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Subject: [M]: Re: LX200-Wanted
From: Steve Isaacs
Reply To: mapug@shore.net
Date: Sat Feb 28 00:32:02 1998

>
> I am hoping that I can get some help in locating and buying a used
> 10"LX200-F/10.

Try looking here. Lots of ads. I've seen more than one LX200 there.

http://www.astromart.com/

> I am new to astronomy, in the sense of having to change my thinking
> about what makes up a good scope after having bought two Xmas specials
> over the years. Now that I am older, I want to persue my dream again,
> and hopefully see, what I imagined I would have seen thru those specials
> and never did.

My new 10" f6.3 LX200 saw first light this evening. Anyway, after 2
attempts at polar alignment (I've got the wedge) I was GOTOing here and
GOTOing there and took peeks at a few nebula, a couple of galaxies and a
bunch of open clusters. I would still be touring the skies but 90%
humidity at 20f does strange things -- another story.

The big thrill though -- after a little fiddling collimating the finder and
such -- was seeing the brilliance of Procyen. I could feel my eyes trying
to adjust to the bright light. Then I had to swing over to Orion and
checkout the nebulas there. After my experiences years ago with a 3"
reflector I wasn't prepared for what I saw. Prior to this other than in
pictures I'd never seen anything but fuzz there. I was amazed that I could
make out details in the structure not to mention the stars I'd never
noticed before.

> I am now reading a great book(At least I think so),Backyard Astronomy,
> which has helped me understand the differences in equipment.
> All indications in what I have read here and in the book points me to
> the LX200-although, I am still balancing in my mind the need and
> differences between the 6.3 and 10. Being near San Francisco, in Marin,
> the f10 seems the best for visual, and when and if I do photos, then I
> can find a reducer.

I've got to say that I agree with some that the GOTO is a pretty great
feature. I'm a complete novice at star hopping and being able to quickly
tour the night sky this way added to my excitement. I did this instead of
spending a lot of time trying to read setting circles in low light and
peering through the finder scope. I don't see many slide rules these days
so I can't help wonder if setting circles might have a similar future.

My goal is deep sky photography so I opted for the 6.3 for the wider field
of view. Time will tell if I remain happy with this choice. I can't tell
much from what I've seen this evening. I'll have to wait 'till I can fire
up the CCD camera as well.

> A question that still lingers in my mind is whether an 8" or 10" is the
> way to go. I have a mini-van, but if the 10" is all that big, will it
> become a burden getting it in and out and thereby reducing my interest.
> Maybe someone who has the experience can share with me their thoughts
> and feeling.

As I was lugging the 10" through the door and screen door this evening I
realized that the 10" was about as much as I can handle single handed and
still be able to do things like open and close doors without the cats
running into the house. I was glad my budget didn't allow me to go for the
12".

Then there was the problem of still having the strength to lift it and
place it on the mount after carrying it around the house and 50' into the
back yard. The handles on the fork assembly really helped out in this
regard. The handles are close to the balance point which made it easier to
tip the whole thing into position on the wedge. Setup took about 30 minutes
-- not bad for a first time (of course I'd already gone through all the
steps indoors). I'm sure this will improve with practice.

I was going to mount the scope permanantly in the back yard but now I'm
convinced that I'll want to take it to Montana for some really dark skies.
This scope in its box along with the mount will eat up a large percentage
of space in the back of my 4Runner. I think there'll be room for a tent and
a couple of sleeping bags. Oh yeah, I might need the cooler too... and the
stove. hhhmmmm.... It'll be tight but should work.

> I am very excited about my reborn interest and very open to any
> information, opinions, and experiences.

I'm just a couple of steps ahead of ya and from here I can say the path is
looking very promising.

Well. Looks like the frost has finally cleared from the lenses so I can put
the lense caps back on.

Steve