Expert: Tom Whiting - 1/24/2007

Question
Hi Tom,
 My Q is, I would like to get a Meade 8" (see if would, this link)=
http://www.camcor.com/cgi-bin/cat/id=1125348282
This is much cheaper than current pricing, because of course its an older model thats a closeout.  So, my Q is, in your opinion is this worth the savings?  The salesman told me there are "standard coatings" (not the extra "Starbright") only, and theres no computerized find/ "go-to" feature.  Personally, the latter is not big deal, but I dont know about the coatings.
Do you think this is an outstanding deal, which it appears to be?  (includes the wedge, tripod, mount).

ps.  bonus question while Im here.. I live in the city (Los Angeles) and do you think those $100 city light filters really work (or better worded, are they worth the money?)?  

Thanks much
Tim

Answer
Hi Tim,
The only real way you can tell if it's a "good deal" is go to
www.astromart.com where amateurs sell their used equipment, and see what the going price is for that particular model at this particular time.
But first some background.....Our club has not recommended
neither Meade nor Celeston scopes (eyepieces are still OK)
now for the past 5 years....since Meade went public on the
stock market (they have to please their stockholders) and
Celestron went bankrupt and were bought out by Trashco....
errr....Tasco.
For the novices in the hobby, we recommend Orion,
Discovery, and Antares scopes....exquisite grinds and finishes on their mirror surfaces....and that's what it's all about
because if you don't have a 1/8 wave finish (or better) on your optical surfaces (mirrors)....all else...coatings, eyepieces, filters, etc. are worthless.   If it's just aperture you need, you might look at that Orion  XT12....a 12 incher, for only $870 plus shipping.  {AND, if you don't know what I mean by
1/8 wave or better, then you probably shouldn't be purchasing any scope at this time, because your knowledge
of the hobby is just not up to speed as yet for a scope!!}

Your Meade 8 is a Schmidt Cassegrain with an inherent 30%
secondary obstruction, so you are really only getting 7 inches of aperture, or less.  The XT 12 gets you almost
twice the aperture (4 times the mirror area) for a lesser cost...
and IMHO muct better optics....that would be my choice,
but I'm into deep sky objects and don't need go-to because
I took several years to learn the night sky....big savings of
thousands of dollars for a go-to, plus all the time and trouble calibrating and set up time.
So that goes back in even a bigger "first background" question....what is your main interest?  Deep Sky objects, Lunar/Planetary, splitting doubles and multiple stars, variable stars, comet hunting, nova/asteroid detection, etc. etc.
Scopes are like airplanes....all airplanes fly, but you don't send a bomber to do a fighter's job....what's your main interest and purpose??  Oh, we can also add night sky
photography as still another catagory that determines your
primary equipment.  You didn't tell me your prime interest,
so that puts me at an impossible disadvantage to suggest
or even recommend equipment....astronomical telescopes are "mission driven".....just like I (and anyone else if they are honest) can't recommend what type of airplane to use or purchase, until I know the "mission requirements".  Scopes are exactly the
same way.
As far as filters....Yes, they work, but at a horrible price as you typically lose 2 magnitudes of light.  Far better to do
what the rest of us city dwellers do....travel the miles to get
away from the city lights.  Every new moon weekend I travel
to Cherry Springs State Park, about 150 miles from Erie PA
just to enjoy the dark skies for a new moon weekend.
That process beats using any light filter.  Instead, purchase
a Lumicon Oxygen III filter which is very useable on thousands of night sky objects, especially the planetary nebulae and most emission nebulae.  So no, I don't use any
pollution filters at all....if conditions are that bad, I either
travel, or I don't observe the night sky.

And another problem here is....I don't know your experience
level in the hobby....so between that, and not knowing your
primary interest in the hobby, it is virtually impossible for
me (or anyone else) to be of assistance at this point.
BUT, if you wish to give me more information, please feel
free to contact me directly at
bwhiting@velocity.net
and we can discuss your requirements by direct E-mail.

Hoping all this helps,
Clear skies,
Tom Whiting
Erie PA
Please visit our club website at
http://www.velocity.net/~bwhiting and punch on
Tom Whiting's sound advice for the Novice.
If you are fairly new to our great hobby.