November 2003 - Utah-Astronomy - mailman.xmission.com

SLAS meeting tonight
by Jim Gibson 25 Nov '03

25 Nov '03

Anyone know what's on tap for the SLAS meeting tonighty? Jim --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Roof Prosm
by Kim Hyatt 24 Nov '03

24 Nov '03

Thanks Jim. I'll take a look. -----Original Message----- From: Jim Gibson [mailto:xajax99@yahoo.com] Sent: Saturday, November 22, 2003 1:45 PM To: utah-astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Roof Prosm Chuck & Kim I saw your post that mentioned roof prisms. I had never heard the term so I decided to google up some information. There are tons of sites talking about roof prisms and two that I thought might be of interest are included here: Roof physics http://www.kireinc.com/english/Roof_Prism.htm <http://www.kireinc.com/english/Roof_Prism.htm> Comparison http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/roof_vs_porro.html <http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/roof_vs_porro.html> After reading several articles, I am not sure how roofs differ in appearance or construction from the Porro. The roofs look just like the prisms I had in and old pair I once had. Jim _____ Do you Yahoo!? Free <http://us.rd.yahoo.com/slv/mailtag/*http://companion.yahoo.com/> Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now

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Roof Prosm
by Jim Gibson 23 Nov '03

23 Nov '03

Chuck & Kim I saw your post that mentioned roof prisms. I had never heard the term so I decided to google up some information. There are tons of sites talking about roof prisms and two that I thought might be of interest are included here: Roof physics http://www.kireinc.com/english/Roof_Prism.htm Comparison http://www.birdwatching.com/optics/roof_vs_porro.html After reading several articles, I am not sure how roofs differ in appearance or construction from the Porro. The roofs look just like the prisms I had in and old pair I once had. Jim --------------------------------- Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now

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More fiberglass scope photos
by Chuck Hards 23 Nov '03

23 Nov '03

Mike Lindner of the ATM Web Ring has had some shots of my fiberglass scopes on his site for a couple of years now, for those who are interested: http://home.att.net/~mikel/chards/scope-1.jpg http://home.att.net/~mikel/chards/scope-2.jpg http://home.att.net/~mikel/chards/scope-3.jpg C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/

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Barska 9x63mm images
by Chuck Hards 21 Nov '03

21 Nov '03

I just put 3 images of the 9x63mm binos on my Gallery page. Webcam shots with little preparation, but you can clearly see the "roofish" lines of this binocular. http://www.utahastronomy.com/ C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Barska binoculars
by Kim Hyatt 21 Nov '03

21 Nov '03

I looked through Nate's 9x63 binos once - very nice. Too bad I didn't buy them at that time. -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Hards [mailto:chuckhards@yahoo.com] Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 10:32 AM To: Utah Astronomy Subject: RE: [Utah-astronomy] Barska binoculars Kim, I'm waiting for bino guru Glen Warchol to weigh-in on these. While I suspect roofs also, there is a configuration called "reverse porro" that could be what we have here, but I'm not familiar enough with it to be sure. Maybe Glen will be able to shed some light on it. Im not familiar with the old Orion Little Giant line, unfortunately. C. --- Kim Hyatt <khyatt(a)smithlayton.com> wrote: > I noticed in the ad the curious appearance of the > 9x63 model (looked like > roof prisms to me) but the ad said "porro prisms." > Could the 9x63 model be > the same Orion used to sell as the "Little Giant" > binos? They were a roof > prism model - Nate Goodman used to have a pair. 'Way > back then, maybe ten > years or more, Orion sold them for around $100, I > believe. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] Barska binoculars
by Kim Hyatt 21 Nov '03

