EQ or Dob

I got a e-mail today, from a guy with a yahoo.com account so I'm not sure if
he's here on on one of my lists. But he asked me if I would want my Babalon
8 as a Dob (which it's been for some years now) or as a EQ mounted scope. My
first answer was a bit screwed up as I answered him with just a light read
of his mail, then after I got a bit better (Had ben low in Blood Sugar) and
rered his mail he was asking if I would want my B8 as a dob or a EQ, now
this is a kind of a "Thinking Mans" question, I've been a dob user since my
first one I had in Hawaii (F4.8 12.5inch Orion Dob) this was before the
change over into the R.Chinese scops they get now. My first answer was a run
down of the 3 pairs of Bino's and the 6 Scopes I have, one is NOT one I
world have paid for, it's a department store scope with a broken tripod leg
I found in a trailer I was cleaning last week, so I have it now and I've not
looked yet to see which EP it'll take even. 2 other scopes are land viewing
scopes, not much for nigh sky at all. that leaves my 3 dobs, F9 4.24inch ,
F8 8inch (Babalon 8) , and the Donated F5 10inch.

In the 2nd reading later on I understood his message better and made another
answer, if I had the funds enough, I could build a steel pipe EQ mount but
it would be another wait for the funds I put away for the Drives and gears
and then it would be a major operation to change the mount, as right now
it's set up for Dob useage, has been since 2000 if not longer, but it could
be done but in the mean time it would still be used as a dob until all the
funds where built up, why you ask? As I told him, only during the mid point
of winter can the north star be seen, I'd have to use the Mag 1 stars I can
see up at the corner if up there or down here down to mag 3 or from Saturn
to Venus if those kind of controls used the planets too. I'm starting to get
tired as a trailerpark dain had to be unclouged today and that work me out
and I'm full of asprin now. So just as a note, what mounts do you like or
use and why? see you all later.


--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html
AD World
http://www.adworld.netfirms.com/

"Starlord" wrote in message
. ..
As I told him, only during the mid point of winter can the north star be
seen,

[snip]

You must be around 35deg North..........so how come Polaris is only visible
in winter?!?!

Has it migrated south to you for the winter..........and then goes back up
north in the summer?

;-)

--
M
------
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security
will deserve neither and lose both."
[Benjamin Franklin]

"War is delightful to those who have had no experience of it."
[Erasmus]

"A collision at sea can ruin your entire day."
[Thucydides]

"M" wrote in message
...
"Starlord" wrote in message
. ..
As I told him, only during the mid point of winter can the north star be
seen,

[snip]

You must be around 35deg North..........so how come Polaris is only
visible in winter?!?!


trees?

On Wed, 25 Apr 2007 12:09:49 -0700, "Starlord"
wrote:

In the 2nd reading later on I understood his message better and made another
answer, if I had the funds enough, I could build a steel pipe EQ mount but
it would be another wait for the funds I put away for the Drives and gears
and then it would be a major operation to change the mount, as right now
it's set up for Dob useage, has been since 2000 if not longer, but it could
be done but in the mean time it would still be used as a dob until all the
funds where built up, why you ask? As I told him, only during the mid point
of winter can the north star be seen, I'd have to use the Mag 1 stars I can
see up at the corner if up there or down here down to mag 3 or from Saturn
to Venus if those kind of controls used the planets too. I'm starting to get
tired as a trailerpark dain had to be unclouged today and that work me out
and I'm full of asprin now. So just as a note, what mounts do you like or
use and why? see you all later.

I've always preferred EQ mounts even for visual use, as I find their
movement more intuitive than altaz. But that's probably because I used
EQ scopes for years before I ever had a Dob.

In any case, it's important to note that there's no need to see Polaris
to align an EQ. For visual use, a compass will get you plenty close
enough, and for imaging Polaris alone won't get you close enough (very
few people can use a polar alignment scope well enough to image with
that alone).

What do you mean about seeing Polaris only in winter? It's in the same
place in the sky year round.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

What do you mean about seeing Polaris only in winter? It's in the same
place in the sky year round.

_________________________________________________

Umm you are dealing with starlord. come on now.

