What was your first "real" scope?
- helicon
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What was your first "real" scope?
I received an Edmund red tube 4 1/4" reflector from my parents on Christmas day, 1980. I had been reading the Edmund catalog for a year and all the pages were dog-eared. Then when I woke up on that fateful day my dreams came true! That night was clear and I beheld the Orion Nebula.
Here is a review of the wonderful instrument by noted telescope enthusiast Ed Ting, wobbly equatorial mount and all!
https://www.scopereviews.com/page1x.html
Like the catalog said, it was an ideal instrument for serious amateurs and "quality-minded" beginners. What was your first "real" scope???
Here is a review of the wonderful instrument by noted telescope enthusiast Ed Ting, wobbly equatorial mount and all!
https://www.scopereviews.com/page1x.html
Like the catalog said, it was an ideal instrument for serious amateurs and "quality-minded" beginners. What was your first "real" scope???
-Michael
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
My first "real" scope was Orion 4.5" short tube Newt. Seeing Saturn in it was surreal. However, I kept straggling with collimation and eventually sold it on eBay and got my first frac.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Delos, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Delos, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
- Lady Fraktor
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
My first was a 70mm f/ 10 refractor made by a friend of my grandfather.
Gabrielle
See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1000101)
The only culture I have is from yogurt
See Far Sticks: Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser 127/1200 BV, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS 100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, SXP2, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II, Stellarvue M2C, Argo Navis encoders on both
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Tak prism, TAL, Vixen
Eyepieces: Antares to Zeiss (1000101)
The only culture I have is from yogurt
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
i can't realy discribe. but i was about 10 years old and i had this realy cheap plastic refractor telescope from the toy shop, no one knew how to use it and the first and only view from it was a defocused star, that kind of put me off... be-hold 16 years later, my following scope was a 10'' newt/dob and i was blown away and in-love with the views of jupiter,saturn,mars and m42.. : ) and another 5+ years after with $30+40k invested into the hobby and now loving it .
scopes :gso/bintel f4 12"truss tube, bresser messier ar127s /skywatcher 10'' dob,meade 12'' f10 lx200 sct
cameras : asi 1600mm-c/asi1600mm-c,asi120mc,prostar lp guidecam, nikkon d60, sony a7,asi 290 mm
mounts : eq6 pro/eq8/mesu 200 v2
filters : 2'' astronomik lp/badder lrgb h-a,sII,oIII,h-b,Baader Solar Continuum, chroma 3nm ha,sii,oiii,nii,rgb,lowglow,uv/ir,Thousand Oaks Solar Filter,1.25'' #47 violet,pro planet 742 ir,pro planet 807 ir,pro planet 642 bp ir.
extras : skywatcher f4 aplanatic cc, Baader MPCC MKIII Coma Corrector,Orion Field Flattener,zwo 1.25''adc.starlight maxi 2" 9x filter wheel,tele vue 2x barlow .
cameras : asi 1600mm-c/asi1600mm-c,asi120mc,prostar lp guidecam, nikkon d60, sony a7,asi 290 mm
mounts : eq6 pro/eq8/mesu 200 v2
filters : 2'' astronomik lp/badder lrgb h-a,sII,oIII,h-b,Baader Solar Continuum, chroma 3nm ha,sii,oiii,nii,rgb,lowglow,uv/ir,Thousand Oaks Solar Filter,1.25'' #47 violet,pro planet 742 ir,pro planet 807 ir,pro planet 642 bp ir.
extras : skywatcher f4 aplanatic cc, Baader MPCC MKIII Coma Corrector,Orion Field Flattener,zwo 1.25''adc.starlight maxi 2" 9x filter wheel,tele vue 2x barlow .
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
I'm really old. When growing up in a very rural area of southern Missouri, the Sears & Roebuck catalog was the source of everything that existed in the "real world". My granny, who raised me, bought a telescope from the catalog... It was a Sears brand frac, and I remember the box claimed it was so powerful that you could see craters on the Moon.
It had a flimsy wooden, "folding" tripod and came with one eyepiece that looked to me like a piece of a broken Coke bottle. I seem to recall a fellow named "Galileo" used to drop by to borrow it, saying he was going to discover Jupiter... or something like that.
