Re: ep quality
- From: "Joe S." <anon@xxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 28 Jan 2006 08:37:16 -0500
"Eric" <nospam@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:-aWdnY3u9Jm_akfeRVn-uA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Can anyone comment on the 50mm 2" optilux sold by Orion (#08510)
> also, I want to be sure i understand this correctly, this longer fl
> ep will help me in discerning more detail in objects like M31, right?
> AS i understand it it increases contrast and brightness? I am planning
> to order the Orion Skyquest XT 12 tomorrow and I thought I'd add this EP
> to
> it along with a 9x50 right angle finder scope and the intelliscope "push
> to". Good idea? Any other items that would be recommended to purchase with
> this scope?
> Thanks
> Eric
>
Eric:
This is not exactly in response to your EP question -- however -- this may
be useful.
Congratulations on your decision to go with the XT-12. Sandy Claws brought
me an XT-12 Intelliscope with controller for Christmas to replace my XT-8
and ETX-90 that were lost in Hurricane Katrina; the XT-12 is now my only
scope.
I am very pleased with this scope and with the Intelliscope computer --
however -- be warned -- it's BIG. Moving it is not the easiest thing you've
ever done. In fact, my scope lives outside on a two-wheel handcart. Here
are some photos and a brief, down-and-dirty article about my XT-12:
http://www.schlatter.org/Dad/Astronomy/XT%2012.htm
Here is my attempt to explain the Intelliscope and to describe my experience
with it:
http://www.schlatter.org/Dad/Astronomy/intelliscope%20page.htm
I purchased the Orion 9 X 50 right-angle finder and am glad I did. Also, I
put a Telrad on this scope. If you go to the URL cited above, you will not
see the Telrad in any of the photos because I took the photos before
installing the Telrad. Later today (1/28) I plan to update the article with
new photos. In addition to adding a Telrad to the scope, I built two
cradles that mount on the handcart to support the scope when I move it --
all this will be documented in the photos that I will take later today.
If you stand at the rear of the scope and look forward, the Telrad is
mounted to the right of the finder scope -- the focusser is on the left of
the finder, then the finder, then the Telrad to the right of the finder. To
use the Telrad, you must lean over the scope, lay one side of your face on
the scope tube, and peer through the Telrad -- it's not a problem and the
Telrad is a useful addition. In fact, if you look at the photos of my XT-8,
the Telrad on the now-deceased XT-8 is mounted in the same configuration as
the Telrad on my XT-12:
http://www.schlatter.org/Dad/Astronomy/xt%208.htm
The XT-12 is shipped in three boxes:
-- the OTA in one big, long box;
-- the mirror is not installed, it comes in its own box and is heavy;
-- the third box has the base.
You must:
-- assemble the base
-- stand the OTA on end, mirror end up; remove the mirror cell from the OTA;
install the mirror; put the cell and mirror back into the OTA while it is
standing on end with the mirror end pointing up.
-- collimate the scope.
Here are some things I learned while assembling and using the XT-12 and the
Intelliscope:
-- read the assembly instructions through, thoroughly, a couple of times
before you start assembling the scope, especially the part about installing
the Intelliscope encoders.
-- after unpacking the scope, read the instructions through again, this time
looking at each part as you read about it
-- when you assemble the scope, plan on taking two hours; get rid of
distractions -- lock out the kids, cats, dogs, and other creatures.
-- the mirror is packed upside down -- the shiny side is down -- be very
careful with the mirror, it is HEAVY, before picking it up or moving it,
think about what you're doing and be certain you have a place to put it
down.
-- once the mirror is installed in its cell, you must then put the whole
thing back onto the OTA -- this is a bit tricky, move carefully, you may
want someone to help with this installation because the OTA is standing
straight up and you must lift the heavy mirror in its cell up to the end of
the OTA and fit the mirror cell back onto the OTA -- helps to have someone
else on the other side of the mirror.
-- DON'T TOUCH THE SHINY SIDE OF THE MIRROR.
-- collimation was no problem; I found the secondary to be spot on and I
needed only to collimate the primary.
I had one problem with the Intelliscope. When I first used it, the computer
would not track the azimuth rotation. I discovered that I had not tightened
the top part of the base to the bottom part of the base, thus, the azimuth
encoder was not rotating with the scope -- I snugged up the single center
bolt and the Intelliscope has worked perfectly ever since.
As for eyepieces, my lowest power EP is a TeleVue 27mm Panoptic, which
yields 56X magnification -- I use this EP for the Orion Nebula and for star
clusters. It's also good for a nice, wide view of the moon. I also use
18mm and 10mm TV Radians, a 7mm Nagler, and a 6mm UO ortho.
Hope some of this helps.
.
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