Just got a reply back from the AM seller and he has 'no idea' as to what it is
he's selling. BH

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "scott_nc" <ssatko@...> wrote:
>
> Hey gang, I was perusing Astromart and came across what looks like an
excellent deal on a SV80ED. I have no relationship with the seller, but just
wanted to pass the message along. I'm hoping someone will buy this to eliminate
the feeling of temptation I'm getting! (as I really really don't need another
80mm scope). Interestingly, I noticed that this scope is described as having a
single-speed R+P focuser. However, in the posted picture it looks like a
single-speed Crayford to me. I thought all the 80EDs came with dual-speed
Crayfords--does anyone know the answer for sure?
>
> http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=655193
>
> Scott in NC
> SV80/9D, SV102ABV
>

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "scott_nc" <ssatko@...> wrote:
>
Yep, that would be a heck of a price for an SV80ED. I paid over $100 more for
mine - used, and it was about the best deal I'd seen in months. BH

>
> --- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "brhendricks" <billhendricks@> wrote:
> >
> > Looks like a NH2 to me. I responded to the ad for clarification. BH
> >
> >
>
> Yeah, that's what I thought at first.  The focuser looks like a NH2 focuser,
but the OTA looks more like an 80ED tube to me.  The ad says it's a 552mm focal
length scope (f/7), which is what the focal lengths of the original 80EDs were. 
I'm not aware of any f/7 NH2s.  Hopefully he'll clarify this (a pic of the lens
would help).  If the scope's in good optical and mechanical condition, $295
would be a great deal for an 80ED, but not such a good deal for a NH2.
> Scott in NC
>

I'm not finding the location of your folder, David.

Do you think Neptune would be too dim to be picked-up via common webcam sensors.
I'd imagine gain would have to be cranked to maximum.

Bill H
League City, TX
SV80ED

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "David and Sharon Elosser" <pde444@...>
wrote:
>
> Bill, look for 45, 44, and 42 Cap in a line through a low power eyepiece.
> (These are near Deneb Algiedi.) Neptune will be the first bright object just
> to the north of 44 Cap, and HIP 106829 is to the south of 44 Cap. All other
> stars in the immediate area are dimmer than Neptune. The five make a
> lopsided kite asterism (sort of). I just uploaded a star chart into my David
> E#2 folder (creator name Asterhunter). Neptune "moves" slowly across the sky
> in a northeastward direction, so it will change very little for the next
> week or so.
>
> David E
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Bill Hendricks, Jr." <billhendricks@...>
> To: <stellarvue@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 12:36 PM
> Subject: RE: [Stellarvue] The Aplanat is here!
>
>
> >
> > David,
> >
> >
> >
> > If I were to try and get a view of Neptune this weekend, where would I
> > look? Last time I tried (unsuccessfully) was a few weeks ago, and I
> > believe it was suppose to be located about 6-deg. E of Jupiter, in
> > Capricornus.
> >
> >
> >
> > Bill H
> >
> > League City, TX
> >
> > SV80ED

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "brhendricks" <billhendricks@...> wrote:
>
> Looks like a NH2 to me. I responded to the ad for clarification. BH
>
>

Yeah, that's what I thought at first.  The focuser looks like a NH2 focuser, but
the OTA looks more like an 80ED tube to me.  The ad says it's a 552mm focal
length scope (f/7), which is what the focal lengths of the original 80EDs were. 
I'm not aware of any f/7 NH2s.  Hopefully he'll clarify this (a pic of the lens
would help).  If the scope's in good optical and mechanical condition, $295
would be a great deal for an 80ED, but not such a good deal for a NH2.
Scott in NC

Looks like a NH2 to me. I responded to the ad for clarification. BH

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "scott_nc" <ssatko@...> wrote:
>
> Hey gang, I was perusing Astromart and came across what looks like an
excellent deal on a SV80ED. I have no relationship with the seller, but just
wanted to pass the message along. I'm hoping someone will buy this to eliminate
the feeling of temptation I'm getting! (as I really really don't need another
80mm scope). Interestingly, I noticed that this scope is described as having a
single-speed R+P focuser. However, in the posted picture it looks like a
single-speed Crayford to me. I thought all the 80EDs came with dual-speed
Crayfords--does anyone know the answer for sure?
>
> http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=655193
>
> Scott in NC
> SV80/9D, SV102ABV

