Buy Sell & Swap at Star Camp.

[Dave47tuc]

Ok for those going to Snake Valley, :)

At our Buy Sell & Swap table who has what for sale and swap??

Books, Scopes, Eyepieces, Star Atlases !! :confuse3:

I'm up for any offers on things you know me :P

[mick pinner]

how about an ex display dob cart?

[davidpretorius]

me want:
diagonal finder
2 eyepieces high mag and low mag
focal reducer
dob wedge buggy

[Starkler]

Im hoping to swap my 7mm ortho for a 6mm :whistle:

[janoskiss]

I'm thinking of swapping my 19mm Panoptic for a 20mm SuperView (+ cash). Or how about a Nagler + Pan for a 12" Dob? I don't think my current Dob deserves such expensive EPs.

I wouldn't mind parting with my 60mm refractor.
I also have a very functional dob mount for a 4.5" Newt I don't use anymore. I was going to leave it at home but if anyone is interested I could squeeze it in the 'rolla. Would make a great kid's scope. Pity the Dork Smith 4.5" OTA I made it for is a shocker (the fixed spider and secondary mount is the main problem).

[janoskiss]

"diagonal finder": I can get you a metal detector. :P

"2 eyepieces high mag and low mag": You can have my 4mm series 500 Ploessl and 30mm Dork Smith Super Ploessl. The 30mm is actually quite a usable EP.

"focal reducer": A vice? A hammer?

"dob wedge buggy" :confuse2:

[Dave47tuc]

What about a 10" Dob with DSC :confuse2:

[janoskiss]

That doesn't sound bad either, Dave. But first I'm keen to hear what the experts have to say about my 8".

[ballaratdragons]

I should've called it BUY/SWAP/SELL/GIVE

Give me a Nagler and an EQ mount and a Laptop and a . . . .

[janoskiss]

I'd love to Ken, but I can't afford to be that generous. :P :D

[ballaratdragons]

But Steve, what if I said "pleeeeeeeezzzzz!!!!!" :o

[janoskiss]

Yes Ken, that might work if you were waving a wad of cash in my face at the same time.

[ballaratdragons]

I can do that. You don't get the wad of cash but I can wave it in your face!! :lol:

[ballaratdragons]

I'll swap my GS 12" Dobbie Deluxe personally autographed by John Dobson for an 8", 10" or 12" SCT or Schmidt/Newtonian on an EQ mount with GoTo & tracking!

[Dave47tuc]

I think your 8" will turn out just fine. As long as the mirrors are ok. :)

[Starkler]

I have a feeling some people will leave the camp much happier with their dobs than before they came :)

[janoskiss]

That would be a fair trade. The John Dobson signed big Dob would be a good long term investment; I'd guess its value will increase over time, if it's looked after and stored properly.

[janoskiss]

Expecting exactly this kind of reply is why I said it "might" work and not that it will work. :rofl: :D

[asimov]

I'll probably be chaining myself to a tree or something while this trade/sell/swap is on. resist....RESIST!! :scared:

[Stu]

What about the Vendors Stalls?
Who will be there? Bintel?

[davidpretorius]

yup colllimation & diffraction rings!!!!

[ballaratdragons]

They were all invited. Haven't heard back from any of them!

Vendors (scope shops, astro accessory dealers etc) are more than welcome to come sell their wares.

[janoskiss]

Geoff, you were certainly right about that. :thumbsup:

I learnt some of the intricacies of collimation, and that not everyone does it the same way (Xtreme John & Wombat Darren vs Dave 47Tuc) but the end result is the same.

Also learnt from Bird about the importance of thermal equilibrium. Saw it on his laptop screen how much difference 1/2--1 degree celsius can make, esp in good seeing. Then also saw the same thing in my Dob. At high magnifications, the image breaks down completely from a slight but sudden change in ambient temperature. At lower mag, the effect is not so dramatic but certainly obvious with less definition. I often blamed my scope for these temperature induced aberrations. I always considered my scope well cooled after 1/2 hour outside, but apparently not so unless ambient has been constant for at least 1/2 hour. Thanks Bird!

Got a perspective on what top-end eyepieces can and can't do and how lower end EPs compare. After Monday nights viewing I've really grown fond of my 13mm Nagler, and the 19mm Panoptic is not too shabby either.

But I was particularly impressed with the Meade Series 5000 Plossls. I tried 2 or 3 of them, including the shortest focal length 5.5mm. Thanks Stu! They have a wide enough field of view at 60 degrees, so unlike with regular plossls, you don't cringe when going back to them after looking through high-end wides and ultra-wides, and they have more comfortable eye relief (than normal plossls). At $145 a pop these seem great value to me. Great way to treat regular plossl 50-degree FOV claustrophobia, without having to fork out the big $ for top-end EPs. But a word of CAUTION: I did only have a brief look through them so don't go out buying some just because of this post. Check them out yourself or at least get better informed opinion than mine.

And BTW, I don't think anything was bought or sold at Star Camp. :P

[danielsun]

YES I'M FINALLY REGISTERED! (thanks mike) I just have to say that that was the best weekend i've had for a while .I met a great bunch of people, many thanks to everyone and a top job to all those who orginised it Ken, Dave, John, mike and all others that put in. There was something happening every minute of the day so it was impossible to be bored . I hope everyone got home o.k. considering some of the distances some people travelled and thanks to bird for tweaking my scope, not snoring and being a good room mate!! it was great to put faces to all the names i had been reading leading up to the camp and i cant wait for the next one.:)

[davidpretorius]

hey mate, welcome!!!!!

[ballaratdragons]

Yay Daniel!!!! Welcome to being registered. :P