Posts Made By: David Stern

I notice preview and edit are missing (including the message password.) I know preview didn't work right, but most forums have preview, so why not fix it? Sometimes it would be nice to edit a message when the incorrect word was chosen, too.

I know rating buyers is allowed, but in practice it seems to be the exception rather than the rule. Should buyers be rated on every transaction, or just when there's a problem, or ... when do you rate buyers?

I understand the purpose of a reticle in a finder scope, but reticles are easy enough to see, and illuminating the reticle would seem to obscure faint objects, and not be good for night vision. What's the intended purpose of an
illuminated reticle, and do they get the job done better than a regular reticle?

David

Hi Luca,

For me to use binos as a primary instrument I would also need a bino mount of some kind and I prefer those expensive binos with the angle prism diagonal eyepieces to avoid neck cramps on extended viewing sessions (I know there are those mirror devices available, but read on.)

A small refractor on an alt-az mount has a diagonal for no neck cramping, is easy to transport and store, eyepieces in all price ranges, powers and fields of view are available (allowing seeing deeper objects with more detail and contrast), and components can be upgraded individually (diagonal, ep, ota, ...)

While an equatorial mount is superior to an alt-az in tracking, an alt-az is quicker to transport and set up, which I've found very important living in a university residence hall.

Most surveys rate a short tube refractor as the most used scope. There's also a big used market for small refractors and accessories if you want to try something without making a commitment to new.

I chose a small refractor on an alt-az mount for it's flexibility and convenience. My 7x42 binos complement this nicely.

David