and jump to a 35mm panoptic. I can not afford the 26mm nagler and do not want to make my 35mm panoptic obsolete. I was considering the 27mm panoptic, but upon further research realized it shared the same TFOV(1.1'), going from a 71.6x magnification to a 58.3x magnification, and exit pupil difference is 4.4 to 5.4. 22mm to 35mm seems like a large gap, but would I need the 27mm or something comparable to fill it? I also see past threads comparing the 27mm to the 35mm, does this mean most people do not have both panoptics? Please help and any other recommendations are welcome in case I am leaving something out.

Thanks,
Todd