Hey gang, I was perusing Astromart and came across what looks like an excellent
deal on a SV80ED. I have no relationship with the seller, but just wanted to
pass the message along. I'm hoping someone will buy this to eliminate the
feeling of temptation I'm getting! (as I really really don't need another 80mm
scope). Interestingly, I noticed that this scope is described as having a
single-speed R+P focuser. However, in the posted picture it looks like a
single-speed Crayford to me. I thought all the 80EDs came with dual-speed
Crayfords--does anyone know the answer for sure?

http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=655193

Scott in NC
SV80/9D, SV102ABV

Cool, I'm getting the CF10 and I'm looking for an AO-8



--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "Wade Van Arsdale" <uwpf23@...> wrote:
>
> Brian,
> One correction on the filter wheel specs I gave you below....
> it is the SBIG CFW10 filter wheel that saves you backfocus space
> (about 6mm according to SBIG).  The CFW9 and CFW8 use up the same
> amount of backfocus.
>
> Cheers,
> Wade
>
> --- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "Wade Van Arsdale" <uwpf23@> wrote:
> >
> > Brian,
> > Sorry I missed this earlier.  I had this same exact setup.  I
> > eventually migrated to the AO-8.  I also use the older CFW-8 color
> > filter wheel.  The AO-7 uses up about 20mm more backfocus than
> > the AO-8 does.
> >
> > My current setup of ST-2K/AO-8/CFW8 uses up about 125mm of
> > backfocus.  So add about 20mm more for the AO-7 (vs. my AO-8)
> > to be on the safe-side for a total of around 145-150mm of used-up
> > backfocus.
> >
> > If you use the newer CFW-9, you can subtract approx. 5mm of used-up
> > backfocus from the above specs, or around 140-145mm required b.f.
> >
> > Not sure which of the SV scopes you want to use this on.  This part
> > is a Vic question, but I am pretty sure he puts at least 140mm of
> > available backfocus into all his ED scopes on up to the triplet
> > series.  With my SV105, I could reach inward focus with the above
> > described setup with about 15mm to spare.  His "bino-ready" scopes
> > usually have even more backfocus than the non-bino scopes out of
> > necessity for binoviewer use.
> >
> > Vic will be able to give you exact backfocus specs for any of his
> > models if you call the SV shop or email them.
> >
> > Hope this helps,
> > Wade Van Arsdale
> > SV130EDT
> > Little Rock, AR., USA
> >
> > ///////////////////////////////////////
> >
> > --- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "b_sheets" <brians@> wrote:
> > >
> > > Can anyone comment on if ill have enough backfocus with this setup? Ill be
using the feathertouch focuser.
> > >
> > > Thanks
> > >
> > > Brian
> > >
> >
>

Pete,

   I do not count Clive in that group. I think by nature he is just s skeptical
person, who likes to see proof. I have no problem with that. It is the others
who have never looked thru a SV scope and make disparaging(?) comments about
them.

  Don

Bill, look for 45, 44, and 42 Cap in a line through a low power eyepiece.
(These are near Deneb Algiedi.) Neptune will be the first bright object just
to the north of 44 Cap, and HIP 106829 is to the south of 44 Cap. All other
stars in the immediate area are dimmer than Neptune. The five make a
lopsided kite asterism (sort of). I just uploaded a star chart into my David
E#2 folder (creator name Asterhunter). Neptune "moves" slowly across the sky
in a northeastward direction, so it will change very little for the next
week or so.

David E

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Hendricks, Jr." <billhendricks@...>
To: <stellarvue@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 12:36 PM
Subject: RE: [Stellarvue] The Aplanat is here!


