Question

Now that you've come back to life, here goes ...

As most of you know, I have my Babylon 8 Dob, ( 8inch / F8 ), last
weekend I had a little trouble with mirror shifting, nothing that on
monday wasn't fixable with a bit of JB Weld.

Last night after putting it all back together again and getting it
alined and set up ( this after putting a new started in the 'Beast' )
I waited for the full moon, just to check it out, everything looked
good, so I moved the scope out a few more feet into the driveway and
aimed at Jupiter. I used each and every EP I have, the winds had died
down to almost nell and but for the full moon, the sky was clear.

Starting with my Meade 26mm, then upward I was getting good clear
views of the planet and it's moons. Then came at last the 4.8 neggler,
now I know the high power EP's cut down the amount of light and you
have to have good seeing to use them. I got Jupiter, a kind of grayesh
image, and to get a shape image I had to turn the knobs one tiny click
at a time, I never did get what I would call a good image, for
fleeting times it kind of came in.

Now last year this same EP did wonders on Mars. So I'm thinking, upper
air movement, dust still in the air, light glair from Lancaster /
Palmdale, full moon?

I'n not faulting the EP, just trying to adjust my idea of when I can
use it. BTW, even the moon was so-so with it.



--
Dragons Must Fly when Thread's in the Sky

www.starlords.org



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In article ,
"Starlord" wrote:



I'n not faulting the EP, just trying to adjust my idea of when I can
use it. BTW, even the moon was so-so with it.

That 4.8mm Nagler is giving you about 340X, which in my observing
experience is too high a magnification for 8" of aperture on Jupiter.
For some reason, Jupiter doesn't bear high magnifications well. On my
own 6" scope, I'm lucky to get up to 250X on a *good* night. Also,
Jupiter is getting pretty low these days- even in twilight it's only
half-way up the sky. When suitably placed, both Saturn and Mars will
take higher magnifications better than Jupiter.

On the other hand, you mention trouble with mirror shift. Have you done
a star test recently?

Starry Skies,
Rich

Jupiter is up in what I call the nose bleed area of the sky, amost
right overhead, got to wait until at lest 11pm before it's down where
I can sit and use my dob. The mirror shift was one of the cell's tangs
that support the side of the mirror had come lose and the glob of glue
I had under it had come off, so that when I rotated the OTA for people
up at my sidewalk spot, ( this way even short people get a view ) the
mirror was shifting on it's support just a tiny amount, maybe 2mm, but
it was enough to make troubles. So I tighted the bolt and covered the
tang and mirror side with harding glue. It works just fine once more.
Gave it a full test run last night, all but stood it upside down and
mirror didn't budge a bit.

Those star test are something I've never figured out, what I see in
books, online, etc. and what I see in my scope are 3 different things
altogether. I see stars as points of light, planets are good, and
dso's are awesome.

Good thing my cell is designed to allow free air to move all the time,
after all, it was only 80 out last night and the mirrors figure was
holding fine.

The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond.


PS, that's,now I know not to use that EP on Jupiter, last year MARS
was awesome in it.


--
Dragons Must Fly when Thread's in the Sky

www.starlords.org

"Richard DeLuca" wrote in message
news
On the other hand, you mention trouble with mirror shift. Have you
done
a star test recently?

Starry Skies,
Rich


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I vote for upper air movement.
Here, in Casper Wyoming, things can seem to be steady(minimal *surface*
windage) but then the jet stream turns out to be the great spoiler.
It also works out visa versa sometimes.

Best regards,
Bill

"Starlord" wrote in message
...
Now that you've come back to life, here goes ...

As most of you know, I have my Babylon 8 Dob, ( 8inch / F8 ), last
weekend I had a little trouble with mirror shifting, nothing that on
monday wasn't fixable with a bit of JB Weld.

Last night after putting it all back together again and getting it
alined and set up ( this after putting a new started in the 'Beast' )
I waited for the full moon, just to check it out, everything looked
good, so I moved the scope out a few more feet into the driveway and
aimed at Jupiter. I used each and every EP I have, the winds had died
down to almost nell and but for the full moon, the sky was clear.

