My scopes over the last 36 years...

[Deadlake]

9 hours ago, dweller25 said:

1985 - Astro Systems (Bedford) 8.5" F/5 Newtonian - A brilliant first scope - should have kept it - sold
1988 - Beacon Hill 6" F/8 Newtonian - Hinds optics, very nice but kids came along so no time - sold
2007 - Celestron 102SLT refractor - not really good at anything - sold
2008 - Celestron C9.25 SCT - very disappointing - sold
2008 - TAL 125R - very nice but too much CA - regretfully sold
2008 - Skywatcher 127 Maksutov - a bit too small - sold
2008 - Skywatcher 8" F/6 Dobsonian - superb optics - should never have sold it - sold
2009 - Skywatcher 120ED refractor - pinched optics - returned
2009 - Takahashi TSA102 refractor - 4" perfection - KEEPER
2009 - Helios 6" F/8 refractor - too much CA - sold
2009 - Takahashi FS128 refractor - superb scope - KEEPER
2010 - Celestron C102ED refractor - excellent lightweight travel scope - should have kept it - sold
2010 - Skywatcher 180 Pro Maksutov - would not cool down - sold
2010 - Skywatcher 8" F/6 Dobsonian - disappointing optics - sold
2010 - Skywatcher 10" F/5 Dobsonian - superb optics but this scope did my back in, otherwise a keeper - sold

2012 - Takahashi Mewlon 210 - this brand new scope from Tak Europe was actually three years old! and had bad mirror shift - returned
2012 - Celestron C8 SCT - Nice optics but the OO 8" was better - sold
2012 - Orion Optics 8" F/6 Dobsonian 1/10th wave - superb optics - Awkward viewing angles affected bad back - sadly sold.
2013 - Intes Micro 715 Maksutov - Superb optics - views matched the FS128 - sold

2014 - Orion Optics OMC200 F/20 Maksutov - Carbon fibre beauty - would not cool down - sold

2014 - Lunt 60 H-Alpha solar scope - always at work when the Sun came out! - sold

2014 - Skymax 127 Maksutov - still a bit too small! - sold

2017 - Tal 100RS - New old stock - had a tilted lens cell and an out of true focuser - sold with full disclosure.

2018 - Celestron C6 - very light and good optics - close to but not better than my 4” APO - sold

2019 - TS 6” Classical Cassegrain - never dewed up - close to but not better than my 4” APO - sold

2020 - Takahashi FC100DZ - very lightweight 4” APO  - great for my bad back - KEEPER

 

My taste in scopes is changing as I get older....

Viewing from the rear suits my back.

Quick cooldown suits the highly variable Lancashire climate

I appreciate the views unobstructed, high optical quality optics provide.

My back likes lightweight scopes.

I am becoming a refractorholic 😂

Are APO only keepers?.?

[dweller25]

31 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

Are APO only keepers?.?

For me - maybe 😁

But we are all different 😉

[Deadlake]

5 hours ago, jetstream said:

Check out the true, not advertised central obstructions between them. Then maybe check out some generic MTF's based on average SCT and Mewlon specs...

For visual, a central obstruction of less 22 % you’ve mentioned in the past, presume you mean by area?

[jetstream]

29 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

For visual, a central obstruction of less 22 % you’ve mentioned in the past, presume you mean by area?

Diameter.

[Deadlake]

12 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Diameter.

Both the C9.25 and Mewlon 210 are around 33%...

[jetstream]

1 hour ago, Deadlake said:

Both the C9.25 and Mewlon 210 are around 33%...

Are you sure the SCT's are including the total obstruction including the baffle? I think the Mew180 is 30%.

[nfotis]

I find it interesting that the OP went twice for the Skymax 127, with the 180 jump.

Why not try the Skymax 150 in the second time?

N.F.

 

[Deadlake]

9 hours ago, jetstream said:

Are you sure the SCT's are including the total obstruction including the baffle? I think the Mew180 is 30%.

9.25 is 36% by diameter and 13 % by area

https://www.celestron.com/products/c9-25-optical-tube-assembly-cge-dovetail

in specification tab, however no description of measurement.

The Mewlon 180 is around 30% and the 250 around 28%. Which would explain contrast differences. However on CN its reportedly bigger around 32% for both,....

Edited March 5, 2021 by Deadlake

[Rob]

Wow this thread has indeed got me thinking of my list!... could take a while to work out.

 

Edited March 5, 2021 by Rob
typo

[John]

57 minutes ago, Rob said:

Wow this thread has indeed got me thinking of my list!... could take a while to work out.

 

Me too.

There was a phase when scopes came and went quite quickly here

 

[Marki]

I love this thread, dweller! I find it fascinating to see how people's observing/imaging rigs change with time, reflecting their changing circumstances, or tastes, or even improvements in technology and availability.