>
> David,
>
>
>
> If I were to try and get a view of Neptune this weekend, where would I
> look? Last time I tried (unsuccessfully) was a few weeks ago, and I
> believe it was suppose to be located about 6-deg. E of Jupiter, in
> Capricornus.
>
>
>
> Bill H
>
> League City, TX
>
> SV80ED
>
>
>
> To: Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com
> From: pde444@...
> Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:59:27 -0500
> Subject: Re: [Stellarvue] The Aplanat is here!
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "isogroup2000" <clementsrb@...>
> To: <Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:18 AM
> Subject: [Stellarvue] The Aplanat is here!
>
>> The cat sniffed at it, the kids washed and fed it, and later made a
>> little
>> bed for it.
>>
>
> The telescope, or the cat? ;-)
>
> Congradulations! I took my Aplanasaurus Rex to our club's public star
> party
> last Saturday. The sky was great and the Cygnus Rift was visible. Before
> each person looked through my scope, I gave them a tour of the Milky Way
> with my green pointer, showing each constellation in turn. Most of my time
> was spent on deep space objects, figuring many of the bigger scopes would
> be
> pointed at Jupiter. I had also prepared in advance to show Neptune. I
> didn't know what to expect, I described where it was in the field of view
> and warned them it would not look impressive. To my pleasant surprise,
> most
> people spent a lot of time staring through my Aplanat at that little
> blue-green dot. I think a lot of people believed you couldn't see Nepture
> through such a small telescope at all.
>
> David E
>
>
>
>
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe, send an email to:
> Stellarvue-unsubscribe@egroups.com.
>
> Remember: the archives are a rich source of information and they are
> searchable.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>

David,



If I were to try and get a view of Neptune this weekend, where would I look?
Last time I tried (unsuccessfully) was a few weeks ago, and I believe it was
suppose to be located about 6-deg. E of Jupiter, in Capricornus.



Bill H

League City, TX

SV80ED



To: Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com
From: pde444@...
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:59:27 -0500
Subject: Re: [Stellarvue] The Aplanat is here!






----- Original Message -----
From: "isogroup2000" <clementsrb@...>
To: <Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:18 AM
Subject: [Stellarvue] The Aplanat is here!

> The cat sniffed at it, the kids washed and fed it, and later made a little
> bed for it.
>

The telescope, or the cat? ;-)

Congradulations! I took my Aplanasaurus Rex to our club's public star party
last Saturday. The sky was great and the Cygnus Rift was visible. Before
each person looked through my scope, I gave them a tour of the Milky Way
with my green pointer, showing each constellation in turn. Most of my time
was spent on deep space objects, figuring many of the bigger scopes would be
pointed at Jupiter. I had also prepared in advance to show Neptune. I
didn't know what to expect, I described where it was in the field of view
and warned them it would not look impressive. To my pleasant surprise, most
people spent a lot of time staring through my Aplanat at that little
blue-green dot. I think a lot of people believed you couldn't see Nepture
through such a small telescope at all.

David E






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

----- Original Message -----
From: "isogroup2000" <clementsrb@...>
To: <Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 10:18 AM
Subject: [Stellarvue] The Aplanat is here!


> The cat sniffed at it, the kids washed and fed it, and later made a little
> bed for it.
>

The telescope, or the cat? ;-)

Congradulations! I took my Aplanasaurus Rex to our club's public star party
last Saturday. The sky was great and the Cygnus Rift was visible. Before
each person looked through my scope, I gave them a tour of the Milky Way
with my green pointer, showing each constellation in turn. Most of my time
was spent on deep space objects, figuring many of the bigger scopes would be
pointed at Jupiter. I had also prepared in advance to show  Neptune. I
didn't know what to expect,  I described where it was in the field of view
and warned them it would not look impressive. To my pleasant surprise, most
people spent a lot of time staring through my Aplanat at that little
blue-green dot. I think a lot of people believed you couldn't see Nepture
through such a small telescope at all.

David E

By the way, what Rohr's test shows is what made me post a few months ago asking
what "super-apo" means. What I see at my ep is so sharp and clear that it looks
better than any apo's I have had in the past. Super apo sometime seems to refer
to  something specific (like a certain number of color crossings), and sometimes
it only seems to mean "way-more-apo" or "double-plus-apo", or even
"triple-secret-apo."

Jacques

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "Donald" <dacama@...> wrote:
>
>
>  Caught it as well. I think it shows that you can buy one of Vic's scopes
(without a decade wait) and have complete confidence you are getting a SUPERB
optical instrument. Seeing (and testing) is believing.
>
>     Don
>     Charleston, SC
>

I don't know, Clive has always seemed like a fair-minded fellow to me. He just
really likes objective evidence, and so many of the arguments in the past have
been about subjective experiences. But the people who get really worked up about
those things will have to find a new target for their cynicism.

