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Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2978
Loc: Bolton, MA
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On July 31st, I ordered a TV 3-6 Zoom, for delivery via standard UPS Ground. Scheduled delivery August 5!
This was to replace my 4mm and 6mm Radians I'd sold, as part of my complete conversion to advanced Nagleritis, Ethos sub-variant strain.
Tracked it all the way to my local UPS station (10 miles from my house)... and then...
Ground Hog Day!
Every day "scheduled for delivery"
Every night "rescheduled for next day"
Repeat for 4 days
(I work from a home office and I was home the entire time, and even got OTHER UPS deliveries...???)
Finally call UPS, they finally let me actually talk to someone in the local facility (ever notice how these local facilities do NOT have phone numbers? - more on that anon).
Find out that it has Checked in, but they can't find it, so it can't leave! ("You can checkout, but you can never leave").
They tell me to tell the shipper to "put a tracer on it" and get it replaced. And in meantime they will look for it in their "lost packages room" (they have a fancier less scary sounding name, but that IS what it is!)... I got a call later that day saying, we have a lens here, can you call us so we can find out if its yours...
Trying to get back in touch with them directly was impossible - everything has to go through the central 800 number. Even though I had the local UPS facility name, and the name of the person there. They don't have the phone number!!!! So, I had to leave a message, (after persuading yet another person that this was a "Exception" and "No, the online tracking CANNOT answer my issue, etc!)... Urgh...
Finally someone ELSE calls me back (from local facility) the next day, they describe what could only be something on the order of a 300mm camera lens - like, so not even close as to boggle my mind they could even think so! (I had given them a full description of what the shipping box would look like and be sized, the TV Nagler box and size, and even the EP - "green lettering? yep, no green lettering, nope"...
Shipper at first, tells me, "tracer is on, in 1-8 days we'll get an answer, if they don't find it then we'll ship you a new one."
I point out that if they haven't found it in 6 days (at this point) it isn't gonna be found, and if it is, just have UPS return it to them; in the meantime I want a new one shipped please!
Shipper agrees, immediately and politely...
So, another 3-6TV Zoom is on its way to me, scheduled for 8/22...
"Living it up at the Hotel WSO..." (apologies to the Eagles)
Good thing I have had NO nights clear enough to actually use the zoom in the last 3 weeks, huh?
Some of you may recall the last time I got an eyepiece (my 8 Ethos), I ended up with TWO of them due to shipping/purchasing confusions as well...
Perhaps that is my new Eyepiece Star Sign?
But, again, as with all my experiences in this hobby to-date, alls well that ends well...
clear enough skies
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Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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Shawn H
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/16/07
Posts: 1068
Loc: Southern France 43°56'N-4°50'E
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Dave
I thought that stuff only happened in France! So anyway do you still have two 8mm Ethos? Shawn
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xt10i with Telrad & feather touch focuser & huge Boston Red Sox decal
Starblast
15x70 Celestron Skymasters
35Stratus
27Pan
13 Ethos
8 Ethos
Orion ultrablock
Astronomik OIII
Tele Vue 2x barlow
Antares 1.6x barlow (2")
CATSEYE collimation tools
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Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2978
Loc: Bolton, MA
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Yep, I sold it at a slight loss/discount right after BEOTS...
And, of course, last nite... WAS CLEAR and I *could* have used the TV... or at least tried it!
But  no...
clear enough skies
--------------------
Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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Shawn H
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/16/07
Posts: 1068
Loc: Southern France 43°56'N-4°50'E
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Dave
Even better than buying it myself, my wife asked me what I wanted for my birthday (the 30th) and she knew the answer anyway & ordered it! Should be here on Monday! So I went right back and ordered a 2" Antares 1.6x barlow! Ive never barlowed my 2"ers soo this will be fun!  Shawn
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xt10i with Telrad & feather touch focuser & huge Boston Red Sox decal
Starblast
15x70 Celestron Skymasters
35Stratus
27Pan
13 Ethos
8 Ethos
Orion ultrablock
Astronomik OIII
Tele Vue 2x barlow
Antares 1.6x barlow (2")
CATSEYE collimation tools
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Lawrence Sayre
Post Laureate
Reged: 10/16/04
Posts: 3677
Loc: N.E. Ohio
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For the record, you will not achieve 1.6X with this Barlow and the 8 mm Ethos. Lets look at this with the knowledge that:
1) The Barlow has a -127 mm focal length
2) The Barlow has a working length (by my measurement) of 76 mm from the principle plane of its achromat to its eyepiece bearing shoulder.
3) The nominal magnification factor for this Barlow is therefore: M = 1 - (76/-127) = 1.5984X (a close check on the manufacturers 1.6X)
4) The focal plane of the 8 mm Ethos is 0.7" (or 17.78 mm) below its focuser shoulder, so this in effect shortens the Barlow, so the equation for this eyepiece and Barlow becomes:
M = 1 - [(76 - 17.78)/-127]
M = 1.4584X
8 mm / 1.4584X = 5.4855 mm effective focal length
The combination of the 1.6X Antares and the 8 mm Ethos results in a focal length of roughly 5.49 mm, and not the 5 mm that one might expect.
