| Fred Rayworth
Email Author | | My name is Fred Rayworth and I have been into astronomy since 1957. However, I never got a telescope until 1966 when my parents bought me a Sears 60mm refractor on an altaz mount. I soon was not happy with the performance, and decided since I couldn’t afford a larger commercial scope, I’d just build one. I started grinding and polishing my first 8” mirror as a sophomore at Palmdale High School in Calee’ fornia. Since then, I’ve built up to the 16” f/6.4 reflector that I used until last year when I purchased the first commercial I’ve ever owned (except that Sears refractor, which I still have, by the way). In 1982, I started logging my observations and in the 90’s when I learned Microsoft Access, I created a database and transferred all of my stuff to the computer. I have now identified over 1100 objects, and have logged over 3500 individual observations, all indexed and pretty too.
|
| | Meade LightBridge 16"
[User Review] | 11/12/09 | by Fred Rayworth
| | | | | The scope comes in three major pieces, plus the truss tubes. You have the base, the mirror cage, and upper cage. I had first guessed it would all fit in a . . . |
|
| | Baader Hyperion 15mm and 8mm Oculars
[User Review] | 12/14/09 | by Fred Rayworth
| | | | | As many of you may already know, I am not a fan of high-end eyepieces. I find that the supposed bang you get is not worth the . . . |
|
| | Meade Laser Collimation Tool
[User Review] | 12/15/09 | by Fred Rayworth
| | | | | When I plugged it in, I couldn't get the dot into the diagonal, let alone, center it. I eyeballed my alignment beforehand and when I plugged in the laser, . . . |
|
| | Cambridge Double Star Atlas
[User Review] | 01/06/10 | by Fred Rayworth
| | | | | The book is well organized, has listings for over 2000 double stars, and includes all the Struve numbers. Every double star listed is highlighted in green . . . |
|
| | Orion Q-70 Eyepiece Set
[User Review] | 01/06/10 | by Fred Rayworth
| | | | | I got the whole Q-70 set for Christmas in 2007. I have had a chance to put them through their paces on many occasions in 2008 and 2009 and have learned the. . . |
|
| | Observing Handbook and Catalogue of Deep-Sky Objects
[User Review] | 04/02/10 | by Fred Rayworth
| | | | | I'm a hard-core observer and love nothing better than a good reference book with information that is relevant to my goals. Since my friend Roger and I star. . . |
|
| | Software: Meagastar
[User Review] | 04/02/10 | by Fred Rayworth
| | | | | I love this program. It not only has almost every object I could possibly see with my 16” scope, it has ways to select them and. . . |
|
|
|
|
