Don't forget that the AP1200 is quieter than the Paramount while tracking. For me the main thing is that the AP1200 doesn't need a computer. For me, astronomy is about being out in nature and computer

My 1200's serial port connectors have gotten a little rusty. Does anyone know where one can get those plastic caps to cover them with? I've not used them up until now, my friend has a program we plan

Joe, Wow, that's exactly the answer I was looking for. Where else can one get such good advice? I'll get some of those covers. Thanks, Rick

Harold, No, it's a program my friend wrote. I'll post more on it when I get his permission. My understanding is that it sends alt and az commands. Would it be more accurate if it sent RA and DEC comma

Bluetooth sounds good, too. What is the range for bluetooth? Will it go thirty feet and through a window? Then I can keep the computer inside. Rick

I just did this today with my 1200. Here's what I did: I got a part from Radio shack that has two big clips connected to a female cigarette lighter by about a foot of wire. I also got two banana plugs

Jim, Do you have a digital or analog meter? Does your meter have something like a 10A setting? In that setting the voltage drop through the meter is as low as possible. Rick

I might be interested in whether the bird was approaching me or leaving me. Or perhaps rotating. How difficult would it be to find some narrowband filters tuned a little above or below laboratory emis

Alan, I could be wrong on this point, but I seem to remember the MI-250 goes a little past the meridian, and the AP goes way past the meridian without running into anything. I sold my MI-250 years ago

Anthony, Really a nice picture. Thanks for bringing up the Sharpless catalog. That got me curious, so I looked it up. A whole catalog of H-alpha objects - I'm in heaven! I'm using E200 film for most o

Thanks, Jim I'll see if I can import those, and if not, I can just direct the mount there with ra/dec. By the way, is the museum in Albuquerque still doing their annual Astrophotography exhibit? I rem

Tom, That photo is absolutely stunning. I've never seen anything like it. The rendering of the dust is amazing. The ASA astrograph is interesting. Can you say more about it? Rick

Why did you throw the beer out before throwing out the software?

I've gone as long as 40 seconds on a C14 with a Giant Easy Guider. The GEG's pickoff mirror is way out at the edge of the field, so my guide star is usually seagull-shaped. If it is dim, I need a real

Jim, I'm also observatory-less at present, at least compared to my last place where I had an Astro-Haven dome. But I would never go pier- less. I have a Astro-Pier from LeSeur bolted to a few hundred

Very interesting to see that jet. Why do you suppose the jet polarizes the light? And would that jet show up on a doppler Halpha image, if one could be made? Rick

I haven't seen condensation inside yet, but a bag of dessicant sitting on the base of the mount might be a good idea. I think hardware stores sell them to dry musty closets. Some of them might be rech

Ever since Larry told me about that trick, I've done it in each of my piers. It works great. The pier is totally dead after that. Rick

If it is a possibility, I can recommend Mayhill, NM. A good way to check out the area would be to spend a few nights at New Mexico Skies. Nearby is the Apache Point Observatory, home to a solar observ

That's an exceptional picture, the wide field composition is great. I didn't know there were so many clouds between these two regions that we usually see as separate pictures. The picture looks very s