Match a Scope to Your Persona! Which Type Are You??
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- Опубликовано: 30 июн 2024
- Match a scope to your persona! There's the "Cover All Your Bases" guy, "The Student", "The Luddite," and many more!
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I know a category of "Impatient Astronomer" is a self-contradiction, but I'll be there are others like me out there. I have two setups that take two or three minutes tops to go from storage to observing. As well, my most tricked out setup weighs twenty pounds. In other words, pick it up, set it up on the sidewalk outside, pull the lens caps, and go - philosophically kind of like your trusty eight-inch Dob but at one third the weight. That would be an Orion Apex 102 mm Maksutov on a Vixen Porta II, with both a RACI finder and a red dot finder. The two finders are helpful because the Mak has such a long focal length that a red dot alone usually is not enough to zero in on my target sufficiently. Good for planetary, lunar, splitting doublets and such, and just awful for DSOs because of the aperture. I also view rocket launches (I live 35 miles west of Cape Canaveral) and the Mak/Vixen combo works superbly for that. My second setup is the trusty Orion Short Tube 80 refractor, and on a carbon fiber tripod, it weighs under 10 pounds, literally a one hand grab and go. Wonderful for lunar. Note no motors, electronics, so maybe I'm a Luddite (though I do use batteries), but call me lazy too.
Picked up a 6" dob yesterday for only $200 after almost 2 years of using a pair of Celestron 7x50 binoculars . Couldn't be happier with the light per dollar ratio I've managed to achieve!
Ed, you are some times too funny. "Yeah, let's get the telescope no one knows what it is with the mount no one can operate."
I would describe myself as a 'semi-luddite'. Today I bought my very first telescope for me and my 11 year old grandson to learn on. After seeing most of your videos, I decided on a 10" dob. And no, I didn't go ape s**t on all kinds of glass. I am sticking to what comes with the pkg I bought until I learn what I like, or don't like. I'm in my 70's and my tastes aren't what I would call 'extravagant'. My grandson has expressed an interest in astronomy, and I have always been interested, but never did anything about it. I did some research and there is a club here in the valley I live in and when I take delivery of my purchase, I will see what's what with that club. Any way Ed, I really want to thank you for rekindling my interest in this hobby. I'm sure my grandson and I will spend many hours looking up through the glass and enjoy the wonders of our universe for as long as I have left to be here. Thank you my friend.
Really celebrating when a new Ed video comes. So much so entertainingly presented.
My "three to rule'em all" collection is already decided 😍😂
- for widefield: ES ED80 F6 classic
- for semi-close ins: 10" F4 reflector (from skywatcher, Bresser, TS-Optics...)
- telephoto, close-ins, planetary: Celestron Edge HD 9,25 (ah well, maybe the 8" will do it...)
- EQ6-R mount, no compromises there.
I actually own the first refractor only, and the mount. But I have my mind already made up for the two others, having a close look on the used market.
And yes, astrophotographer persona here fiddling around with Ascom, ZWO EAF, Phd2 Guiding, countless Nina beta updates, hocus focus plugin, lost wifi connections, stellaris killing the windows remote desktop session and all the other wonderfully masochistic types of technical imperfections just to get a couple of hours of integration.
Wanna join the frustration tolerance Bootcamp? 😂❤️
For the “too cool for the room guy” I’d recommend the sphincter mount over the sphinx mount. Great video but I would have added an old fart category for someone like me who doesn’t like to cary stuff.
Sphincter puckers when carrying out big dob
#5: For a really unique telescope design consider a "Schiefspiegler" (Anton Kutter design). The mirrors are intentionally tilted to allow for obstruction-free viewing (giving the scope its German name and unique look), the focal lengths are out there by today's standards (f/25-ish) and collimation is a challenge to say the least. But supposedly they are really great for planetary and lunar observing. There's an ATM community around these (at least in W-Eur) and there was some commercialization by Lichtenknecker Optics and AOK. Definitely a scope that will turn heads.
Great video Ed - I chuckled at several points because I can relate to most of them. About twenty years ago, I started really getting into amateur astronomy. I joined a local club and did a lot of volunteering at public and outreach events. At the peak of my astro-obsession, I had a Takahashi FS102 refractor on a Tak mount and an 8" Dobsonian made by a close friend (he purchased a Pegasus mirror, but everything else about it was handmade). I also had a Celestron AZ102 short tube refractor that was fun to set up in the backyard for quick views of stuff.
