Best $100 you've spent on the hobby?

Martin R. Howell wrote:
The best $4 I ever spent was on an eye patch. I use mine all the time,
on my observing eye when I want to protect it from light and on the other
eye when I'm looking through the eyepiece. Avoids untold fatigue, and
allows me (within reason) to go into a lit room without losing my dark
adaptation -- in one eye, anyway.




Agreed. I too often enter the house with my observing eye covered with the
patch in an effort to protect my dark adapted "eye."

By the way, I seem to be "left eyed" when it comes to greater light
sensitivity, but observe using my right eye from years of habit.


Hmmm .. if you use a binoviewer ... No, guess you would be bumping into
things :-)

Hmmm .. if you use a binoviewer ... No, guess you would be bumping into
things :-)

I have used an eyepatch for years, too...especially for solar observing, but I
have gone and lost mine. I am left eyed, always have been, so it's a good
thing that the giant pituitary tumor that sprouted in my head only took the
vision permanently from my right eye. Kinda renders binoviewers useless for
me. I still have a small area of central vision from the right eye, but mostly
it's a distraction so I keep the eye closed for about 30 minutes when I first
wake up and at certain other points during the day. Gonna have to find another
eyepatch.

Mark
The Catman
^..^

www.geocities.com/mark_rosengarten
Owner/Coordinator of the Neko Ultraportable Solar Observatory
Fun WITH The Sun for Everyone!

On 2004-08-18, Jeff Marsh wrote:
For me, this is an easy one: "The Night Sky Observer's Guide".

I'll second that. An incredible resource.

And, although you can't fit it all into $100, add the AstroCards and small
chart viewer by the same authors.

-Bill
--
Sattre Press History of Astronomy
http://sattre-press.com/ During the 19th Century
by Agnes M. Clerke
http://sattre-press.com/han.html

Phil Wheeler wrote:

Martin R. Howell wrote:
The best $4 I ever spent was on an eye patch. I use mine all the time,
on my observing eye when I want to protect it from light and on the other
eye when I'm looking through the eyepiece. Avoids untold fatigue, and
allows me (within reason) to go into a lit room without losing my dark
adaptation -- in one eye, anyway.




Agreed. I too often enter the house with my observing eye covered with the
patch in an effort to protect my dark adapted "eye."

By the way, I seem to be "left eyed" when it comes to greater light
sensitivity, but observe using my right eye from years of habit.


Hmmm .. if you use a binoviewer ... No, guess you would be bumping into
things :-)

This raises the interesting problem of having one eye dark adapted and
the other light adapted. I note that this is VERY disorienting for many
people at public star parties. When viewing a well lit Moon at low
power, for example, the viewing eye will quickly adapt to the bright
light, leaving the other eye still dark adapted. I've seen people
literally walk in circles, or into objects after this experience. It
must somehow cause vertigo or some kind of 'brain confusion'. The affect
seems to bother about 30% of those viewing, and lasts about five
minutes, the time to largely (not fully) re-adapt both eyes to the dark.
I sense the affect too, but I've learned be careful after such instances.

I also have large binoculars (20X125) that give a VERY bright view. I've
seen people nearly fall off the observing ladder when they try to look
through the binos at the well lit Moon. It definitely 'dazzles' the dark
adapted eyes. Even then, however, they don't suffer the disorientation
that occurs from ONE eye being lit.

Dan Mitchell
==========

Telrad plus Sky Atlas 2000

john

An Astroscan that I bought at a yard sale quite a few years ago.

Larry Stedman wrote:

...
In any event, what's the best $100 that YOU ever spent on this hobby?

And why?

--
Tom Rankin - Programmer by day, amateur astronomer by night!
Mid-Hudson Astronomy Association - http://mhaa.whodeanie.com
Views and Brews - http://viewsandbrews.com

When replying, remove the capital letters from my email address.

Larry Stedman wrote in message ...
Came across an old post from Chuck Gulker in which he stated that the
best $100 he had spent on the hobby (after 15 years+) was on a Highpower
Equatorial Platform, which he mated with a 7" Oak Classic.

Well, if Highpower still made those EP's and at that price, I'd grab one
in a flash and pair it with my 7" Starmaster, too. And probably make
the same statement as Chuck.

That got me thinking. What's the best $100 I ever spent on this hobby?

Well, it has to be the used Astroscan I bought this summer. It's been
wonderful. Was at a country lake, and saw Barnard's E dark nebula in
Aquila for the first time (what is that, B142/143?). I also simply
marveled at crusing the summer Milky Way.

One of the best things about the little red ball wonder is the wide
field of view. I'm now into DSO hopping. The triangle, e.g., from the
Coat-Hanger cluster (CR399) to M73 (globular) to M27 Dumbbell Nebula is
so easy to navigate and seeing the DSOs in miniature is just enchanting!

That coupled with the intuitive, stable movement makes for a great
experience! Although I've own one of those short tube 80s for several
years, it never really grabbed me. The 'Scan, by contrast, has
re-energized my observing.

In any event, what's the best $100 that YOU ever spent on this hobby?

And why?

Larry Stedman
Vestal

Probably the Baader Solar film I bought.