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MikeBOKC
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/10/10

Loc: Oklahoma City, OK

A new way to look at aperture
#5707703 - 03/01/13 07:46 PM

So like most here I have suffered from aperturitis at times. One possible treatment is to look at our available aperture in total . . . so I grabbed the calculator and found that I have in my garage a grand total of 33 inches of aperture! Now if they just made a quinto-viewer . . .

What's your total aperture? See, it can be reassuring!

Post Extras:

Doc Willie
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 03/31/10

Loc: Mid-Hudson Valley, NY, USA

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: MikeBOKC]
#5707780 - 03/01/13 08:54 PM

Is that square inches? If not, this is a flawed way to sum aperture. Five 2 inches do not equal one 10 inch diameter.

Post Extras:

Goodchild
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 12/31/08

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Doc Willie]
#5707956 - 03/01/13 11:17 PM

Sure it does. We're talking about aperture, not area. Besides, the OP is trying (I assume) to introduce a somewhat lighthearted thread to determine how many scopes/optics one has.

37 for me.

Edited by Goodchild (03/01/13 11:40 PM)

Post Extras:

korborh
professor emeritus

Reged: 01/29/11

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Goodchild]
#5707982 - 03/01/13 11:35 PM

19 ... still a teenager

Post Extras:

cheapersleeper
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 01/22/10

Loc: Sachse TX

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: korborh]
#5708111 - 03/02/13 02:16 AM

36!!!

Post Extras:

GlennLeDrew
Postmaster

Reged: 06/18/08

Loc: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: cheapersleeper]
#5708114 - 03/02/13 02:20 AM

2 * 2" + 2 * 2.4" + 2 * 4" = 16.8".

They might be midgets, but at least binoculars automatically double up!

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: GlennLeDrew]
#5708232 - 03/02/13 06:34 AM

An interesting way to look at things. A rough calculation is 130 inches of aperture and somewhere around 24 scopes, some quite large, most small.

Binoculars not included.

Jon

Edited by Jon Isaacs (03/02/13 06:40 AM)

Post Extras:

Startraffic
sage

Reged: 02/12/06

Loc: Lat. 39.143345, Long. -77.1748...

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5708249 - 03/02/13 07:11 AM

Hmmm,
14.5"Folded Newt+10"SNT+8"Newt+6"Newt+6"RC+3.54"(90mmETX)Cat+6"Acro=54.54"
How about this 360.35sqin of aperture?

Clear Dark Skies
Startraffic
39.138274 -77.168898

Post Extras:

City Kid
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 05/06/09

Loc: Northern Indiana

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: MikeBOKC]
#5708253 - 03/02/13 07:21 AM

970.85mm. Or in inches that would be 38.2" but it sounds more impressive in mm.

Post Extras:

Ed D
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/30/10

Loc: Sunny South Florida

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: City Kid]
#5708281 - 03/02/13 07:53 AM

I thought this might be interesting so I added up the aperture of my current scopes.

WOW, was it depressing!

So, I added the aperture of the Dob I'm currently building.

Guess what? Now I'm really depressed.

Not really, I'm actually very happy with what I have.

But so far I take the prize for least total aperture.

Ed D

Post Extras:

ahopp
sage

Reged: 05/24/12

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: City Kid]
#5708286 - 03/02/13 08:02 AM

1013.71(39.91") includes my L glass canon lenses, they cost more than a good APO so I'm count'n 'm.

Tony

Post Extras:

starrancher
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/09/09

Loc: Northern Arizona

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Ed D]
#5708317 - 03/02/13 08:29 AM

Quote:

I thought this might be interesting so I added up the aperture of my current scopes.
WOW, was it depressing!
So, I added the aperture of the Dob I'm currently building.
Guess what? Now I'm really depressed.

Not really, I'm actually very happy with what I have. But so far I take the prize for least total aperture.

Ed D

So ,.... What's the total Ed ?

Post Extras:

starrancher
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/09/09

Loc: Northern Arizona

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: starrancher]
#5708336 - 03/02/13 08:45 AM

AR5 = 5"
SN8 = 8"
11TE= 4.5"
7T = 2.4"
66TE= 2"
Total = 21.9"

Modest yes , but with the awesome rural northern Arizona skies , it's unreal what an 8" scope will pull .

Oh , I forgot my 10x50s . That adds another 4" !
So I guess that kicks me up to a grand total of 25.9" .

Post Extras:

Martin Lyons
sage

Reged: 10/06/08

Loc: Cape Town, South Africa

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: starrancher]
#5708345 - 03/02/13 08:49 AM

Roughly, 52"

Oops

forgot the 16" GSO and the 12" Cass.

Make that 80"

Edited by Martin Lyons (03/02/13 08:52 AM)

Post Extras:

starrancher
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/09/09

Loc: Northern Arizona

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: starrancher]
#5708351 - 03/02/13 08:52 AM

Do you have a pict of that folded Newt John ?

