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Buying New Scope

Started by slick50, 04/20/2005 07:17PM
Posted 04/20/2005 07:17PM | Edited 04/21/2005 12:04AM Opening Post
O.K. folks, here its is.

I'm on the verge of buying a new 12.5" truss dob. I have looked at everything you can imagine in just about every way imaginable. Phone calls, spreadsheets, websites, chat groups, reviews - you name it.

Here are my requirements:

1. $5,000 max limit.
2. Needs to have top shelf optics (and there are several that make them)
3. Needs to be portable


Things I don't care about:
1. Goto
2. Digital setting circles

* I will be using an EQ platform for tracking.

The scope will be used for deep sky as well as critical planetary work.

So........what are the thoughts of this illustrious group?

Thanks,
john
Posted 04/20/2005 07:38PM #1
If I were you, and I realize I am not, I would not settle for less than ZOC optics. I know others are capable of making optics as good as Carl's, but I also know that buying ZOC ensures that you are getting superb optics.

IMO, the Starmaster 12.5 ELT is the best scope in this size and price range. Again, I am speaking for myself. But, if I did not have my 16" Starmaster and I were making a similar decision to yours, I would not agonize about the purchase for second. I would call Rick Singmaster and order the ELT.

Randy

Randy Roy
Posted 04/20/2005 10:52PM #2

This is easy, 12.5" Starmaster.
Posted 04/21/2005 12:10AM #3
Don't overlook Tscopes, either! Get a 13 or 14" scope for lots less than your $5000 limit... and pick your mirror maker, e.g., Swayze, Royce, Discovery... and have a well-designed, lighter-weight scope to boot. Check them out.

If you have particular weight or eyepiece height concerns, Tscopes could be your best bet. There's lots of customization options, too.
Posted 04/21/2005 02:41AM #4
Well I have the Starmaster 11 ELT and I love it. My advice is to call the various scope makers and talk to them. Rick Singmaster is famous for great support after you buy the socpe, even if you buy it used. The 11 is wonderful to use. Both the 12.5 and the 14.5 SM are less than $5000. The 14.5 has a very interesting hybrid design. Starmasters are a bit larger than Obsessions, as far as the base is concerned but they have ligher mirrors (the heaviest part of a scope by far) and the mirrors are designed, in the 14.5 and larger, to be removable for lighger transport. A feature of the slightly larger rocker box, by the way, is that the focusing cage fits into it for transport: very compact. And a lighter mirror cools faster. I like the f4.5 focal ratio plus Paracorr better than the f5 because the scope is shorter and you can more often sit down while obnserving -- a big plus, you look at an object a lot longer that way and see a lot more. And the thin mirrors cool faster. An f4.5 with Paracorr will have coma equal to an f8, so it will be optically better in that respect than an f5 without Paracorr. At least these are my conclusions. But there are many good socpes.
Portaball has a long wait. A great scope though in the 12.5 inch size for visual observing.
The T scopes have a long wait associated with them, probably owing to their economical price. Talk to Ed Taychert and see what you think.
You can also talk with Michelle Stone of Plettstone Telescopes.
Mark Wagner of Compact Precision Telescopes makes a great scope; you could call and see if it is availble in you size. I have the 10 inch size and itis a great scope.
For only 19 lbs of weight you can get a Johnsonian scope of 10 inch aperture for less than $2000, but the design, though revolutionary, has not give rise to any reviews on the Internet yet. Sam Johnson seems like a good guy and maybe he could make you a 12.5 inch version.
I think if you talk with the makers directly, it will be a lot easier o make up your mind. There are lots of good scopes, but I do agree with Randy Roy.
Good luck with it,
Bill Meyers
Posted 04/21/2005 09:51PM #5
Have you cosidered the 3 tube scopes of Plettstone?

Extremely portable, the 12.5 f5 is just 50 lbs. Simple set up.

Well under your $5000 limit.

Worth a look.

Good Luck

Rod Nabholz
Home Built Astronomy Projects
http://www.homebuiltastronomy.com/
Wild Bird Photography
http://www.wildsideiowa.com
Posted 04/22/2005 07:53AM #6
Hello:
I made a 12.5" with a mirror from Discovery, and I must say that I'm very happy with it. Being an f/6, I haven't noticed any coma even with wide field eyepieces. The planetary performance is very good as well. I've seen detail within the Great Red Spot, and have seen in the eyepiece that Ganymede is larger than Io. For a $700 mirror, this ain't bad. I can't vouch for the scope Discovery builds around the mirror; you can read Ed Ting's review for that info. So, instead of getting something like an Obsession, you could get this and still have money left over for a nice set of Naglers! That's my $0.02.

Cheers
Mike Connelley
... who used money left over from building the dob for a Nagler
Posted 04/24/2005 02:18AM #7
Your choice is to be applauded. What was the Strehl on the pair?
Posted 04/24/2005 03:14AM #8
I picked a Portaball as my new telescope purchase. The post where I decided got "lost" somewhere. So I thought I would restate it for future readers.