It isn't that hard when you get down to it. Granted it's not that easy to understand everything at first, and there are some quirks but old x86 which we had to learn for a course in university is quite usable. You can actually create functions and use the call syntax on them to make it more readable. Don't get me wrong, he is bloody mad man still, but it is a lot simpler than some people think as long as long you don't try to write it like an actual programming language, but keep in mind the limitations, it can be quite fun.
@@U_Geek I wonder what cpu he was programming. A 6502 or Z80 may have been sufficient for his needs. They have a relatively small instruction set. Maybe he used a RPi. Would be interesting. I would love to see more detail about these builds. Circa 1966, I built my first 2 telescopes following blueprints in a telescope building book published by Edmund Scientific. The equatorial mount was made from pipe fittings!
@mike_98058 Oh wow that is so cool. I'm also building my own motorized equatorial mount. Mine is programmed in c++/c#, but I too would so love to see a bit more detail on his electronics. The most complex stuff I've programmed in asm was a basic 2D tron game for an emulated early intel x86 cpu, but wlthat was such a cool experience and it was shockingly easy, sure I did have to put comments after every line and look up the specific program codes to call to interact with the system instead of just calling a function, but it was so interesting and fun.
I also DIY my own stuff...not to this level but the goto mount. This man is an inspiration, I would have never thought of using old broken hokey stick as tripod legs.
OMG ! I never thought of over/under !! I have built many binoculars , Never could go past 52mm objectives because of my inter pupil spacing limit . Thank You both !
This is absolutely amazing. I especially like the idea of using hockey sticks as tripod legs! I am sure he invests a great deal of time in order to make these telescopes.
Receiving a bespoke telescope that was named for you is like Edward Elgar dedicating each of his enigma variations after people he knew and loved. Many people may listen to that piece of music or use that telescope, but you were its muse. That’s unique and touching.
So glad Jerry's S&T article inspired a beautiful binocular! Frank Szczepanski designed the binoculars featured in that article. Mel Bartels has published a lot of photos of Frank's 100% unique binocular designs.
Thats Quiet Extraordinary👀Always Appreciate Your Video’s Whether Amazing Music,Or Astro,Thank You For Sharing Your Clubs Members,And Their Incredible Skills❤️🙏🏻🔭✨
I washed and dried dogs and cats for two years to save up and buy a Meade 826C 8 inch telescope back in the early 80s. But I didn’t turn into a mad scientist. Great video! Thank you for sharing.
Binoviewers unavoidably produce dimmer surface brightness than independent telescopes, regardless of their size or focal ratio. This is a consequence of the fact that a telescope (used visually) cannot actually create an image any brighter than that viewed by the naked eye; it can only (at best) produce a _magnified_ image with the same apparent surface brightness as naked-eye viewing. The binoviewer cuts this light in half (makes it dimmer) without changing the pupils, so each eye sees a less bright image. For this reason, binoculars (or binocular scopes like this) are a better choice if you can manage to deal with the mechanics and ergonomics of getting two separate optical trains aligned and correctly pointed into your eyeballs.
Question for Ed or anyone who knows, I’ve got an 8inch Celestron Nexstar on a motorized single fork tripod (basically the same as newer models in the same line from what I can tell) from 1999, gifted by my great uncle. it’s very cool but it’s just plain complicated to use and im considering buying a new telescope like the 8 inch dobsonian this guy recommends all the time. But I realized I’d just essentially be buying the same telescope if I went with an 8 inch, just on a less convenient table top tripod, and no motor control. But at the same time, I just don’t know if it’s worth committing the time to learning this relic of a telescope if it maybe has damage cause it’s so old, which I’m afraid to assess at the risk of causing damage while doing so. So I don’t really know if I want to go for a new motorized one, or a larger dobsonian, or just stick with this fossil. Any tips would be appreciated.
If you have the original grey-tubed NexStar 8i, those mounts were not very good. The newer se and Evo versions are much better. You can still try using it. My usual advice on older goto scope is to de-fork the OTA and put it on a better mount, but they grey-tubed versions were difficult to remove. Hope this helps.
@ It is the original grey tube. Any particular mount you would recommend if I’m able to get it off? I was working with it for about 2 hours earlier, figuring put alignment and what not so probably won’t replace the whole scope. But do you know if it would be at all possible to find an original red dot finder for the scope if my uncle doesn’t have it anymore. When he gave us the scope it wasn’t attached, and it’s not in the lens case either so I can only assume he doesn’t have it. The mount on the OT is some proprietary double slit type rail that has been changed for newer models so would it be reasonable to just buy a new one, and somehow a-fix it level to the side?
You're going to need personalized help, whether you defork the OTA or not. Is there an astronomy club near you? These are just the beginnings of your questions and this is hard to do through this kind of messaging.
"wrote the autoguider in assembly" Holy effing crap. The way he casually tosses off that kind of ordeal is astonishing. What kind of madman are we dealing with?
