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RICHARD COFER

VdB 141 Ghost Nebula

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Posts Made By: Ed Ashton

November 29, 2004 05:00 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Which would you choose?

Posted By Ed Ashton
I'd like a Starmaster 11" F/5.4. I know, they are no longer made, and Rick Singmaster swears he will never produce them again, so it would have to be used....with GOTO, please, Santa!

December 7, 2004 07:22 PM Forum: Takahashi

Are they worth it?

Posted By Ed Ashton
Takahashi makes some of the finest telescopes in the world. Their workmanship and quality are unsurpassed. Whether they are worth it or not is a subjective opinion, however. It's been said that anything is worth what anyone is willing to pay for it. I own an FS-128 refractor, which I bought used at a substantial discount. The price of a brand-new one, however, would not have been worth it to me.

February 22, 2005 09:18 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Ultimate Mars scope on order

Posted By Ed Ashton
I feel myself turning green with "telescope envy"! cwy

May 24, 2005 06:12 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Help with Canon IS Binoculars

Posted By Ed Ashton
I have the IS 10x30's. They cannot be compared with similarly-sized non-IS binoculars; since the image shake is eliminated, they will show you fainter stars than you would ordinarily be able to see with traditional hand-helds. They are quite small and lightweight, the images are razor-sharp, and make a wonderful "quick look" pair of binoculars. I always pack them when I travel, and I recommend them highly.

September 19, 2005 04:18 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

A good GOTO mount?

Posted By Ed Ashton
You probably can't go wrong with a Celestron Advanced Series GOTO, which consistently gets good reviews. I just ordered one myself. I don't know how suitable it is for imaging, however, since I don't believe it has PEC. But in terms of a good, affordable GOTO mount, I don't think you'll find anything better.

September 21, 2005 04:15 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Vandenberg Sunset Launch Thursday

Posted By Ed Ashton
Now, if only the weather cooperates...it's been awful for the last two days! :C

November 7, 2005 10:35 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Changing collimation

Posted By Ed Ashton
Thanks, everybody. It sounds like it's not an uncommon problem. I have the older model with the sonotube cage, perhaps that has something to do with it. I'll shoot Rick Singmaster an e-mail and see if he has anything to add.

December 2, 2005 05:42 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

shipping a sold telescope

Posted By Ed Ashton
I've used UPS to ship a Portaball. For the non-fragile items, I packed it myself. For the breakable items, I had them pack it. They guarantee the work and will not hassle over the insurance claim if they wind up smashing something, something I've heard they are apt to do if you pack the items yourself. Yes, it costs more, but it's worth it for the peace of mind.

December 20, 2005 07:08 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

What to buy

Posted By Ed Ashton
Well, you already have a "quick-look" scope with the TV Ranger, so I'd go with maximum aperture. The Intes 5" Mak-Newt has a pretty good reputation and is still quite portable. You didn't say what aperture you're considering on the Parks, but at F/8, it will not be especially portable above 6".

January 3, 2006 08:11 PM Forum: Beginning Astronomy?

If there are no dumb questions - I may have the fi

Posted By Ed Ashton
"What is the "official" name of our sun?"

The Greeks called it Helios....which was how the element helium was named, since it was first detected in the sun's spectrum. The Romans won out, though, with Sol, the name of their sun god.

I have no doubt, however, that someday there WILL be a star named "Bob"!

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