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Replace, upgrade or walk away


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So following on from @MalcolmM’s kit bias thread, most of us probably think our kit is the bees knees or it’s serving a purpose right now. It got me thinking though, if we were in a position where we lost or had kit damaged and were given a pile of cash to replace, what would most of us do?

Would you try to like for like replace kit, upgrade/modernise or would you walk away from the hobby entirely?

I would almost certainly look at getting a 10” dob with some kind of push-to, maybe a Starsense or one of the StellaLyras to replace an 8” manual 200P. 

The refractor is a more difficult one, I love the Tak 76Q, it really is a joy to use and for GnG it’s pretty much perfection, however I do often wonder what a 4” APO would be like.

Eyepiece wise, I’d definitely re-purchase the XWs from 10mm-3.5mm, they really suit me and I cannot find any fault with them. I would especially re-buy the 4mm TOE as it’s my favourite eyepiece I have looked through. The 17.5mm Morpheus whilst a good EP, would probably get forgotten, as I don’t really use low power for scope viewing. I would always be on the look out for Ultimas/similar and the 10mm BCO would more than likely get re-purchased.

I’d probably look to swap the 8x & 15x binos I currently have for a pair of 12x. I’ve started using binos a lot more this Winter and think I could have a more optimal pair.

I only own one tripod and mount so wouldn’t know what to do. 😄

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3 minutes ago, IB20 said:

So following on from @MalcolmM’s kit bias thread, most of us probably think our kit is the bees knees or it’s serving a purpose right now. It got me thinking though, if we were in a position where we lost or had kit damaged and were given a pile of cash to replace, what would most of us do?

Would you try to like for like replace kit, upgrade/modernise or would you walk away from the hobby entirely?

I would almost certainly look at getting a 10” dob with some kind of push-to, maybe a Starsense or one of the StellaLyras to replace an 8” manual 200P. 

The refractor is a more difficult one, I love the Tak 76Q, it really is a joy to use and for GnG it’s pretty much perfection, however I do often wonder what a 4” APO would be like.

Eyepiece wise, I’d definitely re-purchase the XWs from 10mm-3.5mm, they really suit me and I cannot find any fault with them. I would especially re-buy the 4mm TOE as it’s my favourite eyepiece I have looked through. The 17.5mm Morpheus whilst a good EP, would probably get forgotten, as I don’t really use low power for scope viewing. I would always be on the look out for Ultimas/similar and the 10mm BCO would more than likely get re-purchased.

I’d probably look to swap the 8x & 15x binos I currently have for a pair of 12x. I’ve started using binos a lot more this Winter and think I could have a more optimal pair.

I only own one tripod and mount so wouldn’t know what to do. 😄

I think amongst my current kit, the key thing I would replace would my AVX and AZ-GTI mounts with one of the strain wave drive mounts - probably one of the AZ-EQ variants. Anything that makes moving kit from inside to out a bit quicker and easier - it would also give me just one mount for all scopes. 

I'd also consider replacing my Starsense, guide camera and iPolar with a single Staraid revolution - I do like the self-contained unit which means I do not need to have a laptop with me at the mount.

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I'm quite happy with what I have. The only issue affecting my choices is light pollution. I bought the 102mm for double stars but I really struggle to get below mag 10 with it, even on good nights. I'd like a 130mm version of the same scope - though that only adds half a magnitude :sad2: LP is so frustrating 😡 Getting bigger scopes negates the 'grab-and-go' convenience aspect of it.

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I certainly wouldn’t walk away from the hobby, but would likely have a reassessment of what I really needed.

Eyepiece wise I would likely stick with my motley collection of XWs, Leica zoom, Naglers (fixed and zooms) and Morpheuseseses (or whatever the plural is).

The FC100DC would be a straight replacement, no question. My bigger problems would be that quite a number of my scopes are hard or impossible to replace. Telementor, Televue Genesis, Vixen FL102S, Orion Optics 8” f8, LZOS 130mm f6, all hard to find now, and the PST Mod is also not easy to replace. Plus the full set of BGOs and Zeiss Orthos which are no longer made.