Post Extras:

rathbaster
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 03/21/08

Loc: East Bridgewater, MA

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: starrancher]
#5708368 - 03/02/13 09:09 AM

20" in four scopes.
I never realized....

Post Extras:

MikeBOKC
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/10/10

Loc: Oklahoma City, OK

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: rathbaster]
#5708385 - 03/02/13 09:26 AM

Yes folks this is strictly for fun . . . just thought it might be a hoot sometime in conversation to say "16 inch Dob? That's nothing! I got 33 inches of aperture at home!"

Post Extras:

catboat
sage

Reged: 12/01/09

Loc: Maine

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: MikeBOKC]
#5708734 - 03/02/13 12:33 PM

It's a bit embarrassing. If I include unmounted optics… 127"

Post Extras:

Mark Costello
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 03/08/05

Loc: Matthews, NC, USA

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Ed D]
#5708840 - 03/02/13 01:26 PM

I'm happy right now with the job my 5" aperture is doing for me...

Again, not counting binoculars....

Post Extras:

zjc26138
Loved By All

Reged: 02/24/05

Loc: Mingo Junction, Ohio

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Mark Costello]
#5708848 - 03/02/13 01:34 PM

15" of usable aperture for me.

If you count my TMB and AR5, both cells are currently out of their tubes,then I have 25" of aperture.

Post Extras:

JayinUT
I'm not Sleepy

Reged: 09/19/08

Loc: Utah

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: zjc26138]
#5708923 - 03/02/13 02:30 PM

28 inches with 4 scope.

Post Extras:

EFT
Vendor - Deep Space Products

Reged: 05/07/07

Loc: Phoenix, AZ

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: JayinUT]
#5708966 - 03/02/13 03:04 PM

About 79" with 13 scopes. Woof. More than I thought and I keep remembering one more every time I think I have them all. Probably time to thin that down a bit.

Post Extras:

George N
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 05/19/06

Loc: Binghamton & Indian Lake NY

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: zjc26138]
#5709053 - 03/02/13 04:03 PM

If I add up the total aperture that I can actually *use* under my endlessly cloudy and snowy skies, the answer is zero! ….at least lately.

Post Extras:

coopman
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/23/06

Loc: South Louisiana

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: George N]
#5709083 - 03/02/13 04:18 PM

41.7 inches from my 7 scopes.

Post Extras:

GeneT
Ely Kid

Reged: 11/07/08

Loc: South Texas

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: MikeBOKC]
#5709256 - 03/02/13 06:04 PM

Since the human pupil has a focal length of 17 mm, it is f/2.4 and yields 0.17 per mm of aperture. About 2.5 mm is
the photopic (light-adapted) diameter of the eye. I own a 12.5 inch (if I figured correctly, about 318mm) , F5 telescope. That's a lot of eyeballs.

Post Extras:

GeneT
Ely Kid

Reged: 11/07/08

Loc: South Texas

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: starrancher]
#5709261 - 03/02/13 06:06 PM

Quote:

with the awesome rural northern Arizona skies , it's unreal what an 8" scope will pull.

I hear you. I grew up in Ely, Nevada. Mag 6.5 skies out my back door.

Post Extras:

CounterWeight
Postmaster

Reged: 10/05/08

Loc: Cloudyopolis, OR.

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: GeneT]
#5709719 - 03/02/13 11:08 PM

~453 mm's here! That to me really sounds large! thanks for the post, I no longer have apeture fever

Post Extras:

FirstSight
Postmaster

Reged: 12/26/05

Loc: Raleigh, NC

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: zjc26138]
#5710322 - 03/03/13 10:37 AM

305mm + 101.7mm + 90mm = 496.7mm = 19.55 inches diameter

Another fun, though similarly arbitrary, useless stat would be how many total mm of focal-length our eyepiece collection has.
Naglers: 119 mm
Panoptics: 24mm
Ethos: 83.4mm
TOTAL: 226.4mm = 8.9 in.

I fear to calculate the average cost of those eyepieces per focal-length inch. Easily way more than the cost of my scopes per focal-length inch.

Edited by FirstSight (03/03/13 10:39 AM)

Post Extras:

tclehman1969
super member

Reged: 05/18/10

Loc: SF Bay Area, California

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: CounterWeight]
#5710523 - 03/03/13 12:07 PM

Hmmm....lets see...
203.2, 90, 80, 80x2=160, 50x2=100, or 24.92" of aperture! More than some, less than others, but I am totally thrilled with what I have!

Post Extras:

nevy
sage

Reged: 02/07/12

Loc: UK

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: tclehman1969]
#5710572 - 03/03/13 12:42 PM

11" + 12" + 16" = 39"

Post Extras:

Patrik Iver
sage

Reged: 07/29/03

Loc: Kaarina, Finland

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: tclehman1969]
#5710580 - 03/03/13 12:44 PM

Scary exercise...

