how big is yours? ( The M42 Astronomy Thread)

[Sicklecell666]

Better back this up with facts..

This pair of binos you mention comes with nebula filters.

Quality deep sky filters are gonna cost:

Lumicon Deep Sky Filter - .965"
LF-DS05

$89.95
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter - 1.25"
LF-DS10

$99.95
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter - Brandon 1.25"
LF-DS15

$99.95
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter - 2" T-Threaded
LF-DS20

$199.95
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter - 48mm
LF-DS25

$199.95
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter - 72mm
LF-DS30

$399.95
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter - Visual Back
LF-DS35

$199.95
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter - 39mm Nikon
LF-DS40

$299.9 5
Lumicon Deep Sky Filter - 43mm Nikon
LF-DS45 $299.95



The problem here is that the materials are very low quality. At that price you are not getting Baak4 prisms even if they say you are, & you will probably not even have true collimnation, which will compound coma at the edge of the FOV...

If good filters cost as much as above, where does the materials cost go into a complete set of glasses listing at a cost below the filters alone?

Don't get suckered. I hate to see friends buy stuff that is no good.

If it has filters built into it, they need to match these specs:






Just looking out for a buddy, Tim..

[tconrardy]

Just looking out for a buddy, Tim..

hey thanks Siccle...but if you read that review..he says stright out that it's not going to give you perfect views,and it's basically a "budget" binoc..bang for the buck, so if you look at it that way, you get what you pay for. Maybe sometime I can afford 300.00 for some binocs..but this may suite my needs just for now.

I also liked what he wrote when he was using the neb filters in the binocs..gives you a better idea on how they actuall work on real DSO's. At least it's a cool idea!

However sometime I would like to get quality neb filters for my scope, so thanks for THAT info!!

TC

[Sicklecell666]

Tim, I'm not trying to be smart, honest..maybe I can give an analogy here..

Ok

A guy comes in the tattoo shop. he's got some bird-shite looking thing on his arm. He asks how much it will cost to make it 'right'. I say, "It's gonna cost X amount of dollars to repair." He looks at me funny.

Then he says, "Well Godammn, man..I only paid $30 for this tattoo when I got it!!"

I'm forced to say, "Look at it this way: You've paid $30 more than if you had just gotten it done right the first time instead of trying to get the lowest price in town.."

I make friends on a daily basis at work

[tconrardy]

Tim, I'm not trying to be smart, honest..maybe I can give an analogy here..

Ok

A guy comes in the tattoo shop. he's got some bird-shite looking thing on his arm. He asks how much it will cost to make it 'right'. I say, "It's gonna cost X amount of dollars to repair." He looks at me funny.

Then he says, "Well Godammn, man..I only paid $30 for this tattoo when I got it!!"

I'm forced to say, "Look at it this way: You've paid $30 more than if you had just gotten it done right the first time instead of trying to get the lowest price in town.."

I make friends on a daily basis at work

BOOOOM!

( inside joke)

well...I STILL might be going for it, because I know what to expect. ( see that article) I would love to pay more for some great Binocs..and perhaps will sometime..but for now...this seems like a good deal.

Unless...you can recommend something else in that price range!?? Would a pair of 7x50's but better quality be better?


TC

[Sicklecell666]

Unless...you can recommend something else in that price range!?? Would a pair of 7x50's but better quality be better?


TC

If I had a choice between them, I would choose an pair of Orions over an Apogee

[Hengy]

ALL RIGHT! another Telrader!

not QUITE yet!

damn, my telrad is now sat in a bastard courier company's office cos they only deliver 9-5, what is the f**king point, useless twats. at least the royal mail keep parcels at the local office if they can't deliver which is just round the corner, 'initial f**king city link's office is further away than the f**king telescope shop i bought the stuff from, if i'd known they used 'initial useless crap heads' i'd have taken a day off and gone and bought it in person. i've had problems with that courier before cos they won't change delivery address or leave it with a neighbour.

i knew there was a reason software is better, oh the joy of instant downloads


ahh that felt good.

oh and on the Tim/sickle debate i lean towards Tim's side. so long as you go in with eyes open and don't expect too much, then you CAN get enjoyment out of less than ideal equipment, we can't all buy the top of the range stuff, and when you're just using bino's to wander around they sky a bit of coma isn't going to ruin your enjoyment. though i agree with everything sickle said on the quality aspects.
and i'd still recommend trying them out before buying if possible. From the review Tim posted i might be a little worried the things would fall apart after a few months use.

[hao nao]

thanks for the tips and cautions, guys ... a lot of good info in this thread for a beginner like me

I had also looked at the Orions ... something I don't know is whether nebula filters can be bought separately and screwed into those (?)

[Sicklecell666]

Not that I'm aware of.

The trade off there is that the Apogees probably do not have full multi-coating, & are only relying on the nebula filters.

This wouldn't be so bad if the lenses were multi-coated for max light transmission which would be filtering a transmission index of 98% or better, but these you're probably looking at an 85% +/-. At that price, I can guarantee you they are not gonna have high transmission values.

Like everything else, you get what you pay for, but I understand how grating financial constraints can be regarding these things...I just consider it better to save & get the good stuff instead of having to re-seed the piggy bank after a disapointing purchase.

[VitaminD]

hey..good to see you hear VitD ( new nick name :-)I am surprised how many musicians here are into the stars..and it's a good thread as you said.