Starting with my Meade 26mm, then upward I was getting good clear
views of the planet and it's moons. Then came at last the 4.8 neggler,
now I know the high power EP's cut down the amount of light and you
have to have good seeing to use them. I got Jupiter, a kind of grayesh
image, and to get a shape image I had to turn the knobs one tiny click
at a time, I never did get what I would call a good image, for
fleeting times it kind of came in.

Now last year this same EP did wonders on Mars. So I'm thinking, upper
air movement, dust still in the air, light glair from Lancaster /
Palmdale, full moon?

I'n not faulting the EP, just trying to adjust my idea of when I can
use it. BTW, even the moon was so-so with it.



--
Dragons Must Fly when Thread's in the Sky

www.starlords.org



---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
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In article ,
"Starlord" wrote:

Jupiter is up in what I call the nose bleed area of the sky, amost
right overhead, got to wait until at lest 11pm before it's down where
I can sit and use my dob. The mirror shift was one of the cell's tangs
that support the side of the mirror had come lose and the glob of glue
I had under it had come off, so that when I rotated the OTA for people
up at my sidewalk spot, ( this way even short people get a view ) the
mirror was shifting on it's support just a tiny amount, maybe 2mm, but
it was enough to make troubles. So I tighted the bolt and covered the
tang and mirror side with harding glue. It works just fine once more.
Gave it a full test run last night, all but stood it upside down and
mirror didn't budge a bit.

Dummy me made a silly assumption- that your latitude was the same as
mine. Yep, Jupiter is somewhat higher in the sky for you than it is for
me.


Those star test are something I've never figured out, what I see in
books, online, etc. and what I see in my scope are 3 different things
altogether. I see stars as points of light, planets are good, and
dso's are awesome.

Do a Google search on 'star testing' and I'm sure you'll find many
excellent pages about doing a star test using *out-of-focus* star
images. Or some other kind folk here probably can give you some good
URLs.




PS, that's,now I know not to use that EP on Jupiter, last year MARS
was awesome in it.


Well, on a really super night you probably *CAN* use 340X on Jupiter.
So keep it close at hand. It's just not gonna happen very often.

Best Regards,
Rich

"Richard DeLuca" wrote in message
news
That 4.8mm Nagler is giving you about 340X, which in my observing
experience is too high a magnification for 8" of aperture on Jupiter.
For some reason, Jupiter doesn't bear high magnifications well. On my
own 6" scope, I'm lucky to get up to 250X on a *good* night.

I'll second that thought. Rule of thumb among the ALPO crowd is to think of
40x per inch as the maximum useful magnification for Jupiter. Thus, high
power on my 6" scope is 215x.

On the other hand, some of the same ALPO crowd will throw insane amounts of
magnification (as in 2400x with a 12.5" scope) at Mars when it's at a good
opposition and the air is still.

Clear Skies,
Craig in Tampa

When a "H" sets in over S.Calif. as it has now,the JS is pushed far to
the north, and we don't get it then untila Low slides in.

This is one reason I have about 295 to 300 clear nights a year.


--
Dragons Must Fly when Thread's in the Sky

www.starlords.org

"Bill Becker" wrote in message
...
I vote for upper air movement.
Here, in Casper Wyoming, things can seem to be steady(minimal
*surface*
windage) but then the jet stream turns out to be the great spoiler.
It also works out visa versa sometimes.

Best regards,
Bill

"Starlord" wrote in message
...
Now that you've come back to life, here goes ...

As most of you know, I have my Babylon 8 Dob, ( 8inch / F8 ), last
weekend I had a little trouble with mirror shifting, nothing that
on
monday wasn't fixable with a bit of JB Weld.

Last night after putting it all back together again and getting it
alined and set up ( this after putting a new started in the
'Beast' )
I waited for the full moon, just to check it out, everything
looked
good, so I moved the scope out a few more feet into the driveway
and
aimed at Jupiter. I used each and every EP I have, the winds had
died
down to almost nell and but for the full moon, the sky was clear.

