Recent Additions

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  Review of the 20” DocTelescopes Lasermax II F3.53

  Dec 01 2024 11:33 AM by PeterWar

  The DocTelescopes Lasermax II F3.53 offers a remarkable viewing experience with excellent build quality and customization options. Its ease of transport and assembly make it a top choice. This is a complex telescope not recommended for beginners but a delight for advanced amateur astronomers.

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  Taming of the Slew – Transforming Your Dobsonian into a Dutiful Companion

  Dec 01 2024 10:12 AM by morgan a.

  Six years ago I got around to pursuing a long-held desire to educate myself on astronomy and cosmology. I started to learn the fundamentals with an inexpensive four inch reflector, learned the lay of the night sky, and read numerous books and resources. As a newcomer to the hobby I advocate the manual approach - the learning is in the doing, rather than having it done for you by a magical box with a motor. Give me a 1:24,000 topo map and quality compass any day over a GPS. Five years ago I moved on to a 12 inch reflector. I fully expected a beautiful mail order bride to arrive. Instead I received a monstrous, difficult to handle mistress in a casket-sized box. I was nevertheless certain she was the one for me…..with a little grooming. Perhaps some of my features and modifications may inspire you to make those changes to your outfit that will improve handling quality and make viewing more manageable and enjoyable.

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  Binoviewing The Deep Sky - An Invitation to Research

  Nov 30 2024 05:26 PM by JoshUrban

  Binoviewing is usually reserved for dedicated lunar and planetary observers. But could it be an overlooked tool for the rest of us? Do binoviewers on a telescope outperform mono-viewing for deep sky work by boosting contrast and reducing visual noise? They offer a spectacular visceral experience, but are they useful for serious work?

Cloudy Nights Announcements

User Reviews

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  Review of the 20” DocTelescopes Lasermax II F3.53

  Dec 01 2024 11:33 AM by PeterWar

  The DocTelescopes Lasermax II F3.53 offers a remarkable viewing experience with excellent build quality and customization options. Its ease of transport and assembly make it a top choice. This is a complex telescope not recommended for beginners but a delight for advanced amateur astronomers.

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  Musings on a $50 Fathers Day Astronomy Present

  Sep 29 2024 01:53 PM by TonyCaf

  For fathers day recently, the wife asked me what I wanted. I told her I had been looking at a $150 GSKYER long focal length refractor on an online marketplace. That was a while ago. I had recently noticed the owner had dropped the price to 50 dollars and with it being fathers day, what did I have to lose? She said yes and we scooped it up. Tonight was the first night (In a long while) that I would get a chance to see how far 50 dollars could go in astronomy fun.

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  The Rockin’ TD Ranch - a review of sorts

  Sep 29 2024 01:03 PM by johnstra

  Smack in the middle of the Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary in Northwestern Navada sits an Airbnb called the Rockin’ TD Ranch. The nearest town is Cederville, CA, population 530, which is 20 miles west down a dirt road. Alturas is another 30 miles west so the term middle of nowhere is apropos.

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  Quick Review of the Itty Bitty Radio Telescope

  Aug 31 2024 10:04 AM by michaelcaba

  The Itty Bitty Radio Telescope (hereafter, IBT) is a simple DIY device that can be used to detect radio waves from the Sun. It primarily consists of a satellite dish, a signal meter, a power source and a mount (often a lazy susan rig). In my case, I purchased an 18” dish off of Craig’s List, the signal meter was obtained via eBay and the remaining items were sourced at Amazon and local hardware stores.

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  Comparing Two Wide field Constellation Binoculars- Orion 2x54mm versus Kasai 2.3x40mm

  Aug 31 2024 09:05 AM by NinePlanets

  I sat on the fence a few years before I decided to step off and gamble my money on these wide-field, low power Galilean binoculars. I've never been impressed with any sort of Galilean telescopes, field glasses or opera glasses and I suspected that they were just an expensive, trendy gimmick; but based on others' comments and experiences, I considered that these specialty items, with their wider than typical fields, might actually fill a niche in my astro-equipment arsenal.