Some info

Just got back from Barnes and Noble and they have some good stuff on thier budget book shelf:

1. Astronomy: The definitive guide. A very nice multi-colored book with a pretty complete view with monthly star charts and even star hopping charts by Will Tirion,who did Star Atlas 2000, one of the better Star Atlases ( another recommendation).Great intro to Astronomy with lots of pics and helpful info. $12.95

2.A Guide to Advanced SkyWatching. An oversozed book that has lots of info and detailed Star Hopping charts, again by Will Tirion. It looks like some of the same authors who did the above book are alos here, but the material is somewhat differant. These two books tend to compliment one another, so both are excellent.$9.95

Another book, but may not be budget( in the Astronomy section) but is good is called "Left Turn at Orion" which shows how to find about 100 sky objects. My next book.

I recommend these two books: and they are BUDGET!so..Get 'em while you can.

the orion telescope came with a cd that tells you where to find (basic?) stuff.. I just havent been patient enough to actually use it.

my scope setup is also compatible with some automatic doohicky that orion makes which will dialup and follow stuff automatically.. it seems pretty cool.

[Sicklecell666]

Check these out. They're Celestron clones, but still good. I think these are made for Orion by the Vixen brand, & they're no slouches either. These are very good middle of the road astronomy glasses.

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/produ ... 1&keyword=

[Sicklecell666]

my scope setup is also compatible with some automatic doohicky that orion makes which will dialup and follow stuff automatically.. it seems pretty cool.

Those are called 'digital setting circles' It's a data base that can guide you to anything in the sky visible in your scope & much larger, but you must first align it with at least 2 to 3 objects for max calibration. Not that hard to do, & very handy after that.

[that's cheating, btw..but I had em too]

[tconrardy]

Check these out. They're Celestron clones, but still good. I think these are made for Orion by the Vixen brand, & they're no slouches either. These are very good middle of the road astronomy glasses.

http://www.telescope.com/shopping/produ ... 1&keyword=

Those look great: but I have to wait untill I have 200 or 300 bucks to get 'em

and perhaps when I get into some good Sound Design money: I WILL! and a 10" Dob as well!

Thanks for all the info you have been sharing here Donavan..it looks like we are attracting more space heads! Maybe we should form an M42 nebula club ( er...I guess this IS the club

TC

[Sicklecell666]

Have you seen this juggernaut yet, Tim?




Orion® SkyQuest™ XT12 IntelliScope®

The XT12 IntelliScope takes big-aperture astronomy to a new level of performance and user-friendly fun. With design ingenuity and technical sophistication that make competing models yesterday’s news, it will wow even the most star-savvy enthusiast

Its prodigious 305mm (12.0"), Pyrex® parabolic primary mirror pulls down 42% more light than 10" optics and 126% more than 8" optics. What’s more, the XT12 is an IntelliScope. Which means you can just plug the optional IntelliScope Computerized Object Locator into the scope’s base and you’re ready to find and view any of 14,000 celestial objects with the push of a button or two. Sound easy? It is.

This scope is outfitted with an open-ventilation, aluminum mirror cell that features 9-point floating support and mounting holes for an optional cooling fan. The 2" aluminum rack-and-pinion focuser accepts both 2" and 1.25" eyepieces. You also get a 9x50 dovetail finder scope and our exclusive navigation knob for easy slewing. The made-in-USA base boasts Teflon azimuth bearings for smooth, "friction-free" movement (not the rumblin’, bumblin’ roller bearings as on some other brands), and a springless, adjustable CorrecTension system for always-perfect tube balance and motion.

Although it’s big, the XT12 is easily manageable by any fit individual. The optical tube, which uncouples from the base for transport, is 4' 10" long and 50 lbs. The base is 30" tall, 26" wide, weighs 33 lbs., and has a convenient carrying handle.


I think a 9 point floatation is a bit redundant; a well crafted 3 point is better, but damn that thing's a beast!

wtf am I doing..I'm not even getting a commission for this..

[Sicklecell666]

btw:

Most valueble investment for that scope?

shower caps for both ends of the tube openings..

Cost:

$1.59

[tconrardy]

Have you seen this juggernaut yet, Tim?




Orion® SkyQuest™ XT12 IntelliScope®

MAN...that thing looks great. I saw an ad on astromart.com of a guy who was selling his XT10. he wanted to get the XT12. At the time I did not know they made a 12 incher! This boggles the mind! Probably 200.00 more however :-)Have to go to the Orion site now.

I did go on the net and grabbed some plans to make a 10 " Dob, but the optics alone are over 400.00, and I am sure the materials ( wood, etc) will go another hundred,so might as well buy a complete unit.( 500 to 600) That is..when I get the "extra" money

However, I am thinking on making a dob mount for my 6", as I found out the EQ stand I have is not really portable enough to put into a car with all the camping equipment as well. Just a short stubby Dob would fit it. It's also a short tube relector, so it's much smaller then usual.

Last nite, I did try taking it out of the mount and simply cradeling it and sitting in a chair. ( my baby :-)The only thing is I can't point it to what I want, just sorta stick it in any direction and look into the eyepiece to see whats there. However for Zenith observations it's great!

As far as cheap or homemade things I did for my scope: I attached a nice brass knob by the eyepiece area so I can pull it around easily. After that I noticed they have a knob in the same position on the Orion Dobs

I also found a black suite jacket protector with zipper that goes over my scope perfectly. So after every use, I put the "cover" on. I keep the scope outside under a porch area. I heard this is OK as long as it's not in open area where dew can collect.

I also attached by way of Bungy cables, the scope my mother-in law gave me,( a 60MM Refractor) so I can use the EQ mount instead of the flimsy one it came with. I also attached my 6x30 finder to it ( the one the Telrad replaced) so it looks like a "super scope". The other thing I did is that it needed some more weight then the counter weight provided, so I found some "excersise" wieghts and a round wire holder, and used those on top of the other other counter wieght. Have to find another decent counter wieght, but this works for now ( and may look funny)

a few more days 'till camping and hopefully clear skies

TC