7 telescopes totalling 1054 mm (41.5"), 10 binoculars totalling 818 mm (32.2") and one 80 mm spotting scope (3.1").

And one 105 mm (4.1") refractor on order...

I think I need help...

I didn't count the optics I've given other family members, and I also left out one tiny 21 mm (0.8") monocular.

Post Extras:

Patrik Iver
sage

Reged: 07/29/03

Loc: Kaarina, Finland

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Patrik Iver]
#5710585 - 03/03/13 12:47 PM

Quote:

Scary exercise...

7 telescopes totalling 1054 mm (41.5"), 10 binoculars totalling 818 mm (32.2") and one 80 mm spotting scope (3.1").

And one 105 mm (4.1") refractor on order...

I think I need help...

I didn't count the optics I've given other family members, and I also left out one tiny 21 mm (0.8") monocular.

Please tell me that the fact that this bunch of optics resides at four different locations makes the collection completely acceptable and normal...

Post Extras:

Goodchild
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 12/31/08

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Patrik Iver]
#5710759 - 03/03/13 02:34 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Scary exercise...

7 telescopes totalling 1054 mm (41.5"), 10 binoculars totalling 818 mm (32.2") and one 80 mm spotting scope (3.1").

And one 105 mm (4.1") refractor on order...

I think I need help...

I didn't count the optics I've given other family members, and I also left out one tiny 21 mm (0.8") monocular.

Please tell me that the fact that this bunch of optics resides at four different locations makes the collection completely acceptable and normal...

No, it doesn't.

Post Extras:

ThreeD
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 12/23/08

Loc: Sacramento suburbs

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Goodchild]
#5711018 - 03/03/13 05:07 PM

2 dobs + 2 RACI finders = 28.3". Those two finders gave me an extra 4.3"!

Post Extras:

cavefrog
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 11/11/08

Loc: loozyanna

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: ThreeD]
#5711625 - 03/03/13 10:16 PM

doe! aawwwww, now I gotta cipher too? thats too much work...
brain hurts.

Post Extras:

Tom Clark
professor emeritus

Reged: 11/14/07

Loc: North of Deming, NM

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: cavefrog]
#5712069 - 03/04/13 08:26 AM

93" total. Never thought of this before!

I like to build scopes, and recently moved to near perfect skies.

5,6,16,24,42

Post Extras:

neotesla
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 11/18/10

Loc: Canada

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Tom Clark]
#5712123 - 03/04/13 09:06 AM

Feeling small after Mr. Clarks total... 810mm or ~32".

Post Extras:

Ed D
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/30/10

Loc: Sunny South Florida

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: starrancher]
#5712135 - 03/04/13 09:20 AM

Quote:

Quote:

I thought this might be interesting so I added up the aperture of my current scopes.
WOW, was it depressing!
So, I added the aperture of the Dob I'm currently building.
Guess what? Now I'm really depressed.

Not really, I'm actually very happy with what I have. But so far I take the prize for least total aperture.

Ed D

So ,.... What's the total Ed ?

6.0" f/8 tube Dob

2.9" f/6 refractor

Current total = 8.9"

Include 5.9" f/8 open truss Dob in progress

Near future total = 14.8"

After reading some of the later posts I see that I no longer take the prize for least aperture!

Ed D

Post Extras:

csrlice12
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Goodchild]
#5712144 - 03/04/13 09:28 AM

Quote:

Quote:

Quote:

Scary exercise...

7 telescopes totalling 1054 mm (41.5"), 10 binoculars totalling 818 mm (32.2") and one 80 mm spotting scope (3.1").

And one 105 mm (4.1") refractor on order...

I think I need help...

I didn't count the optics I've given other family members, and I also left out one tiny 21 mm (0.8") monocular.

Please tell me that the fact that this bunch of optics resides at four different locations makes the collection completely acceptable and normal...

No, it doesn't.

"I asked you not to tell me that"--Maxwell Smart....

Post Extras:

Tim Gilliland
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/28/09

Loc: Sand Springs Okla.

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: csrlice12]
#5712157 - 03/04/13 09:40 AM

35" in 5 scopes. Guess that means an average of 7 " aperture. Not bad considering they range from a 40mm PST to a 17.5 dob. I'am sorry but I really like doing averages.

Post Extras:

bilgebay
Post Laureate

Reged: 11/06/08

Loc: Türkiye - Istanbul and Marmari...

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Tim Gilliland]
#5713850 - 03/05/13 04:28 AM

71" and 12 scopes. Haven't included the camera lenses, monoculars and binoculars I have

Post Extras:

StarStuff1
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/01/07

Loc: South of the Mason-Dixon Line

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: bilgebay]
#5716383 - 03/06/13 01:23 PM

22 scopes for a total of 85.4 inches. Also not counting any binos or camera lens. But wait, I need to add a half dozen 50mm finder scopes so the new total would 93.4 inches.

