Expert: Tom Whiting - 8/18/2010

Question
QUESTION: I am contemplating buying a telescope in the near future and whilst I have some knowledge regarding both astronomy and the various types of telescopes that are on the market I would like to get your expert opinion
I place myself at the beginner/amateur level, (have been for many years).
With this in mind would you offer me some advice as to the type of telescope and accessories that I should consider when making my purchase.  I am currently leaning toward the Celestron 8SE, an 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain scope with a computerized altazimouth mount etc.,  or a Sky Watcher 8"  reflector with similar features, I am aware there are similar scopes by Meade.
I believe good accessories would be a Filter Kit with Diagonal and Barlow eyepieces.
As I am getting on in years I don't want to purchase upgrades or additional equipment at a later date.
I would very appreciate your expert advice and suggestions.
Thank you.
Ian Rose



ANSWER: Hi Ian,
You're probably not yet ready for a scope, as yet. How do I know that? Because you didn't bother to tell me what you want to specialize in... deep sky objects, Lunar/Planetary objects, variable stars, comet hunting, double/multiple stars, etc etc.
(AND you will specialize eventually because there is just too much out there not to).  There are scopes out there that maximize each of these activities.  Scopes are like airplanes... all airplanes fly but you don't send a fighter to do a bombers job.  Scopes are exactly the same way, otherwise we'd all own the aame type of scope, wouldn't we?  BUT we don't, because different folks go into different types of objects.
Also, sounds like you haven't joined an astronomy club as yet, and seen and talked to others already in the hobby.  Otherwise they would have given you all this information... you would have seen what their scopes do, and talked to them about it.
Problem with a Schimdt-Cassegrain type scope is it's a trade off from all those activities listed above, for the convenience of size and transportation. (Because you suffer from a 30% secondary obstruction for starters).  So I'd only get an SC IF my primary desire is for convenience and portability.
Also, think Dobsonian mount.  You don't need all that clock drive
stuff UNLESS you're planning photography, and that's another separate hobby all by itself in astronomy.
Save a thousand bucks, and learn your night sky yourself, and avoid
all that computerized go-to stuff. Be your own "GOTO" by learning the naked-eye night sky, then you don't need a computer to tell you
where objects are at. Plus, I've found in the majority of cases, once one has a computer find, they never bother to learn the night sky and thus lose out on nearly 50% of the enjoyment... the hunt for objects.  And the money you save by NOT buying clock drives and computers, put it into a BIGGER mirror telescope.
Just my 2 cents, which is what you wanted,
Clear Skies,
Tom Whiting
Erie PA USA
PS.. our newest club members like the 8 to 12 inch range from Orion
or Discovery, Dob mounted, no clock drive and no computer finding, with a telrad attached for a finderscope.  And that's what we recommend to them.  And a decent star atlas like Norton's or Cambridge 2000.0, and eventually a copy of Uranometria.
An O-III filter for planetary and emission Nebulae, and a few wide
ranging (40 to 7 mm) eyepieces, Plossls to start, and eventually 2 inch barrel Wide-field Meades or Naglers or Ethos types if you can afford it.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Many thanks, Don, for your feedback, and to elaborate on my usage.
I really just want to view such things as the local planets and moons in our solar system as well as view galaxies, deep space etc., Photography would be a future consideration, (I am getting older by the week and have limited time to think of anything else but the enjoyment.
So a good quality multi purpose telescope is what I am looking for.
The Meade LXD75 8 AT SC has been recommended as maybe the scope I should consider?
Thanks
Ian R.

ANSWER: Hi Ian,
I also am almost 69, but unfortunately, the same rules apply to us seniors as do the younger generation.
The lunar/planetary requirement is much different than the deep sky
requirement... with fine details on the planets you want a high quality 4 or 5 inch refractor with a long focal length. But this is not good for the DSO's. They require a large mirror with a somewhat
smaller focal length. So each type of object requires it's own scope.  But as you say, the SC is a multi-purpose, but you lose (or make a sacrifice from 'exquisite') on both ends.
So since I am mainly into Deep Sky Objects, I have several large aperture DOB mounted scopes... then if I want to view the moon or planets, I insert an aperture stop (also called an off-axis mask using cardboard)upfront, cutting the aperture hole to 4 inches.  This then acts as a 4 inch long focal length (f20) refractor for planetary viewing. So that's one advantage of having a large mirror scope. YOu can always cut it down for lunar/planetary viewing, but you can't take a 4 inch refractor scope and make it's up front lens, bigger.
As for learning the night sky, about 2 years ago a 50+ year old lady joined our club, starting with a 6 inch reflector.  In only 2 years,
she has learned her constellations, can locate from memory all the 110 Messier objects, and many of the brighter NGC objects, and about
6 months ago, upgraded to a 13 inch Coulter scope.
We have club members that have been "in the club" for over 20 years
and still can't point out the Pleiades or Andromeda galaxy in the night sky!  That shows me that it's all self-motivation, and not the
alleged "difficulty" of the subject material.
Our stand is that we still like the quality of the Orion and Discovery (and Antares) products, over the Meades and Celestron products, except for the Meade widefield eyepieces.  Several of our well-off members who bought the 12 and 14 inch Meade SC's have had severe problems with them, and one even had to send it back to the factory for repairs, so our club just hasn't had good luck with the newer electronic Meades, except for their much older (10-15 years ago) scopes, which are exquisite, but hard to find on the market.
Read the reviews, it's "buyer beware" out there.
Clear Skies,
Tom




---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Many thanks again, Tom, you have provided me with much food for thought and with your knowledge and feedback I shall have to make a decision, hopefully an intelligent one and hopefully the right choice.
8" was the smallest telescope I considered but maybe a larger would be the way to go in an attempt in avoiding purchasing bigger at a later date, I have to consider budget like many of us.  I shall read the reviews as you suggest.
It would seem we are of the same vintage, though my future may be cut a little short due to a health problem but it is my intent to remain both positive and enjoy what I hope to be a rewarding decision with this hobby and hope for the longer term.
I will take your sound advice and learn the constellations and Messier objects etc. as I also think it is essential and rewarding to have this knowledge. I have already taken steps to achieve this goal by plaguing our local library.
Because of the interest I have had in the past I am happy to say that I can distinguish Pleiades and Andromeda galaxies and a number of others though without a telescope to enhance what little knowledge I have on the subject I feel limited in furthering this desire.
Thanks.
Ian R.

Answer
Well, reading is really the first big step... we all do a lot of that in the hobby all the time; I have subscribed to Sky & Telescope
magazine for over 40 years.
One last piece of help may be to punch on our club website and read "Tom Whiting's Sound Advice for the Novice", at
http://www.velocity.net/~bwhiting
Yes, my health problem is COPD caused mainly by 50 years of smoking.
Clear Skies and Good Luck,
Tom