Part 8
I also realized at this point that I could choose to be paralyzed by the decision process. For example, I could forever be plagued by “what if” questions, such as what if I had held out for the Televue, what if I had gone with an Orion scope, etc. The reality is that no telescope is perfect or will fit all of our needs and desires – the Astromart classifieds are a testament to that principal.
In making my decision I had also thought about my experience looking through the Meade 8” SCT last fall. I think much of the problem I observed was due to the two “C’s”: cool down and collimation. The scope had just been setup and the temperatures were in the 30’s to 40’s. Also, I have no idea how well collimated this scope was. From what I’ve read here and elsewhere, these are two problems that are not overwhelming and shouldn’t distract from the viewing experience.
In that regard, I also ordered Bob’s Knobs, just in case I need to tweak the collimation. I also plan to purchase a better diagonal, such as a Lumicon or Televue Everbright, just as soon as I get the telescope paid off. The bottom line is that I think and hope this scope will provide me many evenings of enjoyable viewing. I think it will help me learn the night sky better, which can improve and increase the use of my smaller scopes. (I can see my Cloudy Nights review now; “First Light: The Orion 80mm takes on the Meade 200mm.”)
The old adage is that whenever we buy a new telescope, it will rain. Well, I live in a part of central Virginia which has been experiencing a drought; it has only rained twice since the first of July. However, true to form, as I await delivery of my new telescope, it is raining. It’s not a downpour; for that I would have had to buy a 20” dob.
Coming up: my thoughts on the telescope marketplace.
I also realized at this point that I could choose to be paralyzed by the decision process. For example, I could forever be plagued by “what if” questions, such as what if I had held out for the Televue, what if I had gone with an Orion scope, etc. The reality is that no telescope is perfect or will fit all of our needs and desires – the Astromart classifieds are a testament to that principal.
In making my decision I had also thought about my experience looking through the Meade 8” SCT last fall. I think much of the problem I observed was due to the two “C’s”: cool down and collimation. The scope had just been setup and the temperatures were in the 30’s to 40’s. Also, I have no idea how well collimated this scope was. From what I’ve read here and elsewhere, these are two problems that are not overwhelming and shouldn’t distract from the viewing experience.
In that regard, I also ordered Bob’s Knobs, just in case I need to tweak the collimation. I also plan to purchase a better diagonal, such as a Lumicon or Televue Everbright, just as soon as I get the telescope paid off. The bottom line is that I think and hope this scope will provide me many evenings of enjoyable viewing. I think it will help me learn the night sky better, which can improve and increase the use of my smaller scopes. (I can see my Cloudy Nights review now; “First Light: The Orion 80mm takes on the Meade 200mm.”)
The old adage is that whenever we buy a new telescope, it will rain. Well, I live in a part of central Virginia which has been experiencing a drought; it has only rained twice since the first of July. However, true to form, as I await delivery of my new telescope, it is raining. It’s not a downpour; for that I would have had to buy a 20” dob.
Coming up: my thoughts on the telescope marketplace.