Starting with my Meade 26mm, then upward I was getting good clear
views of the planet and it's moons. Then came at last the 4.8
neggler,
now I know the high power EP's cut down the amount of light and
you
have to have good seeing to use them. I got Jupiter, a kind of
grayesh
image, and to get a shape image I had to turn the knobs one tiny
click
at a time, I never did get what I would call a good image, for
fleeting times it kind of came in.

Now last year this same EP did wonders on Mars. So I'm thinking,
upper
air movement, dust still in the air, light glair from Lancaster /
Palmdale, full moon?

I'n not faulting the EP, just trying to adjust my idea of when I
can
use it. BTW, even the moon was so-so with it.



--
Dragons Must Fly when Thread's in the Sky

www.starlords.org



---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
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Ya, I tried to answer you but geee, it bouced, now all you need to do
is find a boucing star to go along with it. ;}

But it's one reason I live in the High Mojave Desert.

Now awaiting the liftoff of Spaceship 1


--
Dragons Must Fly when Thread's in the Sky

www.starlords.org

"Etok" wrote in message
...


Starlord wrote:



Now last year this same EP did wonders on Mars. So I'm thinking,
upper
air movement, dust still in the air, light glair from Lancaster /
Palmdale, full moon?

I'n not faulting the EP, just trying to adjust my idea of when I
can
use it. BTW, even the moon was so-so with it.
Hey, Dennis!
Worst seeing I've ever seen in N. Cal on Monday and Tuesday night.
Jupiter looked like a white disc in *every* eyepiece. The moon
looked
like it was under running water.

At least you were able to get *some* detail on Jupiter, which is
more
than I could get with my SCT. This must be the "bad seeing" time of
year in San Francisco.

Regards,
Etok


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#2 and #4 have been defeated long ago, my Dob sit's outside 24/7, as
such it is always at or near the same temp as the air around it, my
cell is made with a full 3/4inch space all the way around the mirror
that allows the air free movement, so no cool down is needed. That
night ( as it's been every night this week ) the night temp was 80,
and I used my elec. temp gadge for the mirror, it read at 80 too,
can't be any better than having the same temp inside and out with the
scope. This kills tube currents too.


--
Dragons Must Fly when Thread's in the Sky

www.starlords.org

"LarryG" wrote in message
news
On Thu, 3 Jun 2004 15:37:25 -0700, Starlord
wrote:


Other possibilities a
1. Air turbulence
2. Tube currents
3. Local heat convection (concrete sidewalk, driveway, nearby street
or
rooftops,
even body heat if the plume is in the line of sight.)
4. Optics haven't reached thermal equilibrium

Cheers,
Larry G.



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On Thu, 3 Jun 2004 15:37:25 -0700, Starlord wrote:

Now that you've come back to life, here goes ...

As most of you know, I have my Babylon 8 Dob, ( 8inch / F8 ), last
weekend I had a little trouble with mirror shifting, nothing that on
monday wasn't fixable with a bit of JB Weld.

If this adhesive is too inflexible, it may put a strain on the mirror's
figure. Star test?



Last night after putting it all back together again and getting it
alined and set up ( this after putting a new started in the 'Beast' )
I waited for the full moon, just to check it out, everything looked
good, so I moved the scope out a few more feet into the driveway and
aimed at Jupiter. I used each and every EP I have, the winds had died
down to almost nell and but for the full moon, the sky was clear.

Starting with my Meade 26mm, then upward I was getting good clear
views of the planet and it's moons. Then came at last the 4.8 neggler,
now I know the high power EP's cut down the amount of light and you
have to have good seeing to use them. I got Jupiter, a kind of grayesh
image, and to get a shape image I had to turn the knobs one tiny click
at a time, I never did get what I would call a good image, for
fleeting times it kind of came in.

Now last year this same EP did wonders on Mars. So I'm thinking, upper
air movement, dust still in the air, light glair from Lancaster /
Palmdale, full moon?

I'n not faulting the EP, just trying to adjust my idea of when I can
use it. BTW, even the moon was so-so with it.

Other possibilities a
1. Air turbulence
2. Tube currents
3. Local heat convection (concrete sidewalk, driveway, nearby street or
rooftops,
even body heat if the plume is in the line of sight.)
4. Optics haven't reached thermal equilibrium

Cheers,
Larry G.



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