21 Nov '03

I noticed in the ad the curious appearance of the 9x63 model (looked like roof prisms to me) but the ad said "porro prisms." Could the 9x63 model be the same Orion used to sell as the "Little Giant" binos? They were a roof prism model - Nate Goodman used to have a pair. 'Way back then, maybe ten years or more, Orion sold them for around $100, I believe. -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Hards [mailto:chuckhards@yahoo.com] Sent: Friday, November 21, 2003 9:33 AM To: Utah-Astro Subject: [Utah-astronomy] Barska binoculars I received the Barska binos from Heartland America in fine shape. The 15x70mm is the same model & package as sold by Big 5. (Thanks to Jim Gibson for an advanced peek). Probably the best all-around astro binocular currently on the market, we're pretty familiar with this little gem by now. The 9x63mm is a curios unit. The add copy states that it has BAK-4 Porro prisms, but the prism housings are almost perfectly straight, like a roof prism housing. There is only about 1/4" of offset of the eyepiece axis from the objective axis. As a result, these have the "long and lean" look. When the interpupilary distance is set at minimum, the objective cells are nearly touching, to give you an idea of how slim and racy this bino looks. The eyepieces appear to be the same ones used on the 15x70, but with a slightly smaller field stop, so the apparent field is a tad smaller. Daytime imagery is great. Center focus with right-diopter adjustment. One problem immediately encountered was that the tripod socket on the front of the hinge was not threaded cleanly and I couldn't get the L-bracket attached. I eventually had to re-chase the threads with a bottoming-tap, then the bracket threaded-on nicely. Not a problem for me, but someone without a tap set would be out of luck if their unit had the same problem. Also, there were no dust covers included for the eyepieces, so aftermarket caps will have to be obtained or made. It's a solid unit, weighs almost as much as the 70mm binos, I can use them on the parallelogram without moving the counterweight from the 70mm position. The 7mm exit pupil provided by this unit will yield the brightest image possible in a 63mm bino, but to reap the benefit your own pupil must open to 7mm. All in all, a nice little bino. I'll report again once I've had them under the stars (if we ever get a clear sky on a weekend again, argh!). Will try and get a photo posted to the Gallery soon. C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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Barska binoculars
by Chuck Hards 21 Nov '03

21 Nov '03

I received the Barska binos from Heartland America in fine shape. The 15x70mm is the same model & package as sold by Big 5. (Thanks to Jim Gibson for an advanced peek). Probably the best all-around astro binocular currently on the market, we're pretty familiar with this little gem by now. The 9x63mm is a curios unit. The add copy states that it has BAK-4 Porro prisms, but the prism housings are almost perfectly straight, like a roof prism housing. There is only about 1/4" of offset of the eyepiece axis from the objective axis. As a result, these have the "long and lean" look. When the interpupilary distance is set at minimum, the objective cells are nearly touching, to give you an idea of how slim and racy this bino looks. The eyepieces appear to be the same ones used on the 15x70, but with a slightly smaller field stop, so the apparent field is a tad smaller. Daytime imagery is great. Center focus with right-diopter adjustment. One problem immediately encountered was that the tripod socket on the front of the hinge was not threaded cleanly and I couldn't get the L-bracket attached. I eventually had to re-chase the threads with a bottoming-tap, then the bracket threaded-on nicely. Not a problem for me, but someone without a tap set would be out of luck if their unit had the same problem. Also, there were no dust covers included for the eyepieces, so aftermarket caps will have to be obtained or made. It's a solid unit, weighs almost as much as the 70mm binos, I can use them on the parallelogram without moving the counterweight from the 70mm position. The 7mm exit pupil provided by this unit will yield the brightest image possible in a 63mm bino, but to reap the benefit your own pupil must open to 7mm. All in all, a nice little bino. I'll report again once I've had them under the stars (if we ever get a clear sky on a weekend again, argh!). Will try and get a photo posted to the Gallery soon. C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/

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Webcam sale
by Chuck Hards 21 Nov '03

21 Nov '03

An overbuy at the place I work has made some Webcams available: 3Com HomeConnect PC Digital Webcam, Model 3718 USB frame rate: up to 60 fps at 160x120 pixels Low light sensitivity (<1 lux) Color CCD (not CMOS) Removeable, focusable lens 4.9mm f:2.0 Manual and automatic gain and shutter control, automatic white balance, manual color balance, color saturation controls, shutter rate controls. Operating software is included. These are brand-new, unused overstocks still in the factory packaging. These sell regularly for $100-$150 Im told, now only $49.99 + $8.50 s&h. Local buyers can pick them up to avoid shipping charges (North Salt Lake). Our accounting department prefers payment by PayPal. If interested contact our Buyer, James Fowler at: jamesf(a)companionsystems.com James will handle the entire transaction and answer any questions. I picked up one of these cameras and while I've just started learning how to use it, so far I'm pleased. I'm told they are going fast, so don't hesitate if interested. C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/

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RE: [Utah-astronomy] More fiberglass scope photos
by Kim Hyatt 21 Nov '03

21 Nov '03

Chuck, you're a master! (but of course, you already know this...) -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Hards [mailto:chuckhards@yahoo.com] Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2003 10:38 PM To: Utah-Astro Subject: [Utah-astronomy] More fiberglass scope photos Mike Lindner of the ATM Web Ring has had some shots of my fiberglass scopes on his site for a couple of years now, for those who are interested: http://home.att.net/~mikel/chards/scope-1.jpg http://home.att.net/~mikel/chards/scope-2.jpg http://home.att.net/~mikel/chards/scope-3.jpg C. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Free Pop-Up Blocker - Get it now http://companion.yahoo.com/ _______________________________________________ Utah-Astronomy mailing list Utah-Astronomy(a)mailman.xmission.com http://mailman.xmission.com/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/utah-astronomy

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