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New Denk Standards and first light report

Started by Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_* , May 22 2003 12:37 AM
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9 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*

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Posted 22 May 2003 - 12:37 AM

Hello all,
The skies have partially cleared here in Western Colorado and I was able, however brief, to use my new Denkmeier Standards.
I only was able to observe for a short time but it was enough to confirm what others have already stated. Binoviewing is the way to go!
Equipment: TV85, JMI focuser,Telepod head, Bogen tripod #3268, Denk Standard w/ 1 1/4 OCS and part T, TV 19mm Panoptics, and TV 8-24 click stop Zooms.
Seeing marginal, sporadic high clouds and a neighbor who decided to light up all of Western Colorado. OK just the subdivision.
Initial impression was that it was going to take some getting used to, things like balancing and pointing. However awkward at first it did become easier as the session progressed. When you really think about it balancing is not an issue on the 85 there is only one position, all the way forward.
Next I settled on Antares for focusing no problem here with either merging or focus. First target M13 with the 19mm what an eyeopener(pardon the pun :grin:) The Zoom was also equal to the task. Even as bad as the seeing was I was able to partially resolve this cluster in the 8mm mode.
I still had a little bit of sky and time left so I took a shot at M57, This sealed the deal!! This Planetary Nebula JUMPED into the eyepiece there was absolutely no mistake what I was observing. I have never seen it quite this way.
In summary I am very satisfied with my decision to get into binoviewing. Being able to view with both eyes is less strenuous on the eyes and I was able to observe the same target for a longer period of time.
Things to get used to: the reaction of the telescope especially when repositioning. The added height if the eyepieces, solution lower the tripod slightly, duh. Trying to justify even more eyepieces.
All in all a tremendous experience and looking froward my next and longer session.
Thank you,
Ed

#2 Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*

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Posted 22 May 2003 - 12:55 AM

hdflhtcu,

It's good to hear that you had a great time with your Denk. binoviewer. It is a good unit, and yes binoviewing is the way to go. No matter if its a Denk., Tele Vue, BW Optik, AP, or a Black Night bino. As long as the unit is working the way you want it to, thats all that counts. Keep those observing reports coming.

DonR.

#3 Gary BEAL

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Posted 22 May 2003 - 04:29 AM

Hello all,

hardly a cracking first use report, but I did feel obliged to let you know how it went.
Weather was lousy. Rain all day, with a showery change late this afternoon.
A quick peek at Jupiter (low in the north where we are) with the Mak Newt just on sunset showed a bit of promise. Another look about 30 minutes later showed the expected wobbly seeing.

After tea, and the obligatory dishes done I chanced my arm. There was a decent rain cell coming, but I knew I would get about half an hour, maybe less. And with having received the new Denks 5 days ago I was just itching to try them.

With this in mind I cracked out the home brew 10" f5 dob. (quicker to shift when the shower arrived).
Todays mail showed the pair of 32mm Plossls made by GTO. I had always looked down of those cheaper brands, the stuck up sort that I am, but they looked very nice and at $70 shipped for the pair who was I to complain. I had not checked them during daylight, and merely assumed they would fit, and come to focus with the OCS.

WRONG. I ended up having to unscrew the OCS about half way. First look was at the best ever globular cluster, Omega Centauri, directly overhead. Omega never fails to impress, especially in my dob, and with rural skies at home it is a crowd pleaser. The bino/32mm combo made it look just as good, and I was very excited. Right next to Omega is Centaurus A, NGC 5128. It too was very nice, and then I tried NGC 4945, again very close. Again very nice, and the latter two are decidedly dimish objects. Easy in the dob, but still dim. A thin hard to detect skiff of very high cloud may not have helped.

Rain was fast approaching, so I juggled the only other eyepiece pair I have at present, a pair of 16mm Zeiss.96" orthos. One is an "older" style, and the other a new style. One had a genuine .96"/1.25" adapter, the other a crude haome made one. The Jewel Box in Crux was the target here. I had removed part of the OCS, and replaced it with the hollow 2" section. This I guess gave about 180x (real rough calculation here). The view was very nice, and given the crap weather, and associated seeing I was impressed.

No problem merging, focusing, (apart from the differing OCS spacing), even with the mismatched .96"/1.25" adapters. All in all a good trial. I can't wait for the other Celestron 20mm Erfle to arrive (posted today). The one I have at present is very, very nice in the dob (and most of my scopes), so I have high expectations. Plan is to make do with the more economical eyepieces, and then work out if I need to change this theory.

Kind regards,
Gary

#4 Don W

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Posted 22 May 2003 - 04:37 PM

Hi Gary. Wow, it didn't take long for you to get your new Binos. I'm going to a star party next week and give the binos another try. It's a darker site and I'll have more time to check them out more. I agree as to the GTO's, I have 2 sets of the Celestron $99 eyepiece specials which are exactly the same as the GTO's. The 15mm's seem to be a nice match. I also like Meade 26mm Plossls.

Don Wyman

#5 Gary BEAL

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Posted 22 May 2003 - 11:48 PM

Hi Don,
small world this, nice to hear from you again.
Russ at Denkmeier lived up to all the hype, their service really is something to be experienced. 3 day shipping from the US to me in New Zealand, can't complain at that.
Be nice to try the 20mm Celestron Erfles.
Regards,
Gary Beal

#6 Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*

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Posted 23 May 2003 - 06:32 PM

Hi Gary, there I was reading away and some bloke starts talking about bino views of the 'jewel box', and then realise he's in NZ, well me too, where may I ask are you?
What's more it seems you're viewing with a denk bino and a 10" newt - well ditto, actually i was quite pleased imagining (read pretending) these miraculous two eyed views of the southern sky were my sole preserve but it'll be nice to think I have some company out there. I've set up base camp on the Eta Carinae homunculus.
See you there.
Scott Colebourn
Hillcrest Auckland.

#7 Gary BEAL

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Posted 25 May 2003 - 04:44 AM

Hi Scott,
yep small world alright. I actually looked through your bino viewer, in my scope at Waharau. This provided the impetus to try one. Still having fun, ans switching back and forth between scopes makes life more difficult. I will eventually settle out on using just the one scope, and balance it soley for bino use, as this is also a source of annoyance at present.
An e mail at g.beal@clear.net.nz if you wish.
Regards,
Gary BEAL,
Hamilton

#8 Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*

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Posted 26 May 2003 - 04:59 PM

Gary, were we chatting at some length about bino's or were you the gentleman that declared the bino view "dark" and then wouldn't give it up, in any case this is not good news at all considering I've just been dismissing off forum communications about NZ being the size of a basketball court (indeed!) and that we all know each other. Ha!
Scott.
ps. Such people of course do not realise what we see at night from our "basketball court"! :-) To rub a little salt in I would love to see a comparitive summation of integrated brightnesses of DSO's from the southern and northern night sky's - but heck that's heaping it on and he's an otherwise entirely nice chap so I'd better lay off.

#9 Guest_**DONOTDELETE**_*

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Posted 26 May 2003 - 07:43 PM

Hi Scott and Gary:

Oh sure, now we're going to have two of you telling us all about the wonders of the Southern Hemishpere skies. :jawdrop:

Love the reports. And, someday I'll make it down to see them.

Clear skies,
Jim

#10 Gary BEAL

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Posted 26 May 2003 - 09:02 PM

Hi Jim,
don't leave it too long then, people are starting to find out how good it is. Through two eyes it is even better.
Gary
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