Astro Ads

[EddieDog]

OK, we've all seen them, silly ads that overstate toy scopes, and strange words like 'automatical', 'refractive' applied to a reflector and Aus Geograpic displays with relflectors pointing to the ground and over use of the word 'Professioanl' especially in regards to toy scopes... Well, at the mo there is an ad on Gumtree, with the following attached pic on the site: http://www.gumtree.com.au/s-ad/darlington/miscellaneous-goods/skywatcher-refracting-telescope/1011973953 It stated the 'blue' scope was a 'refractor' and the grey a 'reflector'. I emailed the person that he was in error, but got an emphatic reply that he was right. So I suggested to him that my fish have more astro knowledge than has he which of course he didn't much like andinsisting he was right. But he did ammended the ad on the same day to exclude his descrioption. I did tell him why it was easy to identify the reflector.

:)

Eddie

[MortonH]

Aussie Post are selling a "large refracting telescope" package in their shops. On the side of the box it lists the specifications, which start with "up to 525x magnification" and don't list the aperture at all! (appears to be 60mm).

[LAW]

Yep, that'll be a Tasco 525. It's A 60x750 frac. The tripod has all the rigidity of cooked spaghetti and the eyepieces look they were made from beach glass, but they make a great guide scope and you can usually pick them up for $20 off someone who now hates astronomy.

They've usually got Voyager shots of Saturn and Jupiter and Hubble galaxies to match the jargon too. It's a shame because people buy them and think that's what astronomy is.