Another great source for ETX information is Mike Weasners ETX site:




--- In backbayastro@..., "Woodrow W. Baker" <wbaker@e...>
wrote:

thanks for the offer of help, great to have such a nice group of

people to

respond with offers of help. I'll bring it to the next one.

Mickey

At 12:18 PM 3/1/03 +0000, you wrote:

Mickey,

I've got an LX-90, and the autostars all work in a similar

manner. If the

skies ever clear, I'll help you out at a Skywatch or a Nightwatch.

Rob






From: "S. Kent Blackwell" <kent@e...>
Reply-To: backbayastro@...
To: <backbayastro@...>
Subject: Re: [backbayastro] Any Experience with a Meade ETX 70?
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 00:35:01 -0500

Mickey,

Have you seen the review of both the ETX 60 & 70 in the February

2003 p.72

of Astronomy magazine? It was a good review. I think it's a really

neat

scope for the money. Yes, there is chromatic aberrations because

it is,

after all, a short focal length refractor.

Beware of all those deep-sky objects logged in its database. You

can even

link it to a database with 10,000 objects. Believe me, you won't

know they

are there even if the object is centered in the eyepiece. 60mm or

70mm is

simply too small for serious deep sky work but on the planets,

moon and

brighter objects it's a pretty cool scope.

I hope you get it working. Speaking of "working in manual mode",

as you say,

I highly recommend the Edmund Astroscan. The price has been

reduced by 1/2.

In my opinion it's almost as useful to a beginner or advanced

amateur as a

pair of binoculars. Check it out:

www.scientificsonline.com

Kent Blackwell
----- Original Message -----
From: "Woodrow W. Baker" <wbaker@e...>
To: <backbayastro@...>
Sent: Thursday, February 27, 2003 9:50 PM
Subject: [backbayastro] Any Experience with a Meade ETX 70?

Been playing with the goto that seems not to want to go to

anything.

I'm

sure that it is not the instructions or unit, must be me.

Looking for

someone that has worked these before and can set it stright.

Been in

manual modem which may be just as well for first scope.

W. W. "Mickey" Baker


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George's article on the Indian Lakes Science Club event has been uploaded to
the BBAA website.


Thanks George, Rick and Matt for a great job representing our club. And
thanks for a great article, George!

I also thought I would pass along kudos' from Nancy Leon of NASA, who in
response to my request for some promo material for Astronomy Day sent ...

You have such an active club. Your community is lucky to have you!

Nancy <<

Nancy provides us with the Space Place articles you see in each month's
newsletter, and on the web site.

Ted

Some of you know Gary Hand. He sent me this for the website ....


Hands on Optics
First Annual AstroSwap Meet
March 30, 2003 12pm – 6pm
Damascus, MD (W77’12`, N38’17`)

We invite you to join us in the area’s largest Telescope Swap Meet.
Bring anything telescope related and other cool stuff to sell or trade.
Please bring your own tables. We are limited to about 20 tables so it
is first come first serve. We will provide pricing labels, pens, etc,
soft drinks and advice. We invite all to attend. H-Alpha observing
will be available. Please feel free to bring your solar scope for
observing.

Hands on Optics is holding the first event at our new store. We are
expanding and in the move we have uncovered about 2000 lenses, mirrors,
antique parts, microscopes, mount and tube assembly parts, new
obsolete and new out of box items. We have way too much to take to a
star party.

For more information please call us toll free at 1-866-726-7371 or email
us at astroguy@.... For directions, go to


Gary Hand
Hands on Optics
26437 Ridge Road
Damascus, MD 20872

thanks for the offer of help, great to have such a nice group of people to
respond with offers of help. I'll bring it to the next one.

Mickey

Thanks for the useful information... nice to have people that are not
standing on the other side of a counter trying to show what is right.

Mickey

Missed it....my eyes were closed....


