Posts Made By: Greg Kim

Recently I had to Coliminate my 6" CR150 (trying for perfection) and in looking for a decent star I stumbled on the best one to use!

Betelgeuse!!!

Because it's red the center is more defined when you defocus the star and it's more apparent how centered the optics are. Must have to do with the fact that the achromatics have color and so red Betelgeuse is more defined and does not blend in like a normal white star however bright it may be as Sirius was not as good. Believe me it's the best! Use Betelgeuse and you will have a much easier time getting closer to perfection. Once you get perfect the color seems to go away on axis or is at least is less noticeable in this particular scope.

Regards,
Greg

Hi everyone, the current issue of National Geographic (November 2016) has a full story on the effort to put a man on Mars, including an insert of the map of Mars which I think is worth getting the issue. Make sure yours has the insert or you are missing a really nice full size map.

Floyd
Looks like a private road lucky you.
Greg

I call this one Jupiter watch, it's 7:30 AM Dec 4 2004 on a cold winter morning, the sun has risen and you can still see the planet. Scopes are facing almost dead south. I'm lucky my house is exactly parallel with the compass i.e. it faces dead on north, all I have to do is square up the scopes to the house and the latitude is already set from previous and I'm good for visual (who needs Polaris Ha).
You got your Meade 6" F8 Newtonian on the 812 and a 10" LX50.

Greg

Jay
My input is of the laser collimators I've used they are subject to the tolerance of the focuser and the collimator. They tend to flop down in the focuser and throw things off, so ultimately a star collimation is absolutely necessary. But it gets you close enough to start, I wouldn't spend too much.

Greg.

Robert
A C-8 will fit physically on the Meade wedge but only the center (top) bolt will match up. and I have used even a 10 inch scope with only the center bolt attached.
For visual use you should be fine with a C-8 and just the center bolt, it's not going anywhere, just add a large washer between the head of the bolt and the wedge to even out the clamping force, you'll be fine.
Greg

Why explain it it just works, thats how I make more space in my garage!

Greg

David
Your experience is almost identical to mine and discovery on your own is the thrill that creates lasting interest in the cosmos. My "discovery" of M31 on my own just by accident scanning the sky with my first 4.5 Newtonian was inspiring. At the time I did not even know what polar alignment was and I was using an eq mount like an alt az mount. Then I also "discovered" M42! wow now that did it. And if I could say I was proud to find these jewels as a novice just "shooting in the dark" at patterns that looked interesting. Next came that bright "star" in the sky, and then it had 4 other stars around it all the time. Jupiter of course. Then came Saturn. Seriously all before I really knew about the rotation around the pole and the rise and set times for the various times of the year. At times I wondered where they went as weather would limit viewing and I'd loose track of where I had found objects when it was finally clear again, not realizing that the constant rotation meant objects were changing location.
The scopes got bigger of course and the knowledge went up and the desire to see more is on going, the longest gig I've been in. I gave up computer tinkering for scopes and the night sky.

Greg

In one word, No. The "T" is missing. They are different, the UHTC is supposed to be better and brighter all round.

I posted this earlier but it fits here more. Meade 114 mm on CGE.