USER OBSERVATIONS Last updated: 15 December 2002

Subject:	First results under the stars with my new ETX-70
Sent:	Friday, December 13, 2002 22:26:18
From:	warkowski@netcologne.de (Willi Warkowski)
some weeks ago i buy a ETX-70. Because of the lousy weather here in
Germany i can't evaluate the scopefor a long time.

But this week three wonderful, but very cold nights, give me the change
to test my ETX-70 under the stars. Observing conditions: a lot of
light-pollution, temperatures between -5 and -10 degrees Celsius (pretty
cold) eyepieces 40 mm Super-Plössl, 21 mm Harry Siebert Standard, 7 mm
Kasai-Ortho. I hunted down the following DSO's:

- h+X  (very nice!)
- M31 (not M32, nor M110)
- M45 (the right instrument for the Pleiades!)
- M34 (nice)
- M35 (very nice, especially with the Kasai)
- NGC663 (best with Kasai-Ortho)
- M103 (best with Kasai-Ortho)
- NGC457 (best with Kasai-Ortho)
- NGC654 (best with Kasai-Ortho)
- M36 (not so good, the reason is the light-pollution at this time in this direction)
- M37 (not so good, the reason is the light-pollution at this time in this direction)
- M38 (not so good, the reason is the light-pollution at this time in this
direction)
- M15 (surprisingly good with the Kasai)
- M2 (i found this globular with the GOTO immediately, but M2 was very near to the horizon)

In the used range of magnification i found no sign's of chromatic
aberration at DSO's. I checked it with Saturn and the Ortho - the ring
is clearly visible with dark between ring and planet - no chromatic
aberration. But this scope is not a scope for the planet's! A comment to
the Autostar - deep temperatures make this little computer very tired
:-)! I recognized a odd thing with the Autostar - every GOTO works
perfect, but  when i hunted in CAS (nearly at the zenit at this time)
the GOTO failed when i go from M103, NGC663 and the others to the
"opposite" side of the zenit M52). Any ideas, have one observed this
too?

Conclusions - a very fine little beauty. I love it. Forget the planet's,
go for the bright DSO's! To improve the usage of the scope i ordered the
book "Touring the Universe in Binoculars" (i think, the right guide for
the ETX) and a zoom-ep, because focusing with the ETX-70 is very
annoying (and i have a flexible shaft at the focuser).   Without such a
flexible shaft there is no way to changing and focusing a new ep near
the zenit.

Clear skies to all

Willi

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