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CNers have asked about a donation box for Cloudy Nights over the years, so here you go. Donation is not required by any means, so please enjoy your stay.

Post a picture of your Cat

Started by stevew , Oct 16 2013 12:29 AM

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2547 replies to this topic

#126 Michael Rapp

Skylab

Posts: 4,312
Joined: 26 Apr 2004
Loc: Dickinson, TX

Posted 25 January 2014 - 11:37 AM

Okay, I can't be the only one who initially thought thought that Alan's CAT was real. When you mentioned the plastic, I thought....okay...maybe he replaced the optical tube with plastic for thermal reasons...people have done stranger things.

Then I went to the other pics and I just have no words. Beautiful!

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#127 Stargazer3236

Fly Me to the Moon

Posts: 5,104
Joined: 07 Aug 2010
Loc: Waltham, MA

Posted 25 January 2014 - 12:14 PM

The CG5 mount can handle 35lbs of counter balanced weight. The C11 is 27.5 lbs,, a GSO RACI finder is another 1lb, plus the visual back, diagonal, filter wheel and ES eyepieces. With the counter balanced weight of 40lbs, this equals out and runs very nicely. I think I will upgrade to the CGEM mount soon, it can carry 40lbs of weight and I think it would be better suited to carry the C11 and accessories much better, but no complaints so far with the CG5.

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#128 donnie3

Mercury-Atlas

Posts: 2,712
Joined: 15 Dec 2004
Loc: bartlesville oklahoma

Posted 25 January 2014 - 05:17 PM

thanks DG Aucoin for that reply. donnie3

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#129 A6Q6

Vanguard

Posts: 2,200
Joined: 31 May 2011
Loc: Stroudsburg,Pa,U.S.

Posted 25 January 2014 - 05:49 PM

Okay, I can't be the only one who initially thought thought that Alan's CAT was real.

Then I went to the other pics and I just have no words. Beautiful!

+1

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#130 rguasto

Apollo

Posts: 1,390
Joined: 18 Nov 2010
Loc: Long Island, NY

Posted 25 January 2014 - 06:16 PM

Me too

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#131 DoctorNoodle

Surveyor 1

Posts: 1,757
Joined: 14 Jul 2007
Loc: Lawn Guyland, NY

Posted 25 January 2014 - 09:25 PM

Thanks, people. Back in the '80s when I built it I was waiting on the delivery of a Coulter Odyssey Dob and was getting kind of antsy. That led to my building this which led to the other small scale scopes.

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#132 TONGKW

Apollo

Posts: 1,361
Joined: 16 Jan 2007

Posted 25 January 2014 - 10:23 PM

Meade SC4 (4” f/10 SCT) on an Orion StarBlast AutoTracker AltAz Mount.

K W TONG
C8+CG5 GT, TSA102+HEQ5 PRO, MK67+Voyager, NexStar 6SE, C5+Mizar K, WO ZS80FD+Kenko NES, Megrez 72FD+Kenko KDS, Mini Borg 50, PST

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#133 John Brooks

Explorer 1

Posts: 64
Joined: 14 Nov 2013
Loc: Central Arkansas

Posted 26 January 2014 - 12:39 AM

This is the only SCT I've ever owned. I built it in the 1980s out of a prescription pill bottle and scrap plastic. You can see a couple more pics HERE.

I really like that. I've always liked miniatures.
You need a stuffed squirrel to go with it.

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#134 John Brooks

Explorer 1

Posts: 64
Joined: 14 Nov 2013
Loc: Central Arkansas

Posted 26 January 2014 - 12:45 AM

I previously posted a pic of my 10" Meade LX6 (my avatar).
Here are my other two from last weekend.
My observing partner (yet another CAT) is sitting on the fence.

