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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
Dean S
It may have more to do with who spends the most in advertising, ie $$$$. AP
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runs a nice small ad compared to the full page color ads of others. But that is ok because AP doesn't need the hipe to sell their products.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Zeglinski" <J.Zeglinski@rogers.com> To: <ap-gto@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 2:46 PM Subject: [ap-gto] Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007 William,issue. What ... they just sit there in their office and wait for this group, orwhat pops up at a conference? The Mach1 review took long enough, so I supposeS&T will report further on the AP3600 - "in the fullness of time ... nextspring. the (theyAP3600 - somebody there, in the new management, asleep at the wheel - probably aren't astro literate) ?How could S&T make this announcement if they were not aware of it ?
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
Joe Zeglinski
William,
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My point was, I expect "news people" to be on top of stories in their industry, that is what I PAY them for, or I would just subscribe to the internet. They should have been prep'd, with a story to go out with the issue. What ... they just sit there in their office and wait for this group, or what pops up at a conference? The Mach1 review took long enough, so I suppose S&T will report further on the AP3600 - "in the fullness of time ... next spring. Sheesh indeed, Joe
----- Original Message -----
From: "William R. Mattil" <wrmattil@ix.netcom.com> To: <ap-gto@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 2:30 PM Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007 Joseph Zeglinski wrote:How could S&T make this announcement if they were not aware of it ?
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
William R. Mattil <wrmattil@...>
Joseph Zeglinski wrote:
How could S&T make this announcement if they were not aware of it ? Sheesh. There are plenty of things to flame them for so that we need not resort to making things up. Bill -- William R. Mattil : http://www.celestial-images.com
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Re: GTO Keypad Firmware
Hi Larry,
We are planning to finish up the 4.2 keypad code soon, then will release it to the beta group. After beta, we will have it available on our website for downloading. Marj Christen Astro-Physics --- In ap-gto@yahoogroups.com, "Larry Phillips" <llp41astro@...> wrote: still shipping with the current Mach1GTO mount or has there been anupdate released?
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Anybody have an AP 10 pound weight they will part with?
tucstargzr
Please respond off list.
Thanks Tom Sings with the Stars
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
Joe Zeglinski
Dean,
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One final S&T criticism before I stop (my off topic rant). I too complained to the editor that it was really dumb on the part of their new owners, to make the magazine changes in mid year. Anyone who binds their collections, will have a few issues this year which will not be cut to the same size - really tacky! They could/should have waited for the January issue to make drastic changes. Looks like the new owners wanted to put their "boot-prints" on their latest acquisition. I am beginning to wonder if S&T's days/years are now numbered, with failed business attempts at two other excellent spin off magazines, and now with new, possibly ignorant or non-caring, corporate owners. Too bad - S&T has always been a gem. Back to topic - I am surprised that S&T didn't scoop the astro publishing world with such a major announcement review (prepared in advanced) of the AP3600 - somebody there, in the new management, asleep at the wheel - (they probably aren't astro literate) ? They could have sent Dennis DiCicco to Antarctica to test it, and he would have been back ... by morning :-) Joe
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dean S" <dean@cwdi.com> To: <ap-gto@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 11:43 AM Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007 I e-mail and raised all sorts of fuss when my first issue came with the
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
Dean S
I e-mail and raised all sorts of fuss when my first issue came with the
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cheaper binding. Really cheapens the magazine, and like you said, not having the spline means we can't easily reference older issues. I recently rain into Shawn Walker and let him know my feelings too :) Oh well, everyone is having to trim the fat, and they are no different. I do hope AP is an exception and continues taking the "High Road."
----- Original Message -----
From: "Joseph Zeglinski" <J.Zeglinski@rogers.com> To: <ap-gto@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 10:00 AM Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007 Hi Dean,magazine - now, recently another, that they have gone back to stapling, and you can'tpurpose, to give us a couple of months time in reading completely through an issue,in preparation for some cosmological event, we wouldn't want to miss.2007???
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007 OT
Gregory Nottingham <gnpnotti@...>
Yeah, I remember in 1979 being outraged that a new Jeep 4x4 cost $10K.
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Greg
On Nov 1, 2007, at 11:10, kgkirkley@aol.com wrote:
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
Joe Zeglinski
Hi Dean,
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That is one thing that has always really bugged me about S&T magazine - now, recently another, that they have gone back to stapling, and you can't find an old issue since there is no longer a "spine" to see the date in a carton. Wish they would publish a "special interim issue", and then get the publishing dates back to a normal sequence. I suppose they do that on purpose, to give us a couple of months time in reading completely through an issue, in preparation for some cosmological event, we wouldn't want to miss. Does any other monthly magazine publish months in advance? For me, it's more annoying than supposedly well intentioned. Joe
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dean S" <dean@cwdi.com> To: <ap-gto@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 10:39 AM Subject: Re: [ap-gto] Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007 Magazine dates make about as much sense as buying 2008 model cars in 2007???
