|
Post by Mike on May 15, 2012 23:24:05 GMT -5
I noticed 165 people visited this forum in the last 24 hours. But only a hand full of posts by the same people. Amazing! Or, puzzling. Over on CN you can't shut 'em up. Over here you can't get them to even say Hi. What's up with that? I guess we don't have enough optical geniuses here? No visits from "god like" scope company owners, except Ales of course. Is this the problem? Oh well. At least this is the friendliest forum. No body arguing and slandering each other. No body tearing Istar a new one. I guess if a 165 people looked, there must be something interesting for them. PS It could be the stupid spell checker wants to correct "refractor" and "Istar" each time a person posts. How can a forum that deals with a company called Istar that manufactures refractors exclusively not get it?
|
|
|
Post by Watcher3 on May 16, 2012 8:06:52 GMT -5
Don't Know Mike. I really have tried to figure it out. I guess if you go by membership numbers compared to active posters we're not too bad. Still is weird how so many can stop by and have ziltch to say. Maybe you should offer a contest for something free. Maybe 6 months out, but with a 100 post minimum to be eligible to win. That might get things pretty lively here. That kind of activity might give us the growth spurt we need too. Just thinkin' out loud Joe
|
|
|
Post by Ales - iStar Optical on May 17, 2012 2:15:49 GMT -5
Interesting idea. Personally I want this forum to grow and to provide usable info and fresh news directly from Istar (and other places). To motivate people may not be a bad idea, it just seem a bit unnatural and possibly even premature at this point in time... Mike and I will talk this over and see what can be done, cheers, Ales
|
|
|
Post by Ales - iStar Optical on May 17, 2012 2:21:09 GMT -5
Absolutely agree Mike. the spell checker settings must be adjusted. Regarding the average daily visits (around 150 individuals) is a decent number. Why these people do not participate in discussions is beyond me... Ales
|
|
|
Post by jamesling1000 on May 21, 2012 6:47:46 GMT -5
Hi ALL......
With current members at 145, I am sure if members are able to register to this ISTARSCOPECLUB forum.....it is not difficult to post anything at all......
Two years ago when this forum started, I don't even knew about it...., and I don't even know about CN at all......
I only know my local astronomy forum, singastro.org , and you will even surprised I was never a member for first 5 yrs, but just as a guest.... , until I bring ISTAR to our local astronomy...., I join the local forum.... And ISTAR really cause a stir in our local astronomy, as no one owe the 8" big achro....
If I do not subscribe to astronomy magazine in April 2010, I will never come to know ISTAR, as you will never find ISTAR ADVERTISEMENT in Sky and telescope magazine....
In September 2010 issue of astronomy magazine, ISTAR 208-9 is briefly introduced as a new product, and I send an email to ISTAR.....
And to my surprise, the person who reply me is Ales, ISTAR owner, not anyone else, if you will to write to any other astronomy company for inquiry.... Perhaps is Ales, that is able to convince me to try out his product, when I have C14, 10" Tak MEWLON, Utlima C8 Goto, C6R F8, and many other smaller scopes....
So after I ordered the 208-9 from Ales, then I start doing the following... 1. register my local astronomy club to post ISTAR product... 2. register CN, as I heard about it from my local club... 3. register ISTARSCOPECLUB, when I seen Joe (WATCHER) CN post showing there is ISTARSCOPECLUB..... 4. register yahoo flicker to store photos of my astronomy hobby 5. register utube to download ISTAR video that I took ......
I do not post every now and then, unless I have some topics to put up, whether is questions or some relevant ISTAR news...... Also it depends on my work load from my present oversea jobs assignment....
I believe many members think that this forum is for those who have the ISTAR scope or going to purchase one.....
Or perhaps they may not have many questions to ask Ales and Mike....
And even when questions are asked or being put up, I noticed answers are either not being answered promptly, or just being unanswered without any reason....
I hope my simple write up will encourage many more to participate in this forum, and now I am just waiting for the coming Venus transit to post another big one for ISTARSCOPECLUB members that take your valauble time to visit every now and then....
Best Regards
James Ling
|
|
|
Post by tonybegg on Jun 17, 2012 21:55:13 GMT -5
Well this is my first day looking at this site, and ISTAR is just percolating into my consciousness. I saw an article by the Steampunk artist that made the Mt Stromlo replacement (they had a bush fire destroy a vintage refractor and this guy built a replacement using an 8 inch (I think) ISTAR APO lens). And just Googling large refractors last night I found OPT with large ISTAR OTA's in stock (!) no less. I have an Explore Scientific CF 127mm f/7.5 APO refractor and thought it was the largest I could go for price and weight. It is actually a really good scope. But I am tempted by the 8 inch ISTAR Achros for price and am on here to see what to expect regards CA. There is talk here of a Raycorr. Is that like the Russian Chromacorr? It seems one can take a shortish f-ratio refractor like f/8 or f/9 and reduce the longitudinal CA at the expense of some lateral CA with a corrector lens near the eyepiece and if one had control over eye-piece optics one could compensate for the lateral CA. So there is a possibility of bringing a $10000-$20000 scope into the $4000 price bracket. My suspicion is that ISTAR are producing OTAs that are price competitive and people are browsing here to learn what the can. Prospective buyers, if you like. I think people might browse rather than post (me for sure) if they feel less informed than others to the degree that they don't know what questions to ask yet.
|
|
|
Post by Watcher3 on Jun 17, 2012 22:19:13 GMT -5
You've taken the first step that I wish so many others would. Just become a member of the community. The rules are pretty relaxed here and you can talk about pretty much anything astronomy related that pops into your head. The livelier the group is, the more everyone will get out of it.
