bhuloka
super member
Reged: 03/06/12
Loc: Maryland, USA
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: careysub]
#5223467 - 05/15/12 12:25 PM
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Well, I'm about to order one. Does anyone know if the goto package Hubble uses is comparable to ArgoNavis/ServoCat combo?
Hubble is using Sky Safari, sitech controller with skyfi wireless receiver. Any opinions on how good this is compared to Argonavis/Servocat?
|
bhuloka
super member
Reged: 03/06/12
Loc: Maryland, USA
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: bhuloka]
#5224870 - 05/16/12 10:44 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I've been emailing Tong about ordering a UL16. He has been very quick to respond and answer lots of questions. So far I've been pleased with the good customer support. I have asked him about quality control on the mirrors. Will report back when he responds. Has anyone else had their HO mirrors independently tested? Results?
|
bhuloka
super member
Reged: 03/06/12
Loc: Maryland, USA
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: bhuloka]
#5233226 - 05/21/12 09:17 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Order placed May 20. Tong says about 30 days to delivery, maybe 45. I'm satisfied about QC on the optics. Looking forward to a good mirror. Careysub, how is your 18" HO mirror?
|
careysub
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/18/11
Loc: Rancho Cucamonga, CA
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: bhuloka]
#5233399 - 05/21/12 11:58 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Upon cursory inspection in the Focault apparatus it looks quite good: very smooth over the entire surface, with a good edge. We weren't able to take zone measurements yet, I'll report as information develops.
(I am not a mirror maker but the guys in my ATM group are highly experienced and I am trusting their assessment, I am learning the ropes.)
|
bhuloka
super member
Reged: 03/06/12
Loc: Maryland, USA
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: careysub]
#5272521 - 06/15/12 09:49 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I just received an email from Tong at Hubble; the scope is ready to ship! I've chosen air shipping, so it should be here fairly soon. I'm planning to bring it to the Oregon Star party. Anyone have advice on how to carry it? As baggage? Ship ahead by UPS or FEDEX? Should I buy a custom case? This is my 1st Dob, so I have zero travel experience.
|
joshsane
member
Reged: 06/12/12
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: bhuloka]
#5278254 - 06/19/12 03:45 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I can't wait to hear about your experience with this new unit... I think everyone is probably anxious to hear about it.
If the news is good, would you PM me so I can place an order before everyone else? 
|
Photoner
professor emeritus
Reged: 12/06/06
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: joshsane]
#5279284 - 06/19/12 05:34 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
bhuloka,
I hope you have a digital camera on hand as we will be wild to see pictures of your new optical baby!     
|
hbanich
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/17/05
Loc: Portland, Oregon
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: bhuloka]
#5280977 - 06/20/12 04:26 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
I just received an email from Tong at Hubble; the scope is ready to ship! I've chosen air shipping, so it should be here fairly soon. I'm planning to bring it to the Oregon Star party. Anyone have advice on how to carry it? As baggage? Ship ahead by UPS or FEDEX? Should I buy a custom case? This is my 1st Dob, so I have zero travel experience.
Where are you coming from? For shipping to the OSP you might just use the packaging Tong used to ship it from Hong Kong. After you've had this experience with how your new scope does when being shipped you'll have a better idea what kind of case to get for it.
By the way, I'll be at the OSP and hope to see you and your new scope!
|
hbanich
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/17/05
Loc: Portland, Oregon
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: bhuloka]
#5280988 - 06/20/12 04:33 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
Well, I'm about to order one. Does anyone know if the goto package Hubble uses is comparable to ArgoNavis/ServoCat combo?
Hubble is using Sky Safari, sitech controller with skyfi wireless receiver. Any opinions on how good this is compared to Argonavis/Servocat?
The SiTech controller will do everything the Servocat will do and a lot more if you want to run it from your laptop. Both SiTech and ServoCat can be run through an Argo Navis unit, but the Sky Safari and wireless reciever sounds like a great way to go. I haven't seen this in person yet but have heard from a couple other SiTech users that it works very well.
|
bhuloka
super member
Reged: 03/06/12
Loc: Maryland, USA
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: hbanich]
#5282198 - 06/21/12 12:22 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
hbanich; Thanks, Howard. I'm flying from Washington, DC.
Yes, I'll use the original boxes, I suppose.
Options are: Take with me as baggage when I fly to Portland,
or ship ahead via UPS or Fedex. Or air cargo. Probably only #2 will be cheap enough. What do you think?
Re: Sitech/skysafari; Hubble's system isnt ready for sale yet, so i'll have to wait a couple of months for that. I guess I'll be star hopping and pushing the ol' dob at OSP!
Dark skies should make that easier, though.
News Flash; the mirrir has shipped. Structure to follow in a few days.
|
bhuloka
super member
Reged: 03/06/12
Loc: Maryland, USA
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: bhuloka]
#5315614 - 07/13/12 09:01 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
OK, UL 16 is here, fully assembled, with only a few parts left over! Mirror arrived 2 weeks ago, structure last week.