It had a flimsy wooden, "folding" tripod and came with one eyepiece that looked to me like a piece of a broken Coke bottle. I seem to recall a fellow named "Galileo" used to drop by to borrow it, saying he was going to discover Jupiter... or something like that.
John (Urban Astronomer) Apertura AD10 Dob; XLT 150 Dob; XLT 120EQ; Lunt Solar 60 PT/B1200; ES AR102; SW Pro 100ED; 2 SW Pro 80ED's; 90mm Eq; WO Z-61; SW 90mm Virtuso Mak; 2 Orion ST-80's; Quark-C; Cams: Polemaster, ASI120MM-S, ASI174MM & ASI174MM-C
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
Depends on your definition of "real"
When I was 12, for Christmas, my mom got me a red cardboard tubed reflector - it was on a long red cardboard mount, with plastic feet attached to the bottom. I do not remember brand, size, etc. (Actually looks a lot like the one in your ad photo - but the mount was red cardboard, and there was no counter-weight).
Later in life, I bought a Celestron FirstScope 114 Short Tube - anEQ mounted Jones Bird. It was okay - saw Saturn and a few other thing through it, but I never got the hang of the EQ mount, so I never really used it.
Then the AD10.
When I was 12, for Christmas, my mom got me a red cardboard tubed reflector - it was on a long red cardboard mount, with plastic feet attached to the bottom. I do not remember brand, size, etc. (Actually looks a lot like the one in your ad photo - but the mount was red cardboard, and there was no counter-weight).
Later in life, I bought a Celestron FirstScope 114 Short Tube - an
Then the AD10.
-- Brett
Scope: Apertura AD10 with Nexus II with 8192/716000 Step Encoders
EPs: ES 82* 18mm, 11mm, 6.7mm; GSO 30mm
Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars
List Counts: Messier: 75; Herschel 400: 30; Caldwell: 12; AL Carbon Star List: 16
Brett's Carbon Star Hunt
Scope: Apertura AD10 with Nexus II with 8192/716000 Step Encoders
EPs: ES 82* 18mm, 11mm, 6.7mm; GSO 30mm
Celestron SkyMaster 15x70 Binoculars
List Counts: Messier: 75; Herschel 400: 30; Caldwell: 12; AL Carbon Star List: 16
Brett's Carbon Star Hunt
- starfield
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
My Dad and I took a telescoping making class at the local JC, College of Marin, in the late 60s. We ended up building an 8" F6 reflector and even ground the mirror. The most memorable part of the experience was the instructor, John Dobson. That Dob was about as authentic as you could get!
Scopes: Esprit 100, 12.5" Telekit Dob
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
Christmas of 1964 I received a Tasco 60 mm frac. The tube was silver and it was not the long tube version so it wasn't the f/ 11 or f/ 15. I remember the tube being much shorter than that.
Back then I only knew about the planets and the Moon. So that was all it was used for but it did set me on a course to do this the rest of my life.
Cheers,
JT
Back then I only knew about the planets and the Moon. So that was all it was used for but it did set me on a course to do this the rest of my life.
Cheers,
JT
∞ Primary Scopes: #1: Celestron CPC1100 #2: 8" f/7.5 Dob #3: CR150HD f/8 6" frac
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
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Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6R, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
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Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."
- helicon
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
Great story [mention]starfield[/mention] - I later on (age 14) worked with Dobson himself when I made my 8" f/ 6 Dob , too. I even bumped into him at national parks well into the 2000's - first time at the Yellowstone Visitor center and second time at the Death Valley visitor center. He'd lecture the tourists and then take out a couple of his scopes, which he moved around in an old VW bus. In his talks he closed with the fact that he didn't really believe in the Big Bang, so he was definitely a unique (and charming) individual.
