Hello Rolando, I attended Stellafane during that decade and saw something like you describe. From a stowed position for travel to fully setup, going through the motions it reminded me of a Transformin

I still have my Pickett rules, A pocket size 6" and two 12", all in leather cases. Surprisingly, after more than fifty years I still remember how to use most of the scales! Richard

" Maybe we need to go back to making a newer version of the 400 for use with more modern short focus imaging refractors and the smaller (8 inch) SCTs." I must confess, you have an astonishingly good i

" Just another pointer?" I haven't found much use for a blue laser except to energize fluorescent materials and initiate explosions in nitrogen triiodide at a distance. Ultraviolet LED flashlights are

A checklist always helps.

It's only money. Buy what you want now. That's always worked out well for me.

You could try cross eyed viewing but the result would be the same since these pictures were taken from essentially the same perspective. Stereo pairs require images from different vantage points. One

I have the MACH1GTO and have tried using the 180 f/9 with it. While it's true that the mount will handle the weight and track OK it's the shakiest combination I've ever tried. Roland is correct, you w

I think you're referring to phenomenology. At least that's what it was called in the film, 'Dark Star'. Richard

"In my opinion, that's incredibly short sighted." Probably, I do wear corrective lenses for nearsightedness.

" I have only recently started the slide to the dark side." May your new path bring you joy and contentment, however illusory. Richard

Hmmm ..., "passive aggression?" Touch a nerve, did I? My comments weren't meant to convey anything more than my preference for first hand visual observation when exploring the universe, at least as fa

"Does anyone do visual any more?" I live in the real world and prefer my photons freshly delivered from their source. When it comes to telescopic views, electronically massaged second hand optical exp

"How will I know when the battery needs replacing?" You don't want to wait until it stops working. Reloading the software is such a hassle. Open the hand control and measure the battery voltage - now.

That would also be my recommendation. I power my GTO with an 8 AH gel cell for a few hours of visual observing and recharge during the day with a solar panel. One battery has lasted several years with

Another program to consider is Splashtop, with several versions ranging in cost from free to $10 in HD. I use it to control a DSP multi-band receiver connected to a computer, interfaced remotely throu

"What am I missing?" Things that go bump in the dark. :)

" And if all else fails, I am sure an AP forum could be set up on Astromart or Cloudy Nights without any effort." Pardon me, but that's another horrible idea. Please, don't toss more 'yogurt' into the

This idea may be of interest. http://spie.org/x92905.xml A gravity adjusted liquid dispersion corrector would eliminate the fussy adjustments associated with prisms plus be easy to construct. Perhaps

I will soon try the green filter with the Herschel wedge. You might also try a violet filter with the wedge. At that end of the visible spectrum solar plages can be observed near the limb. Richard