"It's A Keeper..."

[A McEwan]

How many times have you said that? Only to sell it a while later?

Sometimes the initial flush of excitement can wear off rather quickly, or sometimes the "New Scope Euphoria" can overshadow any flaws or performance & compatability issues that reveal themselves after it has been used a few times.

But sometimes, even worse than the above, you sell it on despite the fact that it was perfect, and then afterwards.... You Regret It.

I've done it a few times. Most notably with a 180 Pro Maksutov (which I'm in the process of replacing even now). The Pentax J60 (with mount and accessories in box!) I once owned is another example.

So... ever sold a "keeper"? What was it and how much do you regret it? Did you replace it? If so, did it work out well or was it a disappointment?

Ant

[Austin]

I have come close to selling my 12" dob twice and chickened out at the last minute.....thankfully!!! I love my "mistress" as my wife calls it!! It is definately a keeper

[Moonshane]

Coincidentally, I was thinking about starting a thread like this. Now I don't have to!

I have bought and sold a number of scopes and eyepieces over the years and there's only one I really regret selling - a 11mm Televue plossl. This I have since found really hit a sweet spot with my 6" f11 dob giving 145x magnification and sweet planetary views. Whilst I have a 10mm Radian and a 12.5mm BGO, I still miss the in-between power sometimes.

Thankfully I have held onto most of the stuff I'd never sell including the above-mentioned super newt which is great for grab and go and works really well on the equatorial platform I made. It cost so little and would be so hard to replace I'd never sell it.

I'd never be able to afford to replace my 16" dob either so I'd resist selling this with all my will and the same goes for all my eyepieces really but mostly my 26mm Nagler, 13mm Ethos (which I have considered swapping out sometimes for maybe a 17mm Nagler or Delos but always chicken out), 12.5mm BGO and 6-3mm Nagler zoom.

[A McEwan]

Interesting about the TeleVue 11mm. I have the older 10.5 and also find it a useful stand-in between 12.5 and 9mm Ortho's. Good thinking on TeleVue's part!

In the past I've probably sold a few scopes thinking I could always replace them if I missed them too much.

That's fine in the realm of easily obtained and readily available scopes. Not so practical with some of the esoteric scopes I've got my hands on now. Try finding another Celestron/Vixen 90mm f14.4 at short notice! Or a Swift 839? Or even an M603 at reasonable price...

I thought my Pentax XL and XW eyepieces were keepers, but I sold them. My N17mmT4 is certainly here to stay, and the 13mmT6, and probably my set of Baader Genuine Ortho's. But I suppose I should never say never really...

Ant

[John]

I did a quick tot up of the scopes I've owned over the past 30 years and reached the somewhat alarming figure of 35

Of those, I still own the following which are proving to be "keepers":

1960's Tasco 12TE 60mm F/13.3 refractor

Vixen ED102SS 102mm F/6.5 ED refractor

Skywatcher ED120 Pro 120mm F/7.5 ED refractor

Orion Optics SPX 300mm F/5.3 newtonian (newly acquired but likely to be a keeper )

Gone but with some regrets:

Bresser Uranus (Vixen SP102M) 102mm F/9.8 refractor on Vixen SP mount with Skysensor GOTO

TAL 100RT 100mm F/10 refractor on TAL equatorial mount

Skywatcher ED100 100mm ED F/9 refractor

Skywatcher Skyliner 200P 200mm F/5.9 newtonian on a dobsonian mount

Intes MN61 / Orion Argonaut 150mm F/5.9 maksutov-newtonian

I'm not even going to get started on eyepieces !

[Naemeth]

Since I've only been stargazing since March, and had my first telescope in May, I haven't actually sold or got rid of anything. I suppose I'm rather lucky in that respect.

[paul mc c]

Really regret selling my 12mm T2 Nagler,i sold it to fund a scope,will be a long while before i can afford another .

[Doley68]

Hi Ant.

Funny you should mention how much you miss your 180 mak. Look what arrived at my house earlier this week!

Only had a chance for a quick look at Jupiter on Tuesday. Wow is all I can say really.

[DaveGibbons]

This thread does not apply to me as I have only had one or two scopes in the past 5 minutes. You lot have a problem-get a grip !

Dave.

P.S. Last count I've had 42 ota's , seem to like 180 maks (had 5) almost as much as c9.25's(6).

[John]

This thread does not apply to me as I have only had one or two scopes in the past 5 minutes. You lot have a problem-get a grip !

Dave.

P.S. Last count I've had 42 ota's , seem to like 180 maks (had 5) almost as much as c9.25's(6).

