Posts Made By: john altenbach

Just got an ad email from a dob scope builder about a price increase soon for all mirrors:
"Corning is closing their Pyrex factory this Fall. There will be no more
Pyrex mirror blanks. Alternate suppliers of borosilicate glass (Pyrex)
charge alot more. Expect considerable price increases in the future."
Has anyone heard more about Corning stopping production of their pyrex mirror blanks? If so, this would probably affect most telescope prices.
John

Prairie Skies is holding its annual starfest at Camp Shaw again this Thursday to Sunday. (Sept 27 - Oct.1) The weather is supposed to rain Friday into Saturday.
Hope they're wrong - Not 2 star parties
in a row rained out!

For binoviewing - what's required for both? Does the Tak Sky 90 need the q-extender adapter first? Can the TMB 80 be used without any adapters or power amplifiers?
John

I had preregistered at both events. I did not camp at Vana's because of all the rain - but being 1hr. away - I stopped by Saturday afternoon to visit and stop at some vendors. There were only about a dozen vendors - and about a hundred people. The field was more unkept than last year - the grass between the grooved rows from crops - was longer and not trimmed.
The following weekend, because of the rain, I arrived at Camp Shaw on Saturday morning. I heard the skies were good Thursday night - and they cleared up nice after the moon disappeared on Saturday night. It looked like just under 200 people with plenty of room for everyone.
Camp Shaw to me is a lot nicer - with nice mowed grass and established lodge buildings; with updated flush
toilets in the washroom just off the main observing field.
I'll be going to Priarie Skies event at Camp Shaw next year - but probably not Vana's - Maybe substituting Il. Dark Skies near Springfield for Vana's - with the better,darker skies - if possible.

Curt - Thanks much for the transit info. With the bad weather we had in the Chicagoland area for both starfests this year - we deserve some good weather.
By the way - Tom Skilling is my favorite weatherman.

Great picture Jim.
Even though the ring tilt is not
as great - still looks like we're
in for some nice Saturn viewing.