On Telescopes: Refractors

not2sharp

not2sharp

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Jun 29, 1999
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I am trying to decide between the Meade LXD75 AR-6, and the Celestron C6-RGT. Both, are large 6" refractor telescopes with powered guidance systems and German Equatorial Mount. I am a beginner-level star gazer, and I like these because of their familiar classic lines, moderate price, and apparent versatility. I know that more powerful amature scopes can be had near this price range; but, the viewing conditions down here are less then ideal, and I would probably be happy to photograph a few planets, or turn the thing landward. Does anyone have anything to say in favor of either?

Here are links to both scopes:
21020_c6r_gt1.jpg


http://celestron.telescopes.com/products/celestron-c6-r-gt-refractor-15631.html

LXD75refractor_1.jpg


http://celestron.telescopes.com/pro...-at-wautostar-achromatic-refractor-28019.html


n2s
 
I would recommend the Celestron over the Meade. If you ever have to deal with any repair or warrenty work you do not want to have to deal with Meade. Celestron has a highly regarded customer service department. As to the scopes and the mounts, they are very close in quality. BTW, your state has some of the best viewing since you are not under the jet stream too often and are surrounded by water. Also, I would recommend joining www.astromart.com to get answers to your questions and looking at the dobsonian telescopes at www.telescope.com.
 
Thanks for the tips. I know I've often been camping down here under an almost solid blanket of stars; At one point it was so bright under a moonless night that you could almost read by the light. But, the summer weather is so rough, humid, and unpredictable, that I figured those good viewing days were seasonal and few. I am glad to see that I was wrong about that; astronomy can be a cool hobby.

n2s
 
If you use what you buy you will probably be happy.

The optics on those (chinese made I recall, at least for the Celestron and likely for the Meade) are okay...good for the price. The hardware may be problematic here and there but won't ruin your experience--and if it does get a replacement from whomever you bought it from.

6 inch refractor. Just a nice size if you can manage it physically. I lived with just a 50mm Tasco for about two decades before I got a "serious" scope, a well-used C8. So a 6 inch refractor was what I dreamed of for a long time. Enjoy.
 
I'd ask my dad what he'd recommend, but he'd just say "make your own".:rolleyes:
 
Planterz said:
I'd ask my dad what he'd recommend, but he'd just say "make your own".:rolleyes:
Click to expand...

There is alot to be said for that. Commercial telescopes are made first and foremost to sell; fortunately there is an excellent variety of good glass on the market. But, if you want something that designed specifically for what you want to do, then you would be best served by buillding it.

For better, or worse, I am just a beginner, and it will be many years, if at all, before I learn enough about this hobby to know where I want to go and how best get there.

n2s
 
I just got a 14" Meade reflector, and still have issues with light pollution and not seeing as much as I'd like. You see a lot of fuzzy blobs, so get used to that concept. I would recommend the GOTO feature if it is offered for any scope. You'll find tons of stuff that are very difficult to find otherwise. I agree with the recommendation for www.astromart.com There are tons of used scopes there from people that know this stuff and deck them out. I got a good deal for mine there, and it was in mint condition and refurbished by an expert in the field. The next step is getting a CCD camera and finding out what we've been missing.

I also recommend the free planitarium software at www.stellarium.org This is excellent software that can help plan out your observing night by showing you exactly what's at your location at specific times. You can even take pictures and put your own surroundings in there for awesome realism.
 
Thanks for the link. That is a really nice software package.

n2s
 
I happened to find the lunar eclipse the other day on the software before it happened. I was able to go outside at exactly the right time and know exactly where to look for the best view. It even goes so far as to properly map out where the moons of Jupiter and Saturn are in real time. Great stuff!
 
I spent my early years in astronomy and astrophysics.

Trust me. If you can manage it, get a reflector rather than a refractor. Better performance and easier all around...
 
