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mikiek
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/10/07
Posts: 925
Loc: SE Texas
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It seemed like an interesting idea for a newb. Especially with the backlit tablet. Being able to flip the card upside down and backside front sounds like it would be good for matching up the actual view with different types of scopes.
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___________________________________________________________
May there always be starlight on the path - R.Burnham
___________________________________________________________
Celestron CPC 1100
Radian 3mm, 5mm, 8mm, 12mm
Panoptic 22mm, 27mm, 35mm(the brick), 41mm (the cinder block)
Nagler 3-6 zoom, T4 17mm
Ethos 13mm
Everbrite Diagonal 2", Powermate 2X
FeatherTouch Crayford, Microfocuser
Telrad Finder, SV 9x50 RACI
Kendrick Dew System
TV NP-101(riding the CPC)
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novbabies
Postmaster
Reged: 06/05/05
Posts: 15678
Loc: Northern Georgia!
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If you're talking about what I think you are, indeed, quite helpful; I spent many happy hours as a child astronomer with a similar 1960s version: phosphorescent green card that you overlaid a constellation card (opaque except for cut out stars), shined a flashlight onto (in my case, at night, in bed, under the covers, surreptitiously), and then looked in amazement as the constellation "magically" appeared - and slowly faded - from sight!
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Good Seeing!
Mark
Orion 12" XTi f/4.9
VERY old Edmund 6" f/8 reflector
Assorted binoculars
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edwincjones
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/10/04
Posts: 4422
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they did not seem to do much for me
edj
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n w arkansas
Binocular, Solar, General Amateur Astronomy
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bicparker
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 1438
Loc: Plano, TX
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I used Astro-Cards for several years (both editions) and I still keep them with me for long observing runs. For the most part, I don't use them as a primary source, but they are a good supplemental chart to have at the eyepiece and sometimes they have some star patterns charted that I can't really find anywhere else, so they still find a lot of use (sorry about that run on sentence).
They can be an excellent tool, and I have used them with the backlit display most of the time. I originally thought that if I kept them tabbed in constellation order, they would be more useful. Instead, I found that they really work much better in RA order, at least for my observing methods. This is because I can find objects that are on the cards, but not in the primary index of the cards (the cards have many, many objects charted).
They are a great low-tech way of dealing with the sky and the biggest advantage, of course, is that you don't have to haul a book up the ladder.
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Bic Parker
17.5" f/5 dob
10" f/10 SCT
5" f/8 refractor
80mm f/6 refractor
66mm f/6 refractor
Plus a few others out of the rotation
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mikiek
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/10/07
Posts: 925
Loc: SE Texas
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bicparker - Thanks! I know they're probably thought of pretty lowly by experienced folks. Me on the other hand, a relative newb might get some use out of them. I've got quite a few other books & charts. These just looked interesting since you can reverse them on the illuminator and see things as I would see them thru my SCT.
Seems like that's what I'm having the most problems with. I get my star hop plan set and start it out, but when up is down and left is right and then the view in the finder is different than the view in the scope and neither are like the view of the chart. It just adds complexity that I don't need right now.
Sounds like with the cards I can postion them to match whatever component I'm looking thru. What is the scale on the cards? Is the scale the same for all cards?
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___________________________________________________________
May there always be starlight on the path - R.Burnham
___________________________________________________________
Celestron CPC 1100
Radian 3mm, 5mm, 8mm, 12mm
Panoptic 22mm, 27mm, 35mm(the brick), 41mm (the cinder block)
Nagler 3-6 zoom, T4 17mm
Ethos 13mm
Everbrite Diagonal 2", Powermate 2X
FeatherTouch Crayford, Microfocuser
Telrad Finder, SV 9x50 RACI
Kendrick Dew System
TV NP-101(riding the CPC)
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bicparker
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/07/05
Posts: 1438
Loc: Plano, TX
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I am out of town right now, so I don't have a sample in front of me, however, the main field is a 5 degree field, as I recall. The other (wide) field varies with the target area in question, to maximize the benefit of nearby field asterisms, constellations, and other field stars.
