I've returned from my lurker state to ask for some advice.
For those who don't remember me (I'm not very memorable even when I'm exciting) take a look at my previous problem from this old thread:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...4&page=1&pp=20
For those too tired to click, it's about a problem with an Optisan 6" newt reflector, on a terrible (and I mean TERRIBLE, a cardboard tripod would do better) EQ mount. It's a chilling tale of a gift gone wrong, with a conman working at a camera store lying through his teeth to an unsuspecting parent, who meant well but unfortunately didn't do any research before buying. It's quite a good read (not really, but I'm trying to be entertaining).
The story (I never finished it) ends like this: The guy said he'd look at the telescope for me, saying his wife has the same one, as well as constantly saying "Ah but they're a great scope..." again and again. He also made the statement that all mirrors are made "by the one company, doesn't matter if they go to Optisan, Tasco or Meade, hahaha!" among other idiotic claims like the brilliant Optisan website. I wouldn't know about the last one, the entire thing is in Polish. So I left it with them and went home, wondering which hammer would be best to use against the junk.
About three weeks later I called them up to find out what they were doing, since nobody had said anything about it. A rather shocked sales assistant said "Uh... oh, well, give me your details and I'll get him to get back to you. It's okay though, he's looking at it!". Over in the corner, covered by a cloth, in the same corner that the telescope had initially been dropped off in, was an interestingly shaped object that bore a striking resemblence to a tube and tripod. I nodded and walked away.
A few days later I came back at the request of the guy. In the corner was the telescope. It looked exactly as I had left it many weeks ago, though maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. I'm guessing not though, after what he said next. Apparently he'd got onto Optisan (they speak English? Wow! Learn something new every day!) who had said that you wern't supposed to align any of the mirrors, they had to be as tight as humanly possible, and once any of the mirrors were touched, it was gone. Contrary to his word that he'd try to align it, he meerly said that there was nothing he could do (offering no account of his attempts to fix it, instead giving the distinct impression that he wasn't going to even bother with it). Then I heard the "Ah but it's a great scope!" speel again. Resisting the urge to do violence to a display of cameras (the telescopes he had for sale were interestingly enough nowhere to be found now) I decided to take it home and throw it into a brick wall.
Since then I've tried many suggestions from this forum and other sites (this forum actually being the most helpful) to attempt to get the problem solved. After fighting it for weeks and my Dad attempting to use metho to clean the mirror (which has now given it a coppery tinge, an interesting effect but totally useless) I've finally decided to totally give up on the telescope and do something with it. Right now it's taking up valueable space sitting on its terrible mount. It didn't even last 12 months (lasted 5 actually). Yes, a $600 telescope, which is also differently branded and sold on eBay for $150, now sitting there doing nothing. (Again I found this out from looking at this forum, what were the odds!)
So my question is, what do I do with it? Should I just throw it in the bin and never look at it again? Should I do something creative like turn it into a fish tank, and watch the little fish swim around watching themselves in the mirror? Or is there something else I could do, like turn it into a laser beam capable of destroying the shop in question or something equally evil? Perhaps something still more realistic like mount it on a wall and let the cat admire itself every morning...
In any event, if there's any inventive or creative ideas for this telescope, I'd be happy to do it, since it's heading for a dump not far up the street from me if I can't find anything to do with it. Also this hasn't turned me off astronomy at all, though it certainly frustrated me. Fortunately my 10x50 binoculars, still the best optical tool I've ever owned, keeps me more than occupied at this time of year. Though I will be shopping for another telescope soon, since my arms are getting tired holding those binoculars up all night. Though this time I might get a refractor (but that's an issue for another thread).
So, any suggestions? I'll even post pictures of your ideas, if I remember.