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
Dean S
Magazine dates make about as much sense as buying 2008 model cars in 2007???
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----- Original Message -----
From: "Larry Phillips" <llp41astro@cox.net> To: <ap-gto@yahoogroups.com> Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 9:28 AM Subject: [ap-gto] Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007 Your December issue is the one that should have just arrived. The
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
Larry Phillips
Your December issue is the one that should have just arrived. The
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November issue has been out for a month. Larry
--- In ap-gto@yahoogroups.com, Gerald Sargent <sargentg@...> wrote:
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Re: TEC 140 + 14" LX200R on an AP1200
Jeff Young <jey@...>
Gavin --
I have a Losmandy dovetail attached to the top of my Parallax rings holding a Meade 16" LX200GPS OTA. On the rail rides a Tak FC-100. The FC-100 is a doublet, and considerably smaller than 140mm, so it probably weighs about 1/2 what the TEC does. Then agian, the 16" OTA is about twice the weight of the 14", and leaves the Tak's weight on a slightly longer moment arm. Seems to work fine. The mirror flop is enough in the SCT that you can't get both scopes to point to the same spot all over the sky, but the refractors have a big enough field to mostly make up for that. -- Jeff. ________________________________ From: ap-gto@yahoogroups.com [mailto:ap-gto@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Gavin Bray Sent: Thursday, November 01, 2007 12:28 PM To: ap-gto@yahoogroups.com Subject: [ap-gto] TEC 140 + 14" LX200R on an AP1200 Hello I have a 14" LX200R attached to an AP1200 using a set of Parallax Instruments rings. The setup is housed in my observatory and I'm very happy with it. I was wondering whether I could attach a dovetail plate to the top of the parallax rings (above the 14") and attach something like a TEC 140 to that. Is it feasible to mount something like a TEC 140 on top of the 14"? Is there a better option I should be considering? Thanks Gavin
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Re: TEC 140 + 14" LX200R on an AP1200
William R. Mattil <wrmattil@...>
Gavin Bray wrote:
HelloIt is certainly feasible. Many others have done exactly that and it's doubtful that you'd be getting anywhere near the capacity of your AP1200. Just don't be too surprised if you cannot guide the LX200R with the TEC140. Is there a better option I should be considering?I'm sure somebody will suggest a side by side mounting which is also feasible. But IMO it's harder to deal with. Regards Bill -- William R. Mattil : http://www.celestial-images.com
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
Kent Kirkley
In a message dated 11/1/2007 11:44:35 AM Central Daylight Time,
J.Zeglinski@rogers.com writes: Back to topic - I am surprised that S&T didn't scoop the astro publishing world with such a major announcement review (prepared in advanced) of the AP3600 - somebody there, in the new management, asleep at the wheel - (they probably aren't astro literate) ? They could have sent Dennis DiCicco to Antarctica to test it, and he would have been back ... by morning :-) Dennis was at AIC2006 in San Jose last weekend, taking photographs of all the new gear, including the AP3600GTO. Kent Kirkley ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
Dr. David Toth
At 02:52 AM 11/1/2007, Gerald Sargent wrote:
The Nov issue of S&T has just arrived and the "next month's contents"The Mach 1 is reviewed in New Products in the Dec. issue, page 37, entitled "Staying on Track" ... A good read .... Dave
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TEC 140 + 14" LX200R on an AP1200
Gavin Bray
Hello
I have a 14" LX200R attached to an AP1200 using a set of Parallax Instruments rings. The setup is housed in my observatory and I'm very happy with it. I was wondering whether I could attach a dovetail plate to the top of the parallax rings (above the 14") and attach something like a TEC 140 to that. Is it feasible to mount something like a TEC 140 on top of the 14"? Is there a better option I should be considering? Thanks Gavin
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Re: Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007 OT
Kent Kirkley
In a message dated 11/1/2007 9:59:36 AM Central Daylight Time,
J.Zeglinski@rogers.com writes: Does any other monthly magazine publish months in advance? For me, it's more annoying than supposedly well intentioned. Joe More annoying to me is that the magazines begin sending out resubscription notices a few months after your subscription begins or at least 6-10 months before it expires. By not sending out these early notices they could save a lot of money, not c log landfill and, perhaps lower the subscription rate. Remember when magazines cost 50 cents, a dollar, two dollars? (I know that can be said just about anything) Kent Kirkley ************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
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Mach1 critique in S&T Dec 2007
Gerald Sargent <sargentg@...>
The Nov issue of S&T has just arrived and the "next month's contents"
does not mention it. Likewise the contents list for the Dec issue of Sky &Telescope, vol 114, No 6 on the "www.skypub.com" website does not mention the Mach 1. What have I got wrong please ? Gerald
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Re: portable pier height for 1200GTO
tomoharra <toharra@...>
--- In ap-gto@yahoogroups.com, "Dean S" <dean@...> wrote:
Hi Dean, I have the 48" port. pier that I use when I go to my ranch. My imaging scope is either my TOA 130 or the FSQ. Check out my web site. www.astrodave.com/oharra Tom O'Harra Hi All,about the portable pier height. Currently mine is about 38" and the 1200 mount is 2" taller, so if I had a 36" tall AP pier it would be what I am comfortable with. My observatory pier is this height also. passer bys inevitably get too close and seem to want to look down the scopes, or worse yet shine a light on it while I am imaging:) My OTA's are currently a C9.25, guide scope, and Epsilon 160, not sure if I ever will get a big refractor. the 42" is way too tall for my vertically challenged stature. Ap said they would consider making me a custom pier tube during their next run, but of course this also means changing the turn buckles too or else I would just cut one down myself. setups and your pier height considerations.