I likely focus on getting one 130mm premium refractor, a 16 or 18” UC Truss dob and maybe an 8 or 10”  dob for regular viewing. Let’s just hope it doesn’t happen.

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Funny enough this rings a familiar tune with myself and the issue with not all the kit damaged, but some.

I after a lot of painful hand wringing managed to repair the scope, well it still needs a new focuser to be spot on.
I also purchsed a 10" Dobson, well a tube and await the mount still from OOUK.
I also replaced the damaged diagonal with a Baader rather than another TV.
The 22 LVW is now workable, but not pretty as it got damaged, it may yet be replaced with a 17.5 Morpheus.

As for my Pentax XW in 10-5 range, you may find me still gripping them when I get placed in my box.

Walk away from the hobby, never in a million years, it is part of me and what I am and do.

Edited by Alan White
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Well this did happen to me. My observatory burnt to the ground. Luckily, my house insurance paid out.

The up shot was I got a better setup as rather than incrementally adding and changing things I could get a balanced setup in one go.

Regards Andrew 

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2 hours ago, Stu said:

The FC100DC would be a straight replacement, no question

Why would you say that!!! 😭

You’re gonna end up costing me a lot of money. Maybe a Starfield will suffice?

Edited by IB20
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30 minutes ago, IB20 said:

Why would you say that!!! 😭

You’re gonna end up costing me a lot of money. Maybe a Starfield will suffice?

Let’s not start that whole argument off again, the Tak naysayers will be along before long, you’ll see 🤪🤣

Isn’t there one on ABS at the moment? 😉

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In that unfortunate scenario, say for example flood damage or a house fire, theft maybe, though doubt someone will nick my 14" solid tube dob, would require a time to pause and consider. It could be that there are other needs to channel the money as life circumstances change, or else probably what I would do is just streamline and condense into a more compact set up. The other consideration is the cost of everything, what I have now has upped in price at least double, so like for like might be a challenge. 

However I would settle on a high spec 10" dob and a bunch of Delos E.P's.

As for walking away, well we all know that song...'You can check out, but you cannot leave'. 

 

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I've actually thought about this a lot, and in that disastrous event then I would likely replace my DDM 85 with a Planewave mount, as the cheapest ASA mount is now £25k or more (Depending on how much the pound has tanked), as for the telescope, I don't know. Not too happy with OOUK, maybe a Planewave as well.

The camera and filters are even more problematic, but something with a Gsense 4040 sensor is the likely best choice.

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2 hours ago, andrew s said:

Well this did happen to me. My observatory burnt to the ground. Luckily, my house insurance paid out.

The up shot was I got a better setup as rather than incrementally adding and changing things I could get a balanced setup in one go.

Regards Andrew 

If you don’t mind me asking, what was the cause of the fire? Perhaps a learning point for the rest of us? 

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18 minutes ago, CraigT82 said:

If you don’t mind me asking, what was the cause of the fire? Perhaps a learning point for the rest of us? 

I was about to go on holiday and the only item powered up was a dehumidifier.  The fire was so hot everything was melted or mangled apart from the steel pilar. 

So I can't be absolutely sure but it seems it was the dehumidifier. 

Regards Andrew 

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It's an interesting question 🙂

If I lost everything that I have now and was given the cash value of replacing it all I would probably invest some of it in a 4 inch refractor and an 8 inch dobsonian. Skywatcher or Stellalyra / mira would be fine.  A simple alt-az mount for the refractor. I would get some Pentax XW or Baader Morpheus eyepieces plus a zoom and a Herschel wedge for the refractor. Decent O-III and UHC filters as well.

And that would be it I think. Still well in the hobby but with several £K in the bank for travel / other stuff 🙂

 

 

 

Edited by John
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Yes, an interesting question. 

As it happens, my biggest single Astro purchase was my Meade LS8 SCT, and that's the scope I'd miss least. Optically it's fantastic - particularly since I had it serviced at Orion Optics, but it's big and heavy, and although it's meant to be self aligning, it's not quite the 'switch it on, and in 5 minutes you'll have impeccable GOTO etc' that's promised.

