916 replies to this topic

[paulg]

In case I mess this up, here's a link to my equipment page:

http://tinyurl.com/gdb53

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[Rusty]

Here's my first CAT (C5 S/N #724), bought in the early '80s - I still have it!:

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[Mr. Mac]

and my two cents

[Mr. Mac]

...........

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[Dean]

My other cat.

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

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[ezrider23]

My pride and joy, Sputnik


...

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[Paul Hyndman]

My "baby" for the past seven years (MN86 Intes Micro Mak-Newt)...



And, a peek at one of the views (please use this link, as image is a tad over the size guidlines... thanks!)

http://www.astro-nut...jup-03feb28.jpg

Image taken with a Canon D60 SLR via a stacked pair of TeleVue Powermates (2x and 4x) on the 8" Mak-Newt.

Paul

[Jason B]

Paul,
Simply put, that is one of the best pics of Jupiter I have EVER seen. Outstanding!
Jason

[Benjamin B]

Paul, I have been on your site several times, great to see that you are on CN forums. I´am thinking of buying me self a great Mak, how is the MN86 on DSO? I have a C11. Have you compared your Mak with bigger scopes? And if yes, how dose the great Mak compares to bigger aperture?

[bierbelly]

For visual use, you just can't get away from the laws of physics. More aperture, more seen.

[strgzrSulli]

Time to show em!

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[Paul Hyndman]

I´am thinking of buying me self a great Mak, how is the MN86 on DSO? I have a C11. Have you compared your Mak with bigger scopes? And if yes, how dose the great Mak compares to bigger aperture?

As Bierbelly notes, the laws of physics prevail!

I enjoy the MN immensely for is its ability to deliver spectacular performance across the board. It is as well suited providing low-power star-field sweeps as it is when being pushed to "crazy-high" levels (when conditions allow).

Of course there are no "magic scopes", but this thing certainly comes close. Plonking in a 31mm T5 "Temi-Nagler" for a slow cruise through the summer Milky Way still makes my toes tingle... crisp pin-point stars across the entire FOV, with no visible (to me) signs of distortion.

This was to be an "interim scope", to quench my needs while awaiting delivery of a 6" AP. The AP finally arrived last summer (after a 6 year wait, transforming in the process from an AP155 to become an AP160), but the MN86 remains in my astro-arsenal... it's THAT good!

Many of these (mine included), are optimized for visual usage: small secondaries dictating the focal plane be located relatively close to the tube. Hence, you may find that the stock designs are not the most imaging-friendly instruments. Nevertheless PowerMates, barlows, or other relay lenses can be used to tease the images out far enough for capture (though the f/ratio may be bumped up in the process).

Oh yeah... heres a deep-sky digicam shot (M13) taken with a digicam and 2X PowerMate. Not anything compared to what a dedicated astro-CCD might produce, but no slouch either (please use link, as image is a bit over the size guidelines... thanks!):

http://www.astro-nut...m13-03may19.jpg


Paul

[bierbelly]

Here's a better pic of my 8" Vega, as presently configured. I knew I had it somewhere.

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[Mert]

Post deleted by Jason B

[Doug]

My CG-14

Celestron CG-14
Celestron C6-R
TV102 / TV76
SolarMax 60 / BF-30
Losmandy G11

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[mcoren]

Dave, your Celestron 10 pic brought back memories! My university had one of similar vintage in our roof-top observatory in downtown Philadelphia that I had access to for a time in the late 1980's. Didn't have the crayford focuser, mind you. I think they replaced it with a 16" LX200 a few years back.

OK, so here's my contribution. I don't own this scope any more, but it will relieve the monotony of blue and grey SCTs. This is a late-1970's vintage Dynamax 8. I got it in 1981 and hung on to it until I got sick of it about 2 years ago (actually, my wife got sick of hearing me complain about it). At one time it was an OK optical performer (as far as Dynamaxes went), but early on I removed the corrector to clean off the accumulated dust and film on the inside and never thought to mark its orietnation!

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[PeeinIan]

My CAT & Dog see how nice they get along

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[Clive Gibbons]

Dave, your Celestron 10 pic brought back memories! My university had one of similar vintage in our roof-top observatory in downtown Philadelphia that I had access to for a time in the late 1980's. Didn't have the crayford focuser, mind you. I think they replaced it with a 16" LX200 a few years back.

OK, so here's my contribution. I don't own this scope any more, but it will relieve the monotony of blue and grey SCTs. This is a late-1970's vintage Dynamax 8. I got it in 1981 and hung on to it until I got sick of it about 2 years ago (actually, my wife got sick of hearing me complain about it). At one time it was an OK optical performer (as far as Dynamaxes went), but early on I removed the corrector to clean off the accumulated dust and film on the inside and never thought to mark its orietnation!

I always liked the look of those ol' Dynamaxes.
Very classy styling...

[davidmcgo]

Interestingly, the first observatory I ever went to as a kid was a rooftop dome at Drew University in New Jersey that had a C10 in it. It was a real thrill finally getting this one and getting the same view of the first quarter Moon through it that I remembered from 25 years ago! That scope had the tall blue pier and wedge, I'm improvising with an old C8 wedge on a Meade tripod until I find an old style stand.

Dave

[wilash]

Another Mak - Intes M503 (old model)

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[Patrik Iver]

In the dark last Thursday... The view of Saturn was absolutely wonderful, just about the best I've ever seen. But then I've thought that quite often...

The scope is a C-9.25 on a GP-DX.

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[Gneiss]

My Skywatcher Pro 150 MAK showing the Helical focuser mod.

[Gneiss]

And my Orion Apex 102 on the Mini-EQ Mount... this is my main travel setup and it's a great little scope.



Edited to say, that for Astronomy I use a right angle mirror diagonal rather than the stock correct image diagonal shown here.

[Gneiss]

My LXD55 6" SNT still with it's original focuser which has since been replaced...



The scope in the background is a late 1960's 3" f/9 refractor... but we don't mention those here

[wilash]

That is a Gneiss collection of scopes.