How many telescopes do you own?

[Space Hopper]

Only the one (a 140mm refractor) during the last 5 years, excepting a 10" Orion Optics F4.8 Newtonian i owned for a few weeks : I had to sell it, it wouldn't fit my mount.

I'm sure there's room for another scope at some point in the future.....? The most I have owned is six.

Also own 3 pairs of binocs : Fujinon 7x50 & Canon 10x30, 15x50 is.

[carastro]

3 plus a Samyang 135 lens all for imaging.  
 

 

[IB20]

Currently have:

125mm f7.8 StellaMira 

102ed-r f7 Starwave

76mm f12.6 Takahashi with Q module 

80mm f10 “Takahashi” Starbase achro

40mm PST Coronado Ha scope

202mm f5.9 Skywatcher 200P

Don’t laugh but that’s me finished buy scopes… although I do like the look of the Mewlons, and the FC-100DCs and etc etc

 

[John]

45 minutes ago, Stu said:

🤣🤣

I am well aware that it is ludicrously unjustifiable, and that I do not need them all. I do just enjoy owning them, some are fairly rare but excellent examples which would be hard to replace such as the Genesis and Vixen FL102S. The TAL Alkor is a lovely little thing. I don’t use it much but it’s not worth much either (about the price of a used Ortho!) so I keep it 👍

I gave up trying to justify (to myself and others) why I own many scopes and eyepieces.

If I'm asked I just sort of mumble something now and change the subject 🙄

 

[Cjg]

9 hours ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

I have five, which my mum thinks is way too many and I think is almost enough:

1. A Takahashi FC76-DCU refractor - my favourite and used all the time.

2. An Altair Astro 102 ED-R refractor 

3. A Takahashi FC100DZ refractor 

4. A 12” Explore Scientific Ultralight dob

5. A Takahashi Mewlon 180C Dall Kirkham - new and has only been out for one session so far.

These are all complementary apart from the two 4” apos but I love both of them so much I can’t bear to part with one!

Show your Mum @Stu’s post. 🤣 He’s definitely ‘taken one’ for the forum / astro community in general, being on the way to having a different scope for each day of the month🤣

[Peter Drew]

Genuinely lost count, but I definitely know it is one less since last weekend as I donated one to a visiting cub group rather than  spend the time trying to repair the very broken and poor quality one they brought in for an MOT.     🙂

[Craney]

Phew....Thank goodness somebody came in with a number greater than mine....

13 ....  unlucky for me if my  partner sees this..... ( a couple of them only come out on a dark night !!  )... 

She is aware of the brand "Takahashi", could probably work out what a  box  labelled "Tele-Vue" or "Sky-Watcher"  contains.....  

I think  "Vixen"  might be the way forward, although thinking about it........

[Mr H in Yorkshire]

My wife likes and collects 1930's pottery. I have a pretty obvious ulterior motive. What's good for the goose.... 

[Captain Scarlet]

What is about John Nichol mirrors that makes it so difficult for them to become actual telescopes? That’s two I count in this thread…

[Peter Drew]

It's John Nichol's time used to make the mirrors, it's your time used to make the telescope.  John also gets paid for his time.    🙂 

[Paz]

I've got a few...

 

ST120 Refractor - with lighter tube rings and a dual speed focuser. I had innumerable good times with this in my early years of observing and on all kinds of targets. Simple, built like a tank, and great value for money.

MC127 Maksutov - the other scope I started out with and used a lot in my early years. Great scope but 4" and 5" refractors have seen more use since I have had those.

ST80 - very light for the aperture but I don't use it much now as my one doesn't have good facilities to put finders on it.

VX14 - my favourite scope.

C8 - This often disappoints due to conditions and my laziness in not putting it out to cool properly or not bothering to perfect the collimation,  but now and again it delivers an amazing view and I then feel guilty about how badly I treat it.

Altair 102ED f7 refractor - became my most used scope by far once I had this.

TS 72ED f6 refractor - use only  for travel really as I am not a fan of small apertures.

Stella Mira 125ED f7.8 - my most used scope since it arrived.

