Peculiar topic - naming your pride and joy

[LewisM]

I confess - I call most of my stuff I use a lot names. Both cars have names (Eva for the VW, and Muranka for the Murano), and yes, I named ALL my telescopes.

Well, the Vixen FL102S holds an eternal sweet spot in my heart - I foolishly sold it recently to help fund the Takahashi Insanity (which I am now cured of) had instant pangs of remorse and guilt, so was lucky enough to reacquire her again. She is now DEFINTELY only going when I shuffle off the 3rd rock from the sun.

So, because I admire this telescope so much, and because I had always called her "Flo" (kinda suits an FL102S), I had a solid brass plate computer etched with the words 'Vixen FL102S "Flo"' today. Got the plate home, quickly rolled it to the correct curve with an impromptu English Wheel (2 iron pipes :) ), and stuck it to the OTA above the "Do not look at sun" sticker :) (it has a self-adhesive glue on the back).

Will upload a photograph later.

Was considering a decal/sticker with the Crux or Orion with an ornate Flo, but decided a brass plate was more classical. Used old style serifed font for the Vixen titling, and semi-ornate script for Flo.

Anyone else cuckoo enough to name and personalise their scopes?

[Kunama]

Got the pic, nice one !

[David Fitz-Henr]

So ... you've given your scope a name which you have etched into a brass plate and adorned it with :eyepop: Sounds a bit strange to me Lewis ... :P :screwy:

[sharpiel]

My LX200 is named "Hedgehog" (after a Greek holiday adventure) and my TOA130 is "Old Light" from a line in a Regina Spector song. When I complete my EQ mounted 18" f5.5 it will be christened "Planet Buster". Brass plates all...

So I completely understand :shrug:

[GeoffW1]

Not so strange,

We apparently often tend to name objects which are very important in some way, or which seem to possess a sort of personality (eg cranky). The shrinks suggest that we can then assign responsibility and blame to such objects.

Cheers

[sn1987a]

Like "Flo" in "Bad Boy Bubby"? ;)

[mental4astro]

Meet 'Odessius' and 'F4', :D . These are the only two scopes of the 7 I have that have names.

Odessius is not just for the journey one takes, in shades of the Greek hero, but also refers to the scope's original configuration as an Odyssey II monster.

F4 is my 8" f/4 dobbie. I think you can guess why she's called F4, :rolleyes:

[rustigsmed]

nice, my black skywatcher 12" goto dob is "the black hubble" i haven't named my EQ8 setup yet... but it will get something as soon as i use it more.

[ZeroID]

The 10" Serrurier is 'Skeletope II'. It's all bare bones. The Lunt is just 'The Lunt' and the 80mm is 'Little Blue'.
I tend to name things I've built mostly.
Currently building a 2 meter model dirigible ( Steam Punk ) which will be named 'Aetherium Illuminatus' ...... :rolleyes:

[cybereye]

My RC8 is called "Machiavelli" because of all the backroom deals I needed to do to get it! :D

Cheers,
Mario

[cometcatcher]

I mostly call mine names consisting of 4 letters when I get frustrated with them. :D :P

[IanW]

All of my telescopes have names, some are more printable than others, for example my Skywatcher 120mm Refractor is called megadong, a name given it by a female friend who'd had a few drinks too many. My old and trusty 8" f7.9 Newtonian is "heavy c*nt" a.k.a Clint the brick. It weighs close on 120kg thanks to the custom made GEM that features 3.5" shafts and massive plates and bearings.

The 10" Meade SCT is "Emily" as she's a sweet petite thing, while the 12" LX600 Meade is "Fred". My often abused D&G Achromat is "Willy" and my TAL-1 (original import run in to Australia, it's a beast), is "Ivan the terrible" as it's got great optics for a small scope. My prize however is "James" a 260 year old 1 1/2" short Naval Refractor that belonged to my great, great, great, great, great Grandfather who was a collier owner and coal merchant. He had connections to a couple of minor historical events :D

[sn1987a]

My buxom wench "Nigella". :D

[anj026]

Hi IanW

Tell me more about your D&G please, what size is it? You have the first one in WA I have heard of other than my own two (6" f15 and 5" f15).

[IanW]

Hi, It's a 6" F12 that I purchased about 13 years ago. Currently I'm remodelling the mount. I love it to bits and it's a great scope. I am considering a 12" F12 D&G in a couple of years time or one of his Classical Cassegrains. It would be a !@# to house and the mount would have to be enormous.

