Have you chosen a scope on looks alone?

[Alien 13]

Oh dear i feel that some people dont like WO scopes but to me its the whole package that counts a scope that has marginally better optics is about as useful as the preverbial chocolate fireguard if it has a ropey focusser.

Alan

[ollypenrice]

I find the Tak Health Service Green a rather charming throwback. It's the colour of the 1950s. http://www.classicautorental.com/1950s-vehicles-1/1950-chevy-club-coupe

 Prior to that the world was sepia coloured...

Olly

[Earl]

my truss 8" rc won the looks cool factor, especial with a feathertouch on it

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/224743-almost-ready-for-some-longer-focal-length-imaging/

i wanted a 10 but the 8 won

[philj]

Oh dear i feel that some people dont like WO scopes but to me its the whole package that counts a scope that has marginally better optics is about as useful as the preverbial chocolate fireguard if it has a ropey focusser.

Alan

I think Wo scopes arent the most attractive, I used to have zs80, worked ok but was not pleasing lines. I still have A wo scope an flt98 with Strakov optics and feathertouch focuser so all the important bits have been changed and its actually a wo scope that works well imho.

[hunterknox]

Oh dear, here's me currently being seduced by their new new Star 71 APO     What's wrong with WO scopes (apart from perhaps the Ferrari paintwork one) ? 

Some of them are optically very good, and fortunately mine is. Apparently others are not so lucky: http://astro-foren.de/index.php/Thread/6084-Kap-01-Verzeichnis-optischer-Berichte/

[niallk]

I like big Dobs and I cannot lie

All you other brothers can't deny

When a girl walks in with an itty bitty waist

And a round thing in yo face

You get sprung...

[Marki]

I think how a scope looks is an important consideration ... the weather is generally so pants for observing I spend more time looking at the tube than looking through it . Luckily, my Skylight 4" f13 is beautiful - love the brass dewshield and long black tube, but a great performer under the stars too (for an achromat) .

For me, the refractor matches my mental template of what a scope should look like - don't know why, just does. Having said that, my recent experiences with the 6" F10 istar (a great scope optically) have tempered my views with a healthy dose of practicality. If I want aperture (in the absence of a lottery win), I'll go for an SCT, even if it looks like a stumpy can set on the eq .

[nightfisher]

I think how a scope looks is an important consideration ... the weather is generally so pants for observing I spend more time looking at the tube than looking through it . Luckily, my Skylight 4" f13 is beautiful - love the brass dewshield and long black tube, but a great performer under the stars too (for an achromat) .

For me, the refractor matches my mental template of what a scope should look like - don't know why, just does. Having said that, my recent experiences with the 6" F10 istar (a great scope optically) have tempered my views with a healthy dose of practicality. If I want aperture (in the absence of a lottery win), I'll go for an SCT, even if it looks like a stumpy can set on the eq .

Well said marki, looks like most of us feel a frac looks like a "proper"" scope

[jnb]

Far too many Fracs are over designed trying to become things of beauty

http://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_great_wetherell_refractor_steampunk_telescope_for_wiki.jpg

[swamp thing]

http://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_great_wetherell_refractor_steampunk_telescope_for_wiki.jpg

Is that too many Fracs.......no that's a bespoke telescope.

Edit: and a very nice one too.

[JamesF]

In the case of the Great Wetherell Refractor I think it's probably fair to say that form was as much part of the intent of the project as function, though I'm sure Tim can speak for himself if he sees this post.  I've always understood that it was meant to be as much a piece of art as a working refractor, certainly.

I'm rather disappointed that TIm won't be bringing it with him when he moves not far from me next year.  I'd love to have had a look at/through it.

James

[HD-AP]

Actually i think the tak green nhs /medical link is a spurious one or a myth.

Scrubs and theatre drapes sterile supplies paper was green  but  

Having worked in the health service professionaly for over 35 years most of the equipment finish was simular to tak hammered green but it was silver or gunmetal grey or light blue  or white and white is a ,no is the classic scope finish.

Having said that i have never bought a scope aestheticaly optical quality has alway's been my first consideration .However if it looks great as well that is a bonus ,form following function .

My father was a design engineer on concorde form and function made something aerodynamicaly functional and efficient  but also beautiful as well.

And white :-)

My astrophysics 180 EDT is a pretty good looking scope even after all these years have past since roland christien hand crafted it the focusser on it is an  all machined black anodised finish and  is still a work of art but it's function is still great high precision air hisses out when you roll it in and out of focus .

 classic Tak focuser's look /are cast alloy not as good a look as precision machined i think.

I think that the stickers on my astrophysics  scope are a bit naff when compared to the rest of the scope ,but they are what they are ,and this is a scope that you will have to pry out of my cold dead hands .

Conversly i have a 10 inch f8 windowed newtonian optics by david sinden ,the ota finish looks pretty rough and average , but the optics within the rough exterior ,will easily outperform modern shiney tubed scopes .