PS: How did I derive that this Barlow has a focal length of -127 mm? Well, its a round-about process with assumptions as follows:
1) This Barlow appears to be identical to the 2" 1.5X Proxima Barlow (I have owned both, and still own the latter).
2) The advertisement for the Proxima Barlow states that it has the same achromat as does the worlds most expensive 2" Barlow.
3) Roland Christen of Astro-Physics has publicly stated that his 2" 1.7X Barcon Barlow has a focal length of -127 mm. This Barlow is about the most expensive 2" Barlow that I can think of.
4) -127 mm when plugged into the Barlow equation yields a nominal 1.5984X, so it seems to be quite correct for the 1.6X Antares Barlow (though admittedly not so correct for the 1.5X Proxima, which is a bit odd, so I assume it to also be a 1.6X Barlow).
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My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a moral being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.
Ayn Rand (in the appendix to 'Atlas Shrugged')
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Shawn H
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/16/07
Posts: 1068
Loc: Southern France 43°56'N-4°50'E
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OK Larry
Soo 1.4 and a half by, will put me at the power of a 5.5mm ep with the 8E! Is this correct? You gotta tell me because I flunked math in High School!  Shawn
--------------------
xt10i with Telrad & feather touch focuser & huge Boston Red Sox decal
Starblast
15x70 Celestron Skymasters
35Stratus
27Pan
13 Ethos
8 Ethos
Orion ultrablock
Astronomik OIII
Tele Vue 2x barlow
Antares 1.6x barlow (2")
CATSEYE collimation tools
|
Lawrence Sayre
Post Laureate
Reged: 10/16/04
Posts: 3677
Loc: N.E. Ohio
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Correct!
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My philosophy, in essence, is the concept of man as a moral being, with his own happiness as the moral purpose of his life, with productive achievement as his noblest activity, and reason as his only absolute.
Ayn Rand (in the appendix to 'Atlas Shrugged')
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Shawn H
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 05/16/07
Posts: 1068
Loc: Southern France 43°56'N-4°50'E
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Thanks Larry! Shawn
--------------------
xt10i with Telrad & feather touch focuser & huge Boston Red Sox decal
Starblast
15x70 Celestron Skymasters
35Stratus
27Pan
13 Ethos
8 Ethos
Orion ultrablock
Astronomik OIII
Tele Vue 2x barlow
Antares 1.6x barlow (2")
CATSEYE collimation tools
|
Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2978
Loc: Bolton, MA
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Back to the original thread
Just checked on UPS website: " Status:
In Transit - On Time
Scheduled Delivery: 08/21/2008"
And it shows as having been "Arrival Scanned at 11:24AM" today at my local distribution facility.
this was as far as we got two weeks ago
Anyone got any "Ground Hog Day" repellent?
Or the "checkout - and leave - passcode" for the "Hotel California"???
Naturally, two nights ago, and last night, were really good transparancy and seeing here in New England (first of the Summer, frankly!)...
Keeping my toes and fingers crossed...
clear enough skies (may they continue for all!)
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Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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Mike Hosea
Post Laureate
Reged: 09/24/03
Posts: 3226
Loc: "Metrowest" Boston
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Quote:
Anyone got any "Ground Hog Day" repellent?
I think it's like the Hitchhiker's Guide trick to flying. You just fall and miss the ground.
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Mike
- 7" f/6.7 home-built planetary Newt
- 35mm Panoptic
- 13mm Ethos
- 5mm Tak LE
- 2x TV Barlow
- Canon 10x30IS Binoculars
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Bowmoreman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/11/06
Posts: 2978
Loc: Bolton, MA
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Well, well...
Checked the UPS website about 30 minutes ago... and it said
"Delivered"
WTH??? I've been home all day and there was NO UPS truck at this hacienda, pardner!!!
Sigh
On a hunch, walked up the 1/2 mile driveway to check the mailbox...
There it was!!!
Yeah!
And, look at my CSC for tonight:
4/5 for seeing AND transparency!!! So It should be a KILLER Jupiter night.
Precisely what I got this here EP for!
Those of you in the Bolton area, I'm having a mini viewing tonight at WSO since conditions will be so good from 8:30 until the Moon gets high (10:30 or 11 or so). Much visual and assisted electronic visual!
Drop me a PM if interested/coming.
clear enough skies
--------------------
Dave
Ustream
YLive
XT10i, RTP, CGE, R200CF, TMB80SS
31T5, 22T4, 13Ethos, 8Ethos, TV 3-6 Zoom; Paracorr
MallincamColorHyperPlus,SBIG STV&237A;CanonRebel Xti
WilderSkiesObservatory(BYO #90)
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