Really I could get by with the 72mm and 125mm refractors plus the VX14,  but I don't think I would now want to part with the ST120 for sentimental reasons.

[Naughty Neal]

 Janik 60mm f11.6 refractor.

Zhumell Z130 reflector dob very handy as it is mounted via rings and a vixen dovetail so can simply be plonked on a tripod with a suitable mount.

Scopetech  STL 80 f12.5   refractor .

Starwave Ascent ED102 f11  refractor.

Edited March 13 by Naughty Neal

[Nakedgun]

~

OK.

Refractors:

1)- Borg Pocket 25mm f7

2)- PST 40mm solar

3)- Borg 50ED f/10

4)- FOA 60 f/8.8

5)- SYM (Japan) 60 f/15

6)- Zanzutsu (Japan) 60 f/15

7)- Borg 76ED f/6.6

8)- FC76 DC f/7.5

9)- Stellarvue 80ED  f/7

10)- Meade (Mizar) 80 f/11

11)- Borg 90FL f/5.6

12)- Lunt Universal 100 f/7 double stack

13)- FC100 DZ f/8

14)- SW120ED f/7.5**

15)- TOA130 f/7.7*

16)- TS150ED f/8

 

Relectors:

1)- Skywatcher 250P f/4.7

2)- Explore Scientific truss-type 10" f/5

3)- AstroSky truss-type 12.5" f/5

 

Catadioptrics:

1)- C-8

2)- C-9.25

 

Did someone mention spotters?

1)- Kowa 883

2)- Kowa 823

3)- Kowa 824

4)- Kowa 82SV

5)- Kowa 773

6)- Kowa 601

7)- Kowa 501

8)- Kowa TS50 (old model)

 

* Ten years ago I foolishly sold my FS128 and while waiting (in vain?) for Tak to produce another 5" doublet, this never-used TOA roped me in. I thought I would never buy another triplet, but could not pass on it.

** Forgot one as I rushed to post this morning.  😁

I think that's all.  (now I'm pretty sure)

 

.

Edited March 14 by Nakedgun

[Piero]

I have 4 telescopes:

- TV-60 f/6: this was bought in 2014 and was my only telescope at that time. Nowadays it is used when I walk or cycle to the countryside under darker skies or when travelling. I use it on large targets with some zoom ins. 

- Tak FC-100FT (feathertouched   ) : this was bought in 2017. It is used for solar observing, planets and scanning the milky way. Somehow, this is my least used telescope, likely because I am not into double star observing and I rarely observe planets these days. My main reason for keeping it is solar observing really as the TV-60 is too limited on this.

- 12" f/6 truss dob: this was made by Lukehurst in 2019 and was redesigned quite brutally by me two years later. It is generally taken to the countryside under darker skies. It is stored disassembled in my garage, so it can be loaded in the car very quickly. Before redesigning it, my plan was to sell it. Now it has its use case and I am very pleased with its new structure.

- 16" f/4 truss dob + PC2: this was built by me in 2020-2021 and is used at home (which by the way is in a village in the countryside). It is stored fully assembled in my garage, so it can be wheeled outside very quickly. This is my most used telescope. It is used on the targets that really trill me: galaxies and planetary nebulae.

 

16" f/4 is a great size for me and do not plan to get anything larger as I would need an observatory somewhere. It can be fitted into my car, but this is not really practical and I don't want to risk injuries. In my opinion to carry a telescope like this or larger, one would need a pickup, a minivan or a stationwagon so that the ramps can be carried too with easy. As none of these vehicle is needed for my work and I want to limit my gas emissions, these are out of question. The redesigned 12" f/6 can be loaded easily and the weight of each component is well acceptable. No ramps are needed here. 12" is a good aperture anyway, particularly under dark skies. 

Edited March 13 by Piero

[JeremyS]

One or two 🫣

[callisto]

13 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

One or two 🫣

Don't list them all Jeremy the site will crash 😁

[F15Rules]

I have had just two scopes for several years, although I have bought and sold literally dozens over the past 10 to 15 years.