Denice

I would probably want to be right there with u.....There is one advantage to
all this...at least we can recapture the excitement of seeing stuff like for
the first time.... :-}

Denice

Thanks, I'll make a point to bring it to the next night out and appreciate
any help.]
Mickey

At 11:11 AM 2/28/03 -0500, you wrote:

I don't have much experience with the ETX GO-TO, my ETX 90 is manual. I

know we have a few members with GOto versions and if I'm not mistaken the
controls are similar on other Meades so there is some expertise out here.
I'm sure we can work out the bugs if we ever get out under the stars again.
Will it ever stop raining?

Ted



In a message dated 2/27/2003 9:50:35 PM Eastern Standard Time, "Woodrow W.

Baker" <wbaker@...> writes:

Been playing with the goto that seems not to want to go to anything. ? I'm
sure that it is not the instructions or unit, must be me. ?Looking for
someone that has worked these before and can set it stright. ?Been in
manual modem which may be just as well for first scope.

W. W. "Mickey" Baker


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Hello All,
I would like to take a few minutes to lavish praise on two fellow
BBAA-ers: Matt McLaughlin and George Reynolds. I wish all of us could
have been there to witness their presentations to Ms. Bree
Laverdiere's science club at Indian Lakes Elementary School,
on Wednesday afternoon.
These two men PACKED the allotted hour with information that kept all
the kids on the edge of their seats. There is no doubt, the handouts
that BBAA provided (many were compliments of the Chesapeake
Planetarium and Dr. Hitt) are now proudly displayed on
bedroom walls though out Virginia Beach.
You guys did a wonderful job and it makes me proud to be a member of
this fine club!

Rick Bish



--- In backbayastro@..., "pathfinder027
<pathfinder027@y...>" <pathfinder027@y...> wrote:

Yesterday, 2/27/03 Rick, Matt, and I did a presentation to Indian
Lakes E. S. Science club. Here is the report of that event. To

see

pictures, go to the "Photos" section of backbayastro and look for
the "Science Club" album.

Indian Lakes Science Club Event Report
2/27/2003


On a rainy Tuesday in February, the 27th to be exact, three BBAA
members converged on Indian Lakes Elementary School in Virginia

Beach

to let the kids look at sunspots on the Sun. . . .

OK, they then went to "Plan B". Rick Bish, Matt McLaughlin, and
George Reynolds told the fifth graders of Ms. Bree Laverdiere's
Science Club a few things about astronomy. George talked about
telescopes, asteroids, comets, meteors, and some recent space
exploration missions of NASA. Matt explained the structure of the
Sun and stars, with some neat demonstrations using an air pump, a
balloon, and a volleyball. Rick explained the use of a planisphere
and passed out make-it-yourself planispheres so each student could
make his own "star finder".

Display tables were set up in the library of Indian Lakes

Elementary

School, where the Science Club meets every two weeks, showing
magazines on astronomy, books about the Moon, Mars, and star-

finding,

and pictures of the Sun, showing its structure, solar flares, and
sunspots. Each student received a wealth of literature, including
BBAA brochures, bookmarks about the Sun and Saturn, fact sheets

about

the NEAR and Deep Impact space missions, "The Space Place"

reference

cards, and a list of Internet sites to visit for more information.

Also on display were an 8-inch Dobsonian reflecting telescope and a
90-mm refractor, which the kids got to look at, if not through, to

at

least see what they look like. Every child also received a
Constellation Chart, a Moon Map, and a Moon Phase Calendar,
compliments of the Chesapeake Planetarium and the BBAA.

Ms. Laverdiere took some photos of the club session, which have

been

posted on the photo section of the Backbayastro Yahoo group.

A one-hour science club session was just not enough time to do more
than scratch the surface, but I hope we could whet the appetite of
some of those young students and fan the spark of enthusiasm for
science and astronomy knowledge.

George '3' Reynolds
JPL/NASA Solar System Ambassador

Hey, Paul,

Nice to hear from you.? Sounds like we have all been pretty well socked-in this winter, weather-wise.? When you come back to Tidewater in a year or so, please try to bring some good weather with you -- and don't get a new scope!? We have had a rash of new scopes here lately, causing all kinds of weather problems.?

