All The Telescopes You Want?

[Sunshine]

Do you have all the telescopes you want? Is there one which is outside the budget or no longer made that occupies your thoughts all too often? will we ever be happy? I think the one scope I daydream about too often is the TOA-130. About three years ago I read a short review from a gentleman who used his friends TOA-130 for a few days under dark skies, his description of the trapezium through this scope was enthralling to say the least. It was so well written and bordering on poetic that it had me occasionally looking away from my screen and daydreaming, trying to imagine what he was describing. 
 

Do you have that one scope which is your holy grail and why? 

[Robindonne]

Here a short list of mine to start off this probably ever growing thread.

EdgeHd14

any 20” dobson

and indeed a very nice high quality refractor, the one you mentioned fits that category.  

although this hobby has only attracted me for 3 years, I have already decided that I will not wait until my 70th birthday to buy my dream instruments.  Save, save and save and ensure that the wish list is completed within 2 years. 
Im too young to know which beauties were made and stopped being produced, but im sure this post is going to be a encyclopedia filled with the worlds best astronomy instruments.

 

Edited December 14, 2021 by Robindonne

[RobertI]

I certainly often have thoughts about alternative or better scopes, but they tend to be about type/size of scope rather than brand/model. But if money was no object I would definitely invest in a premium 5” or 6” apo - if you recommend the TOA-130 then that’s good enough for me. Now where’s the scratch card….. 🙂

[johninderby]

Wouldn’t say no to an Astro-Physics 130mm f6.3 StarFire GTX "Gran Turismo” on an AZ75. A great travel scope, sort of. 🙂

Being more realistic a 10” truss Classical Cassegrain would be interesting although not exactly a travel scope.. 😁

Edited December 15, 2021 by johninderby

[Stu]

11 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Wouldn’t say no to an Astro-Physics 130mm f6.3 StarFire GTX "Gran Turismo”. 😁 A great travel scope. 👍🏻

I would certainly agree with that, and also the TOA-130mm, both highly desirable.

I recently opted for an APM LZOS 130mm f6, something of a dream scope for me and should satisfy any refractor requirements I will ever have! Very manageable, and highly capable, I just need some time and clear sky to see what it can really do!

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

No holy grail for me and at least until I retire, come into a few bob or win the lottery, telescope dreaming is wasted brain energy. Saying that, I would like an affordable to me  quality refractor at around 120mm aperture that can be mounted on my existing AVX mount. After much research the Tecnosky 125/975 F7.8 FPL-53 ED Doublet seems to fit the bill for performance, weight and affordability. So unless I read somewhere it's awful or there is something considered better for approx. the same price, then that scope is my goal over the next year or so. 

[johninderby]

Sorry but the Technosky 125 has superb optics and build quality and a great focuser. Best solar white light views I have ever had and no slouch on lunar / planetary either. Takes high magnification as well. A real best buy. 👍🏻

Edited December 15, 2021 by johninderby

[jetstream]

2 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Do you have that one scope which is your holy grail and why? 

Do reflectors qualify?

If so my 15" f4.8 dob is my most used and favorite scope. Easy to wheel out, easy to collimate, cools well and gives much more detail on the moon, planets and DSO than my smaller scopes. The 24" is a beast, great scope, wicked DSO views but needs a ladder and with a very narrow TFOV.

A scope in the 16" range will give fantastic views of everything. Mind you I leave mine assembled, cooled and only have to wheel it out 8 feet.

[Sunshine]

31 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Do reflectors qualify?

No discriminating against any telescopes here, we love them all equally.

[Sunshine]

1 hour ago, johninderby said:

Sorry but the Technosky 125 has superb optics and build quality and a great focuser. Best solar white views I have ever had and no slouch on lunar / planetary either. Takes high magnification as well. A real best buy. 👍🏻

That setup looks awesome, love the screen so handy mounted there.

Edited December 15, 2021 by Sunshine

[Voyager 3]

A 16" F/4 premium dob with a premium mirror sounds like a sweet spot but also sounds like a hotspot of money . 

[Miguel1983]

I'd love to have the Esprit 150 one day, got the 120 now and i love it.

Don't want to step on any toes here, but i often wonder if the Tak's, Tec's and AP's of this world are worth the big price-tag, don't get me wrong, they are beautiful scopes and i'd love to own one.

A fast imaging scope often haunts my dreams too, but i'm not ready for that i think.

 

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Miguel1983 said:

I'd love to have the Esprit 150 one day, got the 120 now and i love it.

Don't want to step on any toes here, but i often wonder if the Tak's, Tec's and AP's of this world are worth the big price-tag, don't get me wrong, they are beautiful scopes and i'd love to own one.

A fast imaging scope often haunts my dreams too, but i'm not ready for that i think.

 

Let’s keep this as a nice, positive ‘dream scope’ thread please, and not go down any Tak/TEC/AP ‘are they worth it’ rabbit holes!

Both the Esprit 120 and 150mm are lovely scopes, 150 a bit of a beast to mount perhaps but I’m sure the views will be lovely.

[Deadlake]

More aperture for me, I'd like a C11 Edge or Mewlon 250 and then one step up a 20"/F3.3 Dob would be great. Only concern is the cool down for a reflector scope, but I have other scopes I can use while waiting. As far as APO's once above 5" to get the most use I'd need an observatory, 5" is the top end of portability for me. 

Note: The TOA-130 has superb correction however it also has a long cool time time, bare in mind...

Edited December 15, 2021 by Deadlake

[ScouseSpaceCadet]

7 hours ago, jetstream said:

Do reflectors qualify?