No instruction manual, but Tong sent me pdf version of manual by email. Relatively easy to put together even for this first-time dob owner. (Note: do be sure you have a nice calm space for glueing the secondary to the holder.) After a few days of making sure I had the right bolts in the right places (I didn't), the movements are now smooth, except for a little bump in altitude movement caused by the folding alt bearing joint. I hope to tweak this to smoothness soon. Balance seems good. I'm glad I got the wheelbarrow handles, as it'll be MUCH easier to move. Last night I received Glatter laser and tuBlug. I think I need a Catseye sight tube to position the secondary, and I'll be ready for 1st light. But here in DC we've been cloudy for 2 straight months, with only 5 or 6 semi clear days in that time! Can't even see the moon or Saturn. No clearing in forcast for next 2 weeks. Arrrrgggghhhh! I need to test everything to get ready for Oregon Star Party.
|
Pinbout
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/22/10
Loc: Montclair
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: bhuloka]
#5315620 - 07/13/12 09:08 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I like to hear how well it holds collimation as you rotate it thru the alt motions...
all these clouds and no rain... sunny by day and cloudy by night. it sux.
|
bhuloka
super member
Reged: 03/06/12
Loc: Maryland, USA
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: Pinbout]
#5315771 - 07/13/12 10:16 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Yeah, Danny, when I saw the truss tubes, I thought they looked pretty lightweight (flimsy), but when they are assembled, the whole thing is really stiff. I'm pretty impressed with the design. But this weekend I'll put some weight on the focuser along with the laser, and move through the alt motions, and see how well it holds.
BTW, for positioning the secondary, do I really need a Catseye sight tube ($150+), or can I do with just getting the holographic attachment for the Glatter laser ($35)?
-Lawson
|
UmaDog
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/15/10
Loc: Long Island, NY
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: bhuloka]
#5316723 - 07/13/12 10:38 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Hey, Lawson! It's Rob from Spruce Knob! Good to hear the scope is working out well so far. If you do see collimation shift then keep in mind that it could have a number of sources, including insufficient tension in the spider.
I've heard a sight tube is easier to use than a holographic laser, but both can work. The most important alignments are the axial ones (secondary tilt and primary tilt). Centering and rounding the secondary isn't quite so critical. You could probably get by with one of these: http://www.optcorp.com/product.aspx?pid=13537&kw=cheshire&st=2 The Catseye sight tube is nicer but it's $100 (not >$150). It's the kits with the other tools bring up the price to $150 or so. Whilst these kits are nice, I reckon you should get the scope out for a few nights and see how things go before deciding whether you want to chuck more big bucks at collimation.
|
bhuloka
super member
Reged: 03/06/12
Loc: Maryland, USA
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: UmaDog]
#5316893 - 07/14/12 01:08 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Hi Rob, how good to hear from you. Now I know who UmaDog is!
I was grateful to get those few hours of clear skies at Spruce Knob. There have only been 2 good days since then here in DC. (June 18 and 19, in fact). When things clear up in Autumn, I suppose I'll see you at Black Forest Star party.
Thanks for the sight tube tip. I already ordered the Catseye sight tube. I hope it's worth it.
I'll put up pics of the scope when I get it collimated.
The thing I like about it is the portability. It's very compact, and only weighs 60 lbs. with mirror.
-Lawson
|
Pinbout
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/22/10
Loc: Montclair
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: UmaDog]
#5317544 - 07/14/12 02:02 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Hey rob his spider is a self supporting (like a pyramid) and can't be tensioned. 
|
starman345
Wait, I'm Thinking
Reged: 07/06/10
Loc: New Brunswick, Canada
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: Pinbout]
#5318896 - 07/15/12 01:30 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I"m interested in the pictures Lawson and generally how you like it. Hoping for clear skies for you 
|
UmaDog
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/15/10
Loc: Long Island, NY
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: starman345]
#5318995 - 07/15/12 02:54 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Ah yes, so it does!
|
alexvh
sage
Reged: 07/29/07
Loc: South Africa
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: UmaDog]
#5319914 - 07/16/12 08:56 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I'm trying to decide on the 16" Hubble optics, or the obsession 15" uc.... Any thoughts gents?
|
bhuloka
super member
Reged: 03/06/12
Loc: Maryland, USA
|
Re: Let's talk about the Hubble Optics UL16
[Re: alexvh]
#5324952 - 07/19/12 12:25 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I had my new UL16 out for first light on Monday night.
The views were pretty, but I've still not got the scope fine tuned, so there were mechanical issues, mostly balance and vibration and movement-related. I didn't even have a finder or telrad on there yet, so aiming blind was tough. Still, what I did see was quite nice. There's a review of this scope on Astromart (see link on Hubbleoptic's website), where the fellow put a rubber stopper on the ground board to provide some friction on the azimuth motions. I will definitely be doing this one. The other absolute necessity is a light baffle opposite the focuser. For $10 I got a roll of velcro tape at the local hardware store. I'll just stick a small piece of black plastic up there using the velcro; problem solved, I expect. But without that baffle, I definitely saw lots of stray light entering the focuser, even though the light source was 2 miles away (cars on a highway).
Also, my heavy ES 30 eyepiece pulled the scope down, and I had to add a weight to the rear of the scope to balance. I'll let you know how the movements are after I get the thing balanced, properly adjusted, and fitted with a telrad.
-Lawson
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
