Astro Nut

My CG5GT was getting to be a MESS with all of the cables coming and going.

I have come close to tripping and ripping some of the cables out. THAT would have been BAD VERY VERY BAD!
I have 4 cables
2 are for the cameras,
the Orion LPI and

the Meade DSI C
2 are for guiding
GPUSB guide port interface and
the Hand Controler.

So I got a couple of 4 port USB hubs
Now I have to spend some time routing all of them out of the way!

I have a 9×50 and can’t stand it as a matter of fact it was the very first upgrade I did to my Dob.
The Telrad is one of those things that when you get one and use it ……
HOW DID I GET ALONG WITHOUT IT

For star hopping it just can’t be beat.
There is a TON of charts, maps and software that use the Telrad circles.
The batteries last forever….or it seems like it. I have left my Telrad on for a couple of days and they went on for MONTHS.
My red dot finder does not come close. Leave it on overnight and the batteries ARE DEAD.
Some people think the Telrad as heavy and bulky….

You can see my Telrad, it is not as long nor as tall as the stock 9×50.
As for being heavy hummm it is heavier the the 9×50 but we are talking OUNCES here not pounds.
Bulky? I think it fits right in next to the 2? focuser

There will be a Telrad on all of my scopes!!!

A scoping buddy let me borrow his Orion 120mm f/5.0!
I have sort of been wanting one of these scopes to use for astrophotography!
Last night I got my chance.
The Moon was at 89% and viewing was not that good.
I am more then surprised at how nice the picture came out!

Here is M13 The Hercules Globular Cluster
This is 10 subs @ 15 sec
Scope Orion 120mm f/5.0
Camera Meade DSI-C
Mount CG5GT unguided
Stacked with MaxIm DL Essentials Edition
processed with PhotoShop 6

The only trouble I had was I could not use the 2 inch diagonal but had to use a 1 1/4 inch….. And that was not a big deal at all!

Over all Orion 120mm f/5.0 is a joy to use for both astrophotography and visual.
This scope is going on my wish list……

I received my StarShootII yesterday! Whaooo

My first impression of the camera was how small and light it is, it actually weighs next to nothing!
The casing is made of lightweight plastic.
I installed the drivers and MaximumDL on my Vista equipped laptop without any problems all!

Here’s a picture of some Sunspots 20 minutes after the camera came out of the box!
It took longer to install the camera than it did to take this picture.
Overall I am pretty impressed and I think I’m going to have a lot of fun with little camera.

The other day I got a different type of Rubylith for my laptops.
I had been using Rubylith Acrylic Sheets while these worked good the new Rubylith worked a whole lot better!
It comes a heavy-duty plastic sheets that very easy to cut.
Its not as thick or as heavy as the Acrylic Sheets.
Since its not as thick I can leave on my laptop and close it with no problem.

it also works very well on lights and flashlights.

If you are still looking for Rubylith
scopestuff.com carries it!

Update
I have only had a couple of clear nights to use the “The Little Dude”
but they were very enjoyable.

The Celestron Sky Align is very simple and fast to use.
I just pointed at 3 different stars and it came back with
MATCH CONFIRMED.
You don’t have to know the name of the star.
You don’t have to put it at a HOME postion.
You don’t have to point it North.

Just level it and pick out 3 stars and you are set!
What a delight to use.

click on thumb for a big picture
This is my new Telesope and his name is
“The Little Dude”
It is a Celestron StarSeeker 80mm GoTo Refractor
and so far I have really enjoyed the scope!
GoTo telescope with 4,000+ object database makes stargazing easier than ever
Features the revolutionary SkyAlign technology for fast, easy setup
Includes GoTo hand controller, two Kellner eyepieces, red dot finder scope, and star diagonal.

I got him from Orion Telescopes
Orion Telescope has a very good reputation so give them a try!

Orion Stargazer’s Filter Set, 2″

It took a little bit to get use to using the collimation eyepiece.
But after you get the hang of it man it makes the whole world of difference to your viewing experience.

I did it! I have been wanting a or GLP for a long time and I ordered it today. I saw that is was on sale for $55.00 and I could not pass it up. Shipping was FAST it went out with in hours of the order.

Our club has 1 GLP and sometimes it forgotten or not at the star party.
So I decided to get one. A GLP can be used as a scope finder but I just want it as a pointer