Quote:
Originally Posted by tonybarry
Interesting question. Depends on the meaning of "worst".
My first scope was one of those Focal 114mm newts on a EQ1. I bought it when I was 15, about 40 years ago. I got to see Saturn and it was quite magical. I hit the limits pretty quickly though - no navigation ability as the setting circles were too small to do anything with. Had no info so star hopping was not an option.
Fast forward to 2007. Bought an 8" Optec newt on an EQ1 for $100. OK collimation, same problem with navigation. Sold it, but now I knew I wanted something which would GoTo.
Bought a Meade ETX80 backpack scope (80mm achromat on alt-az goto mount). Average optics, noticeable CA as you would expect from an achromat. But Goto was magical. Lack of a finder scope was a big limitation. Now I knew I wanted GoTo and reasonable aperture and that meant a SCT.
Bought a second hand Meade LX90-8" (alt-az mount) and loved it. Awesome scope. Did everything. Great views. Excellent gotos.
Then I got aperture fever, and bought a new Meade LX90-10" ACF … and it took 4 months to sort it out. The optics were good. But the mount was rubbery and would vibrate with the slightest touch. Eventually took it apart and found there were three silicone grommets where they shouldn't have been in the mount, on the flange between the base and the spindle. Removed them, removed the useless azimuthal scale, and spun down the base exterior where the scale used to sit (on a lathe), so that the mount could spin freely on azimuth when bolted together. It transformed the mount and it is now a great performer. Optics are excellent. Unguided tracking is near to perfect. Focal length is a bit too great but that is part of the SCT recipe.
The last scope I don't own (but have the use of) and that is the Evans 30" Dob at Linden Observatory. This scope is an awesome machine, and it has ruined me for smaller scopes. It is susceptible to wind, and it is so big that it takes two or three people to safely operate it. It won't drop below 10 degrees altitude, and you are climbing ladders to view anything over 20 degrees altitude. But it delivers views of astronomical objects that simply cannot be beaten visually.
Each of these scopes was / is deficient in some way. But each solved one more problem and showed me the way forward. I consider all of them good scopes.
Is there a worst scope ? I am not sure about this. As my physics teacher advised me forty years ago, "No experiment is a complete failure. You can always use it as a bad example."
Regards,
Tony Barry
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Hi Tony,
Very interesting the direction that you went - GOTOs. I don't own a single GOTO telescope, because I went the other direction and just bought better finders, and used them in combination with red dot finders and Telrads.
The list of K-mart Focal 114mm owners has just increased again, I think you're the fifth or sixth on this thread.
Did you ever ask Meade what the story was with those grommets?
How's life in sunny Penrith? I used to visit it several times a year when I was working. Every now and then my mouth waters when I remember the plate hamburger meal I'd get at Panthers Bistro. Unfortunately, I was always flying so never took a telescope there, but used to enjoy seeing Deneb and Cygnus with binoculars, which is tougher to see down here.
Cheers,
Renato