I no longer have any of these items. I sold them because my work schedule does not allow for me to be up very late, especially during summer when nights are short here in the Midwest. I do, however, still have my binoculars - a pair of Nikon 7x35s (which are really old but in great shape) and a pair of Orion 7x50s. I take both of these with me whenever I'm on vacation. I learned years ago that the best telescope for anyone is one they'll actually use. I use my binoculars way more than I ever used any of those telescopes. I have friends who have entire observatories in their backyards, but they are all retired. When (if) I eventually retire, I would love to get a large (5-6") apo refractor on a super high quality mount. For me, the views in a large, quality refractor are second to none. We'll have to see what's magical and affordable at that point in my life.
Always enjoy your great videos Ed. Thank you very much!
That was a very useful video, thanks Ed!
I love this video, thanks 😁👍
Thanks Ed!
Love this video, kinda has a relaxing aspect to it
Thank you, Mr. Ting!
I love how fun you make your content. This was hilarious and super cool
Another choice for the "Tool Cool" guy would be to get one of the custom Moonraker telescopes, like the one seen in the Netflix show "Altered Carbon". They look amazing an futuristic.
They look like the century-old Yerkes!
Great show !
Very practical and good guidance ed sir
Thank you for putting up nice ideas in a very nice way
Very insightful Ed very much enjoyed listening to this. I think you've nailed these categories. I particularly liked the hipster and as I enjoy the odd Soy Latte, trying to be a normal Astrophotographer is not easy. 😬
Great video Ed, amusing and informative! I tried to guess your suggestions, and got about 80% right, so we are in agreement. :)
Ed's videos are always informative, but this one is also fun to watch
Great video, Ed! I guess I’m halfway to being the “Cover All Your Bases” guy. I’ve actually got the ES ED102 on an IOptron CEM40 mount. All I need now is the C9.25. 😀
Loving your videos, Ed! Started reading your reviews on your website 3 years ago, but only catching your videos now.
I'm definitely a "Cover all your bases" guy, so no surprise, when I get my first real telescope in 2019, it was the 6SE. It does so much in a relatively small package! I don't use the goto unless I'm tracking Jupiter or Saturn. Living in a city and observing from a balcony with a very limited view of the sky means that most seasons I can't even get enough stars to use goto!
For a wider field when I'm fortunate enough to get to dark skies, I have a Skywatcher ST120 on an AZ5 mount. Not great for the city, but wonderful under a dark sky.
And finally, I've got a 127mm mak to put on my AZ5 mount. Excellent telescope for the city or anywhere. Sure, the FOV is narrow, but it's sharp and takes less time to cool down than my 6SE.
So I'm a "cover all your bases" guy in that I have an SCT, a fast achromatic refractor, and a 5" mak, but I'm also "three scopes on a budget guy" too. Oh and did I mention I also have a vintage Celestron/Vixen long focal length refractor (FS80)? I love that too, but it was impractical on my balcony and I loaned it to a friend. And I also own a Meade mini Lightbridge 114. It was my first scope, but I never use it now. I like that I've owned and used scopes in all the major designs. It's helped me understand all the pros and cons of each..
Love my AT72EDII! Perfect size for grab and go and shouldn't be any trouble for whatever mount that you have. Hope to start astrophotography with it soon!
Thanks Ed. Just bought my second telescope. Thank you for your help. #1 is an 8" dob and I love it. After fiddling with eyepieces, much inner debate and hours of yours (and others) videos, I decided the Televue 85 with the Panoramic mount will make a great #2. I'm not seeing any links to buy this equipment through your posts so go right to retailers.
Thank Kyle.
Just now getting to this video, Ed. Thanks for confirming my astro-personality! I’m definitely the one scope guy.
Ever since viewing through an orange tube C8 in the 70s, loving the compactness and build of the SCT, I already knew it would would one day be mine :) So decades later I did (finally) end up picking up a Celestron Ultima 8 with PEC. And over the years I’ve bought just about every available (Celestron) accessory available for it; deluxe (heavy) mount & tripod, digital setting circles, the Ultima range eyepieces (plus a couple of TeleVues), counterweights, (deluxe) tele extender, motors, filters, Kendrick dew remover, etc. So I use it for pretty much everything. One of the later ones made in 1995 and still going strong! Besides the weight (as I get older), using a powertank or 9V batteries it always works and has never let me down….
Very high resolution clarity of explanation much appreciated... Paul in light polluted L.A.
Hello Ed. I'm an astro imager but I mostly recognised myself in the three scopes on a budget. I have an Orion f/4 Newtonian astrograph without a Paracorr (too expensive device), a skywatcher 80Ed Evostar and a Gso RC8 Carbon fibre. I bought all these used. I have a sky watcher AZEQ5 mount, which I bought used as well. The only things bought new were my Eq6r-pro mount, my asi 294 colour and asi183mono cameras. I spent less than 9,000 euros all included. My list also includes, narrow band ,colour filters. With an electronic filter wheel ,a focuser and a rotator
Thank you.