Edited by StarStuff1 (03/06/13 03:52 PM)

Post Extras:

csrlice12
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: StarStuff1]
#5716409 - 03/06/13 01:33 PM

depends if you go by the mm size of the eyepiece, or the size of the lens (i.e. 5mm XW, the main lens is a LOT bigger then 5mm)....

Post Extras:

Dan Finnerty
sage

Reged: 09/11/11

Loc: Pasadena, CA

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Tim Gilliland]
#5716830 - 03/06/13 04:51 PM

Quote:

35" in 5 scopes. Guess that means an average of 7 " aperture. Not bad considering they range from a 40mm PST to a 17.5 dob. I'am sorry but I really like doing averages.

OK, so you gave us the mean, what is the median?

Post Extras:

Jim Curry
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 10/29/07

Loc: STL

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Dan Finnerty]
#5717109 - 03/06/13 07:23 PM

27.5" in built refactors; 19" waiting for construction.
Where's this stuff come from??

Jim

Post Extras:

GeneT
Ely Kid

Reged: 11/07/08

Loc: South Texas

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: cavefrog]
#5717484 - 03/06/13 10:54 PM

Quote:

doe! aawwwww, now I gotta cipher too? thats too much work...brain hurts.

Too many telescopes?

Post Extras:

Thomas Karpf
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 02/09/09

Loc: Newington, CT

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: GeneT]
#5720466 - 03/08/13 12:46 PM

8" reflector, 6" AT6RC, 3.5" ETX90, 2.4" refractor, 2x 2.4" (binoculars)

24.7"

Post Extras:

Alvin Huey
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/18/05

Loc: NorCal

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Thomas Karpf]
#5720517 - 03/08/13 01:14 PM

I know someone with 76" of aperture with just two telescopes.

My good friend, Jimi, has a 48" reflector in his observatory and a 28" travel scope.

He has a couple tiny apos, but those don't count.

In fact he has a TV NP-101 mounted on his upper cage of his 48" as a counterweight (scroll to bottom).

And darn, my two scopes is 52"...not even close to Jimi. 30" f/4.3 Starmaster and 22" f/4.0 reflector. I also have a couple little refractors too. 6" triplet and 4" doublet.

Here is a new way of looking at it...
Take the AREA of your scopes, add them and look at the combined aperture.

For Jimi, he has 55.6" combined aperture by area (only the two reflectors).
I have only 37.2" of combined aperture by area. (only the two reflectors)
.

And taking the last poster's (Tom K) scopes, he has 11.4" combined aperture

Post Extras:

bryguy27007
super member

Reged: 03/09/09

Loc: Minnesota

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Alvin Huey]
#5721399 - 03/08/13 11:50 PM

Quote:

I know someone with 76" of aperture with just two telescopes.

My good friend, Jimi, has a 48" reflector in his observatory and a 28" travel scope.

He has a couple tiny apos, but those don't count. In fact he has a TV NP-101 mounted on his upper cage of his 48" as a counterweight (scroll to bottom).

"I'm turning the collimation bolts with a 1" ratchet, while Jimi is looking the Glatter TuBlug with his binoculars"
This gave me a good chuckle. That's quite a huge scope. I'm amazed that he got that 22" in that VW as well, no small feat.

I have 10" of aperture from one telescope. Already have aperture fever and I haven't even looked through this one yet,

Post Extras:

jacktechie
super member

Reged: 03/20/08

Loc: SF Bay Area

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: bryguy27007]
#5721485 - 03/09/13 01:05 AM

57.9" among 8 scopes.
Jack

Post Extras:

jerwin
professor emeritus

Reged: 05/17/12

Loc: Romeoville IL

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: jacktechie]
#5721498 - 03/09/13 01:20 AM

41.5 if binoculars count as 2x the aperture.

Jim

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: A new way to look at aperture new

[Re: Alvin Huey]
#5721859 - 03/09/13 09:24 AM

Quote:

Here is a new way of looking at it...
Take the AREA of your scopes, add them and look at the combined aperture.

For Jimi, he has 55.6" combined aperture by area (only the two reflectors).
I have only 37.2" of combined aperture by area. (only the two reflectors)

Alvin:

Interesting, that's the single aperture which would provide the equivalent area of all one's scopes. That's the square root of the sum of the squares of the apertures.

That is a more realistic approach in that it does not over estimate importance of smaller scopes but it doesn't over estimate the importance of aperture the way just summing the aperture does.

All my scopes add up to 39.3 inches, my 4 largest (two 12.5s, a 16 and a 25) come out to 34.5 inches.

Jon

Post Extras:

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