Posts Made By: Floyd Blue

I got my chair from Linton this last week and used it on two evenings. It is really comfortable and works very well. I made a seat cushion, installed foot pads and glides for the feet. Also made cases for the pieces to keep them looking good.

What do you think about this ad?
http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=369252
Do you think that this is a good idea?
Me, I think this should not be allowed, but I am not in charge.

"The FDA states that any laser over 5mw should not be used outdoors. Understanding this I will not be held liable for any damage,or trouble this device may cause in unresponsible hands. This unit is for mature,safe,cautious adults only. This laser is not to be pointed at planes,people,animals,or buildings. Be safe and responsible and you should be fine. "

Somehow I don't think this disclaimer would not hold up in a court of law, anyone know?

I thought I would post a picture of a seat cushion I just made for a member for his Cat's Perch observing chair.
9" x 12" x 4" thick should make it more bearable to sit all night long!

I thought I would post a picture of a secondary mirror cover to show how one is made for those who would like to make one for themselves. Material in this case is sweatshirt type fabric.

I am always trying to come up with new ideas for products. I have one I would like to hear your thought about it.
I already make fan modules for the rear of the mirror cell. Now I am thinking about a module for inside the mirror box to blow across the mirror. Something that would fit a corner of the mirror box and be ready to use by plugging to the battery like my other modules or even running on a 9v battery that mounts with it. I am thinking mounting with doublestick tape or Velcro.
Do you think it warrants the effort to make a prototype? Give me your thoughts please.

Eric,
The stars are nice and round so the tracking was good. Looks like maybe some hot pixels are did you not take dark frames?

Due to legitimate concerns for the saftey of the primary mirror when attaching a fan with Velcro, I have decided to run a test today. I have place the mirror box and ran in the direct Sun to test the adherance quality. The temperature today will be 100f and I expect the temperature in the Sun to be a bit more than that. I have a thermometer that will show the temperature of the fan so I can see just how hot it gets. It will be left out all day and checked periodicaly. I will post the results tomorrow.
You will notice that my dog has serious concerns over the results of this test. 8)

Well, last night I got the chance to compare the 20mm T-2 to the 20mm T-5. I checked the contrast, FOV and resolution on the same object.
Interestingly they were par focal! If not perfectly, extremely close to it.
I chose M-13 as the target because it was in the right part of the sky and it is easy to see resolution of the individual stars.
First thing I noticed was the view was not the same. Strangely, the T-2 had a larger FOV and seemed to give a slight increase in magnification or apparent size change of the cluster. Just inside the edge of the FOV a star that was visable in the T-2 was missing in the T-5.
The second thing was that the throughput was basically the same or so close that I could not see any performance edge on either EP. But the contrast, to me, was slightly better in the T-2.
Next, I found that I got slightly better resolution with the T-2. Possibly because of the apparent image size? Not really sure, but I just found the T-2 seemed to resolve the globular cluster to a higher degree.
The T-5 is much smaller and lighter, but has a smaller exit lens too. This might have something to do with the difference in the apparent view. But the size is great for a scope that needs a lighter and smaller EP because of weight and balance issues.
Understand the differences were very small. This was not a hands down victory, but rather a personal taste kind of conclusion. But I can say that the T-2 is a rather good deal at the selling price today over the T-5.
I was rather surprised by the results of the test. I had always heard that the T-5 was slightly superior in contrast and throughput. I found just the opposite to be true. Perhaps I have an excellent T-2 that is not the usual example? Maybe, I just don't know.
Either one of these EP is a fine choice. I would certainly take either one. But, I can say that I will not be selling my T-2.
I did get the chance to try the 26mm Nagler too. It was a real treat. Very nice and a good FOV. Not the 31mm, but very nice. In fact the 31mm with a Paracorr is a 26mm and has the same FOV and magnification. So I can have either one in my scope with the 31mm. But I would recommend the 26mm to anyone who does not want the Oil Can.
To be sure, both these EPs are excellent. The 20mm T-5 and the 26mm would be a great addition to any collection.

I just thought I would show what the Dual Fan Module with speed control for the 24" Starmaster is going to look like. The foam is not installed yet because I am waiting for size conformation from Markus. I think it looks pretty good. What do you think?

I just heard from James at Astro Sky and he said star testing will be done tonight and the scope will be packed and shipped tomorrow! Wow, I can hardly wait to hear how it does! 8O
I am attaching a picture of the scope that he sent to me so you can see the resuslts of my waiting.
I think it looks great, how about you? 8)