Re: SCTs are dying ...
- From: "Jan Owen" <janowen1z@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 26 May 2005 12:51:33 -0700
"Professor Peter" <profpeter@xxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:smple.10981$w21.10603@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
>
> "Stephen Paul" <spaul219@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
> news:d7549c$3q2$1@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> > Things I've learned:
> >
> > Aside from (a possibly more comfortable) seating position for strictly
> > visual use, GoTo altazimuth FM SCT's provide no benefit over a GoTo
and
> > Track Dob of equal aperture. And, they are no less difficult to
transport
> by
> > car.
>
> When you get up to larger apertures, like 12" or greater, I tend to
favor
> SCT transport by auto over Dob, unless the Dob has a wide field focal
> length.
>
> > For yard use, a hand-truck solves the aperture/size issue, as does a
> > ScopeBuggy, rendering the issue meaningless.
>
> In my case, such transporting equipment has never worked out. My
foundation
> is one foot higher than the surrounding ground and my doorways too
narrow to
> allow hand trucks to enter. Having the convenience of piece-by-piece
SCT
> components really has been the determinant as to whether or not I even
own a
> scope. I suppose a Dob could be carried out and assembled as well, but
then
> we have a bulky tube length and maybe more mirror weight.
I don't understand the part about not fitting a scope on a hand truck
through a door or down a foot from your floor height to the outside level.
A hand truck will fit through any hole the scope will, and it will easily
negotiate several steps or just one between levels.
The following image shows my 13" strapped to a hand truck with a
ratcheting nylon strap, for a secure unitized load while moving. I have
to make a step down, too, to my patio slab through a door just out of the
photo to the right, and down onto the patio. Piece of cake. The mirror
stays in the scope all the time, and it all goes out in one piece. All
that's left to do before observing is uncap the thing, and check
collimation, then go through the equilibration process. Coming back in is
just as easy.
http://image38.webshots.com/38/7/70/15/353877015ZrgkYr_fs.jpg
Of course, for an SCT, it's equally easy, and also all in one piece
through the house, through the back door, and outside...
http://image20.webshots.com/20/1/99/79/328819979HOaupr_fs.jpg
>
> Unless you are an apartment
> > dweller without ground level storage, any scope can be moved (easily),
> with
> > the right solution.
>
> That's a good point, but not in my case.
>
> > My biggest complaint with the SCT, is the dew collector up front. I
can
> > image/observe for many hours with my Newtonians and refractors using
just
> > the RA drive on the GEM, and I can observe all night with my Dob
without
> any
> > power whatsoever.
>
> I make homemade dew zappers out of nichrome wire, fed by a lamp dimmer
for
> wattage control. I spent about a year finding the ideal wattage
settings
> for different weather conditions. Has worked flawlessly for the five
year
> period that I've had SCTs, doesn't create tube currents, and have never
had
> dew build-up.
>
> > With the SCT/Mak/MNT, I am always worried about anti-dew heater
failure,
> and
> > with reason. It has happened often enough that I steer away from their
> > dependency.
>
> If you make your own out of nichrome wire as a base and solidly connect
the
> feeding wires, you should never have failure unless of course the lamp
> dimmer driver is accidentally shorted. I tried the commercial dew
zapper
> route when I started and had failure after only a few weeks. They just
> don't have the durability of a homemade unit. Many use resistors as
heating
> elements, which tend to burn up when overheated. About the only thing
> nichrome wire is going to do when heated is make a mark on your scope's
> finish! So it's important not to set it too high.
>
> Of course, if you live in prevailing dry climate, then this
> > issue is less of a concern. Still, the GoTo and Track Dob is a
definite
> > alternative to be considered, if you are not primarily an imager.
>
> I can see the advantages of a tracked Dob, but to me the overall
portability
> factor is still won out at larger apertures by SCTs.
>
> Prof
>
> >
>
>
.
- References:
- SCTs are dying ...
- From: Mean Mr Mustard
- Re: SCTs are dying ...
- From: Professor Peter
- Re: SCTs are dying ...
- From: Stephen Paul
- Re: SCTs are dying ...
- From: Professor Peter
- SCTs are dying ...
- Prev by Date: Re: Do you believe?
- Next by Date: Re: Do you believe?
- Previous by thread: Re: SCTs are dying ...
- Next by thread: Re: SCTs are dying ...
- Index(es):
Relevant Pages
|