-Michael
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
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Jeff
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Dad Joke King (ask my kids); Cereal killer
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Binos: Polaris/wingspan 8x42 Ed/HD
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
My first scope was a 2.5" "Scope" refractor which I got for Christmas back in 1963. It had a really cheap tripod but a nice hardback book which I still have somewhere in my house It was clear that night and so I went out with it immediately. I aimed it at the bright star in the sky and thought for sure I was seeing a new supernova. Ha . It was, of course, Jupiter, but it took awhile for me to recognize the detail once the seeing improved. Family moved to Maryland from New York, and in 1968 (I think) I got what I would say is my first "real"scope - a Criterion RV-6 on equatorial mount. My dad had my uncle construct a 4' square concrete pad in the backyard and we permanently mounted the pier in the ground nix legs. I wanted to do some astrophotography and so taught myself how to develop B&W film and prints, set up a darkroom in the basement bathroom, and using a 35mm camera with ground glass to focus on, tried imaging. Boy, was that 'fun'. Never quite got any really good images - a few of Jupiter and Saturn, and some fairly decent star fields, Orion nebula and globulars. I can remember one February night I was taking multiple 10 minute exposures of a globular (I think). Now you needed to manually guide back then using a 50-60mm guide scope and eyepiece. Adjustments were made with the Criterion fast/slow speed buttons on a hand controller while keeping a star at or near the crosshairs of the guidescope. Staying still and trying to keep the scope guiding in -5 degree weather was brutal. Every little breeze sent chills through my body from head to toes. When I realized that my focuser wasn't moving when I tried to adjust it because my breath froze it in place I decided that was the end of AP in the super cold winter. Later, in the 70's I got a Criterion Dynascope (8" SCT ). I still have and use it today. But consider where we are today - digital photography, awesome post processing software, remote controlled telescopes from the comfort of a warm house, super accurate guiding with powerful mounts, etc. etc. Wow, how do we do it before
Scopes Celestron EdgeHD-11; William Optics GT102; William Optics ZS61; Criterion Dynamax-8 SCT
Mounts AP1100GTO mount w/APCCpro; iOptron iEQ30 Pro; Criterion Dynamax-8 SCT
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Blog at: SkyAndRockets
Mounts AP1100GTO mount w/APCCpro; iOptron iEQ30 Pro; Criterion Dynamax-8 SCT
Lenses Hyperstar-III; Celestron 0.7x FR; WO Flat/Reducer 0.8x
Guiding Celestron OAG w/ASI174mm mini; WO 50mm; Orion ST80
Cameras and Filters ZWO2600mm Pro w/Optolong 3nm NB and RGB; ZWOASI1600mm Pro (ZWO LRGB and Astrodon Ha-5nm, Oiii-3nm, Sii-5nm), QHY10, Canon 50D; ASI174mm mini; ASI462MC; ASI120MC
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Software NINA; PHD; APT; BYE; PI; APP; PSP; Registax; FireCapture; SharpCap
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
My first real scope was the Orion StarBlast 90mm refractor. I purchased a Tasco Red 50mm refractor for less then $15 at the Walmart. It was a returned product. I could not get the mount to operate correctly. I did get a view of a very blue moon one night. The StarBlast was sold, but hooked me into the hobby with a view of the Coathanger cluster.
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
Mine was a 5" Jones Bird Newtonian on an EQ mount. I discovered Globular Clusters with it and was blown away!
Regards
Graeme
Regards
Graeme
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Celestron 9.25 f10 SCT, f6.3FR, CGX mount.
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
The college I attended allowed me to take home one of their old 6" Meade newts for an entire school year. They also loaned me a Nikon 35mm SLR for the year. I lived in the country at the time. That was a fun year of exploring and learning how to shoot with a film camera.
