Posts Made By: Greg Nowell

One of the leading competitors against AP mounts is....older AP mounts. I'm very happy with my AP900QMD. I guess some day if I get into astrophotography I may need to spring for go-to. But push-to pointing accuracy is around 3 arc minutes all-sky with Argo Navis and 10k encoders.

I don't understand the comment about Losmandy and slow motion knobs. Because every Losmandy is sold with tracking in RA and a Dec motor as well, you use the hand paddle, not the knobs. A small battery is plenty to keep the stepper motor verions running (well, like 15 amp hours) all night.

I'm afraid I haven't tested my AP900QMD for PE but I don't doubt it would be under 10 arc seconds and maybe even under 5. This is based on looking at stars at very high power (large PE will show up as the object's "walking" back and forth in the field of view).

I think that a mid 90s AP is an excellent choice. Nonetheless, the add-ons can add substantially: I think I paid $3200 for my AP900QMD, but by the time I had an ATS pier, counterweights, the longer counterweight shaft, a saddle, and did the recommended upgrades, I had a $7k mount. But an AP900 GTO tricked out with all "required accessories" today will nudge you north of $10k.

I can't imagine sticking with a CG5 if I had the means and an opportunity to get an AP from the QMD era.

regards
Greg N

The losmandy 9.25 dovetail at .7 inches is one of the thickest dovetails out there (I mean Losmandy's dovetail, not others that are imitating Losmandy). There are others out there that are .5 inches, same style.

I chose the Losmandy-by-Losmandy 9.25 dovetail to mount my ten inch Newt, had it customized to support the rings.

Losmandy-by-Losmandy dovetails also come with radial blocks which are very good things to have under your 9.25.

regards
Greg N

??? The baltic is not the arctic. Greg N

Congrats. I hope it meets or exceeds expectations...

Greg N

Holy cow! Is that a forerunner of the Losmandy dovetail???

Greg N

On something like this the price is whatever gets paid for it. The seller may have listed what he considered a high price and will just lower it till he finds a buyer (or decides to keep it).

These are thin markets, and in thin markets, personal quirks play a big role. Somebody sold an Astro Physics instrument for $30k and everyone else assumed AP instruments are worth that much; but the next seller of a similar instrument couldn't get half that.

The reason being that the first sale had found the buyer willing to pay $30k, and the remaining buyers wouldn't bite at that price.

Greg N

As you can see better in this pic, the standard g11 is too high. It would need to be about the height of the Berlebach: around 23" to the base of the G11 head where the level indicator is.

I'm reluctant to cut the existing legs, you never know when something might come in handy. For some time I thought I would never have a use for the G11 tripod, but that's maybe not true since I acquired the f/6 10". Greg N

I suggest you watch the Zacharias video. It gives you an idea of how tough coatings are. Maybe watch from someone else's desk top. Or go to youtube and search on spectrum coatings and Zacharias.

regards
Greg N

This guy is well known, but it's always good to see smeone putting the link up where we can get at it. His results are sometimes controversial in the sense that some people take issue with his test procedures. When that happens the discourse quickly begins to sound like an optics class at Cal-Tech.

regards
Greg N

I sent my Tak to TNR for cleaning and realignment expecting a 4-6 week turnaround and had to get pretty pro-active after four months to get it done.

Waited a long time for my G11 back in the day.

I'm just saying that these small shops often do get behind (tscope). Sometimes they get pretty big and still get behind (discovery). Sometimes they get so far behind ya gotta wonder "what was I thinking when I setn my order in?" (Burgess)

Anyhow most of the time you get the goods.

regards
Greg N