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  Review of Rigel Systems Wifi nSTEP Focus Controller on a Solar Telescope and a Mirror Lens

  Aug 31 2024 08:44 AM by astropotamus

  Following Dr. Palmer's easy instructions had the equipment ready to go in no time. Connection to the ALPACA wifi driver was trivially easy, and for the longest time, I thought I was doing something wrong because I was expecting it to fail. Or, at least, to be more complicated. It wasn't.

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  A review of my Sky Watcher Esprit 150

  Jul 28 2024 04:42 PM by jeffmarston

  My Esprit 150 is a phenomenal scope. It is definitely the best scope I own as far as sharpness and versatility. I haven't used my other large refractors since I got my Esprit, and I haven't really missed them. I used to think that if I could only have one scope it would be a C14, but because of the how good my Esprit 150 is at so many things I might have to change my mind. It certainly is a lot easier to image with than my C14. I bought my Esprit on sale for 7000 dollars. It is still a chunk of change, but when I compare it to my friend's Stellarvue 180 costing 19000 dollars it seems like a bargain. The only downside is how heavy my Esprit is. My carbon fiber Explore Scientific 127 is so much lighter it's a breeze to handle compared to my Esprit.

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  Review: The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount and TC40 Tripod from ZWO

  Jul 28 2024 03:39 PM by Amilano

  The AM3/AM5 mounts are very unique! They definitely take a bit of getting used to - The AM3 is unlike any telescope mount I've ever used. One of the main things you'll notice right away, is how easy it is to use. Once you begin using one of these mounts, it will be near impossible to want to use any other kind. Now, you'll have all this extra time available - from not having to adjust, and re-adjust the settings you would on a typical EQ mount.

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  Review of RafCamera custom made adapters

  Jul 28 2024 01:13 PM by ldsn

  In short, I’m delighted with the experience of using RafCamera and would use them again if the need arose. Patience is required as anodising and shipping does take time (though you could opt for express delivery for a higher price)

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  A Couple of Awesome Books I Came Across

  Jun 23 2024 09:11 AM by UrbanAstronomer

  I like this book so much, I bought a spiral bound printed copy as well as the electronic version. After all, the electronic version is only $6.50 and you can print out whichever page covering whichever constellation that you’ll be focusing on for the evening's observing session.

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  Review of Taurus Telescopes’ 12 inch T- 300 Ultra-light Dobsonian

  May 25 2024 11:05 AM by SpitzA3P

  Taurus makes a fine scope. Adam answered all my emailed questions , and there were many, thoroughly and helpfully. Turns out, I was once only about 5 miles from his shop, when we drove from Krakow to Zakopane, Poland a few years ago. I have found Adam to be honest, helpful, and to design and build very nice ultralights. While I have found that Smart Astrographs like Unistellar and SeeStar can be a lot of fun, especially in cities, viewing the heavens through a real eyepiece is an experience like no other. I am considering buying a second Taurus, the 20 inch f 4.2, or possibly the 24 inch f 3.3 , which at 12,500 Euros is about double the price of the 20 inch. (As you may know, price goes up much faster than size, after a certain aperture).

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  Quick review of the Mini 500 Pier TRUK from Astro TUFF TRUK

  May 25 2024 09:14 AM by Ybkim1

  I have wanted a pier for some time. My Ioptron Literoc tripod works great, but I’ve had a recurring nightmare that one night it will topple over in a stiff wind. My largest OTA is a Celestron 9.25 inch Edge HD, which is bulky and can act like a sail. For a while I considered building a DIY pier in my backyard. I even had the exact location planned out. Problem is, I cannot access all targets of interest from that one location due to tall trees to the south, and so a fixed pier would not work. Enter the Mini 500 Pier TRUK, from Astro TUFF TRUK.