|
Alex's two posts on this thread hit the nail on the head for me. I too started with a 50mm refractor in early high school ( in the 70's : without the instant gratification of the internet) and I persevered and it captivated me and started me off on my lifetime obsession.
A couple of years later I 'upgraded' to a 75 mm reflector on a wobbly mount, (which also would have qualified for Ruslans Black list) but it showed me NGCs 3532 and 5128 via star hopping using my trusty Nortons Star Atlas, and also resolved the outer bits of Omega Centauri in my young eyes.
So do not knock the cheap scopes on Ruslans list, as it 'just takes a spark to light a fire' that could last a lifetime.
Also kudos to Ruslan for preparing the list based on common sense principles. Had my parents been able to afford better at the time, Ruslans white list would have made a far better starting point !
|