Have refractors hurt the hobby?

From: RichA (none_at_none.com)
Date: 11/05/04 

Date: Fri, 05 Nov 2004 00:18:23 -0500

In the Dec. issue, the editor of Sky and Tel in December discusses
Christmas present telescopes. He of course makes mention of the junk
scopes, the 60mm 525x refractors and 76mm reflectors that are
mechanically and optically (usually by their eyepieces) challenged and
that they do more to turn people off the hobby than turn them on.

This is undoubtedly true. But forget the 76mm reflectors, the main
culprit is the 60mm refractor on it's 9000 year old Tasco alt-az
rickety mount that is by far the main culprit, along with it's
dog crap little Huygen eyepieces and 3x plastic barlows.
So, has the mere presence of these telescopes harmed the hobby,
by driving many away from it.

I used to have the view that if someone couldn't maintain their
interest enough to "live" with a 60mm for a few years until they
sought out something better, maybe they didn't deserve to be in the
hobby, that their interest was not genuine. But, after having
watched the behaviour of amateurs over the past 35 years, I realize
that some (more now than before) come into the hobby and can be
turned off by bad equipment. Whether they "deserve" to be in the
hobby is purely a judgment call on people's part.

So if most agree that the lowly cheapo 60mm refractor (or worse,
the fully plastic 40 or 50mm trashfractor) has turned away potential
devotees, what can be done about it?

About 17 years ago, Meade and Celestron tried to help out here. They
both offered only decent (not great, but workable) 60mm refractors
with reasonable 1-1/4" eyepieces and real finderscopes. This was a
noble attempt by them to "upscale" the beginner. It worked for a bit,
but ultimately, both companies for whatever reason decided to dispense
with all pretense at being the hobby saviours and started selling
the same garbage scopes Tasco and Bushnell and Swift, etc, had been
selling. They needed the high margins these scopes offer.
They probably help offset R&D and production costs of real scopes.

The editor of Sky and Tel offers up the usual advise (which is good)
about trying educate people about bad versus good telescopes, but
amateurs are too few in number to influence the bulk of telescope
buyers who are looking generally for just another Christmas gift to
offer up and who don't put anymore thought into it than someone
buying a shirt for someone. In fact, someone is more likely to know
a good clothing brand than telescope.

But what if the only scopes offered at the entry level are decent
quality ones? Celestron and Meade tried this a decade+ ago, offering
decent beginner scopes, 1-1/4" eyepieces, good finders, etc, but they
couldn't sustain it and started selling the junk themselves to compete
with the odious Bushnell and Tasco.

So, over the past 40 years, had good scopes only been offered, would
there be more amateurs in the hobby today, or (despite the rejection
rate of the junk) are there more in the hobby today because of the
sheer number of cheapo junk scopes that have been turned out?
If you sell 100,000 good scopes, and 80% of the people stay in the
hobby, or 500,000 pieces of junk and 200,000 stay in the hobby,
obviously the junk scopes did a better job.

So have the cheap refractors hurt or helped the hobby?
-Rich

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Have refractors hurt the hobby?
    ... He of course makes mention of the junk ... > that they do more to turn people off the hobby than turn them on. ... They needed the high margins these scopes offer. ... > a good clothing brand than telescope. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: Have refractors hurt the hobby?
    ... He of course makes mention of the junk ... > that they do more to turn people off the hobby than turn them on. ... They needed the high margins these scopes offer. ... > a good clothing brand than telescope. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: Have refractors hurt the hobby?
    ... > Christmas present telescopes. ... > that they do more to turn people off the hobby than turn them on. ... They needed the high margins these scopes offer. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: Have refractors hurt the hobby?
    ... He of course makes mention of the junk ... >> that they do more to turn people off the hobby than turn them on. ... They needed the high margins these scopes offer. ... >> a good clothing brand than telescope. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)
  • Re: Have refractors hurt the hobby?
    ... > Christmas present telescopes. ... He of course makes mention of the junk ... > that they do more to turn people off the hobby than turn them on. ... > dog crap little Huygen eyepieces and 3x plastic barlows. ...
    (sci.astro.amateur)