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Post by jamesling1000 on Oct 1, 2012 0:02:22 GMT -5
Very quite lately, I assume the ISTAR owners are out preparing their reports for posting this week-end --"Hint". Craig Hi Craig.... For me , yes, last weekend is our oriental Chinese Full Moon, moon cake festival...... And our group this time has staged a side walk at one of the housing estate park.... This photo attachment shows last night side walk event we staged at that area, and has been compliment by the park staff this morning, to our Gary, the team organizer.... And last night I also download a short video clip showing the place, which is very ideal for this year end Jupiter opposition night gazing.... Which I may consider to bring the 8" ISTAR instead....of the 10' Mewlon I brought along last night..................... I hope ISTARSCOPECLUB members understand how much time is involved in setting up this giant 70 lb complete OTA, by transporting it to the observing site, and use it for 3 hrs event, then transporting it back home, and by the time I went to bed, is almost 2am, and not forgetting this morning around 6am, I must get up and prepare to go to work again..... www.flickr.com/photos/james_ling/8039914867/in/photostreamHope to see how others are doing with their star gazing activities.... Regards James Ling Attachments:
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Post by criverside on Oct 1, 2012 1:02:19 GMT -5
Hi James, Thanks for the post, image, and video. The 10" Mewlon looks every bit of 70 lbs!
Craig
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Post by jamesling1000 on Oct 1, 2012 1:23:07 GMT -5
Hi James, Thanks for the post, image, and video. The 10" Mewlon looks every bit of 70 lbs! Craig Hi Craig.... No... the 10" Mewlon is less than 30 lb when equip with diagonal and ep..... I can single handed mount the 10" Mewlon onto the G11 losmandy mount....But not the 8" ISTAR......as it need 3 person to mount, and 2 person to remove. from the mount...as it is 70 lb.... But back to the main attraction in any star gazing activities, the 6Ft long , 8" ISTAR , always steal the show..... And that is why I will bring it out on major events..... Regards James Ling Attachments:
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Post by criverside on Oct 1, 2012 1:51:47 GMT -5
Hi James,
The Mewlon looks like it too would be awkward, but I think the high pier needed for your 8" ISTAR is what requires the added hands. Its a problem I have been working on, as my planned 8" must be mountable by me and possibly a smaller women, so I have my work cut-out for me. Thanks for the info.
Craig
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Post by jamesling1000 on Oct 1, 2012 4:09:42 GMT -5
Hi Craig. Yes... You are right.... I have two tripods for my g11 losmandy mount.... I use the heavy duty tripod and extension pier for the 8" ISTAR... As for the 10" Mewlon, I use the Light weight tripod. You can see the photo taken by my friend during last night , showing how simple is the setup.... Regards James Ling Attachments:
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Post by bn1777 on Dec 23, 2012 18:07:24 GMT -5
Once I get the site lay out sorted , you wont be able to shut me up , aye Matt and Matt , all 3 of us are 'Ice in Space' members here in Australia and we try and wave the Refractor banner as hard as we can . But Aussies are not that into refractors ?? dont know why ? . Brian.
