These Guys "Bug Me ! " How about you ?

Started by Midnight Sun, 09/01/2002 05:01AM
Posted 09/01/2002 05:01AM Opening Post
OK,I know I am not the only person that is driven nuts by this; Who else out there in our community knows people that have in their possession ( home ) a perfectly wonderful telescope of some kind. Be it a Dob. Reflector, Schmidt-
Cass. or refractor. And they haven't touched them in years. In my case, one gentleman I know has a 10" Meade Dob. that sits in his shop covered like an ugly piece of furniture. He has not used it for 10 years that I know of. An other friend who works at a photo shop, and is always talking about his 8" Cassegrain hasn't taken it outside for 6 years that I know of. Now have they lost interest in the Hobby? are too lazy, or just procrastinate forever. I asked Larry, the Camera salesman if he would be interested in selling the 8". Oh no, he said, one of these days I'll get around to setting it up, just too busy right now.... UHGGG!!! Before these people realize, bingo! Times up. As my Grandpa used to say, " Enjoy this moment, for this moment is your life." Clear skys... John M. Let me know if anybody knows any of these type, I would be interested in hearing about them and their hid away treasures..

Posted 09/01/2002 07:54AM #1
It is sad, but sometimes the rest of us can get great telescopes at good prices from these people. That was how I got my Criterion RV-6 (6" newtonian on an equatorial mount) a few years back for about 25% of what they go for these days. I had a couple junk scopes when I was younger but happened upon this gem in the local classifieds. The owner used it a bit but was getting older and grew tired of setting it up. It helped renew my interest in astronomy.
I was working at a photo lab a while back and noticed another RV-6 in some photos of a flooded basement. I thought about trying to rescue it from such a horrible life but it looked like a lost cause as the tube had a water mark on it about a foot high. It made me sad though to see such a fine instrument wasting away like that.
This also brings up the point that the best telescope to have is the one that you will get the most use out of. I have a 80mm fluorite refractor that now sees much more use than the RV-6, even more so since I now live in an apartment. I have to travel a fair distance to get to dark skies and the seeing usually stinks here anyway, so the refractor is a much better all around telescope for me. Of course, I just bought 10" newtonian on an equatorial mount - mild case of aperture fever. I am going to build a dob mount for use when the equatorial is unnecessary. I promise not to become one of those people that has telescopes as furniture though :-)

Clear Skies,

Joplin