davidmcgo
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/09/04
Posts: 935
Loc: San Diego, CA
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The article on the 1907 Mars observations from Chile was fantastic! Nothing like that picture of an 18" Clark on its pier in the middle of the desert to really get my attention. I've really enjoyed the last two issues more than many since the early 1980s (I've been subscriber since Sept 1980 but don't keep them all). Good mix of history, observation, telescope making, and latest science.
Dave
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xrayvizhen
member
Reged: 05/19/07
Posts: 55
Loc: Randolph, NJ
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While I like the new format, I now have a minor complaint after reading the November issue. I thought "Telescope Workshop" was going to be something like the old "Gleanings for ATM's". That's apparently not the case. I'm sorry Mr. Seronik's ATM mentor passed away (mentoring is the subject this month) but I'd like to see some real construction articles.
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Celestron NexStar 8SE
Meade LPI & Philips SPC900NC
Homemade 6" Newtonian
10x50 Binoculars
Barksa 20x80 Binoculars
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Rick Woods
Postmaster
Reged: 01/27/05
Posts: 11940
Loc: Inner Solar System
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Quote:
But give us more Mars stuff! You can never go wrong with Mars.
- Rick
Well, ask and ye shall receive! No less than 3 Mars articles in the November issue. Good job, you guys! I especially liked the Lowell article.
- Rick
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- Rick
14" LX200
Cactus Patch Observatory
"The four points of the compass be logic, knowledge, wisdom, and the unknown. Some do bow in that final direction. Others advance upon it. To bow before the one is to lose sight of the three."
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mattyfatz
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 2111
Loc: Boise Idaho
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Quote:
Quote:
It still bugs me that the images selected for the gallery pages are almost all taken with higher end equipment.
I wrote to BOTH magazines (Astronomy and S&T) about that same subject...
Too many pics using $5000.00 cameras on $4000.00 scopes on $8000.00 - $12,000.00 mounts!
Where are all the pics from those using Orion ED80's on the Sirius (or atlas) with Canon 350D's????
Show us some GREAT pics with lower end equipment so you show whats possible for us Non-Rich people to achieve!!! 
Pg. 90, September issue: Luigi Fiorentino: Orion 80ED, ToUcam Pro.
pg. 102, October: Gimmi Ratto; W-O 80mm fluorite, Canon 350D.
....well thats 2
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**Matty**
Stimulating the economy, one piece of equipment at a time.   
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mattyfatz
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/27/06
Posts: 2111
Loc: Boise Idaho
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two issues into the new format...and content...
and I'm ready to cancel and get my money back. ATM workshop is pure fluff, reviews are weak, ... and yes Mr. Fienberg, WE know light pollution is bad. The folks reading S&T and Astronomy are well aware of light pollution. I feel as if I've been let down by the magazine.
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**Matty**
Stimulating the economy, one piece of equipment at a time.
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Todd
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/23/04
Posts: 1674
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Who here submits images to any of the magazines?
Magazines can only use what they receive. And if the images aren't of decent quality....
Quote:
It still bugs me that the images selected for the gallery pages are almost all taken with higher end equipment. Sure, you need to see what the high end guys are able to do, but also I think that some of what the 'Average Joe's' are achieving should be included. That would encourage people to give astro-imaging and astro-photography a try. Seeing lots of images taken by high end equipment would put a lot of people off from trying themselves once they realize the price tag of the equipment used.
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edwincjones
Close Enough
Reged: 04/10/04
Posts: 7980
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Quote:
The article on the 1907 Mars observations from Chile was fantastic! Nothing like that picture of an 18" Clark on its pier in the middle of the desert to really get my attention. I've really enjoyed the last two issues more than many since the early 1980s (I've been subscriber since Sept 1980 but don't keep them all). Good mix of history, observation, telescope making, and latest science.