Don't write them off... they don't have a bad reputation at all among experienced observers (they were, after all, put together by one of the more experienced observers amongst us). Although I don't use them as much as I used to, I still keep them available, just in case.
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Bic Parker
17.5" f/5 dob
10" f/10 SCT
5" f/8 refractor
80mm f/6 refractor
66mm f/6 refractor
Plus a few others out of the rotation
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30031
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Anyone have a link to the item under discussion?
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Tom W.
SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ
Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor
Under the Desert Stars
Alcohol and calculus do not mix. Please don't drink and derive.
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~Steph~
Texas Wildflower
Reged: 06/11/05
Posts: 21658
Loc: North Texas
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My guess is this product, done by one of the same gents who put out The Night Sky Observer's Guide.
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Steph
10" RCX400 ~~ 4" TV102 ~~ WO ZS80FD ~~ PST
Serenity Observatory 
HansenAstro | CN Member Websites
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30031
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
My guess is this product, done by one of the same gents who put out The Night Sky Observer's Guide.
Thanks, Steph. I ran a quick Google search and didn't turn that one up. 
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Tom W.
SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ
Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor
Under the Desert Stars
Alcohol and calculus do not mix. Please don't drink and derive.
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~Steph~
Texas Wildflower
Reged: 06/11/05
Posts: 21658
Loc: North Texas
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Check the second link on Google...takes you to Astronomy Mall and the link to NSOG, then I backtracked to the AstroCards URL. Only 'cause I knew of the product and that they were associated... 
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Steph
10" RCX400 ~~ 4" TV102 ~~ WO ZS80FD ~~ PST
Serenity Observatory
HansenAstro | CN Member Websites
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30031
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Not knowing that connection, it went right past me. 
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Tom W.
SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ
Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor
Under the Desert Stars
Alcohol and calculus do not mix. Please don't drink and derive.
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Alvin Huey
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/18/05
Posts: 1533
Loc: NorCal
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Quote:
I am out of town right now, so I don't have a sample in front of me, however, the main field is a 5 degree field, as I recall. The other (wide) field varies with the target area in question, to maximize the benefit of nearby field asterisms, constellations, and other field stars.
Don't write them off... they don't have a bad reputation at all among experienced observers (they were, after all, put together by one of the more experienced observers amongst us). Although I don't use them as much as I used to, I still keep them available, just in case.
Yeap, the AstroCards is what got me started making my own truely portable star charts for use at the eyepiece. I got the original set back in the late 70's and still have them. The two gents, Sanner and Kepple, are truly nice and very very experienced observers.
Now I make my own "AstroCards" for use at the eyepiece. I use MegaStar and make a bunch of charts for my main observing program...but still carry the Uranometria atlas for backup.
I also make my own books based on a "list", such as the Shabaskian galaxy chains, with finder charts and detailed charts. Then I coil bind them. Again, I use MegaStar for the star charts.
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Clear Skies,
Alvin #26
22" f/4.1 reflector, Takahashi TOA-130S on AP1200GTO (just sold), 30" f/4.3 StarMaster and Antares 6" f/6.5 on Orion SVP
FaintFuzzies | TAC | TAC-Sac
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rmollise
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 1653
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The AstroCards have been a resource I've enjoyed for years. Alas, when I switched over to ALL-LAPTOP-ALL-THE-TIME in the field, I thought it was time go say goodbye to my beloved Astrocards. Not so! If you're a user of Steve Tuma's excellent Deepsky program, you can move into the the laptop astronomy age but keep the Astrocards. They are now available on CD as an add-on to Deepsky. Click on a button in the object information window, and up comes an A-card lookin' just like in the good-ol'-days! NO...BETTER! The little card-illuminator was cute, but viewin' 'em on-screen is MUCHO-BETTERO! You can even print 'em if you want and pretend it's 1985 and you're a-cruisin' the deep sky with your Odyssey I!
http://deepsky2000.com/
http://www201.pair.com/resource/astro.html/AstroCards/software.htm
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Uncle Rod
Watch for Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT--coming in December!
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