On 1 Sep 2003 17:12:00 -0700, (david) ...reflected:

Alan W. Craft wrote in message . ..
On 1 Sep 2003 09:29:56 -0700, (david) ...reflected:

Alan,
Well, to be honest, I would like to try out a Tak...and I agree on
your assessment of the LV, sold mine the week it came...too bad money
IS the limiting factor...otherwise, I would have a refractor
collection!!!

Only one GOOD refractor is needed, and for stars and planets, particularly
doubles and variables. For anything else, get a Newtonian.

snip...

I got a Discovery 8" f8...

You mean either an f/6 or f/7, don't you? I went to Discovery's
website, and the only f/8 they regularly offer is a 6". In any case,
you chose well.

..."Mars Observer" dob in about 3 weeks ago. Got
in some quick views of Mars so far, seems to be a great scope. Not
too portable thought, looks like a canon out front on my driveway

The weather here in the southeast...

Where is that exactly, as I live just south of Memphis here in
Mississippi. The weather here has been just as terrible. In my
39 years I can't recall the last time we were inundated by
so much water.

...is terrible most of the summer and I
have had 3 nights of opportunities since the Mars scope came. Last
night, I played peek-a-boo with the clouds and Mars, only got two
mosquito bites, not too bad of a summer night!!!!

The nights are getting cooler, at last. The first things to go
should be those teeny Count Dracula wannabes.

How much maginification will the Tak pull on Mars on an average night?

Oh, I've yet to do any lengthy and/or complicated observing.
I am looking forward to combining a good barlow with my eyepieces
and do that very thing.

One evening when observing Mars, I had a 5mm UO orthoscopic
in the focuser, and with no noticeable image degradation. That would
be 820/5 = 164x. Mars wasn't all that high in the sky, either.

When I was looking at the Moon at partial phase with the UO 4mm...
very nice, but I've yet to attach the JMI RA motor to do any lengthy
observing at such higher magnifications. What with working CONSTANTLY
combined with the bad weather, I haven't had any real opportunity to "play"
with the scope...

....but just you wait...fall and winter are coming...and so's my new star atlas
from Amazon.com.

Alan