[Leonis]

.....I still want to let you guys know that I switch toys (telescopes) again

No matter what.....the $$$ I spend still can't compare to Murbot

I am able to manage the total $$$ at around $1300 CDN while Murbot is usually $2200 and beyond



I won't say how long these scopes will last cause I don't know this either

[psmith2.0]

Do you have a hot neighbor across the street? If so, you're set.

[Eugene]

Your big white telescope couldn't have been positioned any better. Thanks for that.

[curiousuburb]

Okay... geek us out with the specs.

What kind of glass, which eyepieces, what tripods...

Doing any photography with them?

[curiousuburb]

Originally Posted by Eugene Your big white telescope couldn't have been positioned any better. Thanks for that.

But if you look through from the big end, it'll make your junk look teensy.

[Akumulator]

Originally Posted by curiousuburb But if you look through from the big end, it'll make your junk look teensy.

Or normal, in my case.

[Moogs]

I dunno man... my understanding is empty cans make the most racket.

[Luca]

Originally Posted by curiousuburb Okay... geek us out with the specs. What kind of glass, which eyepieces, what tripods... Doing any photography with them?

Looks like maybe an 80mm for the smaller one and 127mm for the larger. EQ-3 and EQ-4 mounts I believe. And 50mm finder scopes on each one.

You know, if you want to trump murbot, all you gotta do is buy TeleVue scopes. I'm sure you could spend more on just a TeleVue OTA than murbot ever has on any computer. Add a few Nagler eyepieces and you're looking at a cool five grand for scope equipment. And don't forget to get a sturdier, higher quality mount for it! The Losmandy GM8 will do for small the medium sized ones... it's only about a grand .

Seriously though, they look awesome. I'd love to get a view through a big refractor like that. If you haven't tried it yet, you should really look into getting a reflex-style pointer. Back when I had an 8" Dob, it was more accurate than any finder scope I ever used.

[Leonis]

One is 152mm and one is 104mm

[ast3r3x]

Originally Posted by Leonis One is 152mm and one is 104mm

Shit, you guys are making me feel big. I wasn't amazingly proud of my 8" until right now

[curiousuburb]

One of the shops in town runs a "Build your own" workshop where you grind your mirrors (presumably a dobsonian). Not sure I'd be eager for hours of work and bad collimation, but if it got me decent 8" performance for pennies, I could afford to get a few eyepieces.

I'd considered getting a motor-drive autostar system (if there were good OS X tools it might tempt more), but am still sticking with my 15x70 binocs until I find the right scope.

Always curious to hear reviews from other astronomers and glean tips.
What are your typical targets with each?

[Leonis]

I was told Starry Night Pro does have support on Meade's LXD55 and Celestron's AS GT

But to play it safe you better double check.

[Leonis]

Originally Posted by ast3r3x Shit, you guys are making me feel big. I wasn't amazingly proud of my 8" until right now

You know? Refractors are the Mac of telescopes. Reflector is PC or telescopes

[Moogs]

Hey Leonis... I was thinking about getting one of these...


...or maybe this baby.


But I swear there are no "compensation issues"... I just need to make poster-sized prints of the galaxies and planets I shoot (err, dream about shooting).

[Luca]

Originally Posted by Leonis You know? Refractors are the Mac of telescopes. Reflector is PC or telescopes

But there are tons of excellent reflectors, and also tons of terrible low-quality refractors. If I were to make a telescope/computer analogy, I'd say Meade and Celestron are like Dell and HP, with Apple being a more premium company like TeleVue. Reflectors would be akin to desktops with refractors similar to laptops.

Man. I'm such a huge geek. I love it!

[Luca]

Originally Posted by Moogs Hey Leonis... I was thinking about getting one of these... ...or maybe this baby. But I swear there are no "compensation issues"... I just need to make poster-sized prints of the galaxies and planets I shoot.

Hehe. You want competition? How about this:



The Yard Scope. Yard Scope because it has a 36" mirror. I got to take a look through one once, but it wasn't as good as a nearby 20" reflector because by the time I got to the 36", it had gotten hazy.

Nothing like seeing nebulas in distant galaxies. The view of M33 was amazing in the 20", I can only imagine what it would be like through a 36".

[Moogs]

Holy shite!

M33 would be a great first poster to print up, btw.

[Akumulator]

Originally Posted by Luca Hehe. You want competition? How about this:

God damn!!! That looks like the place to be! A sweet ass Winnebago thing, a ginormous telescoping deal, a fine looking doggy and a nice looking gathering all atop a perfectly level dirt lot. Heaven.