The interesting thing about owning a particular type of scope more than once is that you notice the variations in them, optically. I've owned 3 Synta 150mm F/8's and 2 Meade 127mm F/9.3 refractors and there were noticeable differences in their optical quality. Conversely the 3 5" Celestron SCT's I've owned all seemed to be consistently good.

I'm now completely on top of my scope and eyepiece buying problem ........... probably

[paul mc c]

Sorry just realised this was about scopes............

[A McEwan]

Yeah I'm in the 30's as far as OTA possession goes.

Nice find Doley - I should be getting my "replacement" soon as well!

Funnily enough, My Lunt LS60PThaC1200 is probably going to last a long time. I've had it for longer than any of my others, so far. Probably because it's too much of a pain to type in the name of it in the For Sale ads...

Ant

[A McEwan]

John - scopes, eyepieces, mounts, filters - whatever items really!

Ant

[bish]

I've sold a few things recently due to necessity, my 11mm nag is currently being missed and will be replaced by a couple of cheap eps. My biggest regret is selling my first scope. I had it in 1983. Think it was Tasco but not sure, I aspired to the tasco scopes in the catalogue that magnified by x500! Mine had 3 mags of x25, x50 and x75 (60mm scope). I regret selling for nostalgic reasons and would love to look through it again to see what my first views of saturn etc were like. Naglers etc can still be replaced when I have the money.

[nightfisher]

I half regret selling the omc 140, but that was a while ago, i had a prinz 660 f15 that i should have kept, and not so long ago i thought about selling the 180 pro, but bought a better mount for it so a real keeper now,. I am having doubts about the Antares 105, as i will be selling the little house next year and all my stuff is going to have to move into Karins till we buy our own home!

Ant, did you sell the pentax in the end? you will be glad to get another 180, great scope

[Dunkster]

If you listen to SWMBO, I've become quite a hoarder... despite my efforts to keep my "collection" as stealth-like as possible

"But I couldn't possibly part with my first-view-of-Saturn scope"... I haven't been in this very long (at least, as a serious grown-up hobby) but seem to have forged sentimental bonds to some of my kit that have shown me such unforgettable wonders. Anyone else stuck with this or is it just irrational weirdness?

Don't even get me started on eyepieces

[John]

.. I haven't been in this very long (at least, as a serious grown-up hobby) but seem to have forged sentimental bonds to some of my kit that have shown me such unforgettable wonders. Anyone else stuck with this or is it just irrational weirdness?........

Not just you - thats why I've hung onto my 1960's Tasco 60mm refractor. It was my 1st scope and gave me many 1st views

[A McEwan]

Yep sold the J80. Maybe that's what inspired this thread? Though I don't regret selling it yet as I have the Celestron/Vixen 90mm to use, which most nights was the one I chose to take out anyway.

And yes, very glad to have another 180 Mak incoming!

Ant

[Marki]

If you listen to SWMBO, I've become quite a hoarder... despite my efforts to keep my "collection" as stealth-like as possible

"But I couldn't possibly part with my first-view-of-Saturn scope"... I haven't been in this very long (at least, as a serious grown-up hobby) but seem to have forged sentimental bonds to some of my kit that have shown me such unforgettable wonders. Anyone else stuck with this or is it just irrational weirdness?

Don't even get me started on eyepieces

Not had many scopes and only sold one so far (a starwave 102 ed) which I don't miss, as I didn't have it too long (I think thats the key...any longer than a month or two and they become family - lol ). I currently have 5 tubes, and they all serve different purposes....honest! Even the two 100mm achros.... . I really do get the irrational emotional bond thing though. If push came to shove, I think I might save my TAL100rs before any of the others, and its by no means the best performer or the most expensive. I just love it. Simple as .

[estwing]

i did think about selling my first scope...but it's a bit like your first love,maybe not the best...but memorable.

[rowan46]

I recently got rid of my nexstar 5 although I don't miss the mount (it was too heavy to be truly portable) I do miss the ota So I will definitely be getting a c5 spotter if I see one at the right price. I am using a ts 80/480 triplet at the moment which I am certain I will keep as eventually I may wish to have a go at imaging. But the c5 is a better visual instrument under brummie skies although to be fair my small refractor is no slouch.

[idbvideo]

Only been at this a year and in the first two months bought and sold a Celestron Astromaster 130EQ - definitely not a keeper, the 200P OTA has been a keeper, I upgraded the mount to HEQ5 though and those two are definitely keepers. On a slightly different topic, only recently I bought a Google Nexus 7 and decided that that wasnt a keeper and replced it with a Ipad mini - 2 weeks later!! The mini is a keeper though - So I tend to impulse buy things then sort out what I really want. Not the way to go is it ;-)