Why have more than one scope?

[Brainstorm]

I've seen a few guys on here with several scopes listed in their signature. Why would you need an 8" if you have a 10"? Surely the 10" is going to do pretty much the same as the 8" just allowing more light in?

[umadog]

It depends on what the 8" and 10" are. Perhaps one is a Dob and one and SCT. Maybe they're both Newts but of very different focal lengths. Maybe one is solid-tube on an EQ mount and the other a truss Dob.

Speaking for myself, I've recently bought an ultra-compact 10" which I can take on plane as hand luggage. Yes, I have a 12" too but the two occupy different niches. I doubt the 10" will cope with my 30 mm Nagler clone and a paracorr, for example. Eventually I'll get my 18", sell the 12", and end up with a portable 10" and a more conventional 18".

[Ben Ritchie]

Remember it's not just aperture that matters, but focal length - an 8" f/10 is very different from an 8" f/4.

I have 'scopes than I strictly need, but it's common to regularly use different 'scopes for different purposes - I have an observatory-mounted 5" refractor with a 3" piggybacked for widefield/autoguiding, a two more 3" refractors in a 'grab and go' setup (one a short focal length apochromat, the other a longer acrhomat), and a 14" Dob for those nights when I want to go faint-fuzzy hunting.

I use the 3" grab and go or 5" refractor in the observatory far more regularly than the big Dob, despite them collecting vastly less light than the 14", because they're so convenient - both up and running in 30 seconds.

[Moonshane]

I have a 6" f11 and a 12" f5.3 - both dobsonians. In reality although I can of course use the 6" for other things, I bought it specifically for planetary observing. The 12" gathers a lot more light and is much better for almost everything but to my eyes the low contrast planetary details are really boosted by the view in the 6".

I also have a pair of 15x70s which are in effect two wide field refractors bolted together.

You can of course get away with one scope but your options are wider if you have two or more. I love my dobs for many reasons but quick set up is one for me too. It also takes me only about a couple of minutes to set up the 12" even including collimation tweaks.

[CGolder]

As people have already pointed out, a single scope can not do everything, as a visual observer 2 scopes is a must for me and not sure i could do without it. the larger scope is a real lump and i dont always want to take it to a dark site, the smaller one is easy to travel with, i simply have a better astro experience for having 2 scopes.

[JAO]

I have more scopes than I need! LoL. However they all do something that the other scopes in my collection and don't as people have already said in the thread all scope designs are a compromise of sorts. Also there are nights when seeing prevents bigger scopes giving of their best.

Last night was a point in question I was using a 10" Mak and 4" Refractor simultaneously. The seeing was dire (compared to the night before) and the 4" views although smaller in scale were more pleasing than the views in the 10".

I also have a 70mm Refractor, which travels the country with me, when I am travelling for work. It would not be quite so easy to bring a big Dob into a Travel Lodge with me!

Hope this sheds some light on multiple scope ownership

Adrian

[stardad]

Sorry to ask a question within a post like this but why do we have so many types of scopes? There's no need for so many types when in basic terms you only need 2 scopes for Planet work and DSO work.

There seems to be so many that do the same thing and with the F power dictating what you see surely its down to that more than the type of scope.

[philj]

Using the old saying its "Horses for courses"

I would not use my F6 4" refractor for planetary I would use my F15 4".

I wouldnt use the F15 for widefield viewing or imaging I would use the F6 4".

Think of it like a car mechanic. He has a set of spanners to cater for a range of size bolts on a car. If he only had a 6mm spanner he wouldnt get very far servicing your car.

Philj

[stardad]

Think of it like a car mechanic. He has a set of spanners to cater for a range of size bolts on a car. If he only had a 6mm spanner he wouldnt get very far servicing your car.Philj

Good way of putting it. So its like using a 1/4 drive on a HGV and 3/4 drive on a 4mm in aluminium without a torque wrench.

Cheers.

[G4YVM]

No one mentioned simple pleasure.

I find in scopes, as in many things, there is simple joy to be had from using some pieces of kit. I like the use of my big Dob because I made it, I like that feeling. But I enjoy using my smaller refractor because its just nice (see caveat on mount!!). I have a pair of binos which are new and decent, but my thirty year old Greenkats are used far more often because they were the first thing I ever bought with my first ever wages as a kid. I simply enjoy using them.

D

[Merlin66]

Greenkats!!

Now that brings back memories.......

I have a 12" Lx in the observatory and the C925 on a NEQ6 to chase things from different parts of the garden. I also have a HEQ5 with an ED80 set up for solar observing.

Different tools for different jobs...

[AndyH]

Good way of putting it. So its like using a 1/4 drive on a HGV and 3/4 drive on a 4mm in aluminium without a torque wrench.

Cheers.

Snorted a bit of coffee there

[John]

No one mentioned simple pleasure.

