fredster

I had a white 60mm back in the 60's and saw Saturns rings and M42, this is what really started me off in astronomy. I don't know what happened to that scope, but I was recently given a red tasco 60mm and put it on an old EQ1 mount and bought an eyepiece adaptor to use 1.25" eyepieces. It looks the part now but only in a nostalgic way as the views are pretty poor, even the moon. I think my eyes where better in those days.

Dave

Reading that i think its best i did sell mine, looking through it now would probably ruin all the wonderful memories i have of my little Tasco.

It is interesting to hear that so many people got into astronomy with Tasco scopes - it seems Heather Couper and Nigel Henbest were being a bit too critical in their 1980s review.

Aged 13 i used to get very angry when i kept reading people should avoid the 60mm refractors. Buy a good pair of binoculars all the advice was at the time. I remember thinking, based on what exactly? The moon and planets are rubbish in my Swift 10x50's, i would have given up if that's all i could see. My little 60mm is what got me (and my friends) hooked. Baloney to that advice. At the time my anger was also, dare i say, aimed at Sir Patrick.

My first scope was a 1970's 60mm Tasco refractor and it will always have a place in my heart and memories. If anything it will always be the best scope i ever owned as it gave me all my big first time wow's (moon, saturn and jupiter). So in my mind even i spent £20K on a knockout 6" Apo and Paramount, the little Tasco would still thrash it silly. I stupidly sold my Tasco for a pittance. Without doubt my biggest regret.

Had a lump in the throat and a tear in the eye when i read the news. Rest in peace Sir Patrick Moore. You enriched my life for 36 years.

dew heaters should be set to be literally just a tiny bit above ambient. the metal should not be warm to touch just used enough to 'take the edge off'.

I set mine very low and leave them going long before i go out. To the touch it feels like they are not working, but the lack of any dew tells a different story.

My Mak will last just a few minutes when dew is bad, even with the dew shield on. Without a shield the scope will start dewing over immediately, with the shield it may hang on 5-10mins. In other words just at the moment you get yourself settled at the eyepiece its over. Dew heaters are the only answer. But remember they are a proactive solution, not reactive. If the corrector has dewed over it will take an age for the dew heater to recover things. In that instance its time for a hair dryer.

I have a four port dew controller, dew strap on the corrector plate, dew strap on the finder and a dew strap on the eyepiece. I set the whole lot going on low power 1 hour before going out. No dew for the whole session.

I used a pack of cheap 'o' rings from B&Q, three rings per focuser wheel. Looks great and feels great. Only cost a few £.