Rob
Telescopes: 50mm refractor, ED80 triplet, 90mm makcass, 10" dob, 8"SCT, 11"SCT
Mounts: Celestron CGX, Orion Sirius + several camera tripods
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Observatory: SkyShed POD XL3 + 8x12 warm room
AL Projects Completed: Lunar #645, Outreach #0280, Universe Sampler #93-T, Binocular Messier #871, Messier #2521, Messier Honorary #2521, Constellation Hunter Northern Skies #112, Planetary Transit Venus #1, Galileo #26, Outreach Stellar 0280, Meteor Regular #157, Solar System Telescopic #209-I, Observer Award #1
AL Projects Currently in Process: Double Stars, Comet, Lunar Evolution
Telescopes: 50mm refractor, ED80 triplet, 90mm makcass, 10" dob, 8"SCT, 11"SCT
Mounts: Celestron CGX, Orion Sirius + several camera tripods
Cameras: Canon 6D, Canon 80D, ZWO-ASI120MC
Binoculars: 10x50, 12x60, 15x70, 25-125x80
Observatory: SkyShed POD XL3 + 8x12 warm room
AL Projects Completed: Lunar #645, Outreach #0280, Universe Sampler #93-T, Binocular Messier #871, Messier #2521, Messier Honorary #2521, Constellation Hunter Northern Skies #112, Planetary Transit Venus #1, Galileo #26, Outreach Stellar 0280, Meteor Regular #157, Solar System Telescopic #209-I, Observer Award #1
AL Projects Currently in Process: Double Stars, Comet, Lunar Evolution
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
60mm Sears frac on an alt-az mmount, but I'm not sure that counts as "real". If not, Celestron C8 around 1981 or so.
In 1975, I was using a 40-cmRC for photometry and then a 1-meter RC for spectroscopy a year later. I'd say those were real scopes, but they weren't mine.
In 1975, I was using a 40-cm
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Man... That's some icky-tasting stuff!
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AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
Man... That's some icky-tasting stuff!
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AT50, AT72EDII, ST80, ST102; Scopetech Zero, AZ-GTi, AZ Pronto; Innorel RT90C, Oberwerk 5000; Orion Giantview 15x70s, Vortex 8x42s, Navy surplus 7x50s, Nikon 10x50s
- John Baars
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
Refractors in frequency of use : *SW Evostar 120ED F/7.5 (all round ), * Vixen 102ED F/9 (vintage), both on Vixen GPDX.
GrabnGo on Alt/AZ : *SW Startravel 102 F/5 refractor( widefield, Sun, push-to), *OMC140 Maksutov F/14.3 ( planets).
Most used Eyepieces: *Panoptic 24, *Morpheus 14, *Leica ASPH zoom, *Zeiss barlow, *Pentax XO5.
Commonly used bino's : *Jena 10X50 , * Canon 10X30 IS, *Swarovski Habicht 7X42, * Celestron 15X70, *Kasai 2.3X40
Rijswijk Public Observatory: * Astro-Physics Starfire 130 f/8, * 6 inch Newton, * C9.25, * Meade 14 inch LX600 ACF, *Lunt.
Amateur astronomer since 1970.
GrabnGo on Alt/AZ : *SW Startravel 102 F/5 refractor( widefield, Sun, push-to), *OMC140 Maksutov F/14.3 ( planets).
Most used Eyepieces: *Panoptic 24, *Morpheus 14, *Leica ASPH zoom, *Zeiss barlow, *Pentax XO5.
Commonly used bino's : *Jena 10X50 , * Canon 10X30 IS, *Swarovski Habicht 7X42, * Celestron 15X70, *Kasai 2.3X40
Rijswijk Public Observatory: * Astro-Physics Starfire 130 f/8, * 6 inch Newton, * C9.25, * Meade 14 inch LX600 ACF, *Lunt.
Amateur astronomer since 1970.
- Bigzmey
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
40mm Newt, no kidding! What was the central obstruction on it?John Baars wrote: ↑Wed Sep 16, 2020 5:17 pm
A 6 cm f/15 refractor. On its back a 4 cm (!) Newton from the departement store. I thought that looked "cool" in those days.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Delos, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Delos, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.
Solar: HA: Lunt 50mm single stack, W/L: Meade Herschel wedge.
Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2461, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 261
- John Baars
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
One square centimeter. Rectangular, so 10X10 mm in the lightpath. Not so bad.....25%. Spherical 40mm
A toy really. But it was all I had when I was a boy. No money for a ( in those days supercostly) 4.5 inch Newton.
Refractors in frequency of use : *SW Evostar 120ED F/7.5 (all round ), * Vixen 102ED F/9 (vintage), both on Vixen GPDX.
GrabnGo on Alt/AZ : *SW Startravel 102 F/5 refractor( widefield, Sun, push-to), *OMC140 Maksutov F/14.3 ( planets).