One look through a great refractor like these years ago changed my observing forever. I even saved up for much larger to keep that view, plus can go correct image, a much over looked plus.
Ed ,, again you hit the nail on the head ! , I have and love my C9.25 XLT , she rides perfect on my older Celestron CI700 , a perfect setup , and my APO is a Long Perng 110mm f6 that rides on the CI700 like it's not even there , solid as a rock .
Great video again mate .
Deep breath, I have
4.5 inch
6 inch newt
An 8 inch and 12 inch dob
A 8 inch celestron edge
And a 102mm celestron refractor.
I am more in astrophotography side with a Skywatcher 130PDS on a Celestron CG5-GT and Canon 40D plus usual assorted extras .. Guidescopes, finders, filters etc etc.
Looking to get a C8 in near future as well.
I'm a partial Luddite, but it has more to do with I don't want a complicated scope I don't know how to fix and I'm not much into taking pictures. I have a 6" Newtonian on a AZ mount with hand controls so I can follow my target. I'm also in the 3 on a Budget as I started with a nice spotting scope and I bought a big 102 refractor on a wobbly EQ mount that got sent back so I bought a nice tabletop Zhumell100.
I came across the 6" on sale really low as an OTA with no mount. I was going to build a Dobsonian mount when the AZ mount went on sale for 30% off. So I'm happy with my choices over the years and at present have no plans to get anything bigger.
Yes. always fun to listen to your recommendations Ed. My three "telescopes" are 1) 11x80 binoculars on a tripod - the often overlooked hands down winner for widefield in darkskies, 2) Orion EON 130 APO on a guided Atlas for AP *and* for fine visual observing of all sorts. , and finally 3) hold the light bucket... EEA will get me there, so chuck in an ASIair plus controller and a zwo cooled one shot colour camera for the APO (it is just so easy, you wont believe).
I think I'm a "Vintage" collector. I have a Meade 4400, yes I know what you think of them, and I just love that I can get the eyepieces for a great price and it's just so simple to use. I did upgrade to a powerful laser pointer finder that I like a lot. I also have an Edmund Scientific Astroscan that is pretty much my moon scope. I do think my next scope will be an 8" Dobson because you talked me into it, although I will bounce back and forth between that and a refractor a few times before I slap down my credit card and go for it. Fun video!
Fun video Ed, thanks. I'm probably a 1 although occasionally a 3 until the jargon & tech gets too much for me to understand.
My scope collection is an odd mish-mash:
- a 1985 era Critereon 4000 4" SCT (with the corrector lens B&L scrapped on later 'builds') - When I want to be left alone at a deep sky site, I bring this scope with me and it works every time. Back during the Halley's Comet craze, I strapped a Pentax K1000 to the back of this for B&W 35mm astrophotography.
- my imager is a skywatcher MN190, using a Canon 6D - enjoying the experience uplift from 35mm.
- recently sold is an Obsession 15 Classic - just too darned heavy to tote around
- on order as of this writing, an obsession 18UC (same footprint as the 15 classic, but 1/3 the mirror box weight)
I totally agree as far as the Astrophography comments. I understand the basics of taking multiple exposures and layering them and then they start talking about additional exposures of things to layer in and correct whatever they correct and I just fast forward to see the usually amazing end result. Of course, what everyone wishes could happen is to see images like that in direct viewing, but well, not happening.
Your Referring To Taking Darks,Flats,and Bias Frames..Its A Pain..But Its Why We Leaped Into That Rabbit Hole,lol
Ed:
How about the "24 hour Astronomer"? You know, has a scope for nighttime use and a solar scope for the daytime so he can observe "24 hours" each day.
Great video, only thing I would add is a robotic subcategory for the Astrophotography people , it is niche but is getting a growing fan base, mine is the 1500$ Vespera, but there are two others, Stellina and evo for more money. You still need standard rigs to do planetary but for basic dso imaging/eaa, they are lots of fun
I thought for sure the hipster too-cool-for-you would have a vintage Unitron. But Ed brought up some weird scopes I had never heard of, so that works.
The C8 is the definition of flexibility. I run it at f/10 for lunar/planetary, f/6.3 for a comfortable 1200mm, and f/1.9 with a hyperstar for EAA. You just can’t go wrong!
