What is your dream scope?

I believe everyone has a dream instrument that is either beyond their bank account or is no longer made or a combination of other factors. So I ask: What is your dream scope and why? No professional observatories please.

Here is mine: A Questar 12. Optical and mechanical perfection! No GOTO but man what an instrument 8) As a lunar/planetary observer this would be an ultimate instrument. Now if I could have it and good seeing to match...

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Keith: Your question is a good one... Me, I don't really have a dream scope, I am quite happy with the equipment I have. It's not the best but it serves me well and it's capabilities are beyond mine. My scopes, eyepieces etc are like old friends, they may have their short comings but we have been through a lot together. Oh, some day I would like to have one of Roland's Travelers but that's about it.

I think my dream is to have a place to observe where the skies are reasonable dark and steady and to have the time so that I can enjoy it. Recently we acquired the place, 4 acres in the San Diego back country a few miles from the San Diego Astronomy Association site.

The time... I'm afraid that may always be the dream.



Jon

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I saw this 16" f/4 on a recent thread, and it is my Dream Scope!

http://www.jpastrocraft.com/index.htm

Hi Keith,

As I am somewhat of a big bino fan, I think this fellow has the right approach. 8" lenses. : )

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Keith Lawson said:

I believe everyone has a dream instrument that is either beyond their bank account or is no longer made or a combination of other factors. So I ask: What is your dream scope and why? No professional observatories please.

Here is mine: A Questar 12. Optical and mechanical perfection! No GOTO but man what an instrument 8) As a lunar/planetary observer this would be an ultimate instrument. Now if I could have it and good seeing to match...

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Forget the 12" Questar. There's one up here in Wisconsin, and the images are terrible. It never cools down. It had no proper thermal design. The secondary obstruction is around 40%. All in all a very poor scope optically with an impressive looking tube assembly.

Keith Lawson said:

I believe everyone has a dream instrument that is either beyond their bank account or is no longer made or a combination of other factors. So I ask: What is your dream scope and why? No professional observatories please.

Here is mine: A Questar 12. Optical and mechanical perfection! No GOTO but man what an instrument 8) As a lunar/planetary observer this would be an ultimate instrument. Now if I could have it and good seeing to match...

Yeah, and if you wait long enough, it might even cool down enough to show you some good stuff...

Me? I can't choose...either a Blue and White Celestron C16 or a Unitron 4-inch Photo Equatorial (with the weight driven drive, please). Yeah, I know both of these are relatively modest, but so be it. I'm a peasant at heart and wouldn't know what do to with the really high-line stuff. LOL

Keith Lawson said:

I believe everyone has a dream instrument that is either beyond their bank account or is no longer made or a combination of other factors. So I ask: What is your dream scope and why? No professional observatories please.

Here is mine: A Questar 12. Optical and mechanical perfection! No GOTO but man what an instrument 8) As a lunar/planetary observer this would be an ultimate instrument. Now if I could have it and good seeing to match...

I remember that ad in Sky&Tel some years ago, for me it was love at the first sight, at the time Q-12 was also my dream scope.
I know a little more about Maks now, specially the ones to avoid at any cost and this one would be on the top of my list.
No harm in dreaming, but if you really like to have a 12” Mak your only practical choices are the Russian Maks, and they are good, you can get some that are optimized for high contrast performance with smallish co., excellent overall figure, reasonable cooling at least when compared to Q-12, much lighter and somewhat portable if you are in a good shape.

Vahe

Funny, I don't have a dream scope no mo'.

But there is no one scope that would "do it" for me. I think what I would like most is a place where I could use this stuff more than 20 or 30 nights a year. I'm not sure that's my dream either. Don't know what life would be like if I picked up and moved.

But I'm in a good spot where I have more optics than I have time to use them. I guess one thing that *WOULD* be nice is a $10k solar setup.

Another way of looking at this is I have my dream scopes already. If you look at the mounts and scopes that were available back in the 60s when my "formative fantasies" about scopes were made, not to mention the eyepieces, I have far exceeded my catalog dreams of yore. My eyepiece box kinda scares me when I think what's in it. In a world where folks are starving, etc., it seems a bit obscene to have such a pile of glass. (But I let that feeling pass too.) I also feel a bit self-conscious (may not always show) about the folks that are struggling to put together their first rig and trying to make $1k go in every direction.

So I done got me my dream scopes, bottom line. Gimme some cash and I can figure out ways to get mo' betta', but I'm surprised I have been able to procure and use this many toys. So I try to cultivate an attitude of gratitude for what I have already, which is also an exceedingly cost effective approach. Cost effective, that is, after high initial outlays.

regards
Greg N

For me it would be a 10" F12 oil spaced triplet refractor with a classic straight OTA.

Years ago, as I recollect, Roland told me over the phone that he made such a beast using the famous NASA glass for someone, I believe, in Michigan.

I'd love to get my hands on that lens.

Jeff

Practical side: If you use your scope regularly, its much better than the guy who has one 4 times larger, and never views the universe. so appreciate your scope if you use it regularly.

But after 24 years of observing, I bought an 18 Night sky (obsession Clone), and it will DEFINITELY be my last scope. Great Pegasus optics, a GOTO that is dead on, Argo system........and yes, i use it regularly !