>>>Most folks who are at this hobby for any length of time come to the conclusion that no one scope does it all. That's why we keep buying and selling them! That's why most of us develop a "herd" of them, each with it's own particular use. My current setup seems to satisfy all of my needs for now (riiiight).
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Larry:
Whenever I think to myself "My current setup seems to satisfy all my news for now" it means I am about to acquire a new telescope...
There is something about my herd that is particularly fertile, somehow they seem to multiply... I do like "older scopes" and there is some redundency because of that, (four Japanese 80mm F/11's) but I don't keep them just because they are 25 years old, I keep them because they provide good views.
Today my herd looks like this:
- Coronado Solar scope
- 60mm F/13.3 Asahi-Pentax Nice '60's refractor, split Izar the other night.
- 66mm WO ZS SD Birding and quick look scope
- 76mm F/3.7 This little newt started out as a Tasco Rocket scope but I took the optics out and built a "strut tube finder" with it. Splits the double-double.
- 80mm Meade 310, 312, 314. All Japanese Meades from the 80's, the 314 has a brass OTA, the 310 is later and nicer.
- Celestron/Vixen 80mm F/11
- Celestron Nexstar 80GLT 80mm F/11 ON the way out.
- 80mm WO Megrez II FD. Probably my most used scope. Great views, widefield and high power.
- 114mm Bushnell Voyager Astro-Scan clone Looking for a home
- 5 inch Celestron C-5 OTA nice and portable, nice for eclipses
- 130 mm F/5, Orion Space Probe 130ST. A favorite, sits on an EQ-3 with a SP wooden Tripod. Has a 2 inch focuser and is a nice allarounder doing well on the planets besides nice widefield views.
- 6 inch Celestron Starhopper, Sonotube. Nice scope, gives those nice F/8 Newtonian views. Will end up with some friend.
- 6 inch Criterion RV-6. It's a keeper. Some people suggest these are capable of magic but it just seems that way.
- 8 inch Celestron Starhopper, Sonotube. Nice scope, gives those nice 8 inch F/6 Newtonian views. Will end up with some friend.
- 8 inch F/5 Konus. One of the older Synta models. Fitted with a Crayford and sits on a CG-5 ASGT it's a nice all around scope and quite portable.
10 inch OPT Starhunter 10. One of the older GSO DOBs, upgraded with the GSO Crayford it's been a favorite. Bought right here on Astromart with optical issues, I found the pinched secondary and it has been a good one ever since. Gives great planetary views... Did the Teflon-Ebony Star thing to the base.
12.5 inch F/4.06 Discovery/Jstar Truss. I have had this one for several years, was my largest for most of that time. Earlier in the year I was buying plastic for my 16 inch and the guy building the JStar/Anttleer Optics Dobs was in the store and one of us mentioned telescope... I love it and it fits nicely in the back seat of the car.
- 12.5inch F/6 Meade Research Grade. A big old lug at 300lbs, I consider my ultimate plantary scope. Fitted with a triple fan from Floyd, it does some wonders when the seeing is good here along the San Diego coast. It also is very nice on the DSOs, particularly the open clusters at low mags. I think of M7 as a refractor target but there is nothing quite like M/7 in a 12.5 inch F/6...
16 inch F/4.42 Meade Starfinder/Dobstuff conversion. I was alway happy with the 12.5 inch as a limit, plenty to see.. But when a Meade Starfinder showed up on Craigslist for very good price I got it. After using it several times my back finally said no more, that's it. When Dennis advertised for his conversion kits I went for it and I have been very happy with this scope. The OTA is about 55lbs and it sets up in about 10 minutes. Fits nicely in the motor home and the added aperture is especially welcome when hunting Galaxies.
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That's about it for the herd, oh, there's a few, the Jason Comet 480, the Orion Funscope and others that I don't count...
I think a good 4 inch F/6-F/7 ED or APO would about complete the collection and I would be done.
Jon
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