Someone once said telescopes are for looking through not looking at ,but it's nice if they do both .

Classic  telescopes reflectors and refractors like fullerscopes, cave  ,brass and glass and tec and astrophysics have timeless looks like the clark and zeiss  ones before them , to name but a few , even my 76 mm classic japanese 1960's eq mounted refractor still performs beyond the diffraction limit and has a timeless look about  it even today .

 Plastic may become classic in the future ,but it dosen't do it for me .

can we have the best of both worlds ,perhaps ?

   

[F15Rules]

Thanks everyone for this great plethora of opinions and musings ...love it, love it.

If I could afford a Tak - specifically the classic, iconic, drop dead beautiful FS128, I'd be happy to put up with the "vomit green"...it's not that bad, is it? The older Vixen green wasn't unlike that, and I always thought the SP102M was a classic of simply frac design - but first and foremost was optically excellent for it's day.

SImilarly, when I was young I was always fascinated by Charles Frank reflectors, BC&F refractors, Unitrons and Carton Japan F15s (the latter as rare as Hen's teeth in the UK). It's great that mass production has brought good quality optics into the mainstream, but I doubt whether in 50 years many astronomers will hark back in the same way, as we did with our iconic brands, to the likes of the Skywatcher Evostar et al..

Dave

[bomberbaz]

I actually didnt want a dob when I started as they don't look how a scope should, or should I say didn't at that point in time, I was a frac fan.

However first scope was a newt on an EQ mount which I bought at a Charity ball on a half drunk whim. Then I moved to a Nexstar 8SE and I would be lying if I said it wasn't pretty to look at as well as being goto so bought that.

Finally I got my current 300p flex/goto. I drove 50 miles to view one in the Greenwitch shop and immediately wanted it. Apperture, goto, good storage and in Metalic Black, loverlee 

steve

ps; I have since owned and got rid of a frac and now have the little 100p as my 2nd, grab n go scope.

[ChrisLX200]

Anything that is well made will probably look good to me - because that is what I look for. Any attempts to add superfluous styling are a negative.

ChrisH

[Marki]

Anything that is well made will probably look good to me - because that is what I look for. Any attempts to add superfluous styling are a negative.

ChrisH

I think thats right. Sometimes form and function combine in such a simple way to render the object really beautiful  - I think the old fashioned brass zippo lighter is a good example of this.

[RT65CB-SWL]

In the case of the Great Wetherell Refractor I think it's probably fair to say that form was as much part of the intent of the project as function, though I'm sure Tim can speak for himself if he sees this post.  I've always understood that it was meant to be as much a piece of art as a working refractor, certainly.

I'm rather disappointed that TIm won't be bringing it with him when he moves not far from me next year.  I'd love to have had a look at/through it.

James

I think many of us would love "...to have a look at/through it." at some point. It certainly is a beautiful looking instrument.

[m1dlj]

I wasn't aware at the time that looks played a part, just decided on a refractor, but now you mention it, big white OTA, silver trim, could have had something to do with it. I also considered the SW Explorer 190MN Pro at the time, which is black, humm, can't be sure.

However, the big white refractor does look nice with the mini clubman eyelashes, furry dice and sequinned finder scope cover.

Ray

[Liquid360]

Who's the pretty telescope? Yes you are! Yes you are a pretty telescope! Who's the prettiest telescope that there ever were?! You are!! Yes you are!

[L8-Nite]

Anything that is well made will probably look good to me - because that is what I look for. Any attempts to add superfluous styling are a negative.

ChrisH

That about sums it up for me too.

[russ.will]

Why shouldn't it look good? In the UK, you're going to spend more time looking at it, than through it....

I think quality engineering has a beauty all of it's own and lest we forget this is a hobby and thus the laws of rationality are superfluous. It's about being happy and for me the feel, the fit, the finish, is all part of the joy of operating any piece of machinery. 

If you want a Moonraker or a Skylight, you knock yourself out and experience the joy of using something that was made by somebody who cared.

Russell

[Chris]

Well said Russ! I sometimes just open my eyepiece case for some eye candy, I'm sure you do the same as a Delos owner :-S

[russ.will]

Actually, I do.

[F15Rules]

Well said Russ! I sometimes just open my eyepiece case for some eye candy, I'm sure you do the same as a Delos owner :-S

I know that feeling..I've owned several scopes which I just found so lovely to look at I would go out to the garage on one pretext, but actually simply to walk past them and gaze at them...

Included in that group were:

Tal 125R Achromat

Vixen SP102 Pulsar F13 Achromat

Unitron Polarex 4" Folded F15 refractor

Intes Alter M603 Maksutov

D&G USA 5" F15 Achromat

I know, I'm a saddo...

Dave

[Liquid360]

After reading this threat I've become hyper aware of my equipments aesthetics and I must say that brilliantly engineered put together hardware when built well really are stunningly beautiful pieces of industrial scientific art!