Keep looking up,

George '3' Reynolds

?"Paul " wrote:

Hey Everyone, from down in the deep south! Least the snow is just
flood rains here! Usually winter is a great time for seeing here,
notso this winter! But the few testruns with the I3Piece, PC164C and
STVAstro setup have been fun-

Work's been real busy (esp working around the poor weather), and the
thesis has started in my final 3 of 3 years. Charmaine is well too-

Maybe in about 1.8 years we'll (hopefully) be back in the real world
of Tidewater! LOL!

Take care!
Paul

CDR-Paul.Shankland@...




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Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the .

George Reynolds, Deputy Commander, Tidewater South Section Royal Rangers

Visit my Web page:? ?

"Solar System Ambassador" for South Hampton Roads, Virginia

?Member, Back Bay Amateur Astronomers (BBAA)?

---

Do you Yahoo!?
- Powerful. Affordable.

Hey Everyone, from down in the deep south! Least the snow is just
flood rains here! Usually winter is a great time for seeing here,
notso this winter! But the few testruns with the I3Piece, PC164C and
STVAstro setup have been fun-

Work's been real busy (esp working around the poor weather), and the
thesis has started in my final 3 of 3 years. Charmaine is well too-

Maybe in about 1.8 years we'll (hopefully) be back in the real world
of Tidewater! LOL!

Take care!
Paul

CDR-Paul.Shankland@...

开云体育

In a message dated 3/1/03 9:05:38 AM Eastern Standard Time,
pshankland@... writes:

<< Maybe in about 1.8 years we'll (hopefully) be back in the real world
of Tidewater! LOL! >>


Oh, that would be great Paul! We are looking forward to your coming back!
Glad to see you found your way to this forum too.

Ted

开云体育

The Lands End clock is showing solid white for clouds, transparency and seeing for the hours of darkness. Looks like Nightwatch is dead for this month. I'm going through such withdrawal pains, the first time we get a really good night, I may just put in for leave the following day and pull an all-nighter at Lands End.

Rob




From: twforte@...
Reply-To: backbayastro@...
To: backbayastro@...
Subject: Re: [backbayastro] Nightwatch
Date: Fri, 28 Feb 2003 17:48:52 EST

Mickey,

I've got an LX-90, and the autostars all work in a similar manner. If the skies ever clear, I'll help you out at a Skywatch or a Nightwatch.

Rob






From: "S. Kent Blackwell" <kent@...>
Reply-To: backbayastro@...
To: <backbayastro@...>
Subject: Re: [backbayastro] Any Experience with a Meade ETX 70?
Date: Sat, 1 Mar 2003 00:35:01 -0500

Mickey,

Have you seen the review of both the ETX 60 & 70 in the February 2003 p.72
of Astronomy magazine? It was a good review. I think it's a really neat
scope for the money. Yes, there is chromatic aberrations because it is,
after all, a short focal length refractor.

Beware of all those deep-sky objects logged in its database. You can even
link it to a database with 10,000 objects. Believe me, you won't know they
are there even if the object is centered in the eyepiece. 60mm or 70mm is
simply too small for serious deep sky work but on the planets, moon and
brighter objects it's a pretty cool scope.

I hope you get it working. Speaking of "working in manual mode", as you say,
I highly recommend the Edmund Astroscan. The price has been reduced by 1/2.
In my opinion it's almost as useful to a beginner or advanced amateur as a
pair of binoculars. Check it out:

www.scientificsonline.com

Kent Blackwell

--- In backbayastro@..., twforte@a... wrote:

In a message dated 2/28/03 5:02:04 PM Eastern Standard Time,
joepiotrowski@c... writes:

<< The sky clock has changed and blue sky is poking out up here in
Williamsburg. Any chance for a Lands End Nightwatch? >>

I noticed that too. But Accuweather is showing mostly cloudy (60

to 80

percent cloud cover) for the area just this side of the Coleman all

night. (I

didn't have a zip code to plug in for Gloucester). Not sure whats

happening.