If so my 15" f4.8 dob is my most used and favorite scope. Easy to wheel out, easy to collimate, cools well and gives much more detail on the moon, planets and DSO than my smaller scopes. The 24" is a beast, great scope, wicked DSO views but needs a ladder and with a very narrow TFOV.

A scope in the 16" range will give fantastic views of everything. Mind you I leave mine assembled, cooled and only have to wheel it out 8 feet.

I was fibbing slightly when I said the day dreaming doesn't happen. A 12" dob would be a great addition, but until the local uni attending son decides to fend for himself and the A level student daughter spreads her wings, there just isn't the space in our semi detached. ☹️

I'd love to observe with your 24"!

[Peter Drew]

Be careful what you dream/wish for.  I have somehow accumulated many good and some premium telescopes  up to 30" aperture.  The two I use most are a 16" SCT and a 6" dedicated solar refractor.  As the saying goes, "The best telescope is the one....etc.    🙂 

[John]

This scope has fired my imagination for many years - Sir Patrick Moore's 5 inch F/12 Cooke achromat:

And I also dreamed of one of these - the Vixen FL102M which I often drooled over (metaphorically speaking) during visits to Telescope House in Farringdon Road, London:

5 years ago I was able to purchase instruments that were of similar form and quality in the shape of a Takahashi FC100-DL and a TMB/LZOS 130mm (5.1 inch) F/9.2 triplet:

The above scopes seem to have satisfied my refractor dreams

My remaining dream would be to own a really large (18-20 inch) quality dobsonian AND to have a property suitable to use it from. The scope I can afford, the property, probably not currently . This is the sort of scope I mean (the location looks nice too !):

The largest aperture scope that it is practical for me to own and operate from home currently is my 12 inch dobsonian which acts as quite a capable alternative to the larger light bucket of my dreams:

This thread is about aspirations and dreams of course so there are no "wrong" answers

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2021 by John

[Bodkin]

I am mainly sentimental in my telescope desires these days.  I would really like to re-own my old, orange Comet Catcher that I bought in the mid eighties. I would also love a couple of other scopes from my formative years - a Cave 12 inch newt/cassegrain with the chromed equatorial mount and a Celestron-badged Fluorite from Vixen (Vixen badged at a push).

Other than that all my telescopic wishes would be fully met by a working JWST for us all by next summer.  I am so excited and scared at the same time!

[Orange Smartie]

I've only looked through my own telescopes, so I don't have anything to compare against, but I would like to look through a decent refractor, if only to see what the views were like. Suspect that I'd prefer the light gathering power of my biggish dobsonian for anything faint and fuzzy. 

I also feel like I'd enjoy a mak for the ability to look at double stars, preferably on a tracking mount. Again, I've never looked through one, so it's pure conjecture. 

I've already got a 10 inch dob looming over the sitting room, so feel it might be pushing my luck to get anything else.

[jjohnson3803]

I've really been wanting a fast 90-94mm apo triplet, but I'm starting to think the weight and cooldown time might not be ideal for me.  I'm now looking at the same aperture, but in an ED doublet.  Unfortunately everything I'd consider buying is out of stock / more on the way / supplier has not provided a delivery date / etc.  🙄

Owning a fast 80mm and 120mm, maybe a 102-105mm would be a better fit - fill the gap, so to speak.

And then there's my "friend" who keeps regaling me with tales of Takahashi.  No doubt wonderful scopes, but beyond my hobby budget.

 

[Franklin]

Having been officially certified as a long term sufferer of "Vixenitis", I would have to say the ultimate scope that I would wish to own would be the Vixen 4" Fluorite refractor. Unfortunately it is quite unlikely to ever happen, so I will have to make do with the more modern SD103S which I've been saving up for and hopefully be able get hold of sometime in the new year.

[jetstream]

4 hours ago, ScouseSpaceCadet said:

I'd love to observe with your 24"!

Oddly enough and surprising to me is that I like bright DSO with the 24" more than the faint objects. Yes it does very well on faint DSO but put objects like the Veil in the eyepiece and hold on! It has shown me the actual bubble arc in the Bubble nebula, about 2/3 of it or so and can even bring out much structure in the hard Cocoon nebula.It transforms so many objects. M42 will show a terribly bright green mottled core with blue and pink near the wings.

Hickson 55, the strange row of galaxies is a piece of cake separation wise and brings to life so many of the strange looking ARP galaxies. PNs are another big strength of this scope showing me things I didnt think possible.

It also does well on the planets but collimation is crucial and the cell can be fussy after it bounces down my ramp, across gravel and onto the concrete pad. It is a great structure allowing manual tracking with 5mm and 7mm orthos and yes these scopes love orthos, but the structure better be up to it.

Still looking for Einsteins Cross apparitions after 3 years but I did get the lensing galaxy, Huchras Lens.

Just thought Id give you an idea about this scope and what it could do.

Edited December 15, 2021 by jetstream

[Whistlin Bob]

5 hours ago, jetstream said:

Just thought Id give you an idea about this scope and what it could do.

Great. I was really happy with my scopes- but now I'm dreaming of a 24" dob!!!! 😂😉

[John]

11 minutes ago, Whistlin Bob said:

Great. I was really happy with my scopes- but now I'm dreaming of a 24" dob!!!! 😂😉

Try to avoid looking through one - the views I had with a 20 inch dob under dark skies at the SGL star party a few years back are still vivid in my mind

[IB20]

I’d say a really big dob, 20-24” with premium mirrors but as John mentioned, also a property or a location where I’d get the most out of it. 

Other than that I’ve always wanted a Tak since getting interested in the hobby and that itch is getting scratched very soon. 🤗
 

Last mentions go to a Vixen SD81s and Ha solar scope. I don’t want “much”.