Also, if you only want to see part of the Pleiades or the famous Perseus double one and a half cluster, it's ideal - but the Narrow FOV is a bit of an issue. 

So, in the hypothetical event - I'd maybe have a couple of grand to consider what to buy with, but I'm generally happy with my 72mm Frac for widefield, and my 127mm Mak for narrow field observing, so I'm not sure what I'd actually do. 

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What do you do when kit is not replaceable. I have some LZOS scopes and the supply of those lens cells (even without the war) is no longer financially viable. The only scope I’d change is the 130/f6 for a AP130GTX and that’s because it’s a little more svelte and compact.

However I do have gaps, a scope with more focal length. Do I go with a C11 or a 12” Dob? 

The main reason for holding off is just moved house and I’m getting to use to observing from a different garden.

I need to move the scope to avoid the hedge/tree line. 

I suspect the dob is better however not as moveable as the C11. Wheels on the dob would help however the C11 keeps it collimation quite well.

A harmonic mount would also lighten the load when moving.

Trying to avoid kit churn which the ultimate money vampire….

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On 25/02/2023 at 20:28, andrew s said:

So I can't be absolutely sure but it seems it was the dehumidifier. 

Hi Andrew, was it a desiccant dehumidifier? I understand that they’re better at low temp than the refrigerant variety but having bought a second hand one, taking it apart and discovering scorched, melted plastic parts inside, they do kind of scare me!

Mark 

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30 minutes ago, markse68 said:

Hi Andrew, was it a desiccant dehumidifier? I understand that they’re better at low temp than the refrigerant variety but having bought a second hand one, taking it apart and discovering scorched, melted plastic parts inside, they do kind of scare me!

Mark 

Refrigerant type. It many years ago now. Regards Andrew 

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  I'm afraid walking away would be impossible. I think that once astronomy is in your blood you're infected for life. And although I do have peaks and troughs in my enthusiasm, one deep breath of cold night air under a starry sky will cause my enthusiasm to return with a vengeance. 

  If I were to damage my FC100DZ beyond repair, I'd still want another apo refractor in the 4" to 5" range. It wouldn't necessarily have to be a Takahashi though, as I'd be equally happy with Vixen, or TMB, or in fact most of the more recent ED doublet apo's that are available. My first choice would probably be to replace the DZ with a DC version, as I have a deep love for the DC that still burns in my heart. I may however treat it to a feathertouch focuser as Stu did with his. If I could find a second-hand FS128 then I'd grab it with both hands, funds permitting of course. Also, a TSA 120 would be in my sights too.

  I'm not really turned on by aperture, so a large Dobsonian would probably not even cross my mind. I love the challenge and the rewards of using a high quality, small aperture refractor. Having one good scope is really all I need. I've found that owning more than one makes me feel guilty if I leave the other to one side. I tend to view telescopes as being mildly sentient (much like some of my friends), which is silly if not stupid, but i can't help it. That's why I still love the DC so much, as it was my observing partner for hundreds of nights and we had many wonderful adventures together. Letting the DC go in favour of the DZ really messed with my heart for a while. :crybaby2: Don't worry about me though; I have my own personal qualified Shrink - paulastro - who has confirmed I'm nuts.

 If I couldn't have the old Ultima eyepieces I love so much, I'd probably go for XW's, Baader Morpheus, and for binoviewer observing a hand full of longer focal length orthoscopic's or quality Plossl's.

Edited by mikeDnight
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After a bit more thought, and considering Olly's point that 6" is about the limit for useful imaging, then I might replace the ODK12 with a TAK TOA 150. I'm still not sure about the camera, though I notice that QHY have a slightly more "affordable" IMX 461 camea.

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I would stick with my basic dob setup; possibly to downsize from 10" to 8", but probably not. I like finding stuff myself, rather than using a goto setup, and it has enabled me to learn the constellations. My perspective is somewhat biased, as I haven't used anything else, but I am happy with the bang per buck a dob can give me.

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