Aloha Dr. Ting, Thank you for sharing your insight and experience. My 10 year old daughter and I have enjoyed your videos since we attended a school sponsored star party last fall. We have been exploring the skies with spotting scope we used for wildlife watching. We are now in the market for an 8" Dobsonian telescope after watching your video the best scope combos at various price points. I think the biggest help was with my wife who has also believes that an 8" Dobsonian will be a wise investment for our budding astronomer. With regards....the Matthews Family
I don’t have a telescope, but always wanted a Questar. Another one I have seen I liked was a TeleVue. A very basic telescope I used to see that looked cool was the Edmunds Scientific Astroscan- cheap, basic, but a good grab n’ look telescope I was thinking. The Edmunds is extinct, the others are too much for me to contemplate as I’m too busy to get immersed in astronomy. A friend of mine who passed away was heavily involved, had a scope called Obsession or something. I like this channel, Mr. Ting gives one a lot of information to think about I have watched several of his videos now. 👍🏻
Hello Ed ! As always great video 😁
My girlfriend offered me a Kepler 300mm. I love this dobsonian ! :)
Eventhought the primary mirror inclination screws are just catastrophic 😂
I am definitely the one scope guy. I started with a Tasco refractor in 1969. Then a Meade 6" Newtonian reflector on a really nice Meade equatorial mount in 1981. Then I built an 8" Dob with a really nice explorer scientific mirror. I hated transporting the Dobsonian so I sold that for a Meade ETX 90. I wasn't happy with the ETX90 aperture so I upgraded to the ETX125. I was happy with the ETX125 for many years and decided to upgrade to a Celestron C6 with a Goto mount (Orion Starseeker IV). Every time I've changed I've sold the existing scope. I will say so far the C6 is my favorite of all time. I love the transportability and Optics of the scope and I love the goto function of the mount.
I like to cover all my bases.
- 6" newtonian for deep sky showpiece objects
- 80mm refractor for rich field observing
- 5" SCT for planetary/lunar observing
As a bonus, a 40mm Ha solar telescope for some safe fun under the sun. Finally, I can observe 24/7!
Thanks, Ed. That's really the most important principle: the scope should match the differing needs of the buyer. When I'm asked "What scope should I buy?" I always ask a lot of questions. "What's your sky at home?" "How likely are you to get to a dark sky?" "Are you computer savvy?" Most often, I say start cheap, achro or dob; if you get hooked, you'll start an upgrade path.
Discovered that some nights I am a "luddite" with my 10 inch dob and some nights I am a "cover all your bases" guy with a 9.25 SCT. I agree 100% with the persona descriptions as they are spot on
That still sounds like a cover all your bases guy, just a lower tier dob.
I think the Luddite would be happiest finding a used 1980s Coulter Optical dob, devoid of any flash or technology. It’s just a wood, paper, and glass beast. Metal tubes are too commercial for him.
Nice list you made there. And I think everyone find themself, at least in parts, in one of the types.
Think I'm so much on the "Lets be different and have what noone have to-Cool-Guy" - Get this!
I took an old 8" Dob from TS (yes, we are in germany 😅 ) with an exceptional 1200mm GSO-mirror and 2"-2-speed focuser, slapt it on an even older Bresser Mon2/Exos2 Mount wich I tuned for GoTo and tracking with OnStep-Controler and steppermotors. Then I push my not quite that old Nikon D300 in there and do astrophotography with it! 😎
You never wolud have that seen coming, have'nt you? 😆 Before I have the 8", I did it with an much, much older generic TASCO 4.5"/900 I bought 15 years ago for like 25 bugs🤣 Think these 4.5" ones are on the market to stay forever 🔭
11:48 I've got an Altair 72 EDF which I believe is the same as the Astro Tech, I definitely recommend it.
Can highly recommend the Heritage 150P, 6" is such a great size at f/5
My approach is:
Invest on a heavy duty mount with best value - I have my iOptron CEM60 with a tripod pier. Once you clear the learning curve it is so good.
(1) A 4 inch class refractor - mine is a William Optics FLT98 triplet - crisp and sharp
(2) A 8" F/4 Newtonian for gulping up lights
(3) A C11
I’m definitely the “one scope collection” guy. But for me that scope is a 100mm ED refractor. I guess I’m also a bit of a “Luddite” too. The only electronics on my all-manual alt-az rig is a Telrad.
Celestron Omni XLT 150mm f/5 EQ for me. I think I'm a luddite, no astrophotography, no electronics.
This works fine for me: f5, portable, inexpensive, the EQ mount accepts a rudimentary motor for visual tracking. With a good sky it's possible to see a lot of things with this 6inch.
What bothers me in the dobs is to keep tracking the objects manually, especially with more magnifying.
The EQ mount with the motor is much more comfortable.