Hi Ed, love your videos! Could you do a review of the celestron omni 102? I got it at a bargain recently at just 60 bucks, recommended by the LearnToStargaze channel, I'd love to know your take on it. Also quick question for you or anyone who knows. There also seem to be 2 versions of this scope: the omni 102, and the omni XLT 102 with better coatings supposedly. I have the former, would that make a difference while observing?
I find building stuff FAR more enjoyable than working to make money to buy it. Even though I had a kool job. And half what we build you obviously can't buy 😊
Please, please don't let this be the only time you interview Joe. I, for one, would love to see more of his creations!
Very much agree. Inspirational to other atm'ers out here.
DID HE SAY ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE PROGRAMMING!?? This guy's definitely a mad scientist! Props to Ed for doing this awesome interview!
I was surprised too when I heard that.
It isn't that hard when you get down to it. Granted it's not that easy to understand everything at first, and there are some quirks but old x86 which we had to learn for a course in university is quite usable. You can actually create functions and use the call syntax on them to make it more readable. Don't get me wrong, he is bloody mad man still, but it is a lot simpler than some people think as long as long you don't try to write it like an actual programming language, but keep in mind the limitations, it can be quite fun.
@@U_Geek I wonder what cpu he was programming. A 6502 or Z80 may have been sufficient for his needs. They have a relatively small instruction set. Maybe he used a RPi. Would be interesting. I would love to see more detail about these builds. Circa 1966, I built my first 2 telescopes following blueprints in a telescope building book published by Edmund Scientific. The equatorial mount was made from pipe fittings!
@mike_98058 Oh wow that is so cool. I'm also building my own motorized equatorial mount. Mine is programmed in c++/c#, but I too would so love to see a bit more detail on his electronics. The most complex stuff I've programmed in asm was a basic 2D tron game for an emulated early intel x86 cpu, but wlthat was such a cool experience and it was shockingly easy, sure I did have to put comments after every line and look up the specific program codes to call to interact with the system instead of just calling a function, but it was so interesting and fun.
I love the hockey stick mount. Everyone needs a mad scientist like him. Thank you, Ed.
I wonder if old skis would work though they are quite a bit wider.
Ed, I would watch every episode of The Mad Scientists Club, if you made more of these. This was a delight to watch.
Another great Sunday when Ed Ting posts a video.
I couldn't stop smiling while watching the mad scientist showing us his creations 😅
Thanks, Ed! Thanks, Joe, for being who you are! 👍👍
This was so cool to see, that binocular telescope blew my mind. Thanks for sharing, Joe!
I also DIY my own stuff...not to this level but the goto mount. This man is an inspiration, I would have never thought of using old broken hokey stick as tripod legs.
So cool to get out and show case a local "mad scientist" and his work. Share my thanks!
Truly amazing. The love for astronomy is certainly evident in these beautiful creations. Bravo!
If I was going to Mars Joe would be my first officer. It's like the Ingalls' telescope making books come live. Very enjoyable Ed put more video's up.
Dude knows his stuff! Love it!
How amazing and delightful is Joe! Thanks for setting up this interview.
Awesome! These innovations are dreams come true. It must be sooo satisfying to use them!
Thank you both! Very awsome astro stuff! I am impressed! 👍😎
Wow. Very interesting and very impressive. Thank you
Those binos are awe inspiring. I was focused on them for almost half the video.
OMG ! I never thought of over/under !! I have built many binoculars , Never could go past 52mm objectives because of my inter pupil spacing limit . Thank You both !
Very cool! I think we can all appreciate someone putting so much time and effort into their passion!
Cool video Ed, very interesting. Joe has some real skill and passion with his telescope making!
awesome. Thanks Ed and thanks Joe for sharing with us all.
Amazing, what a guy!
This is absolutely amazing. I especially like the idea of using hockey sticks as tripod legs! I am sure he invests a great deal of time in order to make these telescopes.
Awesome interview and demonstrations.
Very cool. Thanks Joe and Ed.
Great stuff Joe and Ed!❤
Not a lot of these engineers out there, enjoyed the interview!
Receiving a bespoke telescope that was named for you is like Edward Elgar dedicating each of his enigma variations after people he knew and loved. Many people may listen to that piece of music or use that telescope, but you were its muse. That’s unique and touching.
What an amazing man! Fantastic, thanks for sharing his story!
My thoughts in one word...… "Fascinating"
Great interview.
So glad Jerry's S&T article inspired a beautiful binocular! Frank Szczepanski designed the binoculars featured in that article. Mel Bartels has published a lot of photos of Frank's 100% unique binocular designs.
Thats Quiet Extraordinary👀Always Appreciate Your Video’s Whether Amazing Music,Or Astro,Thank You For Sharing Your Clubs Members,And Their Incredible Skills❤️🙏🏻🔭✨
All jokes aside, I really wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of this guy!
