Looking for some telescope geeks!

[rasp]

Thanks, Rasp. If the kid continues to be good, I'll get him the more expensive one.

Is there a short answer on why one is more expensive? The focal length, quality, both, or additional feature(s)?

they both will give you good views of the night sky. the reason the one is more expensive is that it is a refractor type scope (ie. more precision ground glass) it has a shorter focal length giving a wider field of view than the other scope. the other part of the cost is that it comes with an Equatorial mount which can allow one to follow the sky a bit more easy.

[rasp]

Doesn't Mary MAKE telescopes?

OH Gosh No! I have thought about building one for years. Maybe after I "finish" the TD...lol

That's a good deal on the SkyQuest XT6 Classic with Bonus Accessory Pack. Bonus pack is nice. Trust me, you will like the right angle finder scope, less neck achs.

Rasp, what is the Lasermate Collimator? Thanks,

Mk

here's a quick and inexpensive one you can make
http://www.eclipse.net/~omalleyj/kids_ref.html

[rasp]

thought i would throw out one more link that could help one decide on a scope. this one gives quite a few reviews on different scopes.

http://www.scopereviews.com/

[sdtripper2]

Rasp:

Looks Like Ed Ting has got a telescope thing~
Or as some could say a "Jones"~
Reminds me in this picture of how some here talk of making another build
before the first build isn't done yet. This Ed Ting fellow reminds me of those
here that have a few trailers ... for any outing. Usually the eyes are a dead
giveaway to the Jones on their back that has grasped their compulsion.
Their wallets soon follow with wives and rolling pins flailing frantically in an
hopeless attempt to stop the obsession.

Thought i would throw out one more link that could help one
decide on a scope. this one gives quite a few reviews on different scopes.

http://www.scopereviews.com/

[rasp]

there are some like that in any kind of hobby.

[bledsoe3]

Rasp:

Looks Like Ed Ting has got a telescope thing~
Or as some could say a "Jones"~
Reminds me in this picture of how some here talk of making another build
before the first build isn't done yet. This Ed Ting fellow reminds me of those
here that have a few trailers ... for any outing. Usually the eyes are a dead
giveaway to the Jones on their back that has grasped their compulsion.
Their wallets soon follow with wives and rolling pins flailing frantically in an
hopeless attempt to stop the obsession.

Thought i would throw out one more link that could help one
decide on a scope. this one gives quite a few reviews on different scopes.

http://www.scopereviews.com/

I think he's just checking out the neighbors wife.

[sdtripper2]

Jim:

If you read the article he sure likes his l@@k See lenses.

Look at this one.



More on the rig above here click link> Mag 1 Instruments 8" Portaball

[Archer_1]

Elmo and others,

If you're looking for a good scope that lets you see stuff, a small Dobsonian is probably your best bang for the buck. I have a 10" F-8 Dob that I built about 8 years ago, using a primary mirror and eliptical flat that I bought from Orion. The rest of the materials was mostly plywood and a 12" dia. sonotube. Build time was over a weekend; pretty straightforward. Plans are available for free on the net.

Someone asked what a "laser collimater" was. A collimater is an optical tool that you use to get your optics correctly aligned within the telescope. This lets the 'scope do its job at an optimal performance level. I have a simple optical collimater which works very well; I can't say how much advantage a laser setup would give you. Both the laser and optical versions are available from Orion and are highly recommended for anyone owning a dobsonian (or any Newtonian-design) telescope.

One other recommendation I would make for a *great* starter scope is the Edmond Astroscan. This is a 4.5" short focal length newtonian design that looks for all the world like its been shoved into a bowling ball. I bought my first on back in 1982 and its still going strong. This little guy is all but indestructable (I've tried. ) and the best "toss in the back seat and go" scope I've ever owned. You just plunk the tripod stand it comes with down on a flat surface, pull off the lens cover and start observing. All the optics are sealed and hard mounted, so it never needs alignment (see collimater, above). If you want a scope for casual observing while on a camping trip, its the first one I'd recommend.

[elmo]

Thanks for all the great info! I knew I could count on everyone here!

[Ira]

Arch, thanks for that recommendation on the Astrocan. That hard-mounting thingy thing seems like a good feature.

I saw it at Edmund Scientific for $199--just the scope. $399 with the tripod, 2.5 lens, case, something that will keep the sun from burning your eyes out, one or two other things.

Those are the prices you would expect to find everywhere, right?

[Archer_1]

Pretty much. You might want to try E-bay as well.

I'd look long and hard before plunking the extra bucks for that other package. Based on my usage, you'd use the tripod rarely (the design of the Astroscan actually makes it a bit unweildy with a tripod, IMHO. You're better off on a tabletop or even the hood of your car.), 2.5 Barlow lenses are cheap, and the scope is durable enough that you really don't need a case. Solar oberving rigs are easy to make (if you're in to that). I'd use the money on a couple of additional lenses and/or a TelRad pointing tool.

A TelRad is a little jobby that mounts to the barrel and is *much* easier to use than a spotting scope to get something like a Dobsonian or Astroscan pointed accurately at what you want to observe. What it does is reflect a set of concentric rings on the sky in the direction the scope is currently pointing, similar in effect to a HUD. Drop the object you want to see, say M41, in the center ring and you should have it in the main veiwer of the scope. Wonderful tool!

[mwolford]

Here are some pictures that somebody has posted from a star party in Kentucky a week ago.
[/url] http://astrogeek.org/Albums/TwinLakesStarParty2006[url]

I usually tell people to start out with a decent pair of 7 X 50 binoculars and a planisphere. There is a LOT that can be learned (and seen) with these simple tools. Not that much money is spent, so if the astronomy hobby isn't for you --- there hasn't been that much cash outlay and you still have a nice pair of binoculars.

After that, since you already know the night sky --- and (of course) have joined the local club and taken the time to observe through other members telescopes --- you can now make an intelligent choice as to what type of telescope to purchase. GOOD telescopes cost money. The first rule is to totally ignore ANY packages that advertise telescopes by power. (Remember the binoculars?) Power ability has very little to do with astonomy. A top of the line telescope will do well to produce 50 X per inch of aperture. Anything over this is "empty magnification". Even when telescopes can produce more, atmospheric conditions usually prevent it's use.

So, I imagine all of that will confuse things for a while --- now, back to my corner!!!

Mike Wolford
In rainy Indiana

[Tim & Lori]

Try Astromart.com It's a great place to buy or sell just about anything to do with Astronomy. Also, There's a great book by Phillip Harrington-I think it's titled SkyWare. Takes you right from square one basics. Hope this helps a little-enjoy!

[sunny16]

I've built two telescopes over the years. Like Archer, I built a Dobsonian 8" f/6 out of nice plywood and a 10" Sonotube. Back then I couldn't believe how easy it was to build your own. (Kind of like a Teardrop Trailer!) And then I got tired of hauling the big one (48" long and would just fit in my car) so after I saw a pic of a bowling ball telescope I built one of those. A 4.5" mirror and about 18" long. Now too hard to build either. I will try to get some pics and post them. But like others have said, one can get a nice pair of binoculars and see many deep sky object that way without spending lots of money.

[elmo]

Just a quick update!

This was the winner....

http://www.hometrainingtools.com/catalo ... lxt08.html

Thanks for all the input and help!

Elmer