As the "student astrophotographer," I have a camera and lens on a small, wind-up mechanical mount. It's definitely interesting to work with, but heavy payloads and particularly long focal lengths are straight-up impossible. At least I've managed to upgrade to a camera which has been astro-modified to not filter the H-alpha, and I'm soon getting a lens which will be much better compared to what I've used in the past, but it's a very wide field. It'll be interesting to see what my kit looks like in 10-15 years!
Preppy Star Party lol - that made me laugh out loud!
I have a 3 on a budget collection that serves me well:
1. Orion Starblast 6” (150/750)
2. Classic refractor Towa (80/1200)
3. Orion ST 80 (80/400)
And a Skywatcher EQM-35 pro mount which can handle all 3 scopes wonderfully.
I'd be interested in getting into astronomy, but given that things move so slowly on a cosmic scale, I don't know why I would want a telescope.
Good point!
Sarblue Mak60 telescope for students, it's affordable, easy to use, and pretty good results for a Solar, Lunar, And Planetary. Also great for quick setups, smartphone astrophotography, and extremely compact for hiking/travel.
Preppy Star Party😂So I Guess I Would Have To Be The Astrophotographer,lol..I Love My Skywatcher..Oh Once Youve Dove Down The Astro Rabbit Hole,Like The Black Hole,There Is No Escaping,lol..Great Video Ed,Thank You and Clear Skies❤️🙏🏻🌏✨🔭,My Collection Is The 114LCM,Nexstar 6se,SW Evoguide50ed,Mak90,and The AR 102/1000..And Of Coarse The 6se Mount,SW Eqm35Pro,and For The Mak90 I Have The Exos Nano With Slo Motion Control
Fascinating Thank you ..
I fit non of the above.
The Photographer who looks up and thinks .. Hmm I want to take some nice pictures, where to start so there is a bit of "One scope to do it all"
Usually for the Photographer, a pentax astrotracer is incompatable with other stuff and the Coolpix P950 / P1000 would be debateable ..
Lots of talk of sensor size pixel pitch, weight etc .. .. Hee hee
Good vid enjoyed it !!
what was the scope of this video? ha ha
I really enjoy your wit and wisdom. a very entertaining tour of the many folks in the hobby. why did I have to like photography and not just be happy with what my eyes can do...
I guess I’m a pre-Luddite. I grab the 6” dob., ground myself, over my computer- driven SCTs or MAKs, for the quick simple pleasure of observing with my own creation. Star-parties, or public outreaches, are a different animal.
I kind of fall into the 3 Scope Astrophotography category. Now, I have to put this out there. I ran into some serious financial issues a few years ago, which lead to homelessness. I lost a lot of my gear, but I still have some of it. I have my AVX mount. I do not like the Celestron AVX mount, and I would recommend the iOptron CEM 40 in its place. However, I tore it all apart, cleaned it, get the wheel bearing grease out of it, and re-lubed it with lithium grease. Sooo much nicer. If you can find a used AVX and are willing to tear it down, clean it, and rebuild it, it might not be too bad.
I have a used William Optics 72ED which is nice for the wide field. I have the .7 reducer to go with it, so I'm looking at about a 320 or some wide-field refractor. I bought a GSO 6" R.C., although I haven't had the opportunity to use it yet. I was thinking, for a third scope, an 8" S.C. would be nice, but I'm thinking an Astro Tech AT130EDT triplet might not be a bad thing. All, except the 8" S.C. should do okay on the AVX class mount.
However, as you said, once you get the mount and the scopes, then you're into the autoguiding, cameras, filter wheels, auto focusers, and things like an ASI Air (if you're using ASI cameras). You can start out with a modded DSLR, but by the time you get that working correctly, buying a dedicated astro camera is probably a better choice, and with the new 16-bit sensors that are rear cooled, you're not even having to take darks, flats and bias frames (at least not as many)
I live in South America, so the costly part is the shipping + local import taxes. Still I have managed in the past 10 years to get an Orion Observer 70mm II AZ refractor, an Astro-Tech AT 80ED f/7 refractor, An old Orion Star Blast 90mm f/7.3 AZ refractor with solar filter, an old Celestron 102GT f/10 OTA on AZ mount, an Orion Skyquest XT4.5 f/8 Dobsonian, a Celestron Nexstar 6SE, and last but not least an Orion Skyquest XT8 Plus f/5.9 Dobsonian. Thank you for your videos. I always enjoy watching them!
That's a nice collection you have there!
@@edting Thank you! You have inspired me to buy some of these telescopes!
Ed,
I think I fall in the cover all the bases’ category. Over the years I have built a modest collection. To wit:
40mm f10 Coronado solar scope.
80mm f6 Stellarvue achromat.
90mm f7 Stellarvue apo with a removable section to accommodate a binoviewer without superfluous magnification.