[anj026]

I am a big fan of D&G. Glad to hear of another one in the state. A 12" would indeed be a dream come true. Makes me think of Leslie C Peltier.
http://www.aavso.org/leslie-c-peltier

[astro_nutt]

I love the B+W space movies so when it came to name my new 12 Inch dob, I named it G.O.R.T. which stands for Good Ol' Reflecting Telescope.

[lacad01]

I tend to call my devices every name under the sun when they don't co-operate ;)

[jjjnettie]

My first 10" dob was named Annie, after Annie Jump Cannon.
My 8" Black Diamond newt was named Macey, after Mae C Jemison.
The FS78 I call Tic Tak.
My CDS1100D is called Sexy.

[ZeroID]

Don't we all .... ;)

[pvelez]

My PMX is called Ms Scarlett - for obvious reasons

Pete

[IanW]

Me too, there's nothing as good as long F ratio scope for lunar and planetary work, to say nothing of galaxies.

It's a real shame they are so out of favour with the newbies these days.

[OzStarGazer]

My first scope (the SW Heritage 130p I bought in December) is Albert.

[RB]

My 12" LX200 is called Principia.
I haven't named my Tak 130 yet, even though I use it most.
Houghy's named my Tak 150 - "the door stop" because I haven't used it yet. :lol:

RB
:)

[torana68]

looks very nice but I bet it costs a bit to keep it working?
my cars are all different colors so thats easy , telescopes are all white so not so easy but the best they get is "the crappy f4", eight inch , ten inch, DK etc nothing exciting like "Nigela" :)

[OzStarGazer]

I am going to buy a refractor in September and will need help with the name. I think I will call it Kelly.

[IanW]

Mine get that too! Usually starting with "c'mon you pile of shiffle" to "eff ing heap of junk" to the ever popular "That it. it's Sims metal for you" plus "come on you heap of $hit".

I have a whole phrase book devoted to cigarette lighter plugs and batteries.... none of which are remotely printable.

[GeoffW1]

Hi,

There seems no trend then as to whether a scope is male or female, or just something neuter?

Or is it that males have a female scope, and vice-versa (Jen's dob is male :rofl:), with a random component to it as well?

Is this a reflection of our times, when we are surrounded by helper objects we depend on?

I think we have to view this through the lens of our techno society.

Cheers

[OzStarGazer]

Well, dobs for example are males of course because they are so big and have broad shoulders. :lol:

[GeoffW1]

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[sn1987a]

How come in the advertising its men fondling the big Dobs and women stroking the refractors?. I'm just sayin':shrug:

[OzStarGazer]

:shrug: There are two options:
1. Women's arms are too short to hug say a 16" dob, and on the other hand refractors are too slim for men to really feel "something".
2. Maybe they are homosexual dobs and refractors?
;)

[GeoffW1]

I think it is all getting out of hand here :rolleyes:

[OzStarGazer]

I agree... We should just love our scopes for what they are... regardless of gender...

[jamespierce]

All our scopes are (or have been) named after astronomers that suited...

Ptolemy - 90mm F5.6
Copernicus - 16" F4
Kepler - 128mm F8
Cassini - 120mm F7.5
Galileo - PST Solar Scope
Fleming - 100mm HA Lunt

[SimmoW]

Ha, my buddy nicknamed my Tak E-130D "the banana" and it's stuck!

[LewisM]

Gone done them all now... ALL have brass mini-plaques, custom computer engraved (have a mate who does this, so it cost me a 6 pack)

I had the audacity to name my mount after my wife... I shouldn't need to explain why I called my mount after my wife :) When she asked me why (I have attached it to the curved front part of the mount head), I explained that I was pointing her to the stars, "per ardua ad astra". That seems to have placated her curiosity ;) (she has not considered the perverted connotation...yet)

All the kids got a mention, and my red-haired cat got pride of place on a small oval brass plate on the back of my red Atik 4000 CCD :)

[Rodstar]

My scope, the Mary Rose, was named after a ship in Henry VIII's fleet. He spared no expense on it..... with Marine ply, no expense spared, and with the intent of sailing the seas of the southern skies, the Argo Navis etc. etc....it seemed right to me.

The Mary Rose ship sank in its first battle. Fortunately my scope has not sunk into the ground yet....

Picking up on what some others have said about gender, and innuendo, my wife calls my scope "The Phallus-scope". I deny all over-compensation allegations...