9600 replies to this topic

[Bomber Bob]

Visually, #1 is what I see at 100x, and #2 is about 200x.  Not all at once - the details build up in my mind's eye as I study the object.  If the air had been calmer, the old 3x Barlow shots would've been crisper, as I saw using an OR18 for 200x.  This unit is much better than the 2x Barlows that came with my Towa refractors.

 

Note how small & dark the GRS is compared to previous years.  Tonight I could see it at just 40x in near perfect planetary conditions at The Swamp, though it looked like a moon shadow.

[combatdad]

I had the 4" Unitron out again tonight in rather poor seeing (4/10) but wanted to take at look at the GRS transit.  150x using a 10mm TV Radian was the sweet spot tonight...250x using my 6mm Unitron Plossl was a little too much.  Soon after I get back from NEAF I'm going to pull an all nighter with the 5" Unitron and take in Jupiter, Mars and Saturn.

 

Dave

[combatdad]

Note how small & dark the GRS is compared to previous years.  Tonight I could see it at just 40x in near perfect planetary conditions at The Swamp, though it looked like a moon shadow.

 

On a good night I've observed the GRS with my 25mm Unitron Plossl at 60x; last evening I had no problem detecting it at 83x with my 18mm Unitron Plossl.  It has really gotten less prominent over the years. I have found beginners to the eyepiece have a problem seeing.

 

Dave

[Terra Nova]

I agree Dave, while the GRS seems a bit more prominent this year, it is a far cry from what it was 30 or 40 years ago! Then it really was the Great RED Spot! Now it the less great, slightly browner spot.

[bremms]

Yes, It's more like a dark red dot these days. Terra is correct. I keep thinking it's going to look like it did back in 1975 or 1980. Nope, it was MUCH bigger and redder back then. now it looks more like a moon shadow.

[Bomber Bob]

My second and final 60mm shootout between the T2 and the SS151:

 

 

Seeing tonight was near perfect.  It was a better imaging night than last night - dang it!

 

Pretty much a repeat of the first contest.  The SS151 requires higher magnification to show the same number of belts on Jupiter as the T2.  The Trapezium is visible in both, but in the T2 it's sharper and slightly brighter.  M41 is a wash, as are most of the DSOs I checked.

 

To a potential 60mm classic refractor buyer:  If you have to have the very best, buy Zeiss.  But for much less, a finely made Japanese refractor will take you most of the way, and you can spend some of the money saved on better quality accessories (you'll need them).

[Adam S]

I finally got the Swift out of the office and under the stars.  It's still miserably cold here... a low of 12F last night.

 

Saturday night was a mess, like an idiot it I hadn't aligned the finder plus the mount wouldn't turn more than about 20 degrees in declination in a clockwise direction.  Furthermore, the collet at the end of the draw tube was tight and wouldn't allow me to change the angle of the diagonal.  A bust of an evening, but what I'd expect with such poor preparation on my part.  

 

On Sunday afternoon I figured out what was wrong with the mount, put a touch of lithium grease in the collect at the end of the draw tube and aligned the finder.

 

Much better results on Saturday night.  I had nice views of M42 and the Double Cluster.  Jupiter and Sirius show great promise as well; the mount is shaky.  It's not the same caliber of quality as the ota, lens, eps and other mechanics.  It's asking a lot of the mount which has old grease to function properly when it's about 20F outside.  Without the ability to lock the mount in RA and no hand controls it's a less than ideal situation.  The collet wouldn't turn in the cold, I need a new grease.

 

I'll keep my eyes open for an altaz 114 mount, meanwhile, any suggestions for a lubricant?

 

Below is one of two selfies I've taken in my life plus a shot of the Swift with my three dogs.

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Edited by Adam S, 04 April 2016 - 09:10 PM.

[Terra Nova]

Gotta love those Swifts! They are truly fine scopes! That sure is a pretty one Adam.

[Piggyback]

Congratulations on a very nice telescope! I have never seen a Swift on my side of the pond. Your picture says it all: Quality! Love that finder scope. How do you get its tube adjusted? Gotta get me a Swift...

[Vesper818]

I had a nice short viewing session, older Tasco 50x600 on the Mannon tripod. Crisp and sharp on Jupiter, stars looked pretty, but I had little steam left ...
Also took one of my Swifts out for a romp, the Tiny Tecnar 30mm satellite scope. It had exelled at daytime closeups of the squirrels on the balcony during the long February rains. But Jupiter looked rather seasick and maladjusted. Its time for a bit of clean up and finetuning on this bitty beast!.

[gts055]

Nice viewing of Jupiter as it rose in the south east for me in Australia. Telescope is a SYW Yamamoto 101mm f16. Used 18mm and 12mm University Optics ortho's at 89x and 133X. Heavy dew by 10pm made for an early finish. The first image is the telescope pointed at Jupiter. Both shakey images are handheld at .5second with a Sony Nex7 at iso16000 through a 1970's classic manual Minolta MC 16mm at f2.8   Mark

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Edited by gts055, 05 April 2016 - 04:31 AM.

[Terra Nova]

I have never seen a Swift on my side of the pond. Your picture says it all: Quality! Love that finder scope. How do you get its tube adjusted? Gotta get me a Swift...