By the way, it really is nice to find a confirmation of what my eyes have been
telling me all along. Did I need it? No. But still it's nice.

Jacques


--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "Richard Cantrill" <mechaniczz@...> wrote:
>
>
>
> Rob,
>  Thanks for posting the link. I was shocked that Clive actully brought
something positive about Stellarvue to light.I'm still scratching my head.
>  I enjoyed the link he posted as well. I love when independant tests confirm
what most of us all ready know.Stellarvue makes great scopes.
>
>  Richard
>

Going Retro...

The Post Office left me a love note to pick up a package.  Waiting in a box was
the 80mm Aplanat I had purchased.  I took it home and unboxed it before dinner. 
The cat sniffed at it, the kids washed and fed it, and later made a little bed
for it.

Myself, I took it outside last night with a 20mm SWAN and my 7.5mm Tak. Belts on
Jupiter were clear with details. The four moons were dots, not stars. False
color around the globe was large and obvious, but who cares.  Easily picked off
M31, M32, and M110.  Double cluster and M45 never looked better.

It will serve time at outreach events and will guide the SV110ED for photos. 
Most of all, on a Bogen tripod, it tips the scales at just over five pounds of
grab-and-go, with the extra benefit of being so inexpensive I am not afraid to
take it anywhere.

Nice stuff.

Rick (oh, perfect, a fog bank) in Michigan

This article has provided me with a new motto for life...

"With Strehl = 0.966 as the total value inclusive all errors, you should be able
to live well."

Never has truer words been uttered.

Rick (below freezing) in Michigan
SV80 Aplanat
SV110ED
Some other scopes....

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "moonnerd" <moonnerd@...> wrote:
>
> Here is a thread on the Cloudy Nights forum discussing a test of the SV90T.
>
>
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3440111/page/0/\
view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1
>
> I think they're impressed.
>
> cheers -
> Rob
>

Don,
They're not all bad - even Clive, who is a very experienced observer.  And all
can appreciate good objective quality evidence when presented. 
I don't agree with the herd over there sometimes nor with what I perceive
as sort of self-policed unwritten rules (e.g., no criticism of the house
brand(s) or most other brands ;-), etc).  And If I were a newbie, that
particular forum is not where I'd conduct new-purchase research.  There are
plenty of useful reports and reviews elsewhere on the same site as well as other
sites scattered across the web. 
Regarding the 90T, I knew it was a terrific instrument the very first night I
used mine: I imagined it could potentially burn a hole in my retina there
was so much pure white light coming through the eyepiece.  Vic may have
actually goofed with this model because after over three years I have yet to
feel the absolute need to move up in aperature with a larger SV refractor (I'm
always open though ;-)).  The fact of the matter is, the 90T is only one of
several outstanding refractors scattered across the SV lineup.  Yes, seeing
is believing. 
 
Cheers,
Pete 

--- On Wed, 11/11/09, Donald <dacama@...> wrote:


From: Donald <dacama@...>
Subject: [Stellarvue] Re: SV90T thread on Cloudy Nights
To: Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com
Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2009, 6:53 AM


 




What is interesting about the thread is that all the usual nattering nabobs of
SV negatism have not said a word. I guess they don't like it when their baseless
opinions are shattered by facts. Just a thought.

Don











[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Deimos is quite a challenge for 4" refractors. I have spotted Deimos with my
SV102ABV allowing Mars to drift out of the field to remove its glare.

David E

----- Original Message -----
From: "Ralph" <taggart@...>
To: <Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Wednesday, November 11, 2009 7:44 AM
Subject: [Stellarvue] Re: Mars - 8.3 arc-sec