Dave
I agree, that is the highpoint article of the issue.
edj
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edwincjones
Close Enough
Reged: 04/10/04
Posts: 7980
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After two issues, I like the "retro" styling; but Astronomy seems to be catching up on content.
edj
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Robo-bob
super member
Reged: 05/02/05
Posts: 172
Loc: Central Alberta
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What the heck is going on with S&T's november issue? I really look forward to the equipment reviews and that's one of the primary reasons I buy the magazine. Instead, the nov. issue has a review of some software that I'll never, ever buy and two mini reviews (almost advertisements) on a camera and a solar finder. While I did like the article on the Chile expedition, I am finding less and less to be excited about within the cover of S&T.
I'll give it another 6 months but if it doesn't shape up, I'll just start reading it at the library. It's hard to justify the Canadian cover price if only 10% of the material is relevant and interesting.
Rob
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Rob E.
Freezin' My Nards Up North
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desertstars
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 41911
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Different strokes. The November issue was especially useful to me because I have very little interest in the sort of gear they've been reviewing lately. The software is a package that I might conceivable look into someday (although I must admit that it is not a high priority) quite unlike high end refractors used primarily by imagers (something I am unlikely to ever pursue). So for me, this issue has a higher percentage of useful information than usual.
Sometimes I think the official motto for amateur astronomy should be "You're milage may vary." 
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Thomas Watson
Author of Mr. Olcott's Skies. Available in paperback and ebook from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
@desertstarsbks
Under Desert StarsEither Way, It's Reading
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howard
member
Reged: 03/19/05
Posts: 67
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I am totally against the new format. The previous method of binding was much better as far as legibility on book shelf and durability. My glued S&T's never fall apart regardless of how much I abuse them. Every other stapled mag I subscribe to often lose their cover and middle pages. This will for sure be a problem with S&T. In my opinion there is less content when comparing to the past few years. If the pages are smaller and fewer in number (118 in 5/2006 vs 112 in 12/2207 in my admittedly small sampling) either the content or advertising has changed in quantity.
I do think the quality of the content is great, no complaints there, but I am really disappointed about the stapled binding and the more newspaper-like paper. American Scientist also uses a nice glued binding and glossy paper and just sent out a survey about changing the mag to avoid subscription increases. I implored them to raise the cost a bit if it would avoid cheapening the quality of what I consider to be the best general science magazine on the market. I feel the same about S&T.
Howard
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Starman1
Vendor (EyepiecesEtc.com)
Reged: 06/24/03
Posts: 17639
Loc: Los Angeles
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Scientific American is stapled and it's a large-circulation, highly lauded, publication. Frankly, I like the stapled binding because it "stacks" better without rolling. On the glued back, you have to stack every other issue the opposite direction to keep the stack close to level.
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Don Pensack
www.EyepiecesEtc.com
12.5" Teeter/Zambuto, 5" Maksutov
Sustaining Lifetime IDA member
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howard
member
Reged: 03/19/05
Posts: 67
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I agree that Scientific American is top notch but I prefer American Scientist for its more detailed articles, less fluff. It is more expensive as it is only published every other month. I highly recommend it. (And I have to reverse my stapled copies of Scientific American for storage, I think the spine of any magazine ends up being a bit thicker).
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Rick Woods
Postmaster
Reged: 01/27/05
Posts: 11940
Loc: Inner Solar System
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Howard,
Don't forget that S&T spent most of it's history stapled - the glued, printed edge was only used for a few years. The page count difference you refer to isn't very large; it varies by more than that from month to month. About a year ago, they put out an issue that was close to 200 pages. Add to that, the fact that Meade no longer prints their entire catalog every month.
Finally, if your magazines lose their covers and inner pages, then you're being too rough on them, and you can't blame S&T for that. I have yet to lose a single cover, and I have S&T's back into the 70's.
Hang with them and give them a chance. They're trying to respond to what we say we want, stay competitive, and make a profit in a shrinking market, and that's gotta be tough!
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- Rick
14" LX200
Cactus Patch Observatory
"The four points of the compass be logic, knowledge, wisdom, and the unknown. Some do bow in that final direction. Others advance upon it. To bow before the one is to lose sight of the three."
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Magellan
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/26/06
Posts: 1151
Loc: Enfield, NS Canada
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If S&T really does listen...
