Re: First time telescope buyer

From: Chuck (cscappaticci_at_adelphia.net)
Date: 10/17/04 

Date: Sun, 17 Oct 2004 15:39:52 -0600

Well I have a goto telescope, but I always align on the wrong two stars so I
don't cheat. 

-- 
Thanks,
     Chuck
"matt" <mariusrf@bellsouth.net> wrote in message
news:y1Bcd.14297$pi7.13773@bignews4.bellsouth.net...
> >SaberScorpX wrote:
> >>>Being able to demonstrate a knowledge of the sky to others gratifies
> >>>the performer's ego, but serves no other practical or public good.
> >>
> >>
> >> Another lazy GoTo-er's defense of their lack of starhopping skills.
> >> Do we learn to drive, rather than take a bus, simply to gratify our
egos?
> >> Demonstrating a knowledge of the sky sure comes in handy when you're
> hosting
> >> star parties.
> >> Anyone else remember when starhopping was a natural part of the
learning
> >> process?
>
> I'm always perplexed by the amount of antiGOTO present on SAA . Apparently
> lots of people who have never understood this technology are jumping to
> denigrate it.
> If one wants to learn the sky, starhopping and all that, the GOTO scope is
a
> better tool than a dob . Here's why:
>
> - to manually move the scope, as a dob would move, all one has to do is
push
> the arrow keys . There's no law that you MUST only use the GOTO mode. Slew
> manually to your heart's desire to anything you could find in the sky,
learn
> everything using star charts, books, star hopping . Use the fastest slew
to
> reach the general area, then switch to a x2 rate to find the object. Try
> slewing at x2 with a dob .
>     -in contrast , the problem with the dob is that bearing surfaces need
to
> be good,  scope needs to be well balanced , or else it won't go or it
won't
> stay where you wanted it . Much harder to find a target .
>
>     -after finding the target, the lousy GOTO scope tracks it . Darn . No
> need to worry about going away to look for another eyepiece, or let
someone
> else take a peek who's not an expert nudger. Come back  a half hour later,
> the target is still in the eyepiece FOV, but just leave that dob for one
> minute and you'd have to find your target again . You'd need to spend more
> money with the dob to buy a tracking platform, add 50 lbs weight of said
> platform, and add another step to your ladder due to the extra 6 inches
the
> platform adds to the eyepiece height .
>
>     -If you're learning the sky, using manual slews with no GOTO, just
slew
> the scope wherever you wanted , and then key in the "Identify" command
> Autostar has . It will instantly display the name of whatever you see in
the
> eyepiece .
> Yes, then you can confirm it with star charts, computer programs etc, and
> return to your target 10 minutes later , because it's still there.
>
>     Bottom line,  a GOTO scope can do what a dob does and more. The dob
> can't do what a GOTO scope does .
> The most glaring ommission from all GOTO critics is the manual slew,
> tracking and identify functions of a GOTO scope that could be easily and
> efficiently used to learn starhopping. As a matter of fact, they're far
> better tools for starhopping than what a dob mount could offer .
>     GOTO doesn't even cost that much more at least here in the USA . A new
> Meade lxd75 6" Newtonian sells for $460 or so, just $200 over the price of
> the same size dob , but you get the GOTO equatorial mount with it .
>
> If you're handy, you can motorize any dob for less than DSC's cost . Buy a
> set of Meade DS motors and Autostar , assuming you're a beginner with some
> technical expertise , but that's another thread ;-)
>
> best regards,
> Matt Tudor
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>

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