That guy is a living legend 🤠
I washed and dried dogs and cats for two years to save up and buy a Meade 826C 8 inch telescope back in the early 80s. But I didn’t turn into a mad scientist. Great video! Thank you for sharing.
Binoviewers unavoidably produce dimmer surface brightness than independent telescopes, regardless of their size or focal ratio. This is a consequence of the fact that a telescope (used visually) cannot actually create an image any brighter than that viewed by the naked eye; it can only (at best) produce a _magnified_ image with the same apparent surface brightness as naked-eye viewing. The binoviewer cuts this light in half (makes it dimmer) without changing the pupils, so each eye sees a less bright image.
For this reason, binoculars (or binocular scopes like this) are a better choice if you can manage to deal with the mechanics and ergonomics of getting two separate optical trains aligned and correctly pointed into your eyeballs.
That could have gone on for a while longer. Can't wait for chapter two.
This guy is intense, a mad scientist!
Amazing thanks Joe!
I saw Joe's over-under bino at Stellafane this year, where it won first prize in the maker's competition!
Ed, Amazing video! I love the way Joe tosses away "I wrote the guider in assembly language". Umm, wow.
Inspiring!
cool polisher
Question for Ed or anyone who knows, I’ve got an 8inch Celestron Nexstar on a motorized single fork tripod (basically the same as newer models in the same line from what I can tell) from 1999, gifted by my great uncle. it’s very cool but it’s just plain complicated to use and im considering buying a new telescope like the 8 inch dobsonian this guy recommends all the time. But I realized I’d just essentially be buying the same telescope if I went with an 8 inch, just on a less convenient table top tripod, and no motor control. But at the same time, I just don’t know if it’s worth committing the time to learning this relic of a telescope if it maybe has damage cause it’s so old, which I’m afraid to assess at the risk of causing damage while doing so. So I don’t really know if I want to go for a new motorized one, or a larger dobsonian, or just stick with this fossil. Any tips would be appreciated.
If you have the original grey-tubed NexStar 8i, those mounts were not very good. The newer se and Evo versions are much better. You can still try using it. My usual advice on older goto scope is to de-fork the OTA and put it on a better mount, but they grey-tubed versions were difficult to remove. Hope this helps.
@ It is the original grey tube. Any particular mount you would recommend if I’m able to get it off? I was working with it for about 2 hours earlier, figuring put alignment and what not so probably won’t replace the whole scope. But do you know if it would be at all possible to find an original red dot finder for the scope if my uncle doesn’t have it anymore. When he gave us the scope it wasn’t attached, and it’s not in the lens case either so I can only assume he doesn’t have it. The mount on the OT is some proprietary double slit type rail that has been changed for newer models so would it be reasonable to just buy a new one, and somehow a-fix it level to the side?
You're going to need personalized help, whether you defork the OTA or not. Is there an astronomy club near you? These are just the beginnings of your questions and this is hard to do through this kind of messaging.
@ alright, appreciate it!
He's cool!
great stuff!
Tremendous.
Wow... this is truly inspiring!!
The hockey stick legs are brilliant - free carbon fiber legs!
i believe working with your hands is the best mental therapy.
How cool is that, Nice
Wow how cool is that
well your club named this guy appropriately, if there was ever a telescope mad scientist this is the guy
Cool over under DIY AnalogSky Heart
"wrote the autoguider in assembly"
Holy effing crap. The way he casually tosses off that kind of ordeal is astonishing. What kind of madman are we dealing with?
I need to get into this club they’re in. Might learn something
Hi Ed, love your videos! Could you do a review of the celestron omni 102? I got it at a bargain recently at just 60 bucks, recommended by the LearnToStargaze channel, I'd love to know your take on it.
Also quick question for you or anyone who knows. There also seem to be 2 versions of this scope: the omni 102, and the omni XLT 102 with better coatings supposedly. I have the former, would that make a difference while observing?
Those Chinese sourced C102s have been around for at least 25 years in various forms. Most of the ones I've seen are decent value for the money.
@edting thanks Ed. Do you know if the celestron XLT coatings make a difference?
Well....I feel dumber! But great video. Very interesting.
He is not 'mad'... He is 'eccentric'... 😮😉
Neat.
"What are you going to do next, Joe?"
"Same thing we always do Ed..... Try to take over the world..."
I wouldn't call that guy mad, I'd call him a genius!
Good thing Joe didn't call his polishing machine The Apparatus. That would have been too Kafkaesque.
Duuude you need to update your under video links!
8:15 did he just say F1.5 refractors?
F four and a half.x
that seems more reasonable haha, thanks!
I think he said F4.5
I find building stuff FAR more enjoyable than working to make money to buy it. Even though I had a kool job.
And half what we build you obviously can't buy 😊
Some of us were born with intelligence.
Something tells me his IQ is quite high.