Regretfully sold...

[A McEwan]

This is a long story.

In 2006 (I know because I never delete any emails) I bought a used blue Skywatcher ED80, in aluminium case, with red dot finder, rings and dovetail, off ebay for £175 including postage. It arrived on a day that happened to be clear at night, and the initial star-test showed perfect diffraction patterns, and subsequent observing sessions (of which there were many) showed excellent views closely comparable with my previous TeleVue85.

Fast-forward to October 2009.

Having acquired a Celestron C80 ED, it seems I decided to sell my beloved blue-tube SW ED80. This, despite the excellent views I'd had and the fact that after a very minor focuser adjustment in the early days of ownership, I'd had absolutely no issues with it since. Wierd.

Looking at email discussions from around that time, it seems that I fell for the allure of the sexier looking C80ED, with its slimmer body and lighterweight OTA. It also seems that in observations made with the Celestron, I remember the colour correction of the SW blue-tube being better...

Anyway, the C80ED also got sold on at a later date to make way for a TS 90/600 Triplet Apo, which really was the superior scope.

BUT... why did I pander to curiosity and acquire the Celestron in the first place when I was perfectly happy with the bargain SW that suited me down to the ground?

Curiosity, curiosity, curiosity, I presume. The desire to try everything and make comparisons between the tiniest of differences.

I actually miss the blue ED80. It rtepresented one of my best ever buys in astronomy, and it was a needless sale.

Thinking on this, and the fact that I don't own a small ED scope anymore, prompted me to order a brand new Skywather ED80 - the DS-Pro version with 2-speed Crayford and sparkly "Black Diamond" gold-flecked paintjob, with new "Metallic High-Transmission" coatings.

All I can say is, this had better be as good as my old slightly scratched, lovingly used and rough around the edges blue-tube model. And if it is, and I ever put it up for sale, Please Don't Buy It!

The moral of the story is, I suppose, if you think it's a keeper, keep it and then you won't regret parting with it.

Ant

[floppygoose]

Let me know when you want to sell the TS90, and I promise I won't buy it .. honest - Phil

[NGC 1502]

I've been there too, sold a superb David Hinds mirrored Astrosystems 8.5" / alt-az reflector. Regretted that big time...........

Like you say, if it's truly a keeper, then jolly well keep it.

Regards, Ed.

[Moonshane]

I feel a bit like this with my 6" f11. I got it for a song a few years ago and even though I get better views through my bigger dob, I could never sell it and won't as it's such a great scope and I am sure I'd struggle to find another anytime soon.

[A McEwan]

Let me know when you want to sell the TS90, and I promise I won't buy it .. honest - Phil

Too late - I sold it too (Don't ask...)

Ant

[John]

It's an interesting tale Ant and one I'm sure many of us can empathise with. When you read other folks reports on their equipment I guess it does create that prickle of curiosity sometimes.

I've told my wife to have me committed if I ever talk about selling my Vixen ED102SS

[swamp thing]

I used to do it a lot with 10" newts, keep thinking the grass is greener, only to come back to a 10" newt sooner or later.

No more though, learnt my lesson. Always going to have a 10" newt in my kit.

[Earl]

I feel the same about the 100ed revelation I sold, it was a mighty fine scope.

[A McEwan]

I wouldn't be surprised if boredom (proportional to number of cloudy nights) and the number of reviews and user reports on the Internet did play a part.

Ant

[estwing]

telementor...i've made room in the coffin for it!!

[nightfisher]

i have my TAL100 and will never sell it, i some times think about selling the 180 as its a big old lump but think i would really miss it if i did

[Moonshane]

telementor...i've made room in the coffin for it!!

16" solid tube dob - I am going to make a coffin from it!

[A McEwan]

i have my TAL100 and will never sell it, i some times think about selling the 180 as its a big old lump but think i would really miss it if i did

I sold my first 180 and missed it, so grabbed a really nice Orion 180, which I fully intend to keep - even if it does never get used!

[estwing]

16" solid tube dob - I am going to make a coffin from it!

...any more pies and i'll need a 38" dob-coffin!

[russ.will]

I never realised how good my humbe SW Explorer 200p was, until I sold it.

Russell

[Naemeth]

16" solid tube dob - I am going to make a coffin from it!

I may need the mirror though .

Enjoyed your post Ant, it's prompted me to keep my Heritage at least until I've owned several other scopes .

[badgerchap]

I have the opposite problem - I've not gotten rid of anything yet, except for complete 'retirement'. I just cant get rid of something if I think I, or someone in my family, can still get some use out of it!

[steppenwolf]

I too sold my beloved blue tube ED80 and some other stuff to finance the purchase of a set of 24mm, 17mm and 8mm Hyperion eyepieces and a William Optics 2"dielectric diagonal. The guy who bought it got a bargain and I got rid of an item that has sat in a cupboard ever since I bought my FLT98 but I sooo much wish I could have it back now, it was a keeper and the EP purchase was a knee jerk reaction to my not doing enough observing even though I am an imager at heart!

I can only agree with the above, if it's a keeper, KEEP IT!

[Ibbo!]

the FS102 is going nowhere

though i think the10" OO newt is the only scope I've not kept

Steve

[Rossco72]

I'd like my C11 back for the moon and planets but other than that thankfully not too many regrets so far.

I am looking out for the right Tak tho which might mean selling more 'fracs....

[Luke]

The one that slipped away from me was a 12 inch solid tube Skywatcher Skyliner. I didn't fully appreciate how low hassle it was. We finally admitted defeat and bought another solid tube dob.

Good luck with the new one!

[Macavity]

Not a scope (Hey, this is "whole setups"!), but my beloved (Red!) Baader Giro III mount. Never used extensively in the field, but made scope balancing (prior to putting on the EQ) precise and easy. Useful as an "extra hand", whenever there was a collimation or alignment job. And, when all the balancing, alignment and sundry electronica got too tedious, made a decent "Dobsonian" type mount. Worked surprisingly well with my prototype School Protractor / Wixey, push-to system etc. etc.

My second ever scope - A MAK90. Tended to "run out of light", rather quickly, but supported "ludicrous" magnifications, while remaining sharp. Moreover, having explored the MAK127 & MAK150 capabilities, I might now be tempted by a MAK102. Throw in some sort of Alt-Azimuth mount with geared slow motion (Vixen?). Something I could actually carry to my local Astro. Soc. (euphemistically termed) "Observing Nights"? Enough "juice" from a Notebook PC to run a Watec???

Mixed feelings about my erstwhile PST. Do I miss it? Do I not?

Maybe best to leave consumate H-Alpha imaging others...

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I sometimes have small regrets selling my 6" F/8 Newtonian, in part because it gave excellent views, more because I built it myself. I have to say, the C8 is an altogether better and more usable scope. That scope is going nowhere. My other occasional regret is the sale of the TMB Paragon 40mm. On the other hand, it was just sitting in the case, doing nothing since I got the 31T5, and it helped fund my LS35THa solar scope, which has shown me this kind of thing:

[nightfisher]

if we are talking bits that we sold, then its my tal x2 barlow, i bought the baader x2.25 and sold the tal, really bad move

[A McEwan]

I wonder who has my ED80 now...? <looks for "obsessive" smiley...>

I can't imagine many old scopes have fatal accidents or just disintegrate away...

Ant