130mm f7 TMB apo.
2350mm f10 Celestron Schmidt cassegrain.
And just for fun a 635mm f5 Obsession.
This was a really fun video. Thank you.
Clear skies,
Paul
A 25" Obsession, oh my! Good for you!
A 9x50 finder scope is very useful. When NEOWISE turned up in July 2020, it was the finder providing better view than the main scope. Had I gone all 'modern' with a telrad, I would have missed that spectacular view. I'll stick with what worked for decades--and doesn't need batteries.
A combination of a 10" dob with 80deg 30mm eyepiece, and 15x70 binos did it for me, from a famous dark location at 8300 feet. But we did have to hike the scope a few hundred yards down into a big clearing because the observing lot is surrounded by tall trees.
It was easy naked eye at that point , so finding it wasn't an issue.
During the week I van camped (a few hours of sleep in the late afternoon and wake before dusk and stay up all night) in the vicinity , spending .most of the time down at a 5000 ft location, slightly less dark but with clear horizons, and only a night or 2 on top of the mountain, I usually had 3 scopes set up, an old c8 powerstar on its original fork and wedge, a celestron 4"f10 refractor on an orion astroview with dual axis drives on a bigger cg5 drive with a pier extension for the long tube scope, a beat up older gso made, pre crayford 10" starhopper in need of a recoat, and top it off with a camera tripod with 15x70 binoculars, as well as 7x35 1970s japanese binos around my neck. I mag or may not have also had a nexstar GT mount with a deforked etx90 on it, but I don't remember now.
It was another rig I also played with, but I forget if I had it yet then or not.
I also helped someone with a Sony mirror less camera get shots of the comet piggybacked on my c8 with a rough polar alignment.
Which was the opposite of what happened with me in 1996 when I showed up at the astronomy club dark site with my nikon loaded with 400 speed color film, and there was this huge comet in the sky and someone let me piggyback on their big refractor, and manually guide on the comet nucleus through the 6" refractor for 10 minutes at a time. That thing was cooking too, nice warp speed short star trails when zoomed in to 4x, 200mm end of 80-200mm f4 zoom. Comet 1996B2 Hyakutake.
Still to this day the best comet I ever saw, with nods to hale bopp 1997 and mcnaught 2007 which I was the first to spot it during the day at work with our showroom Canon 15x50is stabilized binoculars, and took pictures of at dusk as it raced towards the horizon. It was farther away, so very small, but very bright.
Neowise was the best comet in the last 10 years for sure though.
Ed! I loved this video. I'm not sure which category I fit in. I want them all. Every scope that I see for sale (second hand) makes my mind wonder how I can justify it.
Case in point; I have been using a 127mm explorer scientific apo for a couple of years and I like the results that I am getting. I found a Brandon 130 for sale and after doing some research, I wanted it. If not for the glass then at least for the historic part. But does having the Brandon make me sell the ES127 apo or do I use one for visual and one for astrophotography? And which one for which purpose? I need a bigger house to store them. I love leaving them set up as pieces of art. But seriously, which scope do I use/should I use?
Love your videos. I'm a 'cover all your bases' type and have been lucky on the used market. I have a Explore Scientific EXOS2-GT PMC-Eight Equatorial Mount with a Sharpstar 76 EDPH with reducer (new). I also found and Edmund Scientific f6 6 inch Newt and have its clock drive ($300 CDN) and a Celestron Super C8 Plus with the clock drive mount by Ed Beyers without the DA expansion ($400 CDN). I have the rings and bars to mount both of the old telescopes on the EXOS2-GT. I'm looking forward to years in this hobby and have loved every experience to date.
I now spend way more time worried about clouds and angry at my neighbor's lights. Are there other personality changes I should be expecting?
I get the impression this video is a little tongue-in-cheek. That said, a lifetime of experience with these instruments is being compressed into a short list of recommendations. It's actually incredibly useful.
I've got far to many scopes I need to thin them down a bit, I've got a Skywatcher ED80, ED100, 250PX, Celestron RASA 11 that are all used for imaging, an old Celestron CGE pro mount that's bitten the dust, EQ5 pro, AZEQ6 GT mount & a Vixen sphinx mount, I've also got 2 PST's one HA one CaK & a lunt 35 but none are as impressive as what looks like a LUnt double stack you have in the background of this video Ed.
I am not sure what category I am in 😅
Sept. 2021: Started with a Celestron 102 DX Refractor AZ with an app that enables you to find targets easily.
March 2022: Now I also got the StellaLyra 10" Dobsonian (this is basically a GSO/Apertura but sells under Stella naming in the U.K.)