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#135 Frank

Mariner 2

Posts: 293
Joined: 18 Jan 2009
Loc: Netherlands

Posted 26 January 2014 - 02:15 AM

My own C14 and WO80FD on a Losmandy Titan in an Ash Dome at AstroQueyras, French Alps at almost 3,000 mtrs altitude.
Normaly, I use my own CGE-mount, but the winds were that strong that I decided to move to the Losmandy Titan (a true he-man mount) in the Ash Dome. I do not own the Losmandy Titan and I deeply regret that, after using it during a few nights,
The C14 has a new secundary mirror (non-spheric - so full elimination of SCT-typical coma) and a new Schmidt corrector (much smoother surface than the original one and adapted to the zone-error of the untouched primary mirror). These optics were made by a Dutch optics 'master', a true astonishing masterpiece, and I'm very happy with the result of his work.

The C14 is isolated with lightweight camping mattres, resulting in a far better thermo-properties (no cooling down required).

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#136 Frank

Mariner 2

Posts: 293
Joined: 18 Jan 2009
Loc: Netherlands

Posted 26 January 2014 - 02:24 AM

... and my (standard) C6 on an old (but very good) Vixen SuperPolaris mount.

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#137 patg43

Ranger 4

Posts: 350
Joined: 20 Dec 2013

Posted 26 January 2014 - 03:02 AM

Frank, I wonder, does the optical wizard you speak of work on Meade? I would be interested in a secondary of that nature.

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#138 Frank

Mariner 2

Posts: 293
Joined: 18 Jan 2009
Loc: Netherlands

Posted 26 January 2014 - 03:31 AM

He needs the telescope to be available at home in order to work on the unit - he lives in the Netherlands. Might be a problem for a US-based unit. But I don't think he differentiates between Celestron and Meade.

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#139 DoctorNoodle

Surveyor 1

Posts: 1,757
Joined: 14 Jul 2007
Loc: Lawn Guyland, NY

Posted 26 January 2014 - 11:40 AM

You need a stuffed squirrel to go with it.

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#140 patg43

Ranger 4

Posts: 350
Joined: 20 Dec 2013

Posted 26 January 2014 - 06:56 PM

My Cat, chopped onto my first astrophoto. Notice the kidney bean is in the correct spot, just above the Nagler eyepiece!

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#141 christheman200

Viking 1

Posts: 509
Joined: 12 Jun 2013
Loc: Toronto, Canada

Posted 26 January 2014 - 08:37 PM

My very first CAT!

This little thing packs a mighty punch with some great optics!
Posted Image

My C90 on it's current home, a nice lightweight tripod.
Posted Image

My C90 in comparison to what I used to consider my travel scope... the AR102.

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#142 Starman27

Cosmos

Posts: 9,550
Joined: 29 Jan 2006
Loc: Illinois, Iowa

Posted 27 January 2014 - 10:40 AM

My C6 all set for public nights. Now it rides on a LX80 either alone or paired with a 102 refractor.

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#143 nicknacknock

In search of a village...

Posts: 20,341
Joined: 20 Feb 2012
Loc: Nicosia, Cyprus

Posted 27 January 2014 - 01:26 PM

My 6" SCT with Hirsch f6.3 FR/FF, Burgess Binoviewers, 2x32mm GSO Plossl, Orion dual mounting bracket, 8x50 RACI finderscope and RDF, mounted on Gyro Mini and Manfrotto 0155 XPROB.

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#144 rguasto

Apollo

Posts: 1,390
Joined: 18 Nov 2010
Loc: Long Island, NY

Posted 27 January 2014 - 05:06 PM

I have to get one of those dual mounting brackets. Very nice.

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#145 bseltzer

Apollo

Posts: 1,028
Joined: 28 Oct 2007
Loc: East S.F.Bay, CA

Posted 28 January 2014 - 01:07 PM

Here's my DSI RC10C. Behind it is my push-off pop-up 'observatory'. Hey, at least it lets me keep the rig set up except in the most inclement of conditions.

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#146 CCD-Freak

Gemini

Posts: 3,212
Joined: 17 Jan 2008
Loc: Graham,Texas

Posted 01 February 2014 - 08:42 PM

Here is my AT8RC carbon fiber OTA on a Celestron CGE with a University Optics 80mm "kit scope" for guiding. Imager is an Atik 383L+OSC.

John
CCD-Freak