Until very recently the two were a  wonderful Tak FS128 which I owned for 7 years, and an excellent Vixen 80mm F15 achromat which I've had for perhaps 18 months or so.

For reasons well documented elsewhere, I reluctantly sold my FS128 just over a month ago and downsized slightly to a superb Vixen SD115S Apo as my primary scope. Thanks to the appalling weather since I bought it, I've managed less than 2 hours viewing with the new Vixen, but already I know it will see me out for the rest of my observing days.

I will keep the old 1980s 80mm Vixen achromat longer term also, I think, as a nod to the days of my youth and because it is a delightful double star splitting scope in it's own right.

I do totally get why so many people on here own so many scopes. I used to love buying scopes, trying them, and then moving them on to try something else. I often owned up to 6 or 7 scopes at one time..

But ultimately, (and this also applies to eyepieces), I realised that however many scopes I owned, I will only ever have one pair of eyes (and in my case slowly deteriorating eyes), so it no longer makes sense for me to waste time and money chasing the "perfect scope and the perfect view"..

So I now have two great scopes for the kind of observing I want to do, some great eyepieces, and I will use them as much as conditions will allow, to their full potential, without being distracted by the "Green Grass" of the other side.

My SNC phase (Scope Nirvana Chasing) is over, and I am content. 😊

Dave

Edited March 13 by F15Rules

[wookie1965]

I have two scopes that I own and one a lend. 

If the vixen is better than my Tal I will sell the Tal. 

I may get a 120mm at some point then I will just have the two. 

If I move to a better place I would like to get a reflector again. 

[Xilman]

Hello, your local friendly pedant here.

 

Not counting two 5mm f/2 refractors (my eyeballs) I have well over fifteen.

1x0.4m Dilworth reflector

2 x 0.25m reflectors (Dobsonian Newtonian and equatorial Schmidt Newtonian).

2 x 0.15m refractors (Fujinon 25x150 binoculars)

2 x 0.08m refractors (un-remembered make of 15x80 bins)

4 x 0.05m refractors (two pairs of bins)

2 x ~ 0.03m refractors (two ex-gunsights)

Sundry other hand-held refractors in the range 0.01m to 0.04m aperture, including a pair of 6x40s and some Canon lenses.

Several (between 5 and 10) 0.002 - 0.003m refractors --- aka mobile phones.

The great majority (i.e, all but excluding only a few phones) have been used to observe stars.

[Mandy D]

@Xilman Ahh, good to see correct use of SI units for the critical dimensions of your telescopes. Keep up the good work.

[Xilman]

Thanks!

As dear old Oscar might have said: I have nothing to declare but my pedantry.

And my incompetence.

I have nothing to declare but my pedantry and my incompetence.

And a fanatical devotion to astronomy.

Amongst the thing sI have nothing to declare are pedantry, incompetence and a fanatical devotion to astronomy. And ...

I'll come in again.

I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition.

[Xilman]

Oh [auto-Bowdlerized word which sounds similar to begger]! I forgot to mention sundry finders and guide scopes, all refractors with apertures in the range 0.05 - 0.12m.

At least twenty telescopes.

Edited March 13 by Xilman
Should be obvious ...

[antares10]

Here's the whole family:

Vixen VMC 95L for birding and travel

Orion 100 f/6 refractor for quick looks

custom 250mm dob with fantastic optics  for most nights

custom 330mm dob with Discovery optics for dark skies

[Nicola Fletcher]

9 hours ago, Cjg said:

Show your Mum @Stu’s post. 🤣 He’s definitely ‘taken one’ for the forum / astro community in general, being on the way to having a different scope for each day of the month🤣

I actually can’t wait for the weekend, until I see her, to show her! I’ve nothing compared to many people on this forum 😂

[Stu]

10 hours ago, Cjg said:

Show your Mum @Stu’s post. 🤣 He’s definitely ‘taken one’ for the forum / astro community in general, being on the way to having a different scope for each day of the month🤣

The trouble is, with our weather, it’s more like a scope for every clear night a year!! 😩