Thinking about a scope or just to wait???

[TareqPhoto]

Hi all,

It is really so bad and difficult in this time with many issues and crisis all around and with very tight budget or so bad financial situations, making all kind of decisions like a "Mission Impossible".

So, i am still thinking and thinking and thinking and came up with those which are maybe not yet the last plan, but at least i narrowed it down to that, so if you have to choose or go with one of the following regardless if you may change later, what will you get really [with reasons if possible please]???

 

1. 12" F4 Newtonian [for planetary imaging only]

2. Two 150mm [6"] F4 Newtonian [DSO imaging]

3. Two 130mm F5 Newtonian [DSO]

4. Cheap cheap affordable doublet semi APO or ED refractor [DSO]

5. 0.73x reducer for 200mm [8"] F5 Newtonian [DSO imaging]

 

All above are for imaging only, i have 8" F5 and i have a mono cooled camera [QHY163M] and filters, so it is only about telescopes now, i am still not using my 8" F5, but i know even before i use it that it won't fit all targets in my mind, it will do nice job for small targets anyway, but i feel like i still prefer a wide field more, and i won't get SCT or triplet refractor, so only above are my very soon choices, otherwise i just stop AP and keep waiting to save and go with high end or larger scopes within my maximum saving after 1 year or two, i have a plan to buy a high end expensive refractor so any those affordable triplets are out of my plan and mind, and SCT is so so much expensive than Newtonian or Dobsonian so i won't waste money on that, also i don't want SCT just it can do DSO and planetary because that is requiring extra accessories and also more expensive to be honest, just before going SCT or triplet route discuss why any of above isn't a good idea to think about.

Any further details you need i am willing to answer, and remember, it is not yet confirmed or as a final plan, but i want to think about it as i have to decide on a telescope within April/May to start.

[Louis D]

If you're sitting on a pile of cash, I'd wait to see what gets dumped on the used market in the next few weeks/months as folks start to run up against financial difficulties.  I picked up a lot of great deals between 2008 and 2013 during the Great Recession and the period immediately following it.

[TareqPhoto]

15 minutes ago, Louis D said:

If you're sitting on a pile of cash, I'd wait to see what gets dumped on the used market in the next few weeks/months as folks start to run up against financial difficulties.  I picked up a lot of great deals between 2008 and 2013 during the Great Recession and the period immediately following it.

No, this is not a part of the plan for 2 reasons:

 

1. My main big plan is to buy a Takahashi FSQ brand new, not many will sell this, even if they sell it will be mostly more expensive than a brand new affordable triplet available, so i better wait to afford this and no APO, but small Newt such as 5" or 6" are cheap enough really, i can buy two, but only those cheap affordable ones, and the Newt are nice as they are free of color issues and i can still use them even if i get a high end refractor, but the question is, is the small Newt really worthy?

The more i wait the more time is passing and targets missing or going then i have to wait again and again for some targets in my mind, for example planets, they are coming back, so i have 2-3 months to decide on a scope for those big planets, otherwise they will go and then i have to wait them for next year, and in DSO, i am waiting Cygnus now as it has enough targets that will keep me busy for like 3-4 months, but i need something, my main scope is 8" F5 which is ready now after some modifications but not for all targets, or 7" Mak which is only for the moon, while planets from it isn't satisfying me yet, and my Canon lenses are fun to use but they aren't in scopes class, means i have to be careful what i can choose within 2-3 for upcoming targets.

[Louis D]

12 hours ago, TareqPhoto said:

1. My main big plan is to buy a Takahashi FSQ brand new, not many will sell this

Two FSQs went up for sale on CN classifieds for $4800 each yesterday.

Edited March 28, 2020 by Louis D

[TareqPhoto]

2 hours ago, Louis D said:

Two FSQs went up for sale on CN classifieds for $4800 each yesterday.

The question is, why selling?
I don't buy second hand or used, and sounds this guy has money all around so that he bought TWO FSQ and selling them maybe to buy something more expensive, not thanks, for $4800 i can save about $1200 more and buy new one completely. 

[Louis D]

3 minutes ago, TareqPhoto said:

The question is, why selling?
I don't buy second hand or used, and sounds this guy has money all around so that he bought TWO FSQ and selling them maybe to buy something more expensive, not thanks, for $4800 i can save about $1200 more and buy new one completely. 

Two different sellers.  Probably newbies with deep pockets who they thought they'd get into imaging big time, but in the end found it wasn't for them, so they are dumping their little used equipment.  I see this happening a lot in other hobbies as well that have large, up-front investment costs.  Boats, RVs, motorcycles, ATVs, photography, video production, woodworking, metalworking, CNC, etc.  Folks think, hey, I liked doing that activity that one time years ago on a shoestring budget, let's get into it big time now that I'm older and have the money to do it right.  Only thing is, they're not the same people they were years earlier and their interests have markedly changed.  It's one thing to properly grow into a hobby rather than jumping headlong into one from the start.  Who would start being a rodeo bull rider at age 65 after having ridden a horse on vacation in their teens?  Yet I've see plenty of folks drop thousands of dollars on a telescope system in their 40s and beyond after having had a department store scope in their childhood only to turn around and sell it all after 6 months to a year out of disappointment and/or boredom.

[TareqPhoto]

26 minutes ago, Louis D said:

Two different sellers.  Probably newbies with deep pockets who they thought they'd get into imaging big time, but in the end found it wasn't for them, so they are dumping their little used equipment.  I see this happening a lot in other hobbies as well that have large, up-front investment costs.  Boats, RVs, motorcycles, ATVs, photography, video production, woodworking, metalworking, CNC, etc.  Folks think, hey, I liked doing that activity that one time years ago on a shoestring budget, let's get into it big time now that I'm older and have the money to do it right.  Only thing is, they're not the same people they were years earlier and their interests have markedly changed.  It's one thing to properly grow into a hobby rather than jumping headlong into one from the start.  Who would start being a rodeo bull rider at age 65 after having ridden a horse on vacation in their teens?  Yet I've see plenty of folks drop thousands of dollars on a telescope system in their 40s and beyond after having had a department store scope in their childhood only to turn around and sell it all after 6 months to a year out of disappointment and/or boredom.

And yet, i won't buy theirs, i will buy mine after saving, and i won't do the same mistake as them, i am getting in 40 in few days, so i won't think about that i buy a high end later and sell it in few months or even few years later, in fact i am still holding onto my EQ6 mount and ST80 refractor and 7" Mak while i see many started after me and bought much more than what i bought already, so i know exactly what i want to buy as brand new, but i have to make sure that it is the right choice first and won't regret, in fact i did that in photography, bought cameras of all kinds, even i bought a camera that cost nearly $50K to find out that it won't do much for me but only for professionals, but i never regret it and the camera is still with me for over 10 years while many already sold same camera to upgrade, so i am willing to spend that amount on FSQ brand new and never look back and never regret, alongside with another scope for planetary and then i will be like i am done, i don't need to buy 5-10 scopes as i see many did and they keep changing and replacing and adding, i buy once and cry once, so i will make sure i buy it for lifetime if possible, after looking at all examples and samples and images i already came to a conclusion that FSQ-106 will put me in peace for my journey next to a scope for planetary, i already did with lenses and 7" Mak and 8" F5 Newt so i don't need like 5-6 scopes more to feel i am done, actually all what i need more are only the following:

 

1. Large scope from 12" and larger mainly a Newt or Dob for planetary

2. FSQ-106

3. RC either 12" or 14", if can't then 10" minimum

 

What else i need then?