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OK, about to make a stupid decision...

emadmoussa

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Stargazer_00

Stargazer_00

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Trust me, my wife got very used to seeing several bits of kit in the past couple of years. I think she can easily know what's coming and what's going - the other week just asked me if she could see M27...I was M...what?!! :D :D

I'd be like, sure.. its at the bottom of the M3.

My wife doesn't even know what Jupiter looks like. The only way she knows if I have something new is if she sees the box. She could barely see the difference between my 250p and the 350p :) It's fantastic how much she doesn't care sometimes.

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JamesF

JamesF

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Resolution is not the only thing you should consider though. There's also image brightness. It's not much good being able to resolve detail that your eye can't discern.

I suspect the solution is to try one and see what you think. You could always pick one up second hand to try out and sell it on if you don't like it. Or if you want a new one, sell the second hand one and buy a new one once you know it's a keeper.

And whilst you're deliberating, your wife might learn to live with four scopes :D

James

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emadmoussa

emadmoussa

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Just occurred to me, I never actually used a barlow with the 80ED to view DSOs - highest mag was a Hyperion 8mm - ...I'll try the GSO 2.5x tonight - it might give me a good idea on the resolving power and resolution if the 80ED was pushed to the limit.

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Stargazer_00

Stargazer_00

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The ST120 is a good widefield scope. In my honest opinion though if you are going to get a ST120 you might as well get an Explorer 150p. They're about the same size in reality and the 150p is better hands down.

EDIT, here is a 150p on an AZ4 for some larger dobs for scale. This is the AZ4 in dob mode (for use seated) with the leges extended you dont need a seat as the eyepiece is the right end to remain standing. With a ST120 on this mount, with the legs fully extended I still needed a seat as the eyepiece is the low end (same consideration for Mak/SCT although the tube lengthsd are shorter the EP is still the awkward end)

post-19910-0-30694000-1376052637_thumb.p

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Carbon Brush

Carbon Brush

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Buy the scope and try them both.

If I spend enough time pondering a new scope, it gives time to save up some money.

Sometimes something will come up 2nd hand and I go for it.

I then tell myself that I can set up the new scope alongside the old and compare the views, convenience, etc.

After doing this for a while, I can decide which to sell.

So much for the theory.

In practice I find that I keep both scopes probably in 50% of cases. The collection slowly building over time.

So, how to keep 'she who must be obeyed' happy?

Two approaches come to mind.

The first is to ride out the grumbles until you have so many scopes that she doesn't notice an extra one.

An observatory shed, rather than house storage, helps here.

Make the shed difficult to enter and fit an alarm to discourage a casual look in.

She won't see much of the scopes. When she does see a 'new' scope you can honestly say 'I've had that for ages my dear'.

The second is to try and reason with her.

Does she have only 3 pairs of shoes? handbags? earrings?

The bandages have been removed and the bruises are fading.

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emadmoussa

emadmoussa

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The ST120 is a good widefield scope. In my honest opinion though if you are going to get a ST120 you might as well get an Explorer 150p. They're about the same size in reality and the 150p is better hands down.

Ahem -- reflectors are not my cup of tea. I had two before - 90mm and SW 200P and gladly got rid of them.

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emadmoussa

emadmoussa

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Buy the scope and try them both.

If I spend enough time pondering a new scope, it gives time to save up some money.

Sometimes something will come up 2nd hand and I go for it.

I then tell myself that I can set up the new scope alongside the old and compare the views, convenience, etc.

After doing this for a while, I can decide which to sell.

So much for the theory.

In practice I find that I keep both scopes probably in 50% of cases. The collection slowly building over time.

So, how to keep 'she who must be obeyed' happy?

Two approaches come to mind.

The first is to ride out the grumbles until you have so many scopes that she doesn't notice an extra one.

An observatory shed, rather than house storage, helps here.

Make the shed difficult to enter and fit an alarm to discourage a casual look in.

She won't see much of the scopes. When she does see a 'new' scope you can honestly say 'I've had that for ages my dear'.

The second is to try and reason with her.

Does she have only 3 pairs of shoes? handbags? earrings?

The bandages have been removed and the bruises are fading.

Well, the wife isn't a shoes/bags person - I'm not sure whether or not to be happy about it. :D :D I can't find financially demanding habit that I can use against her. Probably my daughter's toys and books...they're too many, why shouldn't the dad have more toys then? :D

And observatory is definitely a goal I'm aiming for - until I have my own property the scopes will live in the lounge.

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Stargazer_00

Stargazer_00

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My wife got upset when I kept one scope in the house in a room downstairs we barely even use.

Once I got my own 8x6 shed it all stopped. I can have as many as I can squeeze into it. I currently have 150/250/350 scopes and even still I'm going to move the 250 on when winter comes. Don't see any reason to keep the 250. When I could get that out I could also get the 350 out so why keep it. Any more scope for me will be either dedicated solar or SCT I reckon.

Still fancy a C8 for the AZ4 as a potential upgrade for the 150p, but dont like the idea of the eyepiece being the wrong end.

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emadmoussa

emadmoussa

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Still fancy a C8 for the AZ4 as a potential upgrade for the 150p, but dont like the idea of the eyepiece being the wrong end.

:D This is exactly why I can't get on with reflectors -- it makes more sense to me being at the bottom of the telescope. I guess my sense of direction sucks to begin with :D

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rowan46

rowan46

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Thought I would pop back and argue my case a bit more.

length c6 406mm

skymax 330mm

startravel 500mm

weight

c6 4.54 kg

skymax 3.4kg

startravel 3.9kg

Apparture

c6 150mm

skymax 127mm

startravel 120mm (admittedly unobstructed)

false colour

c6 none

127 none

startravel plenty

The problem with cats is they are a jack of all trades and a master of none however if you get the right extras they can do everything well. the sct is a bit more versatile in that the extras are a little easier and cheaper to get hold of.

the advantages of a short large achro

is they are cheap and wide however they have a large amount of false colour and getting over this problem is expensive and difficult. there are correctors for them but I believe they are very expensive and very difficult to get hold of.

If its apparture you need the c6 wins if you want to look at the moon or doubles the c6 wins if you want wide field put a 0.6x reducer and the c6 wins

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