>I have replaced the original image with a mosaic of four. As pointed out by
>Mike Brown (York, UK), the other object in the original frame is almost
>certainly a star and NOT Deimos! There is a very misleading video on
>Wikipedia that purports to show Mars and Deimos, but the "moon" is too
>large and too far away from the planet. At the bottom of the page there is
>a properly-scaled image that shows the distances for both satellites and
>their size relative to the planet.
>
> Ralph
>
> --- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "Ralph" <taggart@...> wrote:
>>
>> When out this past morning and decided to image Mars with the SV110ED-APF
>> and the DMK21AU04 camera despite the fact that the planet's apparant
>> diameter is still just 8.3 arc-sec. Some ground fog at 5AM local so I
>> started by shooting some lunar images at f/24. The air seemed so steaday
>> that, after shooting a few Mars sequences at f/24, I threw caution to the
>> winds and pushed the scope with a 5X PowerMate (effectively operating at
>> f/40). This was my first attempt to image
>> Mars and I guess I lucked out!
>>
>> Was expecting nothing to come of it as the planet looked like a very
>> small light orange disc with no obvious surface features. The images on
>> the computer screen were larger, but also devoid of any obvious detail as
>> I shot numerous AVI's. As usual, RegiStax worked its magic and the final
>> images were amazing! Near as I can tell, I also caught Deimos! A sample
>> image, with all the technical details can be found on the last page of
>> the 110 TEST folder in the PHOTOS section.
>>
>> After shooting a range of exposures, I was going to go back to the Moon
>> at f/40,but had to quit as the ground fog intensified by 5:30AM.
>>
>> Despite successes with Saturn and Jupiter, I really wondered whether I
>> could get anything out of Mars, even at opposition in January. To be able
>> to get anything interesting this early was totally unexpected.
>>
>> Ralph
>>
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------------
>
> To unsubscribe, send an email to:
> Stellarvue-unsubscribe@egroups.com.
>
> Remember: the archives are a rich source of information and they are
> searchable.
>
> Yahoo! Groups Links
>
>
>
>
>

I have replaced the original image with a mosaic of four. As pointed out by Mike
Brown (York, UK), the other object in the original frame is almost certainly a
star and NOT Deimos! There is a very misleading video on Wikipedia that purports
to show Mars and Deimos, but the "moon" is too large and too far away from the
planet. At the bottom of the page there is a properly-scaled image that shows
the distances for both satellites and their size relative to the planet.

Ralph

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "Ralph" <taggart@...> wrote:
>
> When out this past morning and decided to image Mars with the SV110ED-APF and
the DMK21AU04 camera despite the fact that the planet's apparant diameter is
still just 8.3 arc-sec. Some ground fog at 5AM local so I started by shooting
some lunar images at f/24. The air seemed so steaday that, after shooting a few
Mars sequences at f/24, I threw caution to the winds and pushed the scope with a
5X PowerMate (effectively operating at f/40). This was my first attempt to image
> Mars and I guess I lucked out!
>
> Was expecting nothing to come of it as the planet looked like a very small
light orange disc with no obvious surface features. The images on the computer
screen were larger, but also devoid of any obvious detail as I shot numerous
AVI's. As usual, RegiStax worked its magic and the final images were amazing!
Near as I can tell, I also caught Deimos! A sample image, with all the technical
details can be found on the last page of the 110 TEST folder in the PHOTOS
section.
>
> After shooting a range of exposures, I was going to go back to the Moon at
f/40,but had to quit as the ground fog intensified by 5:30AM.
>
> Despite successes with Saturn and Jupiter, I really wondered whether I could
get anything out of Mars, even at opposition in January. To be able to get
anything interesting this early was totally unexpected.
>
> Ralph
>

What is interesting about the thread is that all the usual nattering nabobs of
SV negatism have not said a word. I guess they don't like it when their baseless
opinions are shattered by facts. Just a thought.

     Don

Rob,
  Thanks for posting the link. I was shocked that Clive actully brought something
positive about Stellarvue to light.I'm still scratching my head.
  I enjoyed the link he posted as well. I love when independant tests confirm
what most of us all ready know.Stellarvue makes great scopes.

  Richard

Kit,

Like that indoor/outdoor carpet idea! I've been relegating myself to the
concrete driveway since last Fall when I was forced to dispatch a copperhead
snake that was making moves on my dog in the front yard lawn. The driveway is
OK, but tripod legs can slide (ruining goto settings) and astro-gear does not
respond well to concrete... in my case a 5mm Televue Radian (which survived
mostly unscathed, except for having to replace a torn rubber eye-cup).

