Re: [ATM] (no subject)

[GARY FUCHS <gary@rcn.com>]

Thanks Mitch! 

You did a great job on your scope. I especially like the two pole design. You could have taken the typical route but worked out something neat instead. With better conditions you'll see even more - but better conditions are hard to come by! Try to make it to Stellafane. 

Regards,

Gary Fuchs


>
>     Well guys I'd say last night was a smashing success. After 2 & 1/2
>years of work it was great to see something, and even better, to see
>something really really nice. We (people at the ATM Meeting) viewed Venus
>and Saturn with Saturn stealing the show.
>
> 
>
>     I only eyeballed the collimation with a collimation cap as the primary
>has no center mark yet.
>
> 
>
>     Through regular plossls the views were very good. At 40X with my 25mm
>EP (telescope FL is 990 MM, it's an F/6.5) Saturn was small, but tack on
>sharp with 3 moon visible. with my zoom EP at about 10MM and a 2X barlow
>(198X) the view was still right on when the seeing calmed down. 
>
> 
>
>     The real test and proof to me that this scope is great was Mike L was
>very kind and tossed his 7MM Nagler with a 2X powermate in for about 283X
>and you could see the cassini divison along with one of the closer moons and
>some noticable banding. When the seeing calmed intermitantly the views were
>still very sharp. So this scope pretty much stands up to the old thumb rule
>of 50X per inch of aperature. I even held my digital camera up to the EP
>just for the heck of it and actually got a really nice image of Saturn!
>Albeit there was a slight ghost image above it from my hand moving.
>
> 
>
>     Anyway, the point is, with the collimation just fairly close the views
>were tack on sharp even at high power with good contrast and the views
>simply blew me away. The scope has completely met my expectations.
>
> 
>
>     I now consider this project officially DONE! Just a few odds and ends
>such as adding a center mark on the primary, and stablilizing the pivot bolt
>with a second nut, along with putting some final stuff for it on my webpage.
>
>
> 
>
>     I must say when I started this project long ago I never imagined the
>outcome would be so great. The largest part that helped me was meeting Matt
>and Gary (Fuchs) who introduced me at the ATM Meetings where I got much help
>from Gordon W and everyone else. I owe you all much. I am more than
>satisfied with this project and I think I have grown and learned in many
>ways since it's start.
>
> 
>
>     Many thanks again to Gordon and everyone else!
>
> 
>
>     Now it's back to polishing on the 10" ;)
>
> 
>
>Mitch   
>
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