Posts Made By: Mark Mittlesteadt

A small reflector, say 6-8" would be ideal. You'll want something that is easy to use and one that gives views that show enough detail to keep you hooked.

I own a refractor and I love it...but when I started out the best thing was a 6" reflector. It was easy to use and it showed me enough detail to make me want more and because it was easy to setup and hassle free, it allowed me the time to develop a sense of what I truly wanted to view.

In short, a small, easy to use reflector will serve you well, while you develop your observing habits, likes and dislikes, etc. Only after a few years of observing will you find what really interests you, in the types of objects you observe the most and also what kinds of equipment you may feel you need to accomplish that type of observing.

Also, you'll find that one type of scope won't be enough anyway. You WILL develop aperture fever and a severe case of GAS (Gear Aquisition Syndrome)...a sickness all astronomers fall prey to at some point.

I own one and in my opinion it does not handle anything over 120X...but even at that it shows a great deal of detail on the moon and even the planets during good seeing.

A great wide field scope. I love mine so much that i almsot never take out my 8" Meade LX50 SCT. Not that my SCT doesn't provide great views, because it does...but the 120ST is just so easy to setup for quick looks and that's about all I have time for.

Even when I have time, I still like to use the 120ST.

Check out my review of it at Cloudy Nights...
http://www.cloudynights.com/reviews3/Astroview120.htm

Since my review, I have upgraded the tripod (a solid oak tripod has completely eliminated ALL vibrations) and I've added a 2" diagonal and a 9 X 50 RA/CI finderscope. The additional weight on the EP end of the scope has helped with balancing the OTA farther forward on the mount.

I saw the most incredible view of M42 that I've ever seen. Could have been a combination of a great night of seeing (of which there are few in northcentral Wisconsin)...But I had never seen that through my SCT. I love this little scope.

Orion's customer service is excellent. I know of one person who got a 120ST and there were some paint flecks on the lens. Orion sent him another 120ST (after a thorough inspection) without even asking for the original back first. They also sent an RMA with a paid shipping label for the return.

I do believe you get a 30 day money back guarantee with Orion. So you could try it to see if you like it.

I have and love the Sky Altlas 2000 laminated field version (White stars on black background).

I only have an 8" SCT and a 4" refractor. I have two brackets on the legs of my tripod that I can put Sky Atlas in and it's right below me with a red light on it. Very easy to use. Plus, with the black background the red light does not reflect alot off it.

I don't know why but black stars on a white background is disorienting to me...though I've printed out charts from software that are black on white and I'ved used them. But I prefer white on black...and with the laminated field version, I NEVER worry about any damage to it from dew, or spilled drinks, etc.

I own an 8" LX50 and it weighs in at 47 lbs. (just the OTA and fork mount/drive base).

I normally grab my 4.5" short tube refractor most nights as it's just too easy to grab and view.

But I do love my SCT as well. I can't imagine lugging a 10" SCT beast around. I'd love a 10" SCT if I had a permanent location for it.

Personally I think you'd tire of hauling it around to set it up...but that's just me. Then again i'm getting closer to 50 and I really don't have the time to mess with a large scope that much.

Great scope though. I'd pick it up and haul it out, set it up...use it and pack it up and then haul it in again and see if you want to do that every time before you buy it.

I sometimes have to order my stuff...but have it shipped to my business.

My wife is generally supportive of my hobby and I never buy major purchases (anything near or over $100) without consulting her. But sometimes she just deosn't get why I need yet another EP.

I used my 120mm f/5 refractor one morning (about 4:30 AM) from Michigan's UP.

It was like No. 6. Even my rich field yields a nice planetary view with a 15mm and a barlow. Not the best scope to use, but I'm setting up a permanent pier in my back yard for my 8" SCT (Meade LX50) in time for August.

I own the Astroview 120ST.

I love it. Although I own an 8" SCT, I use the Astroview more and it gives great wide field views and believe it or not I also get great views of the moon and planets, given that it is a wide field f/5 scope.

I was up in Michigan's UP a while back and at 4:30 AM I looked at Mars and I could make out the polar cap and a bit of a dark spot near the middle. Earlier in the year, I could discern three cloud bands and the giant red spot on Jupiter and Cassini's Division in the ring on Saturn.

All this from a scope not recommended for planetary viewing. It does not give the views of my SCT, but one would not expect it to. But, then again, one would not expect it to give me the views of the planets that it does either.

Does it go away if you turn it off and then back on?

Mine goes crazy occassionally and then after I do the "reboot" it works just fine.

Yes, the play you are describing (even with the lock levers locked down tight) is sloppiness in the worm gears. You have to play with the adjustments to get the worm gears tightened up enough so there is no play, yet loose enough to turn smoothly without resistance.

This year was the first time I had been to a dark sky sight in over 10 years.

I own an 8" SCT and a 4" wide field refractor. At this dark sky site I could see the Milky Way in all it's glory and more stars than I ever thought were possible.

I was in such awe. I laid down on a blanket and for many hours just looked up and contemplated life. I was lying there and thought how, for millions, billions of years all of what I was looking at was going through it's own development...long before mankind ever even existed.

Then I thought of my own existence and thought how foolish I've been with all of my insignificant worries and complaints.

That night of viewing the stars was a mind altering, life changing experience...and I never, not once, even looked through my scope.

It cost me absolutely nothing to have this view. My point is that a telescope is not a tool to gather Hubble-like photos in the eyepiece as if it were a kids picture slide show.

It is merely a tool to take your mind to a different place and time. Its all about perspective. A telescope should help you gain perspective on the universe and your insignificant place in it.

You were expecting more? To ONLY expect a Hubble image in the eyepiece is to expect far less.