Jim

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "Kit" <holler@...> wrote:
>
> Glad to hear your 80/9D is back in business, Joe.
>
> I observe with mine on a concrete patio and and have long since added a 6'x8'
square of indoor/outdoor carpet to my observing gear.  $20 worth of protection
is a small price to pay to my way of thinking.
>
> And yes, Vic and Shelly are the best.
>
> Kit
>
> --- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "joelalumia1" <joelalumia@> wrote:
> >
> > Several weeks ago my 80/9d FELL over onto the concrete breaking the rings
but doing NOTHING to the telescope!
> >
> > I called Shelly and ordered a replacement. After waiting several weeks and
nothing showed up I called Shelly again. Somewhere there is a  Stellarvue ring
for an 80/9d floating around!
> >
> > She immediately sent out replacements which I received today at NO
additional charge! Not even for freight. By the way she sent a COMPLETE ring
assembly not just one ring! WOW!
> >
> > Great service from the Stellarvue crew! Thanks Shelly and Vic!
> >
> > Appreciate you,
> >
> > Joe Lalumia
> > Rockwall, Texas
> >
>

Eric,

Hope the job situation turns around for you; nothing sadder than a
SV-astrofanatic unable to quench their desire ;->  Thanks for the first-hand
observation.

Jim M.
Northern VA

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "Eric" <it.epa1@...> wrote:
>
> I used to own an SV80ED "back in the day" an when I remembered that they were
located close to me I decided to drive in today and check them out.  I spoke
with Vic and Shelly(I think) for a few and she brought out an SV80ED Carbon tube
for me to look at, I fell in love!!!  With the scope! ;)  Anyway I lost my job
in May of '09 after being with the company for almost 3 yrs and because I was a
contractor I got no severance... the last thing I probably need to be doing is
looking at telescopes, but the Stellarvue scopes are works of art!!!  I am going
to find a way, some how to be able to get one of these beauties as well as a
mount from them.  After that I want to purchase a SV110ED and piggie back them. 
What would be awesome, is if Vic would make a 8" RC as some other companies
have, I would be on the short list for that one from them!!! Anyway Vic, thanks
for the info today and the pleasant visit...
>
> Cheers,
>
> Eric
>

Caught it as well. I think it shows that you can buy one of Vic's scopes
(without a decade wait) and have complete confidence you are getting a SUPERB
optical instrument. Seeing (and testing) is believing.

     Don
     Charleston, SC

Here is a thread on the Cloudy Nights forum discussing a test of the SV90T.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3440111/page/0/\
view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1

I think they're impressed.

cheers -
Rob

Glad to hear your 80/9D is back in business, Joe.

I observe with mine on a concrete patio and and have long since added a 6'x8'
square of indoor/outdoor carpet to my observing gear.  $20 worth of protection
is a small price to pay to my way of thinking.

And yes, Vic and Shelly are the best.

Kit

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "joelalumia1" <joelalumia@...> wrote:
>
> Several weeks ago my 80/9d FELL over onto the concrete breaking the rings but
doing NOTHING to the telescope!
>
> I called Shelly and ordered a replacement. After waiting several weeks and
nothing showed up I called Shelly again. Somewhere there is a  Stellarvue ring
for an 80/9d floating around!
>
> She immediately sent out replacements which I received today at NO additional
charge! Not even for freight. By the way she sent a COMPLETE ring assembly not
just one ring! WOW!
>
> Great service from the Stellarvue crew! Thanks Shelly and Vic!
>
> Appreciate you,
>
> Joe Lalumia
> Rockwall, Texas
>

Several weeks ago my 80/9d FELL over onto the concrete breaking the rings but
doing NOTHING to the telescope!

I called Shelly and ordered a replacement. After waiting several weeks and
nothing showed up I called Shelly again. Somewhere there is a  Stellarvue ring
for an 80/9d floating around!

She immediately sent out replacements which I received today at NO additional
charge! Not even for freight. By the way she sent a COMPLETE ring assembly not
just one ring! WOW!

Great service from the Stellarvue crew! Thanks Shelly and Vic!

Appreciate you,

Joe Lalumia
Rockwall, Texas

Hi Ellyne, Hi Kit, Hi Jim:

You are sooo...right about balancing a long-tube refractor.