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Re: Pier design and sand
dmwmpd <westergren@...>
Hi Joe,
I come from the school of thought in astrophotography that there is no substitude for stiffness, like in auto racing there's no substitute for cubic inches. A lot of ideas for astro mounts, cameras, etc can work, but some of them take special care. We are fortunate now that DSLR's don't need the long term precision guiding that film required in order to get nice astro photos. I used to guide film with a piggy back scope that I thought was a very stiff mount, yet the change in gravity direction in 45 minutes of tracking caused elongated stars due to the deflection of the structure. Any imbalance of the scope/mount, or change in the direction of hanging cables can cause elongated stars over longer exposure times. Good luck if you decide to try the PVC pier. It's certainly cheaper and much easier to handle and install than a steel pier. I know, my steel pier weighed over 450 lbs and took a lot of planning and manpower to get it into position. It's never going to move now. Let us know what you try, and how well it works. Regards, Don --- In ap-gto@yahoogroups.com, "Joseph Zeglinski" <J.Zeglinski@...> wrote: and it is a concern at the back of my mind, but I still wonder how muchstiffness in this application, is really enough. If I were buildingan "observatory pier", fully committed to location, I would go for maximum strength ofmaterials, but this pier is a test system, if I can call it that. If it workssufficiently well, (and I don't kick it, intentionally out of frustration, orthis is my backyard, I don't expect blustery winds (certainly not if I have tobe outside - in which case the seeing will be a deciding factor, notthe pier). There are enough buildings, shrubs, fences, and low trees, etc. toprovide some wind break. Heaving of the ground from year to year, mighteventually require a reset, or redesign with heftier materials, but a 4 footdepth and packed with yard soil (not necessarily sand). I don't expect muchlong term motion, especially since there is no "footing" to push up - it'sjust a relatively thin 1/2" cylinder wall rather than a flat bottom. Asfor short term stability, I am trusting that the wall thickness will sufficefor the load being carried. But by then I will know if this is the bestspot - certainly can't be worse than using my 6" diameter Losmandy G11aluminum tripod supporting my AP900 and Questar-7. If there is any shiftcaused by seasonal heaving, I can realign the mount, but hopefully it won'tbe required, or at least not often. I like the clean lines of green PVC, nopainting required, no pitting or rusting below ground, and it won't ringlike a bell. have some serious soldering repairs ahead of me. The mount should beperfectly balanced - after all it's one of the best, and if anything, we likeour setups perfectly balanced.heads up and warnings I can get from you and others. For now, I am consideringit a "temporary pier" - with no early plans to require dismantling it(once planted). I had hoped someone had already tried this approach, butI might have to be the first to do so.during the day, as I described - that WOULD be the topper!long piertime effects, like many seconds to hours. The stiffness of the andpipe is a function of E (modulus of elasticity of the material) betweenthe Section Moment of Inertia (depends on diameter and wall it380,000 and 540,000. In other words, the PVC pipe would flex more commitdoesn't address the dynamics that I mentioned in my posts. feetto heavysteel posts and concrete bunker footing.diameter, AP900deep (3feet above ground), and fill the inside back in with earth(perhaps only toground level). I am hoping that the perhaps 1/2", (or thicker),PVC wallswon't ring as much as steel, and will be solid enough for an assystem. Ithink these street pipes should be temperature stable and shouldnot warp orvibrate, in normal city street use, so it might have advantages piermaterial. Advantages include being easier to construct, (evenremove to adjustfor height), and can eventually be moved to a better spot, orremovedentirely.
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