I am guessing I am missing an SCT hahaha
And yes, I am interested with astrophotography but one, it gets expensive real fast and can have lots of technical difficulties and then second, theres the real 4 seasons per day weather changes in the U.K.
Oh God I'm the too cool guy with vixen vc, Pentax sduf, and tak mt newt. I do have Vixen mounts, but eq6r with eqmod is just such a simple joy
Great video.... Why dobsonian Mounts doesnt come with setting circles printed on the base?
I wish I knew what personality I am. I've owned 2 telescopes and wound up not using them. I love astronomy, but I never mastered either scope I had. They are off with others now and I hope they are having a great life. Maybe I am in a different group, now that I think about it. Maybe I am in the "see what others have, watch what they do, and admire it group. ;)
Interestingly, I'm a bit in the luddite category myself, when it comes to telescopes, but my strong point is computers, so....semi-contradiction in terms? Really, I appreciate Dobs for their easy setup. I just wish there was an equatorial platform sold for the Skywatcher 10-inch, so I could at least have a chance to try some semi-long exposure shots. If only I was a carpenter.
I was considering a Ritchey Chetien over a SCT due to cost.
I'm the Luddite and I have an XT8, but I more often use my older 6" Deep Space Explorer dob. It has much sharper optics.
I'm not such a Luddite that I don't use a telrad or a cooling fan though.
Also have a PST, 4" binoculars on a parallelogram mount... I'm a visual astronomer first and foremost but I like to keep it simple.
Trying to figure what category I fit in, I realized I might be like the gentleman that mentioned he had multiple personalities. I tend to have multiple collections of telescopes plus a bunch of extras that serve as satellites, not really part of any “core” collection?
My “nostalgic” collection:
Somewhere I had read that the telescopes that amateurs of the fifties or sixties sought were a 4” f/15 refractor or a 6” f/8 Newtonian. A 6” f/8 Newtonian on a dobsonian mount was my first telescope followed years later by a 4” f/15 Jaegers refractor.
Along with the two above telescopes, I remember the ads for a couple of smaller telescopes of my day that I could never afford, Questar and the Edmund Astroscan. On eBay years later, I spied an ad for a field model Questar at a great price, snapped it up, then the same happened with the Astroscan, and I MISTAKENLY thought my collection of telescopes was complete.
Well it turns out, a few years after the Astroscan came out, a similarly sized table top refractor came out, the 62mm f/8 Voyager refractor with a cemented doublet designed by Rank and manufactured here in the US, WITH THE SAME COLOR SCHEME AS THE ASTROSCAN! Well heck! I had to have one of those too! BUT, it turns out they actually made THREE different models based on that same optical tube, the original Astro model with 6X30 finder and an AMICI 90 degree diagonal, a field model with straight through correct viewing with the same red/tan paint scheme as the original Voyager and Astroscan, and a black and silver astronomical model on a tall tripod.
Now I realize my original nostalgic collection was expanding into a little side collection of the smaller Edmund telescopes, plus several other accessories too numerous to mention that were available at the time specifically for the Astroscan and the Voyager.
Now I’m currently on a Takahashi jag! What started out as an innocent foray into the high quality apo refractor area of telescopes has grown into something much more!
A few years ago, right after the 2017 Sun eclipse, a localish store had the FS-60CB packaged with a diagonal, clamshell, eyepiece, and solar filter at a close out price for what the optical tube alone usually cost. I thought about it a little while, but the local university had one, and I knew how great the optics were, so I bought one. This started me down another path that I really hadn’t planned on, and now I own an FC-50, an FC-76, and an old TS-100 Newtonian in addition to the FC-60CB!
I can actually think of another collection that I’m putting together over time, but I think I shouldn’t make people read so much in Ed’s comments!
You're not alone, Chris. I've got an FS-60CB, CQ Extender, FC-76DCU Objective, and soon will have FC-100DCU. In my mind it made sense to go down that particular rabbit hole of Tak compact refractors and enjoy that series of design. Then for compact reflectors I have Tak MT-160, an old Cave Student 6" f8, and I'm currently comparing them against a modern APM 140SD 5.5" doublet APO refractor. Because they should be similar in capability, yet very different in optical design. I was thinking I was the too cool for school guy, but I think "obsessive gear tester/collector" is probably a better fit. Then I have a whole collection of Pentax scopes from the 80's and 90's.... aiya. I think at least with older telescopes, since they are typically acquired used, they just temporarily tie up liquidity. I've never taken a major loss of money after selling a telescope I bought used and they gave me a ton of enjoyment to use and compare with others. The more hands on with different setups, the more there is to appreciate. After going down many expensive rabbit holes, I really appreciate how well something like an AWB OneSky, or a basic C8 SCT performs.
