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[wwpierre]

Everyone should own a MoonLite focuser, just so that they can more fully understand the concept of perfection.

[patrickm]

I am pretty excited about that part of it. Am sure it will ruin my C9.25's factory focuser forever more.

[patrickm]

Should be finished tomorrow with first pics of my new baby. Then ships ground to The Hague. If UPS Int'l does their job, in my hands sometime the first week of December, I hope in time for my latest trip to the dry, desert skies of West Texas, where they know not clouds. Will post when I get.

I did get an email from Michael last week saying, "Oops. I dropped your scope!"

Bastard.

[atomant]

Don't forget to visit McDonald Observatory at Fort Davis.
Unfortunately, they don't serve McRibs.

If you get a chance next year, try also attending the Texas Star Party.

Can't wait to see the work of art and science.

[patrickm]

West Texas is a big place. We are headed to Midland. Ft. Davis is a LONG way away. It will be quite dark outside the Midland, just not the altitude. Heck, even downtown there will be better than anywhere 30 mins from Chicago.

Would love to hit that star party. Friends without a scope stumbled upon it last year and were not treated with friendliness by whomever they encountered. Obviously out of staters.

Will post pics once he sends them.

[patrickm]

Michael's in the home stretch and promises finished scope pics tomorrow. In the meantime, he's sent me the final invoice. Net amount with VAT, duty he paid for the Moonlite focuser, and his domestic shipping to The Hague is €1236. Next we'll have UPS pick it up from my buddy there and bring it here. for delivery after Thanksgiving...

Travel Dobson 10”, 10” corrected Huygens Optics primary, 50mm secondary, Orion 6 x 30mm Angled viewfinder, light shield, primary cooling, secondary heater, painted.

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[patrickm]

And the box open. Tomorrow I hope with mirrors installed and more telescopic looking.

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[patrickm]

Oh yes, you will be mine...

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

That's a nice lookin' piece of art...as well as a scientific instrument.

I worry about the primary getting gunky...

[patrickm]

I need a wide field eyepiece weighing less than 22 oz for an f/4.5 scope. Anybody got suggestions?

Joe: Guess we'll see. I have a shroud coming, and I think there is a cover for it when not in use. Just need to stay out of a dry gravel quarry while observing, but don't we all?

[Paulie pchris00]

Very nice!

[patrickm]

My new inanimate pal is now in transit & should arrive at my friend's place in The Hague on Monday and be to me at the end of the week or early the next depending upon UPS & US Customs. Lucky to be able to use the cheapo Int'l service on our work UPS account with much better than book rates.

I plunked down for a used 2" 24mm Televue Panoptic that Bill magically spied for me on OPT for my travel wide field. Upon recommendation from Michael at Sumerian and some additional Friday research, I snagged a 1.25" 5mm Hyperion Ortho for my planetary eyepiece. That makes my travel kit 24mm Pan, 13mm Ethos, 8mm Ethos, 6mm Ethos, 5mm Ortho & a couple of deep sky filters. Upon Paulie's always helpful recommendation, I also grabbed a copy of The Peterson Field Guide to Stars & Planets (Includes new status of Pluto! Not a selling point.) Probably will pass on a Barlow. What am I forgetting?

Need to start creating my W. Texas observing list, but I have some time. Hoping to round up a friend out there who has a cool, old B+L spotting scope so we can take it out for a drive. I do need some sort of small backpackable case for optics and filters. Open to suggestions for targets or travel kit.

Prepare for clouds for the next two weeks here and probably some sort of drought-busting Biblical flooding down there.

Go see "The Descendants."

[patrickm]

Sumerian was picked up by UPS in Den Hague, Netherlands today. Will not likely be here before we leave for West Texas on Wed. Will see if I can redirect. Have never tried that with international shipments before...

But it's actually on the way!

Off to go sort out a laser collimator...

[atomant]

Patrick,
I can PM my address to you if that works?!

[patrickm]

Bill, I thought all Chicago bound scopes automatically stop at your door already!

One Howie Glatner laser collimator on the way! Should be here just under the wire. If scope doesn't make it, maybe I'll just take the collimator out in the desert for a spin.

[Paulie pchris00]

Dec 1, 2011 19:03:56 GMT -6 patrickm said:

Bill, I thought all Chicago bound scopes automatically stop at your door already!

If UPS knows what they're shipping, you'll get it when Bill's done breaking it in.

[patrickm]

Sumerian doesn't ship outside EU, so it shipped from a friend's record store in Den Hague. Maybe it will slip by. Does the week of clouds start when he takes delivery, just me, or each of us? And how will we distinguish scope clouds from this crap we've been living under the entire last month?

