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Posts Made By: Steven Lynn

February 9, 2006 03:06 AM Forum: After Dark

Cosmic Africa on BETN tonight (2:00 AM pacific tim

Posted By Steven Lynn
Just to be clear, you can view this on Television, not up in the sky. I just caught part of this show called Cosmic Africa.
It's going to be on again about 2:00AM on cable Thursday , 02/09/06. I found in interesting.

http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/2003/november/cosmic.htm

February 9, 2006 03:29 AM Forum: Off Topic Discussions

Algorithm predicting a non-payer

Posted By Steven Lynn
After many successful transactions on Astromart, I had one that ended leaving the other party miffed. Part of the problem is what you will see if you sell some things on Astromart: the potential buyer who never buys.

I came up with a list to profile non-payme amataerius astonomerius:

1. More that 3-5 emails, each with more questions.

2. Over 3-4 days in negotiaton.

3. More than 1-2 e-mails haggling on price.

4. Time lags over 1 day in communication (often means the buyer is juggling more than one potential deal, and takes the time to communicate with the another seller).

5. Says they want to buy, but instead the next 2 emails have more questions.

6. New member to Astromart.

7. A gut sense.

Overall, Astromart is a great place, safer than any other place on the internet that I go to. I don't think my list is complete. If we can come up with 3 more we can have a Top 10 list! In this case, the buyer did pay me, after I incorrectly concluded he never would. (And after I moved the item over to some auction site ).

February 17, 2006 01:06 AM Forum: Off Topic Discussions

Why are there no globular clusters in Star Trek?

Posted By Steven Lynn
I've been watching reruns of Star Trek Deep Space Nine and The Next Generation. I realized that in tv/movie outer space the backgrounds are almost all moving stars. No globular clusters, no open clusters, no nebula, no dark nebula, no emission nebular, no planetary nebular. Occasionaly some specious meteor showers or asteroids. (As in ASTEROIDS!)

Now, there have been some nebulas or exploding stars, but these are usually up close. Often they are a the vehicle for dramtic tension: "18 seconds to nova eruption." "Warp Drive not responding!" "12 seconds to nova eruption." "What if we inject the doohinky into the..." "7 seconds until show cancellation." "Just make is so, Mr. Riker!"

But the backgrounds. It's like taking a road trip and you never see any trees or buildings in the distance. Only up close. Rather boring.

February 21, 2006 07:25 AM Forum: Eyepieces

18mm Radian vs. 19mm Panoptic?

Posted By Steven Lynn
I have a gap in my eyepiece lineup at 18-20mm. I've narrowed it down, based on reading and my experience with a 14mm Radian and a 15mm Panoptic to between an 18mm Radian vs. a 19mm Radian. Comments? Advise?
Thanks,
Steven

Scopes I have:
two f/5.5 scopes, a 10 inch newt and a TV-101.
TV-85 f/7
Celestron 90mm f/9 (and, yes, when it clears up I'll do some comparisions to see which one will likely be sold).
Tasco 60mm f/15...almost irrelevant to this.

March 23, 2006 01:18 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Opti-max, anyone tried it?

Posted By Steven Lynn
Has anyone tried this stuff? Thumbs up or down?

May 2, 2006 06:49 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Difference in Baader Moon/Skyglow Filters

Posted By Steven Lynn
I have a Baader Neodymium "Moon and Skyglow Filter" #245835, and a "Violet Multiband" BG20 #2458305 Skyglow filter. They slight violet color looks essentially the same. Which one should I keep and which one should I sell to a freind?

T

May 6, 2006 11:44 PM Forum: Off Topic Discussions

Elvis Mars Globe?

Posted By Steven Lynn
Found this ditty over on ee baay, file it under, "with X billion people on the planet, something like this was bound to happen."
"
(UK)On the 1st of October 1989, an English Tabloid Newspaper proclaimed that a Russian space probe called 'Phobus' had detected a statue of Elvis Presley in a formation of Martian rocks. .... Award winning globemakers Greaves & Thomas, while preparing the art work for our Mars Globe, realised that they could publish one extra gore (map section) which could alter in order to celebrate both Elvis as well as the Sunday Sport's unique perspective on journalism......"

In case that isn't clear, it's a globe of Mars, with one section that has a drawing of Elvis on the surface, and several other Elvis-ized named locations.

Help. cwy


June 5, 2006 02:47 AM Forum: Equipment Talk

Older scope, need dovetail adapter for finder?

Posted By Steven Lynn
I have a Celestron/Vixen 90mm refractor. The finder bracket bolts onto the focuser housing with 4 bolts. Since I travel with scopes I would I would like to use a one-thumbscrew dovetail to put a finder on and off. Somebody must make an adapter that goes on the scope on one side and accepts some common finder dovetail on the other side. Anybody know who where to get such an item?

Or would you recommend some other other solution? I would like a 7x50 right angle finder as the end result.

I have enclosed a pic of the area; the nickel is for sizing

Thanks. Steven


June 18, 2006 07:30 PM Forum: Off Topic Discussions

Are we Astromarters getting inbred?

Posted By Steven Lynn
Funny story. I got a message from a fellow astromarter: did I still have an eyepiece I had listed months ago on the classifieds?

Nope, I replied. I sold it to another Astromarter. I'd recommend you ask him, I'm sure he wouldn't mind.

The hopeful buyer gets back to me:

"If you sold it to [Mr. X] then I bought it from him a couple of months ago smile I was hoping for a mate for my binoviewer.

It's funny how things get around. I was trying to buy an eyepiece from you that I already own!* grin

Underlining added by me.

June 22, 2006 07:21 AM Forum: Wildlife Photography

Moon cat

Posted By Steven Lynn
I'll just leave it at that, mooncat.

(Well, I can't get near him, so he qualifies as wildlife).

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