The guy who’s too cool for the room! 😂😂😂
I would have picked a Takahashi Mewlon for the too cool for the room guy.
As a Astrophotographer I felt honoured when he said that he has trouble understading AP😁
One category you did not over is EAA, don't need expensive gear, can even use an alt alz mount and can do it even on cheaper telescopes, don't need to spend a fortune. Its between astrophotography and visual astronomy.
Many even use the ASI PLANETARY cameras the asi 223 or 385, which has a bigger field of view
Great video, but you forgot about the amature telescope maker who assembles scopes out of whatever materials are available and repurposes optics. Also, I’m the “ooh I just found an old Meade 395 90mm refractor ota missing a drawtube and finder at the thrift store for $10 guy.” Lol I’m also the ”I don’t know how many telescopes I own guy” None of which fall into the expensive category.
The "Things were BETTER in the old days, dammit!" guy.
What do thiink about Bresser. 102xs/460 as first? On go to wifi gti mount maybe? Btw nice if you can show what you csn see trough...
Covering all the bases:
Obsession 20" f/5 Classic.
Meade 14" LX200 GPS/SMT permanently installed on a LeSeur Mfg. Polaris astropier in a 10' Technical Innovations Pro-Dome.
Explore Scientific ED127 Triplet APO.
Ah, now that's really covering all the bases!
Hi Edi! I'm a Cover All Your Bases kind of guy. At this point I'm almost exclusively doing astrophotography. For deep sky imaging and lunar lucky imaging, I'm using the 8" Celestron RASA. For planetary imaging and (occasionally) visual, I've got a carbon fiber tube C11. For H-alpha solar, I'm using a double-stacked Coronado SolarMax 60, which is the only one I use visually with any regularity. If I could only keep one, that's probably the one I would keep. The views are absolutely stunning. Finally, I have an orange C8 that my kids have an emotional attachment to. They were heartbroken when I upgraded to the C11 and literally cried when I said I was going to sell the C8. So I promised I wouldn't sell it.
CS✨
Damien
Is that a Lunt behind you? Awesome!!! I have one. Hope you do a review.
Yes, Lunt 100 Universal Double Stack!
For the Luddite, can I recomment a Skywatcher Flextube 300p? Reason being it has 2 positions to extend the tube to so you can add a binoviewer. Using 2 eyes really adds to the experience and also, Luddites love big apertures for those DSOs. A rich Luddite might prefer a premium dob, designed for binoviewers.
Another one would be the "solar observation only" guy. Combine him with the "too cool" guy an he might be happy with an older vacuum tower telescope from AOK or the current LS300T from Lunt, a 12" truss tube refractor!
I had an old Saab 900 4 door and a Saab 95 station wagon. But I have an 8" dob!
Worlds are colliding!
@@edting I've got an old Vixen 80M, too. What does that mean?
I didn’t know but I’m a Luddite!
As a new person to the hobby pricing is nuts. I used my brothers 90 orion, 6" celestron refractor, and a 8" dob..... so naturally I saw the difference and bought a 127 mak at f15. 529.99 us with a eq3 mount. Honestly really enjoying it, I always wondered why the 127 maks aren't recommended to beginners. The fov is limited however it gathers light very well, extremely easy to focus, almost no collimaton needed, and at f15 any eyepiece really shines.
Maksutov design's are some of the best in the world. Check out Rutten Maksutov designs. They are not only good for visual, but planetary and DSO (if you are a patient imager) as well. Apparently, there was a huge craze over the Maksutov designs, and Intes in Russia was making big money, and then came the newtonian-maksutov design with the Comet Hunters. Eventually, that craze died out as people went crazy for the APO designs. Imo, Maksutov (especially the rutten aka "Rumak") designs are just a bit worse in contrast than the APO's, and although they still cost a lot, they still significantly cost less than an APO.
Can confirm: I have a VMC200L and by the time I'm finished explaining it, I'm confused...
The.VC is even more confusing than the VMC
So I'd say instead of a starblast at the 200$ mark the Orion observer 114 would work, I did just get one and its pretty ok for its size and the mount is surprisingly stable. They have a 134 for a little more but I heard it may be too heavy for the mount (although i put my 10lb homemade refractor on it and it didn't seem to care.)
There's a review of the Observer 134 on this channel. Yes, it's a bargain favorite of mine right now.
I'm a little old lady. I never looked at stars till I went to the Cherry Springs Dark Sky Park. Now I'm obsessed with repeating that experience. What scope is best for me? I have double vision and see twice as many stars as anyone else. I can't lift heavy stuff either.
I’ve been planning to buy my first computerized telescope as I have been using non-computerized for a while now, what would you recommend?