I have been going through some old S&T Mags, archiving and packing as I am moving and I notice one thing.. The old version had the nice binding with the month and all that listed on it for easy archiving. These are the ONLY ones I have, the new ones, I read and toss out.
Don't get me wrong, I have been reading this mag since a teen and I will NEVER stop, but this latest new version and lack of the nice binding is driving me nuts. I want to archive and I can't without taking them ALL out and looking at the cover.
Then I saw this post which talks about a digital version. How do I get it? how do I download it? might as well use a computer to archive since half the issues say see Oct 2003 and don't feel like digging out 100 magazines to find the cover I want.. I can just search the computer.
Edited by ~Steph~ (01/18/08 11:40 AM)
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Mr. Bill
Postmaster
Reged: 02/09/05
Posts: 5219
Loc: Northeastern Cal
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It's obvious to me that the new binding indicates that S&T is now a disposable commodity...like Time and Newsweek and not meant to be archived on my shelf in chronological order.
Ends up on the back of my toilet for that kind of reading.
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The night sky is the palette....
My optics are the brushes....
The Milky Way is the masterpiece
Member IDA
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desertstars
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 41911
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
Then I saw this post which talks about a digital version. How do I get it? how do I download it? might as well use a computer to archive since half the issues say see Oct 2003 and don't feel like digging out 100 magazines to find the cover I want.. I can just search the computer.
Your best bet for finding out more would be to contact S&T directly. A few staff members from the magazine do spend some time on CN, but you'll find out whatever the latest happens to be if you go to them directly. 
In any case, anyone who likes the idea of the online version should get in touch with S&T and tell them so. The more of you who do this, the more likely it is such a thing will become available.
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Thomas Watson
Author of Mr. Olcott's Skies. Available in paperback and ebook from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
@desertstarsbks
Under Desert StarsEither Way, It's Reading
Edited by ~Steph~ (01/18/08 11:41 AM)
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Magellan
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/26/06
Posts: 1151
Loc: Enfield, NS Canada
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Thanks for fixing my long link Steph I couldn't figure it out.
Bill.. thats scarey.. that is EXACTLY where my S&T Mags end up lol
I will contact sky and telescope directly, I am all for digital editions that I can download
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Jeff D
Orion 8" F4 Astrograph
Celestron 80mm Guide-scope
Celestron CGEM Mount
Celestron Nexguide
Canon EOS Rebel T1i (Unmodified) With MPCC
Canon EOS Rebel XSi Full Spectrum Gary Honis Modified
Skywatcher 12" Collapsible Dobsonian
Coulter Odyssey 2 8" Dobsonian
Celestron Nexstar 102SLT
Celestron Skymaster 15x70
http://flic.kr/ps/ncfpL
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~Steph~
Texas Wildflower
Reged: 06/11/05
Posts: 26279
Loc: North Texas
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No problem. Makes it easier when the screen doesn't suddenly require scrolling back and forth to read the posts on a small resolution screen, due to a long link.
Off topic  but here's a good explanation of how to do short links.
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Steph
Taking it one day at a time...
I'm in the fight! - Support Liver Disease Awareness
10" RCX400 ~~ 4" TV102 ~~ WO ZS80FD ~~ PST
Serenity Observatory
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sabant
member
Reged: 08/14/07
Posts: 78
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I personally think the stapled issues are a step back to the standard of the 70s. I much more preferred the glued issues. But the reduced paper quality is a bigger drawback for me. If S&T can save some money on paper its really fine, but this one is IMHO not appropriate for a publication you might want to save. Could be used in a free classifieds paper perhaps? I hope they can contract to a better vendor in the future.
Also continuos color separation errors are really annoying.
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Clear Skies
Tahir Saban
AP155EDFS
AP130EDT
FSQ-106ED
Pentax 75 SDHF
Vixen R200SS
12" f5 Dobson
Zeiss Victory FL 7x42
Zeiss Abbe 2 eyepieces
Takahashi JP-Z + FS2
http://sites.google.com/site/deepskyzoosite/
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