I find in scopes, as in many things, there is simple joy to be had from using some pieces of kit. I like the use of my big Dob because I made it, I like that feeling. But I enjoy using my smaller refractor because its just nice (see caveat on mount!!). I have a pair of binos which are new and decent, but my thirty year old Greenkats are used far more often because they were the first thing I ever bought with my first ever wages as a kid. I simply enjoy using them.

D

Good point - that's my angle on it as well

I really enjoy using different designs of scope and eyepieces, comparing how they present different objects under varying conditions. The views through different scope designs have different characteristics too - somtimes I'm in the mood for the tight star definition and high contrast of a refractor, sometimes I want to seek out faint fuzzies with a newtonian. One thing they all have to have in common, for me, is portability.

The scopes I've not got are a pretty varied bunch, driven by the above interests (all were bought used and none particularly expensive):

10" F/4.8 Orion Optics newtonian

6" F/8 Meade achromatic refractor

6" F/5.9 Intes maksutov-newtonian

4" F/6.5 Vixen ED refractor

I do keep asking myself (prompted by my wife) whether I really need the 4 and the answer is usually no, but I'd like to keep them anyway

[Merlin66]

I think we collect scopes over the years and find if we do want to sell them you don't get much for them...just as well holding onto them.

[ollypenrice]

In imaging you need as many focal lengths as you can to be able to frame as many different sized targets as are out there. That accounts for my two camera lenses and two apo refractors. For the deep sky in visual observing you need aperture, so we have a big Dob. For viewing wide felds, short refractors and binoculars. For imaging the planets a big slow long FL SCT... and so on and on and on!!!

In the end, increasing the size of your scope means you see more and more of less and less...

Olly

[philj]

Good way of putting it. So its like using a 1/4 drive on a HGV and 3/4 drive on a 4mm in aluminium without a torque wrench.

Cheers.

yeah but we all know they just use the air wrench and overtighten everything anyway:D

Pleasure of use comes into it alot, definately. I love using my classic 4" F15 refractor just makes observing into an event.

Philj

[Astro_Baby]

I have loads of scopes too

My Skywatcher 200 is my main scope for sitting in its storage box.

My Skywatcher 250 is needed to stand up as a bookstand in my study.

My Tal 100RS is used as room decor/talking point in my lounge.

My SKywatcher 180 Pro stays in its box under the bed.

My two Unitron Refractors provide something to look at and admire on rainy days.

It would be lovely to think about using them but I somehow never do. Clouds mostly, work and a few other things. So they just sit around in the house slowly moving into entropy.

[brantuk]

Well my dob's for gathering light and teasing out the elusive dso's that I've never seen yet. The Sct is for observing/imaging planets - nice and sharp with long focal length at f/10. The appo is a nice wide field fast f/6 scope for imaging dso's.

Not the best combo but within budget at the time of purchase.

Hope that helps

[Talitha]

I think we collect scopes over the years and find if we do want to sell them you don't get much for them...just as well holding onto them.

That's me!

[Moonshane]

That's me!

for me it's more eyepieces that I cannot let go of.

even now I am drooling after a 26mm Nagler T5 that I cannot afford.

[Talitha]

for me it's more eyepieces that I cannot let go of.

Yep, those too.

But in my case, they're extra ones. All of my scopes came with eyepieces, and i have quite a few spares. They'll find good homes, though. A friend of mine organized a 'get to know the sky' club and donates cheap fleabay-acquired scopes to neighborhood Kids and Seniors.

[Moonshane]

Yep, those too.

But in my case, they're extra ones. All of my scopes came with eyepieces, and i have quite a few spares. They'll find good homes, though. A friend of mine organized a 'get to know the sky' club and donates cheap fleabay-acquired scopes to neighborhood Kids and Seniors.

great stuff! I have done something a little similar see http://stargazerslounge.com/diy-astronomer/131898-how-make-truly-awful-scope-least-useable.html

and a kind SGL member has agreed to donate a scope he bought and paid for but never collected, to the youngster next door. I just have to make a dob base for it and he's away - won't tell him yet though as he'll be giving me the 'is it ready yet.........is it ready YET??.....' treatment.

[Talitha]

Fantastic, Shane! So... is it ready yet?

( ...getting my coat)

[ollypenrice]

for me it's more eyepieces that I cannot let go of.

even now I am drooling after a 26mm Nagler T5 that I cannot afford.

I couldn't afford one either so I ordered one last week. It is just wizaroo!!!

Olly

[Darth Takahashi]

BECAUSE I LOVE THEM...WHY ELSE!!!

Focal length is what matters most since ccd cameras are also expenses;

1x 550mm = Wide field

1x 900mm = Medium

1x 1000mm and (640mm, 580mm & 1500) does nearly everything (reducer & ExtQ)

1x 3000mm and 4500mm!!! (Super planetary with ExtQ)

Magnification matter for planetary imaging but not for wide field normal because the object are just so big... 100 of light year across. Of course there are exceptions such as planetary nebulae and small distant galaxies.

BUT I REALLY DO LOVE MY TELESCOPE because they determine my view on the whole universe...