Here's my list from my start in 2012 up to around 2015. Some of this rapid cycling of instruments was due to me finding my comfort zone, getting more experience and working out what I liked (clearly, 'fracs  ), as much as a reflection on the quality of the 'scopes themselves.

• Celestron 8SE - gave me my first and most memorable view of Saturn; regretfully sold. I'd be tempted by another.
• Tal 100RS - a nice f10 achro with tack sharp optics. Was at kept in my mother's place in France, but came back when she sold up and returned to UK. Still got it.
• Altair Astro Starwave 102 ED - not what I was hoping for, so sold.
• Skylight 100mm  - a lovely longish focus (f13) achro based on a Carton objective. Beautiful crisp stars, and not much colour given its fl. Beautiful to look at and use. Keeper.
• Tal 125R  - Wanted more aperture; once tweaked by ES Reid, this f9 achro has become a favourite, despite some colour on bright objects. Sharp across the field, light, easy to mount. Still got it.
• Skywatcher Equinox 80 - lovely optics, didn't get much use so sold. Regret that.
• Istar 150mm Perseus - a wonderful f10 achro, but a beast to mount and manage. Had my best views of Mars in this. Its mass defeated me and was a bar to me getting out;  as it wasn't getting much use I sold it.
• Tal125 Apolar -  I wanted a 5" with better colour correction. However, this example had suffered damage in transit - returned in part exchange for
• Skywatcher Equinox 120 - not quite as good I'd hoped (not as good as the equinox 80mm), sold.

Took a break for a few years (although did occasionally get some time at the eyepiece) and came back to the hobby in 2020, and these appeared... .

• TS 80mm ED - I like the 80mms for grab and go and holidays. I missed the equinox, so recently got this at the end of last year. No first light as yet.
• Skywatcher Evostar 150mm ED - Recent acquisition. Big, but not nearly as difficult at f8 to manage as the Istar. Nice optics, but somewhat unrefined in fit/finish. Seems to show a lot of potential though.

 

I really don't need another telescope, and I ought to rationalize my collection (do I really need two 4" achros and a 5" achro when I have the 150mm ED?). But, for me at least, each of these 'scope has its own history and simple performance stats/types/numbers/cost aren't the whole of the story in my criteria for whether to keep one or not (I'm a bit of romantic, and not all that pragmatic or much of a scientist, I'm afraid). 

But I am very tempted still to get something apo in the 5" - 5.5"class (and maybe lose the 150ED), or even a quality apo 4" (could lose the 100RS, but I wouldn't replace the f13 Skylight). Strangely drawn to viewing Tak posts, or drooling over the APM Lzos 130 f9... . That's the trouble with clouds, have to replace viewing stars with shopping fantasies  .

 

[A McEwan]

It would be quite a mental effort to remember all mine. I THINK I'm technically into the 40s now, but since acquiring the Tak it has slowed down A LOT!

I can remember the ones I should have kept though:

GSO 680 8" f6 Dob (modified and pimped)

TS 90mm f6.6 Triplet Apo

Equinox ED120

Helios 6" f8 achro (pimped and resprayed etc)

Celestron/Vixen 90mm f14.4 achro

 

Apart from those there were lots of scopes of various types, probably mostly refractors but a few Maks and Cats along the way too! 

Ant

[JeremyS]

15 minutes ago, A McEwan said:

It would be quite a mental effort to remember all mine. I THINK I'm technically into the 40s now, but since acquiring the Tak it has slowed down A LOT!

There’s a theme emerging here 😊

[F15Rules]

8 hours ago, Marki said:

Took a break for a few years (although did occasionally get some time at the eyepiece) and came back to the hobby in 2020, and these appeared... .

Thanks Marki..good to hear you're back in the hobby👍😊..I did wonder where you'd "disappeared" to..

I used to enjoy reading your posts some years back when you had the Carton 100/Skylight built and also when you got the Tal 125R (I too had one)..didn't yours come from or via Italy? Or was that the Apolar version?

There was something of a resurgence of longer achros back then, and for a while Richard Day at Skylight was in great demand with his lovely 100mm F13s, and I always wished I'd been able to buy one: the Carton objectives were noted for their excellence.

Thanks for an enjoyable read.

Dave

[John]

Great thread - prompted me to try and recall what I've owned and gather some pics - while my memory still holds !

I think these are most of the ones that I've owned. One or two stock pics where I didn't have the scope long enough to take any

Some I owned more than one of over the years eg: ST80's, ED80's, 150mm F/8's etc.

Gold stars on the ones that I still have

But I actually enjoyed them all

 

 

[Pixies]

We'll be on to old girl/boyfriends, next!

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, Pixies said:

We'll be on to old girl/boyfriends, next!

I thought we were already 🙂

 

[Marki]

Some of these scopes are distinctly higher maintainance.... .