The finders are very cool. There are knobs at either end of the base of the bracket. Turn one and it adjusts azimuth, turn the other and it adjusts altitude. The finder optics are very good, and with the ring, you can rotate it on the tube or move it up and down the tube, so it is always in a comfortable viewing position. I love my Swift! They are beautifully made (by Takahashi) and IMO are right up there with Unitron, Goto, and Zeiss. They are also such pretty telescopes. Beautiful color scheme!

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[Adam S]

What Terra said, it's a very forward thinking design.  Another great feature is the ring and clamping system that allows you to put the finder anywhere on the ota without scratching the tube.  Very solid and well machined, the wooden boxes are solid wood and well thought out as well.  The kit exudes quality, if you get a shot at one they're more than worth it.

 

 

Congratulations on a very nice telescope! I have never seen a Swift on my side of the pond. Your picture says it all: Quality! Love that finder scope. How do you get its tube adjusted? Gotta get me a Swift...

Edited by Adam S, 05 April 2016 - 10:08 AM.

[Bomber Bob]

A parent shouldn't pick a favorite, but I can't help it.  Edna rocked Jupiter again tonight.  No digital imaging, just my sketch pad.  I'll get a composite together, but some highlights:  she split the SEB almost clean through E-W with a thin cream line; broke out two thin belts in the SPR; thick & thin belts in the NPR; and, for the first time, I saw a fuzzy light patch just W of the north pole, and a "U" shaped feature in the NPR that opened towards the SW.  Nine belts total - a record for this scope.

 

Rain returns tomorrow, but the NWS predicts it'll be clear & cooler for the GRS on Friday night.

[Adam S]

Looking forward to seeing the composite sketch, there's no better way to take it all in.

 

 

 

A parent shouldn't pick a favorite, but I can't help it.  Edna rocked Jupiter again tonight.  No digital imaging, just my sketch pad.  I'll get a composite together, but some highlights:  she split the SEB almost clean through E-W with a thin cream line; broke out two thin belts in the SPR; thick & thin belts in the NPR; and, for the first time, I saw a fuzzy light patch just W of the north pole, and a "U" shaped feature in the NPR that opened towards the SW.  Nine belts total - a record for this scope.

 

Rain returns tomorrow, but the NWS predicts it'll be clear & cooler for the GRS on Friday night.

[photiost]

Bob, great observing report.  

 

Edna is certainly strutting her stuff.

[combatdad]

I had the 4" Unitron out again tonight in rather poor seeing (4/10) but wanted to take at look at the GRS transit.  150x using a 10mm TV Radian was the sweet spot tonight...250x using my 6mm Unitron Plossl was a little too much.  Soon after I get back from NEAF I'm going to pull an all nighter with the 5" Unitron and take in Jupiter, Mars and Saturn.

 

Dave

 

Couldn't wait until after NEAF to take a quick peek at Saturn and Mars!  Seeing was predicted to be above average so took the 4 inch Unitron out for the early evening GRS transit and then set the alarm for a 0230 hrs wake up call to say good morning to Saturn and Mars.  Both planets looked impressive at 150x using the 10mm TV Radian.  Nice color and surface markings visible on Mars.  Looking forward to Mars' opposition on May 21-22.  Didn't spend much time as I still have errands and packing to complete before my Thursday departure for NEAF.

 

Dave

Edited by combatdad, 06 April 2016 - 08:19 AM.

[Chuck Hards]

  Jupiter and Sirius show great promise as well; the mount is shaky.  It's not the same caliber of quality as the ota, lens, eps and other mechanics.  It's asking a lot of the mount which has old grease to function properly when it's about 20F outside.  Without the ability to lock the mount in RA and no hand controls it's a less than ideal situation. 

 

The scope looks beautiful, Adam!  

 

For as optically sweet ast the Objectives are, the Tak Swift mounts are finicky.  Even the mount for the 77mm model, while visually stunning, has some quirks in use.  It's nearly impossible to achieve a dynamic balance, with the scope pointed in any direction.

[AllanDystrup]

Here's a ->link<_ to my latest observation of the moon, the Aristarchus Plateau in N. Mare Procellarum;

 

 

The observation was done with my Vixen 80mm rerfractor on Zeiss TM Mount.

 

Allan

 

 

 

[DMala]

A couple evenings ago, as I was collimating the .965" diagonal that came with the Swift Aerolite 860 (D60, F710), I noticed a pleasant-looking alignment in a trapezoid shape.

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[Bomber Bob]

Finally.  Tonight Edna captured Jupiter's GRS and two moons, and I didn't fog up the images with noise:

 

 

 

Seeing was about 7/10 with intermittent thin streaks and wind gusts at the surface.  The latter made it harder for the mosquitoes to fly!

 

Forgot to add:  The GRS reddish color is what I see with Edna starting at 125x as in the second image.

Edited by Bomber Bob, 09 April 2016 - 09:05 AM.

[Terra Nova]

Good for you! Nothing but thick clouds and rain up here!

[Bomber Bob]

When I first sighted Jupiter, one of the moons (Io?) was emerging, and I had to observe it rather than image it.  And, I put the camera aside after just a few videos.  It's probably my techniques, but I still tend to see a bit more than I capture.  No matter, it's more enjoyable to image with my own eyes - and always less stressful.

[TOM KIEHL]

Good for you! Nothing but thick clouds and rain up here!

Be glad it's not SNOW

[Bomber Bob]

Last image from last night.  Switched to monochrome, and with the GSO Barlow:

 

 

I found it easier to see the white hollow around the GRS when it was closer to the planet's limb, but the imager caught it pretty good.