Most used Eyepieces: *Panoptic 24, *Morpheus 14, *Leica ASPH zoom, *Zeiss barlow, *Pentax XO5.
Commonly used bino's : *Jena 10X50 , * Canon 10X30 IS, *Swarovski Habicht 7X42, * Celestron 15X70, *Kasai 2.3X40
Rijswijk Public Observatory: * Astro-Physics Starfire 130 f/8, * 6 inch Newton, * C9.25, * Meade 14 inch LX600 ACF, *Lunt.
Amateur astronomer since 1970.
GrabnGo on Alt/AZ : *SW Startravel 102 F/5 refractor( widefield, Sun, push-to), *OMC140 Maksutov F/14.3 ( planets).
Most used Eyepieces: *Panoptic 24, *Morpheus 14, *Leica ASPH zoom, *Zeiss barlow, *Pentax XO5.
Commonly used bino's : *Jena 10X50 , * Canon 10X30 IS, *Swarovski Habicht 7X42, * Celestron 15X70, *Kasai 2.3X40
Rijswijk Public Observatory: * Astro-Physics Starfire 130 f/8, * 6 inch Newton, * C9.25, * Meade 14 inch LX600 ACF, *Lunt.
Amateur astronomer since 1970.
- DeanD
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
John spoke at one of our meetings in Adelaide: I remember him charging up and done the aisles throwing copies of his notes to all and sundry, and then bouncing up to sit on the counter at the front of the theatre (he was about 85 then!) to speak. He thought the Big Bang was nonsense, and was a proponent of a sort of "continuous creation", which I think fitted with his Buddhist background (for those who don't know, he was at one stage a Buddhist monk, but he was apparently kicked out of the monastery for disobeying rules, like sneaking out to show people the stars). Definitely a character!helicon wrote: ↑Tue Sep 15, 2020 7:21 pm Great story @starfield - I later on (age 14) worked with Dobson himself when I made my 8" f/6 Dob, too. I even bumped into him at national parks well into the 2000's - first time at the Yellowstone Visitor center and second time at the Death Valley visitor center. He'd lecture the tourists and then take out a couple of his scopes, which he moved around in an old VW bus. In his talks he closed with the fact that he didn't really believe in the Big Bang, so he was definitely a unique (and charming) individual.
But I digress: my first "real" astronomical scope (other than a 25x30mm Tasco pull-out scope) was a 10" f5.6
Its successor is a 12"
Telescopes: 12" f5 dob, Celestron CPC800, 150mmf5 Celestron achro, Tak TSA102, TV76, ETX125...
Binos: Steiner Wildlife XP 10x26, Swarovski 8x30 Habicht, Zeiss SFL 8x40, Vanguard Endeavour 10.5x45, Fuji FMTR-SX 10x50, Tak 22x60, Orion Resolux 15x70
Eyepieces: way too many (is that possible?), but I do like my TV 32mm plossl, 13mm Nagler T6, 27mm Panoptic and 3-6mm Nagler zoom, plus Fujiyama 18mm and 25mm orthos and Tak 7.5mm LE
Binos: Steiner Wildlife XP 10x26, Swarovski 8x30 Habicht, Zeiss SFL 8x40, Vanguard Endeavour 10.5x45, Fuji FMTR-SX 10x50, Tak 22x60, Orion Resolux 15x70
Eyepieces: way too many (is that possible?), but I do like my TV 32mm plossl, 13mm Nagler T6, 27mm Panoptic and 3-6mm Nagler zoom, plus Fujiyama 18mm and 25mm orthos and Tak 7.5mm LE
- Starship9
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Re: What was your first "real" scope?
My first scope was a 1960's Tasco 60mm refractor.
My first "real" scope was bought in the 1980's and was a 6 inchF/ 6 newtonian made by the UK manufacturer Astro Systems of Bedford. I added a Fullerscopes Mk III equatorial mount and there was the scope that I observed Halley's Comet with in 1986:
My first "real" scope was bought in the 1980's and was a 6 inch
I'm a visual observer based in the South West of England.
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