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Posts Made By: Alex McConahay

September 22, 2002 06:55 AM Forum: Film Astrophotography - Imaging and Processing

g-11 vs. LX-200 as imaging mount

Posted By Alex McConahay
These are both very good mounts.

Remember that the Lx-200 will need a good wedge under it.

I have a G-11. My friends who have had both prefer a G11 when going out to a dark sky site. It is much easier to polar align. Other than that, I really could not offer much to this conversation.

Alex


September 23, 2002 01:46 PM Forum: Film Astrophotography - Imaging and Processing

no batteries camara

Posted By Alex McConahay
George,

The price of OM-1's seems to have dropped into the very competitive range. I picked up two last week for about $100. There are a couple more up there for $80 and $125 right now.

Why do you need new?

Alex

September 28, 2002 06:26 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Looking for the right dovetail

Posted By Alex McConahay
George

The piece is not hard to make with a bit of aluminum, a hacksaw, a file, and a common black and decker drill. (Vice would be helpful).

(Granted, it is hard to make look real nice---and real precise, and as adjustable as the original)

But it can be very stable with a homemade piece--Metal cuts and files pretty easily.

Alex

October 1, 2002 01:00 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

8" or 10" Dobsonian

Posted By Alex McConahay
Pete,

Yes, the ten incher is better than the 8, and at your age, just as portable. Remember the 8 incher is probably an F6, and the 10 is probably F4.5. SO, the eight incher may be actually three inches longer.

Besides, remember that 10 inches squared is nearly half again as large as 8 inches squared--so you get a whole lot more that "2 inches."

Alex


October 1, 2002 01:10 AM Forum: Telescope Making

BVC

Posted By Alex McConahay
Greg,

I saw this post a week ago, and passed it up, because I knew everybody would put their two cents worth in.

A search on the topic should get you lots of answers. The topic comes up every couple of months.

I have made a beautiful mirror from a 12.5 inch blank. Some of my buddies have eight and 16 inch versions. The material works easily. It uses less grit and polishes easily.

I'm sorry, but I could not really test its thermal properties, but Andre (the guy who sells it) says it is very good, and my experience is that it works well with tempreature changes--but again, I have to beg off on a scientific test.

Alex

October 1, 2002 01:42 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

The nature of the Universe.

Posted By Alex McConahay
Pete,

YOu are making sense--the world is not. At least it does not make common sense.

After all, look around you, you will notice that except for some mountains and things, the earth really is flat, and the sun goes from one side of the sky to the other--in short, it travels around us....not what the astronomers tell us.

You are mixing metaphors to describe the universe. The balloon that Ferris and others use merely is a model to explain how the spots on the skin of a balloon move apart just as universes move apart. The model fails because the surface of a balloon is (as you point out) two dimensional. It also fails because in this model, the size of the spots actually stretch, when the relative sizes of the galaxies do not--they just move further apart.

A better model would be raisin bread rising in baking. Mix a bunch of bread, let it rise. As it rises, the raisins stay the same size, but they move further apart.

Alex



October 2, 2002 11:20 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

The sun to exlpode within 6 years?

Posted By Alex McConahay
Matthew,

Could you be more specific? I am planning to retire and take a big trip in September of 2008. Should I make my reservations, or would I be better off investing in something else.

Does anybody know if "trip insurance" will pay off if the tour operator cancels a trip because the sun has blown up?

Alex

October 3, 2002 01:20 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Risk of getting spoiled

Posted By Alex McConahay
Inge,

If you feel such an attack coming on after viewing through a large scope, insist on being allowed to pack it all up, carry it, and pur it in the car by yourself. That sometimes cures the infection.

Seriously, though. I believe you need two scopes. One for every day, quick looks, and just messing around. And another for those special times when you have a really dark sky, and want to pick everything out.

I actually think looking through a big one also makes you a better observer in the little ones. After you see what the object looks like in the big one, you sometimes can get more out of the little one.

Alex

October 4, 2002 12:43 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Newbie Question - Best place to purchase?

Posted By Alex McConahay
I buy from Anacortes when possible because they help support my favorite website. And Meade prices are the same whenever.

By the way--they are also just plain good at Anacortes--they listen, they help, they keep in touch.

Alex

October 6, 2002 11:58 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

Have you seen this eye on the moon?

Posted By Alex McConahay
Actually, if you turn it over, the area you have circled looks like a cat's face.

Maybe the cat is crawling out of a fog on little cats feet.

Alex

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