Up at the corner where I set up my dob the north star falls right between
Rosamond Park and the AM/PM gas station and only after the night lights are
not used in the park is it dark enough to see that star, with the park
ballfield lights on and the gas station lights and the other added street
lights on at the time I've looked but only with a High power (I.E.
4.8neggler) EP can I even make it out dimly and with DST it's later by the
clock that makes it seeable but after 10pm when the ballfield cosses down.
and as I'm gone by them most nights it's not seeable until I get home.

--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.

My very first scope was that 12.5 inch dob, have seen but not used a EQ at
all.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html
AD World
http://www.adworld.netfirms.com/


"Chris L Peterson" wrote in message
news

I've always preferred EQ mounts even for visual use, as I find their
movement more intuitive than altaz. But that's probably because I used
EQ scopes for years before I ever had a Dob.

In any case, it's important to note that there's no need to see Polaris
to align an EQ. For visual use, a compass will get you plenty close
enough, and for imaging Polaris alone won't get you close enough (very
few people can use a polar alignment scope well enough to image with
that alone).

What do you mean about seeing Polaris only in winter? It's in the same
place in the sky year round.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

That does it, down into the everlasting darkness and crusing forces of the
Cyber Black Hole you go.


--
There are those who believe that life here, began out there, far across the
universe, with tribes of humans, who may have been the forefathers of the
Egyptians, or the Toltecs, or the Mayans. Some believe that they may yet be
brothers of man, who even now fight to survive, somewhere beyond the
heavens.


The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
The Church of Eternity
http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html
AD World
http://www.adworld.netfirms.com/


"Dionysus" pucked on screen:

On Wed, 25 Apr 2007 16:28:44 -0700, "Starlord"
wrote:

Up at the corner where I set up my dob the north star falls right between
Rosamond Park and the AM/PM gas station and only after the night lights are
not used in the park is it dark enough to see that star, with the park
ballfield lights on and the gas station lights and the other added street
lights on at the time I've looked but only with a High power (I.E.
4.8neggler) EP can I even make it out dimly and with DST it's later by the
clock that makes it seeable but after 10pm when the ballfield cosses down.
and as I'm gone by them most nights it's not seeable until I get home.

Kind of sucks for doing public displays, doesn't it? The North Star is
such a nice landmark (skymark?) to show people who don't know much about
astronomy.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com

"Starlord" wrote:

I got a e-mail today, from a guy with a yahoo.com account so I'm not sure if
he's here on on one of my lists. But he asked me if I would want my Babalon
8 as a Dob (which it's been for some years now) or as a EQ mounted scope.

Perhaps he wanted to sell (or give) you an EQ mount for your 8-inch
Newtonian.

As I told him, only during the mid point
of winter can the north star be seen

That presents little to no difficulty for using an EQ for visual
observing, especially from sites for which you already know which way
north is.

what mounts do you like or use and why?

I have equatorial as well as alt-az mounts. For sharing views with
others I prefer to use an equatorial with an RA drive. For much of my
own observing I use alt-az mounts. Alt-az mounts tend to be quicker
and easier to set-up and take-down than EQs; but I find EQs to be more
pleasurable to use (once they've been set up).

I could be wrong; but for you and your sidewalk astronomy I would
expect life to be a bit easier and simpler without a German
Equatorial. OTOH, you could keep the EQ for home use until you've
mastered a set-up, use, and take-down routine.
--
Bill

"Starlord" wrote:
... . So just as a note, what mounts do you like or
use and why?

I use EQ fork mounts, because that's what I was already used to when I
bought the scopes. But I do have a NextStar 5 (motorized alt-az with a
wedge for possible EQ use), and don't enjoy the requirement of having
power to use it.

I wish I had bought the complete C104 with alt-az mount so I could
also use it easily for terrestrial viewing. I bought the OTA only, and
use a mount I built for it to ride on the C14. It's very clumsy
indeed, effectively stopping me from using the C104 tube at all.
http://flavorj.com/~skysea/Images/TMSP2004/052.jpg

=============
- Dale Gombert (SkySea at aol.com)
122.38W, 47.58N, W. Seattle, WA
http://flavorj.com/~skysea