ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5028
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Quote:
Quote:
Oh, Scott, what I could say if the TOS would allow!
So, save that for October, also. 
I wonder if we'll all still be friends in November?
Now why wouldn't we be Tom? If we've held on this long since the Dill thread what could possibly come between us? 
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30019
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Good point...
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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
"If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going." Professor Irwin Corey
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Skylook123
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/30/05
Posts: 3965
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
Good point...
Wear a hat; no one will see it.
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Jim
A Bad Night With A Telescope
Beats A Good Night Doing Anything Else
Tectron 18" Truss Dob/Sky Commander DSCs, "Derrick"
Meade 10" LX-5 SCT/Atlas-G "Ol' Blue Eye"
Orion 90mm refractor,
Meade 10" Starfinder Newt/JMI NGCMax DSCs,
Celestron 10x50 Ultima Pro
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30019
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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GR said something like that once. Although I believe he had a very different point in mind...
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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
"If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going." Professor Irwin Corey
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30019
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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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
"If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going." Professor Irwin Corey
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typhus
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/06/04
Posts: 667
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Was that a friendly "bump"?
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Shane
Orion XT10i
10x50 Binoculars
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~Steph~
Texas Wildflower
Reged: 06/11/05
Posts: 21658
Loc: North Texas
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I hear a few of you boys got together last night...have a good time?
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Steph
10" RCX400 ~~ 4" TV102 ~~ WO ZS80FD ~~ PST
Serenity Observatory 
HansenAstro | CN Member Websites
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typhus
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/06/04
Posts: 667
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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I had a great time, even though the seeing conditions weren't that great. I was happy to get out and see Tom and Jim again. Besides the enjoyable company, one of the highlights of the evening was the view of M82 through Jim's 18".
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Shane
Orion XT10i
10x50 Binoculars
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30019
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Durned neat anything seen through that 18" is likely to be a highlight for a night's observing.
As an observing experience it wasn't the greatest. Clouds killed the transparency, and seeing was mediocre. Complicating the situation was a rather abrupt temperature drop sometime around 10pm. I don't know about the other scopes, but the Newt was suddenly a bundle of tube currents as the cool air left the mirror warmer than ambient. The cooling fan help, but it was late enough by then that I didn't realize the full benefit of the fan.
But when we couldn't observe effectively, we filled the time with good (and wide ranging) conversation. Made all the difference.
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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
"If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going." Professor Irwin Corey
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Skylook123
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/30/05
Posts: 3965
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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The people part was definitely the best. We could probably have picked a better spot 100 yards or so away to hide lights from the trailhead restroom, but the sky was as Tom points out above.
For me, the scope was a bit of a problem. I've had to do some carpentry repairs to the upper cage and rocker box, and neither worked. But it required ground zero recollimation, all the way back to re-squaring the focuser. Then I had to align the DSCs four times due to operator goofs.
The collimation was very successful; I've never seen the texture of M82 so distinct at this altitude; nice! But, as Tom points out, much of the seeing and transparency were compromised. Couldn't really get any definition on Virgo/Corvus galaxies; dust lane on M104 barely detectable, and the walk through Markharian's Chain was extremely disappointing.
One point of setting up where we did was to be available to hikers coming in off the trails. We did have a few drop by, so this may have promise for future dual-purpose outings.
An Addendum. M13 was really nice as well. M51 was pretty disappointing. And it will take a tunnel through a ridge of hills to the south to bring in Omega Centauri from that location.
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Jim
A Bad Night With A Telescope
Beats A Good Night Doing Anything Else
Tectron 18" Truss Dob/Sky Commander DSCs, "Derrick"
Meade 10" LX-5 SCT/Atlas-G "Ol' Blue Eye"
Orion 90mm refractor,
Meade 10" Starfinder Newt/JMI NGCMax DSCs,
Celestron 10x50 Ultima Pro
Edited by Skylook123 (05/05/08 02:57 PM)
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30019
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
We could probably have picked a better spot 100 yards or so away to hide lights from the trailhead restroom...
Ah, yep. Live and learn... 
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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
"If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going." Professor Irwin Corey
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typhus
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/06/04
Posts: 667
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Quote:
We could probably have picked a better spot 100 yards or so away to hide lights from the trailhead restroom...
And the smell!
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Shane
Orion XT10i
10x50 Binoculars
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30019
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Yeah, it's a good thing that skunk came by when it did. Big improvement!
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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
"If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going." Professor Irwin Corey
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rboe
Numbfinger
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 39684
Loc: Phx, AZ
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Just where were you guys? Sabino Canyon?
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Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30019
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Catalina State Park, in the parking lot by the trail head. We set up in the most open area we could find, and did not find out until too late the restroom lights stay on of their own accord until 10pm.
Finding that we were downwind of the durned things just added insult to injury...
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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
"If we don't change direction soon, we'll end up where we're going." Professor Irwin Corey
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rboe
Numbfinger
Reged: 03/16/02
Posts: 39684
Loc: Phx, AZ
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Wind direction will be problematic but the lights you can deal with.
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Ron
NS11GPS
Pronto
16" dob
15X70 Obies
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Skylook123
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/30/05
Posts: 3965
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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And I though it was desertstars and Typhus goin' a little heavy on the afternoon burritos! 
Nah, smell didn't get over to me. Either that, or I'm as insensitive as my spouse claims I am.
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Jim
A Bad Night With A Telescope
Beats A Good Night Doing Anything Else
Tectron 18" Truss Dob/Sky Commander DSCs, "Derrick"
Meade 10" LX-5 SCT/Atlas-G "Ol' Blue Eye"
Orion 90mm refractor,
Meade 10" Starfinder Newt/JMI NGCMax DSCs,
Celestron 10x50 Ultima Pro
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~Steph~
Texas Wildflower
Reged: 06/11/05
Posts: 21658
Loc: North Texas
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Why Jimmy! Lookie there at the cake by your name...it's your birfday! Happy birthday, dearie. 
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Steph
10" RCX400 ~~ 4" TV102 ~~ WO ZS80FD ~~ PST
Serenity Observatory
HansenAstro | CN Member Websites
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jhors
Riddle me this
Reged: 07/16/07
Posts: 737
Loc: Tempe, AZ
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Happy Birthday Jim!!
  
Many happy returns!
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-Josh
Florence Junction:
Antenna:
10" Dob
10 x 50 Bino's
I believe a leaf of grass is no less than the journey-work of the stars -Walt Whitman
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typhus
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/06/04
Posts: 667
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Happy Birthday Jim! 
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Shane
Orion XT10i
10x50 Binoculars
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