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My first telescope was a:


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As with many of us the first scope was a Tasco 60mm, at the time I could not want for better, wobbly mount and all! saturn and the moon started my on/off astronomy interest, I then saved up for a Charles Frank 6" reflector at aged 13, (40 odd years ago) what a serious bit of kit that was, the tripod must have held a machine gun or something once, as it came wrapped in oiled paper and was seriously chunky, I remember having to lift the scope already attached to the head and weight bar and thread it through the RA axis then attach the weights. I used to climb through my parents bedroom window and sit on a flat roof to view. Oh to be young and have understanding parents!

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My first scope was a Celestron Powerseeker 525. It could magnify stuff 525x i'll have you know - it said so on the box!

Actually the optics were not too bad and I remember getting some nice views of the Moon. The AZ mount was a bit of a pain though, I don't miss that!

Managed to sell it at a car boot for £70, I did throw in some EPs, a barlow and a book too just to get rid, so didn't do bad there!!

Doc

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  • 4 weeks later...

My first, which I still have, is a Meade branded 60mm refractor on a very light weight altaz mount. I still have it and the optics themselves are surprisingly good, as is the 25mm MA eyepiece. I used it for a couple of years and got some great views of many DSOs. The mount really is weak part but I'm going to get some tube rings, attach it to my CG5 and use it as a solar scope.

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Here are a couple of photos of my first telescope, still a looker after all these years :)

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I got it for my Christmas/Birthday present 30 years ago this year. Saw the moon for the first time through it as well as countless views of trees, birds and things on the other side of the river from my parents house, usually while standing on a chair. It sparked my interest in all things space and scifi related

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A 40mm Tasco 15X - 60X zoom. Small field of view, Quite a bit of Chromatic aberration, useless table-top tripod (didn't have a table in the garden - that was for rich people !). Only looked at the planets but it was fascinating zooming up onto tiny points of light and seeing a disc (albeit featureless) Saturn was king of course but I loved looking at venus's phases. Dont remember looking at much else.

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  • 1 month later...

10x - 25x 30mm achromat zoom made by Orbit (Japan). My dad bought it for me in 1900-and-frozen-to-death when I was about 10. I didn't have a tripod, so I used to steady it by resting on the walls of the garage or the house. I then bought an equally unsuitable wobbly tripod from Dixons with some savings. I had the barmy idea of making a reflector, but mirrors cost the earth, so I remember getting a book from the library (shows you how long ago that was!) which explained how to grind your own mirror. I never got as far as that - it looked too difficult for me then. Happy days!

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Tasco (or similar piece of c**p) from Argos. The mount was absolutely dreadful because you had to move the object slightly beyond your FOV so the scope would drop down into place. I remember trying to look at a planet with it once, this was before I knew anything about astronomy so I didn't know which planet it was. Set it up, spent about an hour, didn't see a thing, packed it up and didn't bother with it again till I bought a pair of Celestron Skymasters about 3 years later. These bins showed me more than any Tasco scope ever could, even though they only have one magnification.

Conclusion:

C**p argos scope = £140

Celsetron Skymaster bins = Currently available for £50 (FLO)

Make ya choice :)

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My first scope was a Tasco 66TE 50mm f12 refractor. Bought for me for Christmas 1983. I loved this scope, it was the best Christmas present i've ever had. Saw so much with it, so many memorable moments. I used to go bezerk when i heard it said people should start out with good binoculars not a small scope. I even wrote to Sir Patrick himself to complain. But couldn't pluck up the courage to mention it when i met him at Portsmouth Guild Hall a year later.

Here's a link to the scope:

RARE Vintage Red Tasco Telescope 66TE New condition for Sale - New and Used - Astronomy Pictures.net

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I had a Tasco alt-az 60mm f13 refractor with the finder as a drop down mirror intercepting the light path and giving a view at 45 degrees out of the top of the tube. The mount had slo-mo controls with bad backlash and greasy screw surfaces.

I was about 11, and it was great to see things with, if I could recognise them.

Looking back on it, I think that the optics were not that good - I could justabout make out Saturn's rings, and two belts on Jupiter. It was nice on double stars though.

I sold that on and upgraded at 14 (with all my communion and confirmation money, saved pocket money and wages from little jobs done for people) to a Solis Scientific 222mm f5.75 Newt on a shaky GEM, yet it showed me the Veil, and Stephan's Quintet..

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