OldPhysics, are there relatively cheap CCD cameras that can bring out live deep space images? I'd love to see faraway galaxies in better clarity and light grasp than I see them by eye. I know there are some that do well with the moon and planets, and there are the real cameras in the $10K+ range, but I would like to use one live instead of taking hour long exposures. Do you know if such a thing exists?
 
btboone said:
OldPhysics, are there relatively cheap CCD cameras that can bring out live deep space images? I'd love to see faraway galaxies in better clarity and light grasp than I see them by eye. I know there are some that do well with the moon and planets, and there are the real cameras in the $10K+ range, but I would like to use one live instead of taking hour long exposures. Do you know if such a thing exists?
Click to expand...

They seem to start at around $1300.

Here is one:
http://telescopes.com/products/sbig-st-402me-single-sensor-ccd-camera-42511.html

n2s
 
Thanks for the link n2s. SBIG is the company that makes the real big and expensive cameras, so it looks like it would be a great way to get the feet wet with the way they do things. I've seen one from a different company with a higher resolution and much less money, but they don't give the specs in the same detail as SBIG, so I have to assume it wouldn't be as sensitive.
Here's a link: http://www.telescope.com/jump.jsp?itemID=227711&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1,2,45&KickerID=844&KICKER

The SBIG also comes with THE SKY software, which I hear is the software used by the big boys.
 
I know blissfully nothing about CCDs; But, I hope to discover everything I can about them once I move up to the big scopes. My current mission is to figure out how to set up and navigate.

n2s
 
I started in astronomy with a TV101 (4" APO refractor) which gave great images. After two years I moved up in aperture to a 12.5" reflector. Soon I was back to refractors (4 of them over a 5 year span) before going back up to a 15" Obsession. At this point I realized I had too much scope for my enjoyment as I was spending 30 minutes in setup and then tear down. If you are interested in brighter objects like planets, moon, solar viewing, and double stars a smaller refractor is great. If you are wanting to look at "faint fuzzies" like distant galaxies or dim nebula the larger aperture scopes like reflectors are what you want. As far as reflectors, mass produced optics like the Orion, Meade, Celestron... are not going to give you the image quality as a Starmaster or Obsession with premium mirrors. As you spend more time in the hobby you will figure out which type of scope is suited for you desired targets and how much you spend on a scope. (sort of how we change the type and cost of knives we buy after being in the hobby after a few years...);)
 
Just wanted to update this tread to say that I finally went with the Celestron. Weather, forest fires, and general atmospheric have been less then cooperative during the month; but I was pleasantly surprised to see how far this hobby has come.

The free planitarium software at www.stellarium.org, is excellent (Thanks btboone); where I once spent weeks trying to locate simple targets, in a lousy viewing environment like NYC, it can be done now with the simplest of commands. I was also surprise to see how little power is actually required to resolve many of the targets. The Gallilean moons can be clearly seen with a modest pair of binoculars; Saturns rings can be seen clearly at 40x magnification. I use to think that astronmy was an exercise requiring massive levels of power; but, I have since learned that even the largest telescopes ,will be powerless to help you, unless you can get the thing pointed in the right direction. "

n2s
 
Welcome to a new hobby. Have you started aquiring expensive eyepieces yet?:D

I was worried when I read this thread about you starting out with a six inch refractor. Those are big puppies! If you can handle toting them around they will reward you though. The fact that you got it aligned and found targets the first time out is good news. Now all you have to worry about are the skies giving you a chance. Google "clear sky clock" to see if there is one around you. It will help you find good nights before you have to haul your stuff.

Clear Skies!
 
As you say N2S, knowing where to look is more than half the battle. I like to find Venus around 7:30, while the sun is still out. Once you find it, it seems very obvious just standing there all by itself. If you look away, it's hard to spot again though. The software helps. (Just to the left of the neighbor's roof peak and one house length up.)
 
Gary Hudson said:
Welcome to a new hobby. Have you started aquiring expensive eyepieces yet?:D
Click to expand...

Not yet; and, perhaps not for a while. I figure my optimal bang for the buck will come from keeping the gear in balance, and I do not see much gain in installing an excellent eyepiece on an intermediate scope. At some point; if I ever move up to a large APO, or an one of the 14+" flavors of reflector, then I will move up to Televue or Pentax and build up a collection of top notch 2" eyepieces.

n2s
 
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