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Posts Made By: Lorne Johnson

September 14, 2003 03:31 PM Forum: Eyepieces

UO HD Orthoscopic

Posted By Lorne Johnson
I read your post because I have been thinking about getting a UO HD 18 mm.

Here's a couple of thoughts. Mars is pretty low in Maine, and you will see the most difference in a fine eyepiece near the Zenith in good seeing. The Meade 4000 series is supposed to be very good. If you are getting great views at above 150x this last week, you are doing better in Maine than I am in Vermont. Most of my observing has been at 130x. Friday was a 150x night but as the night progressed there was enough mositure in the air to produce a halo as you describe in every eyepiece that I used. The differences between planetary eyepieces, while significant, are subtle.

September 14, 2003 03:36 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Time for Another Dumb Question.....

Posted By Lorne Johnson
A local club, or a knowledgeable buddy will be a big help in getting started. It's easy to lose one's confidence and get lost without it.

September 15, 2003 04:02 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Parabolic mirror coatings

Posted By Lorne Johnson
I have had two custom mirror makers recommend:
Clausings (Midwest)
Spectrum Coating (Florida)
This does not mean that others aren't excellent, simply that these are.

There is a fair amount of concern that enhanced coatings are not a smooth as the less reflective coatings, and the difference in percentages is very small. This has made me pause (for a year now) before getting a mirror recoated.

I'm sure that other more expereiced voices will chime in.

September 17, 2003 01:23 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

High Power EP

Posted By Lorne Johnson
If you have an equitorial mount, you should consider getting a drive for it, it really does help. There are ways of getting a motor without spending a fortune (often less than any of those eyepieces except the UO orthos).

September 20, 2003 05:27 PM Forum: Deep Sky Observing

The most difficult Messier

Posted By Lorne Johnson
I think that location makes a big diffence. I have the most problems in the Virgo cluster, partly because the skies are dark enough where I live to have NCG's creep in and confuse the issue. The low brightness objects such as M101 and M 74 are pretty straight forward on a good night. M84 (pretty far South) held out as the last of the Messiers for me, but it fell pretty easily once I went after it without distraction.

September 24, 2003 12:00 AM Forum: Eyepieces

ST80 30 mm

Posted By Lorne Johnson
I was not entirely happy with this at f /5.7, although it was certainly better than useable, The veil was excellent, but star fields showed up curvature of field that was frustrating.

At F/10 I think that it will be very good, and a superb value.

September 29, 2003 05:16 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Expanse Eyepieces

Posted By Lorne Johnson
There's a review on cloudy nights comparing them with the Siebert Standards.

October 1, 2003 12:40 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

13mm Nagler type 6

Posted By Lorne Johnson
I really like my Nagler 13mm Type 6. It's easy to use, and hits a sort of sweet spot in f/6 scopes of course. I prefer it to my friend's 12 mm type 2, though it arguably has less WOW factor. (He won't look through the 13, just to protect himself.)

However, I would note that several (or at least some) on this forum feel that the 12mm Type 4 is "a lot more eyepiece." (Which is actually one of the tings I like about the Type 6.)
I know that this is heresy but I barlow the 13mm type 6 in a plain old 2 element telenegative Barlow (Siebert) and the type 6 is at least as sharp and distinctly more contrasty at 6.5mm than my Type 1 7mm.

October 2, 2003 12:40 PM Forum: Eyepieces

24.5 Ultra Plus Wide Angle vs 24 Panoptic

Posted By Lorne Johnson
Someone on this forum had looked at the 24.5 Siebert and said that it was very good at f/10, less good at something faster than I have f/5 or 4.5? Don Reagan says that the 22 ultra plus is incredibly sharp and nice to use. If its in the same league with Harry's 36mm observatory it is at least worth a close look.

October 6, 2003 07:49 PM Forum: Equipment Talk

Imaging mount for an Orion 80ED

Posted By Lorne Johnson
I'm no imaging doyen, but I wouldthink that a Vixen GP or SP would be entirely adequate for those 80mm short tube scopes

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