But I think the situation is improving. Unfortunately for me, I've

made

other plans this evening based on expectations of cloudy weather.

Speaking of Clear Sky Clocks, I just added the clocks for

Chippokes,

Pettigrew and Land's End to our BBAA website. I had asked Attilla

to make

them some time ago and since he never notified me (and there was

some rising

resentment about all the US usage) I assumed he didn't do it. Then

I noticed

the dots on the map in the article in S&T that I got today and

realized he

must have done it. So they are there now!

Ted

For all-the Sky here in Claremont is still covered at 2:00 am.
my scope is getting very hungry!!
Kelly

Mickey,

Have you seen the review of both the ETX 60 & 70 in the February 2003 p.72
of Astronomy magazine? It was a good review. I think it's a really neat
scope for the money. Yes, there is chromatic aberrations because it is,
after all, a short focal length refractor.

Beware of all those deep-sky objects logged in its database. You can even
link it to a database with 10,000 objects. Believe me, you won't know they
are there even if the object is centered in the eyepiece. 60mm or 70mm is
simply too small for serious deep sky work but on the planets, moon and
brighter objects it's a pretty cool scope.

I hope you get it working. Speaking of "working in manual mode", as you say,
I highly recommend the Edmund Astroscan. The price has been reduced by 1/2.
In my opinion it's almost as useful to a beginner or advanced amateur as a
pair of binoculars. Check it out:

www.scientificsonline.com

Kent Blackwell

Yesterday, 2/27/03 Rick, Matt, and I did a presentation to Indian
Lakes E. S. Science club. Here is the report of that event. To see
pictures, go to the "Photos" section of backbayastro and look for
the "Science Club" album.

Indian Lakes Science Club Event Report
2/27/2003


On a rainy Tuesday in February, the 27th to be exact, three BBAA
members converged on Indian Lakes Elementary School in Virginia Beach
to let the kids look at sunspots on the Sun. . . .

OK, they then went to "Plan B". Rick Bish, Matt McLaughlin, and
George Reynolds told the fifth graders of Ms. Bree Laverdiere's
Science Club a few things about astronomy. George talked about
telescopes, asteroids, comets, meteors, and some recent space
exploration missions of NASA. Matt explained the structure of the
Sun and stars, with some neat demonstrations using an air pump, a
balloon, and a volleyball. Rick explained the use of a planisphere
and passed out make-it-yourself planispheres so each student could
make his own "star finder".

Display tables were set up in the library of Indian Lakes Elementary
School, where the Science Club meets every two weeks, showing
magazines on astronomy, books about the Moon, Mars, and star-finding,
and pictures of the Sun, showing its structure, solar flares, and
sunspots. Each student received a wealth of literature, including
BBAA brochures, bookmarks about the Sun and Saturn, fact sheets about
the NEAR and Deep Impact space missions, "The Space Place" reference
cards, and a list of Internet sites to visit for more information.

Also on display were an 8-inch Dobsonian reflecting telescope and a
90-mm refractor, which the kids got to look at, if not through, to at
least see what they look like. Every child also received a
Constellation Chart, a Moon Map, and a Moon Phase Calendar,
compliments of the Chesapeake Planetarium and the BBAA.

Ms. Laverdiere took some photos of the club session, which have been
posted on the photo section of the Backbayastro Yahoo group.

A one-hour science club session was just not enough time to do more
than scratch the surface, but I hope we could whet the appetite of
some of those young students and fan the spark of enthusiasm for
science and astronomy knowledge.

George '3' Reynolds
JPL/NASA Solar System Ambassador

I just looked at my yard and it would probably be a mud fest. Also it
doesn't clear til after midnight and the best seeing is 2 hours
before dawn. Might be best for me to set up in my driveway for a
couple hours before dawn. Funny how those clocks changed so much
between this morning and now. Outside there are some blue spots but
still a lot of cloud.Must blow through later tonight.
Joe Piotrowski