Thanks for being a part of it all. Joe
|
|
|
Post by Mike on Jun 17, 2012 22:28:21 GMT -5
Thanks for posting Tony and for a very accurate assessment of the situation. We did in fact build a lens for Mt. Stromlo and it was an achromatic doublet. OPT is a stocking dealer and have models available for immediate shipment. I just finished a 204mm F8.8 classic achro. I'm anxious to get it under the stars for an evaluation of my own. And I just love to play with giant refractors And, you see our goal of putting refractors using Raycorr and R30 with little or no CA in the customer's hands for a fraction of the price of an APO triplet. Your insight is welcome here and I hope to see you post again soon. Mike
|
|
|
Post by tonybegg on Jun 24, 2012 14:58:21 GMT -5
I don't think I qualify to start a new thread (help says there should be a new thread button top right but cannot find it) so please excuse this. Title would be "Hamiltonian Schiefspiegler". Yesterday I got the book "Telescopes, Eyepieces, Astrographs" from William Bell by Gregory Smith, Roger Ceragioli and Richard Berry. It is chock full of optical designs, both achro and apo refractors, various Newts and Cassegrains, Celestron C8 and EdgeHD, Maks, Riccardi-Honders astrograph - you name it - with spot diagrams, Strehl ratio plots and so forth. 580 pages, 1.5 inches thick. Lots of history and references too. There are two unusual designs with amazing spot diagrams and Strehl's of above 0.99: a Stevick-Paul obstruction free reflector and a 150 mm f/15 Hamiltonian-Schiefspiegler refractor. This uses just BK7 crown throughout and is apochromatic! It is a Schupmann style telescope with a 160 mm crown objective (NOT a doublet), a 160 mm crown mangin mirror, a 90mm crown second mangin mirror and an optional elliptical flat to get the light out. Fits in a 24 inch square box. They say it would scale to a 300 mm (12 inch) but cannot be made faster than f/15. So an 8 inch would fit in a 36 inch square box. Question: Have Istar thought of making something like this?? I would imagine you would need a rigid optical bench to hold the components but could bolt on the sides. Best Wishes Tony
|
|
|
Post by Mike on Jun 24, 2012 17:43:05 GMT -5
Tony, I bought the same book two months ago. I've read it through once. Now I am going back and re-reading areas of particular interest. This is an excellent book. Anyone interested in telescope optics? This is a must. I've had many years in optical design and manufacturing but still learned from it.
Mike
|
|
|
Post by Watcher3 on Jun 24, 2012 23:01:48 GMT -5
Tony. The new thread button is at the top right when you go to the category of your choice. You can't start a thread from within a thread, you have to go to the category that lists the threads. you'll see the new thread button there.
|
|
|
Post by boomboom on Jun 28, 2012 18:01:32 GMT -5
This is my first post here! I'm also on CN and here in Australia on Ice In Space (IIS). IIS has over 10,000 members and looking at part of the list one day noticed that somewhere around 80%+ have never posted, which amazed me....must be human nature. I don't know much about optics despite having been around refractors for 30+ years, always something new to learn and understand. Also I hope the refractor detractors don't bother here. Matt
|
|
|
Post by Watcher3 on Jun 28, 2012 19:14:45 GMT -5
Rules are pretty loose here so far, but no one has bothered bashing refractors here yet. I actually started this little group on the CN suburbs because of the uninformed speculative bashing of Istar when they were coming on the scene. So Far, so good.
Joe
|
|
|
Post by jamesling1000 on Jun 29, 2012 1:36:48 GMT -5
This is my first post here! I'm also on CN and here in Australia on Ice In Space (IIS). IIS has over 10,000 members and looking at part of the list one day noticed that somewhere around 80%+ have never posted, which amazed me....must be human nature. I don't know much about optics despite having been around refractors for 30+ years, always something new to learn and understand. Also I hope the refractor detractors don't bother here. Matt Hi All...... In my country, South East Asia, Singapore, I also joined our local forum, which have around 1000 members...., but only has less than 20 active members who regularly post in the forum.... And daily when I visit the forum, is around 10 to 20 posting..... Surprisingly, I do not post there simply there are a few regulars who are keeping the forum going...... Over here in ISTARSCOPECLUB, we have less than 200 members, and we also have some active members who continuously try to keep the forum going...... Perhaps I am not sure over here, is it some members still think like myself ( for not posting in my country forum ) , that since there are a few active members being posting all the while, just leave it ...... Or coz over here is restricted to talking about refractor related topics, rather than many other topics like CN, etc....., or even must be ISTAR related topics.... Nevertheless, I am very sure, as there are more and more iSTAR users, as the iSTAR products start to be introduced in the market, the number of active members , in this forum will be getting higher....... Regards James Ling
|
|
|
Post by criverside on Sept 28, 2012 22:57:01 GMT -5
Very quite lately, I assume the ISTAR owners are out preparing their reports for posting this week-end --"Hint".
Craig
|
|