[patrickm]

Michael emailed me scope instructions & PDF manual (link below)! Behold! The extra spring is to support a heavier eyepiece like my 23mm Axiom, but I tracked down a much lighter (gently used) 24mm Panoptic I'm itching to try out along with the new (gently used) 5mm Ortho.

Notice how he basically says a Dutch ESL version of "collimation will work itself out." Eek! Still waiting for that event. I especially like "collimation of the scope will take only a minute."
p

-------------------------

Begin forwarded message:
From: Sumerian Optics
Date: December 1, 2011 18:28:44 CST
To: Patrick Monaghan
Subject: Re: Sumerian Scope

Well. Let me answer your question first.

PKM: Don't you also need the regular laser to do the secondary mirror first before the primary? I spent so much time reading on this. Am I over thinking? Seems like you need two tools, esp. since this guy will be taken apart & reassembled for each use, no?

You don't need two tools. A Chesire is enough "only" to combinate it with
a laser collimator makes it easier to collimate the secondary and the
first step of the primary. The Chesire is for the fine tuning of the
primary.

But don't worry about the collimation because the telescope is taken apart
and reassembled. The collimation of the scope will take only a minute.

Here is the manual for the 10" Travel Dob. For your telescope there are a
few changes.

-One is the secondary mirror holder. It is hanging in the spider with a
bolt. There are NO magnets.

-Two is the locking bold for the primary. You don't have to remove the
bolt anymore. Only tightening and loosening.

-Three are the adjustable balance springs. The extra picture shows how it
has to be mounted on the rocker box and altitude bearing.

Link to PDF booklet w/photos:
db.tt/TP96uqbb

Michael

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[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

"collimation will work itself out."

I said this months ago...

[patrickm]

You did, I think 2 years ago!, and it haunts me, Joe. It haunts me.

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[patrickm]

Newest addition in prep for Sumerian.

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[patrickm]

Den Hague->Rotterdam->Brussels->Köln->.....

[patrickm]

Sumerian Optics Scope Tracker: Amsterdam-> Den Hague-> Rotterdam-> Brussels-> Köln -> Köln ->Louisville, KY (!)

[Paulie pchris00]

It's only two states away! ;D

(And just barely, at that).

[patrickm]

Cleared customs in Louisville at 9:15 & inbound to Chicago. Our work UPS delivery is usually 10:30. We leave for airport at 12:30. :-\

My Heather's Shroud came today. As did the used 24mm Panoptic that Bill found for me & pointed me toward over on Cloudy Nights (thanks Bill!). Got my "Peterson's Guide to the Planets" (thanks Paulie!), used 5mm Ortho, used 6 & 13mm Ethos. I've got a camera bag for my scope gear. I've got long johns & chem heaters (Midland, TX had snow today!).

Now all I need is a scope...

[patrickm]

Been working on my observing list & would welcome any suggestions. Ambient light pollution very low but Moon VERY bright.

Inspired by Uncle Rod's latest blog post, my list is largely populated by globs. After Jupiter, Andromeda, Pleiades, Double Double, & Orion, what will pop out under these conditions and...without GoTo? 8-0

Suggestions PRETTY PLEASE!

I wonder where that damned comet has got to?....

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

A two hour window of grace.

I'm excited to see how it ends.

[patrickm]

Sumerian Optics Scope Tracker: Amsterdam ->Den Hague ->Rotterdam-> Brussels-> Koeln -> Koeln ->Louisville, KY (!), customs cleared ->In Transit ->Out for Delivery.

This is cool but weird. No arrival scan in Chicago or transfer to our hub to be loaded on our regular delivery truck. Maybe a Louisville UPS Ford Fiesta is just gonna drop it at work directly & then head back? The suspense continues.

[Paulie pchris00]

The comet might actually be a better morning target. Not much of an evening window left, if you have to starhop.

[patrickm]

It arrived! Safe and sound in a gigantor box full of peanuts with another cooler type box inside, that one also full of peanuts.







There she is. No time to take apart, assemble, & then break down. Been on the move since this morning. Will post pics after I've assembled her in the Midland hotel room (note: not from the hotel room).


Thanks for humoring me on my scope's journey!

Getting through security was a bit longer than normal, but I met a new friend, Jim, the TSA supervisor who really likes space! I directed him to our website. The scope has wires on the primary and secondary, and frankly just looks super weird in person and under x-ray, so they did their jobs and that lead to a 10 min talk about astronomy. He lives out west, so if he gets in touch, maybe some of our west suburban chapter can take him out for a good time. Anyway, I have syringes for MS meds and usually am loaded with some kind of tech, plus I'm left-handed and Irish, so I'm used to being slow through check points.

We're waiting patiently and get in around 10.

STILL AWAITING TARGET SUGGESTIONS! C'mon! Y'all got no ideas? Don't make me taunt you a second time. BS. ;-)

Woo.
p