WhatsUP! How about a nice hand-made telescope
WhatsUP! How about a nice hand-made telescope
So you want to buy a telescope! As I have said before do not go to your local BIG BOX store to find one........ and don't pay attention to the pretty picture on the outside of the box. You will never see anything like that, visually, in a small telescope.
So what are your options? From time to time nice used scopes show up on www.craigslist.com . and on Ebay. However you are really taking a chance because usually what I see is very cheaply made and or ABUSED small telescopes for sale--- usually of the department store variety that you want to avoid.
Another source for used telescopes is www.astromart.com where folks like me buy and sell all types of Astronomy equipment. However you need to make sure that the seller has a long and great rating before you send your money...... plus a personal phone call and-or several emails back and forth, just to get a "warm fuzzy" feeling about the seller. It is also good to ask for extra pictures to be emailed to you so you can visually check out your purchase before buying.
Now, let me recommend several sources for new telescopes in the United States. Try optcorp.com/ Oceanside Photo and Telescope, or astronomics.com Astronomics. These three companies handle THOUSANDS of different telescope models, plus you have a new scope guarantee of satisfaction (and return) of a defective purchase. One other noteable source is Stellarvue http://www.stellarvue.com/ . These are hand-made and tuned refractor style scopes at very reasonable prices with VERY GOOD optics and construction, made in California by Vic Maris. I have two of these a Stellarvue Nighthawk 80mm(a wide-field short tube), and a Stellarvue 80/9D (looks like what you think a telescope SHOULD look like! Ha.) for planetary and lunar observing. The construction on both telescopes is excellent and heavy duty---- built like a TANK as Vic sayes in his advertising.
Stellarvue's advertising slogan is true. One night I accidently attached my Stellarvue 80/9d to my EQ4 mount without first attaching the counterweight. As I turned around and walked away, I noticed the scope falling over and headed for the concrete driveway! It landed with a load thud! Time seemed to move slow and I mentally saw pieces of glass flying everywhere.
I walked over and examined the scope expecting the worst. To my surprise both scope rings had broken in half but the scope was not scratched, or dented, and the glass and focuser were intact and not harmed in the least! Built like a TANK is the correct word for Stellarvue scope.
Vic at Stellarvue also sells used Stellarvue telescopes at a big discount. He takes them back in trade when you upgrade to a larger Stellarvue brand scope; refurbishes, collimates, and star tests the trade in scope and resells them. You must watch his used scope list on his web site as new listings may appear at any time. They do not last very long, and are usually sold again in a few days or even hours!
For your first telescope buy either a wide field 80mm to 90mm refractor or Maksutov on a heavy duty tripod style Alt Az mount, or a Dobsonian style reflector in at least 6 inch aperture size. Either of these will get you off on the correct footing--- to see WHATS UP! ............. with telescopes.
Clear Skies!
TelescopeMan