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Post by bn1777 on Dec 23, 2012 18:11:31 GMT -5
Hi James I to have a Mewlon 210 , great scopes . I use the Ioptron IEQ45 seen here to carry my Istar lensed 127mm f/8 achro , but most times I use my Istar on its TV Gibralter and this combo is a sewwt grab and go , I love it . Brian. Hi Craig. Yes... You are right.... I have two tripods for my g11 losmandy mount.... I use the heavy duty tripod and extension pier for the 8" ISTAR... As for the 10" Mewlon, I use the Light weight tripod. You can see the photo taken by my friend during last night , showing how simple is the setup.... Regards James Ling Attachments:
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Post by bn1777 on Dec 23, 2012 18:17:44 GMT -5
Here is my Istar 127mm f/8 on my Ioptron IEQ45 mount , a good match , but I mainly use the Istar on the TV Gibralter , much easier to set up and be using in less than 3 miniutes . Brian. Hi James I to have a Mewlon 210 , great scopes . I use the Ioptron IEQ45 seen here to carry my Istar lensed 127mm f/8 achro , but most times I use my Istar on its TV Gibralter and this combo is a sewwt grab and go , I love it . Brian. Hi Craig. Yes... You are right.... I have two tripods for my g11 losmandy mount.... I use the heavy duty tripod and extension pier for the 8" ISTAR... As for the 10" Mewlon, I use the Light weight tripod. You can see the photo taken by my friend during last night , showing how simple is the setup.... Regards James Ling Attachments:
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Post by jamesling1000 on Dec 24, 2012 0:32:54 GMT -5
Once I get the site lay out sorted , you wont be able to shut me up , aye Matt and Matt , all 3 of us are 'Ice in Space' members here in Australia and we try and wave the Refractor banner as hard as we can . But Aussies are not that into refractors ?? dont know why ? . Brian. Hi Brian... ISTARSCOPECLUB really needs more people like you, to keep posting into this forum, so that we can see more people knowing ISTAR product.... Hi ALL.... I strongly believe ISTAR products will keep improving and more new innovations out in the market, if there are more and more supporters, whether you owe an ISTAR product now or not..... And I wish ISTAR and all forum members a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013.... Regards James Ling
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Post by bn1777 on Dec 24, 2012 1:28:31 GMT -5
Will do James , the world needs more people like Istar producing world class optics at a price everyone can afford , like $354 aud delivered to my door here in Australia is just an amaizing acheveiment . This would have been unheard of only 3 years ago , thanks Istar and yes , I will tell everyone that wants to listen . I have let our friends at 'Stargazers Lounge ' in the UK and 'Astronomy Forums' in the USA know about what Istar and I have done and both are giving me lots of good feed back . A few have even compared Istar to TelVue ( in their early years ) on their quality and customer service , high praise indeed .
I have used mine a few times now and its quality of views speaks volumes . Brian.
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Post by bn1777 on Dec 29, 2012 7:39:01 GMT -5
Thanks Tony , good to hear your imput , its now 3 day's left of 2012 , ,my 127 achromat is a dam good performer , I hink Istar have it sorted . Thanks again Tone . Brian. 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.
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Post by axlstrat on Jan 1, 2013 20:15:51 GMT -5
Some us are stoping by to see the lastest that Istar has and waiting for Raycorr the only way. I will come close to an apo. it seems anyway Happy New Year to all
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Post by starlite on Mar 8, 2015 3:34:19 GMT -5
I also have been nesting here for years, it is a quiet sunday morning cup of coffee browse looking at James Lings photos that starts the day. I set a couple of scopes up on the footpath at the front of the house and have a sign saying " looking at moon, Jupiter, Saturn" tonight , come and have a look . I find small children can use bino-viewers to see easier ,using 2 eyes and they can snap a 3D image in a thou of a second, ah to have young eyes ! I get my grandson to focus the bino-viewers so they are spot on for the kids. If a lot a people turn up I just get more scopes out.I have a couple of 4" nextstar maks I lend out to kids that are interested and I tell the parents if they decide to buy a scope not to get anything smaller than this or they will be disappointed. Most childen want to see Pluto, the best I can do is key in pluto and track it and say one of those 20 stars you can see is Pluto and they are happy with that. I hope I haven't bored you ! Cheers John.
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Post by Mike on Mar 8, 2015 14:53:12 GMT -5
Thanks for posting John
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Post by starlite on Mar 9, 2015 19:03:35 GMT -5
We got some acerage 10 years ago about 8 km's from the nearest housing subdivision,medium to good dark skies,now the nearest housing is only 1 km down the hill. we are on the spine of the hill and down in the valley to the west is a large dairy farm, when that is sold to developers I can visualise 500 houses going in there. A least they can't stuff up my solar viewing. will just have to take the 204 out to dark sites. Dang pics are too large to post. J
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