I have had a small (75mm, f/16 Unitron Equitorial) very long tube since 1981.
The OTA and mount are perfect for each other. It so happened that I took this
scope out one cold night a few months ago.
I checked the balance and it seemed to be okay but because of the cold the mount
was a little stiff. The mount performed horribly. The wasa .5- degree image
shift every time I used the focuser. I thought, "Boy, this mount had really worn
out after all of these years." I took the scope back inside to see if I could
adjust the
focuser (which seemed to be rattling). Everthing seemed to be fine with
everthing but, in the warm room, it was clear that the tube and counterweight
were not in position for good balance. I balanced them in the warm indoors and
THEN took it outdoors and everything worked like new!

So, once again, you people are SO right!

Oh, I didn't come close to getting killed.

Clear skies,
Robert
Spring Valley, IL

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "ellynekinney" <ellyne.kinney@...> wrote:
>
> Hi Kit, Hi Jim,
>
> Thanks for reminder about balancing the scope.
>
> I realize that not many people on the Stellarvue site know this, but I my
college degree is in astronomy and I have professional work experience as and
astronomical data analyst and telescope technician.   While I was working at 
Apache Point Observatory in Sunspot, NM one of the telescope engineers was
nearly killed when the team was disassembling an improperly balanced 2.5 meter
telescope during maintenance.    To say I am paranoid about telescope balance
would be an understatement.  I doubt an improperly  balanced 102mm telescope
would kill anyone, but it would put quite a strain on motor drives.
>
> Anyway you are both correct to point out that balancing a telescope,
especially the longer f-ratio telescopes, is critical for proper operation.  And
it never hurts to remind even the veteran observers about the fundamentals
>
> Clear skies,
> Ellyne
>
> --- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, k75jim@ wrote:
> >
> > Food for thought here.  I run a moderately long tube SV102V (f/7.8) on a CG5
GoTo.  I also run my C9 1/4 on it as well.  I find that while the weight of the
C9 is close to the max for the CG5, it's the moment arm of the lighter but
longer SV102V that creates the "issue."  Balance is always critical with any
mount but longer scopes require more attention to this detail -- at least in my
experience.  When I am extra careful in balancing the "V" before any evening's
observing session I am rewarded with a "trouble free" night.  I would add that I
ALWAYS use a set of anti-vibe pads -- even when set up on bare ground.  The new
CGEM appears to have larger diameter bearing surfaces than the CG5 so if
contemplating a new mount, the CGEM might make a good addition to your short
list.
> >
> >
> > You all probably know this anyway but... I thought a reminder about balance
and long scopes wouldn't hurt.  :-)
> >
> >
> > Clear, dark skies,
> >
> >
> > Jim S.
> > Prepping for Joshua Tree, in...
> > Redlands, CA
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
> >
>

We hope Santa is generous to you.

Steve Gaber
Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
Oldsmar, FL


---- uthin8er <uthin8er@...> wrote:
> Yes. Thanks. We'll have to see how the Christmas bonus looks this year. :)
>
> --- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, <sgaber@...> wrote:
> >
> > Was your question answered by the multiple responses you subsequently got?
> >
> > Even Vic himself provided an explanatory response. Try and get that from the
head of another telescope manufacturer.
> >
> > Steve Gaber
> > Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
> > Oldsmar, FL
> >
> >
> > ---- uthin8er <uthin8er@...> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > Why would you think your question was a mistake?
> > > Josh's response. Seemed a bit rude. I was only asking an honest question.
> > >
> >
> > --
> >
>
>

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, "uthin8er" <uthin8er@...> wrote:
>
> Yes. Thanks. We'll have to see how the Christmas bonus looks this year. :)
>
> --- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, <sgaber@> wrote:
> >
>

Good luck with your decision, "uthin8er"!  Feel free to ask more questions. 
Despite your initial impression, we really are a pretty friendly group.
Scott in NC

Yes. Thanks. We'll have to see how the Christmas bonus looks this year. :)

--- In Stellarvue@yahoogroups.com, <sgaber@...> wrote:
>
> Was your question answered by the multiple responses you subsequently got?
>
> Even Vic himself provided an explanatory response. Try and get that from the
head of another telescope manufacturer.
>
> Steve Gaber
> Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
> Oldsmar, FL
>
>
> ---- uthin8er <uthin8er@...> wrote:
> >
> >
> >
> > > >
> > > >
> > >
> > > Why would you think your question was a mistake?
> > Josh's response. Seemed a bit rude. I was only asking an honest question.
> >
>
> --
>