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Date: 15 May 2007 19:38:56
From: yo
Subject: What's the first telescope you would have bought?
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What's the first telescope you would have bought and why if you had to do it
all over again?
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Date: 16 May 2007 08:42:29
From: Steve Paul
Subject: Re: What's the first telescope you would have bought?
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"yo" <yo@gamma.com > wrote in message
news:Svr2i.119955$dk1.419797@weber.videotron.net...
> What's the first telescope you would have bought and why if you had to do
> it
> all over again?
>
I'll bite.
My first scope was a gift. A 70mm atalzimuth refractor from Home Shopping
Network, god bless her heart.
I used it for a couple of weeks and then sent it back before the return
period was up. I then did some shopping around on my own and ended up with
the Tasco version of the Nexstar 4 from JC Penney. A week later I added an
N4 tripod, and swapped out the MA eyepieces for a 13mm and 32mm Celestron
Nexstar Plossl and an Ultima barlow.
I consider the N4 clone my first telescope. I learned a lot, including how
to use The Sky software to plan observing sessions, how to setup and use a
GoTo system, and how 4 inches of aperture is quite limited for planetary
viewing and for deep sky, and how the narrow field design of a Catadioptric
scope isn't very good for wide field viewing. :-)
In the end, definitely not a great choice for a starter scope if you're
looking to do some serious observing off the starting line, but I don't
regret the experience. I would like to have recouped all the money I spent
around that scope though. When it sold, I got very little for it, and the
tripod got damaged with it's cheap plastic leg tops where they connected to
the top plate. It's in my basement in pieces.
My alternate choice back then would have been to go ahead and spend the
money on a Nexstar 8GPS. There's a high likelihood that I'd still own it. I
shouldn't have short changed myself.
Later on I did get a C8 (Ultima), which in fact was quite satisfactory for
aperture both on planets and deep sky. I got the Ultima because it was
inexpensive, used in great condition, and a local private sale. It was also
astro-imaging capable, an avenue I explored with both a webcam for planets
and a Starlight Xpress MX5 for deep sky.
That lead me down the path of the dark side and into a lot of expense in
scopes, mounts, and cameras. Fortunately by then I had learned enough to do
my experimentation with used equipment, which I could buy and sell on
Astromart for close to the same price, and so not lose my shirt.
In return, I gained a lot of experience with imaging, a pursuit I later gave
up due to the cost per hour of usage given the deteriorating local sky
conditions (the past few years have seen more (too many) cloudy nights, than
when I first started out).
I sold it all and bought a well cared for, used Harley Davidson, which I
ride most everyday, rain or shine, cold weather or warm. Definitely getting
more use out of it than I did the imaging gear, and it gets me to work and
back.
Sooo, if I were to start over now, which basically I am, I'd be looking at
(and I am looking at), getting an 8" F6 or F7 Dobsonian. The reason I'd want
the F7, or even an F8, is the increased coma free area for high power
viewing, and the decreased criticality of spot on collimation. The slight
loss in field of view wouldn't be a huge hardship, given that I have 48 year
old eyes with astigmatism at large exit pupils. A degree and a half to
three-quarters is good enough for me at the low end.
For really wide field I have a 400mm focal length 66mm ED doublet refractor
which is also awsome for plopping down in the back yard on its lightweight
altazimuth mount at a moment's notice. Although I use it mostly to observe
the moon.
I also have a 6" F5 EQ Newtonian (w/1.25" focuser) that I use for a bit more
aperture with wide field and planetary viewing. Although it does the former
better than the latter, the planetary views aren't too terrible, especially
considering that more often than not, the local seeing is the limiting
factor, not supporting more than 180x or so on most nights. This is the
scope I would sell, after buying the 8" F7 with 2" focuser.
Interestingly enough, when I was first starting out, but only after I bought
the N4 clone, I found SAA and the most recommended starter scope back then
was an 8" F6 Dobsonian.
Go figure.
-Steve Paul
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Date: 16 May 2007 03:17:42
From: Davoud
Subject: Re: What's the first telescope you would have bought?
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yo wrote:
> What's the first telescope you would have bought and why if you had to do it
> all over again?
I would buy would have bought back in 1982: a Questar Duplex. I was
living overseas and traveling by air a great deal. There was no other
choice; at that time the Q was the only telescope available at any
price that would fit under an airline seat with its equatorial mount.
I still have the Q, of course, and, given the same circumstances, I
would buy it again.
David
--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com
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Date: 15 May 2007 22:27:45
From: Alan French
Subject: Re: What's the first telescope you would have bought?
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"yo" <yo@gamma.com > wrote in message
news:Svr2i.119955$dk1.419797@weber.videotron.net...
> What's the first telescope you would have bought and why if you had to do
it
> all over again?
The first telescope I purchased was a 60mm Unitron altazimuth. Had I to do
it all over again back then, I would have bought the Dynascope RV-6. The
aperture of the Unitron was far too limiting for someone with an interest in
the planets. They did have very enticing advertising for my young,
uninformed self, however.
Clear skies, Alan
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Date: 15 May 2007 19:18:26
From: Mark D
Subject: Re: What's the first telescope you would have bought?
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The first "real" Telescope that I "wish I had bought", was a Celestron
C-11 from the late Roger Tuthill back in the early 80's.
I ultimately decided on a fully loaded Super C-8 Plus instead from him,
with Byers Drive, Digital Setting Circles, Cordless Drive, and Drive
Corrector (The Integral Tuthill Star Trap Drive) Adjustable Wedgeless
Isostatic Mount, a No Du Dew Cap, Solar Screen Filter, and a slew of
Televue Acessories.
The total of that Bill of Sale in 1985, was $2900.
I kicked myself for NOT going with the C-11, and then adding the
acessories as I went.
A very nice scope which performed flawlessly, but, the C-8 always left
me wanting, and never fullfilled either my Planetary, nor Deep Sky
observations.
Six years ago, I "cured that old itch", with a Grey Tube Fastar C-14 and
AP1200GTO Mount (Also a couple of nice Refractors along the way too)!)
;-) Mark
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Date: 15 May 2007 17:27:42
From: Starlord
Subject: Re: What's the first telescope you would have bought?
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The First telescope I DID buy was an Orion 12.5inch f4.8 dob and I wish I
still had it. But as it is I have 3 dobs I use now.
--
The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
AD World
http://www.adworld.netfirms.com/
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