Jeronimo Cruz
super member
Reged: 09/01/08
Posts: 141
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Hi all,
I have too many scopes but I try to use them all. However, when I do a public viewing, I always use my Photon Instruments 127mm f/9 refractor. It's portable, impressive looking, good on planets, and it has a very sharp field. It has a long white tube w/o any annoying decals or logos. It has that classic telescope "look." In a forest of Dobs, I still always seem to have a longer line waiting for a peek...
As much as I love using it, I wouldn't be heartbroken if something happened to it. I actually expect some type of abuse ([kid]"What happens if I do this?").
For those of you that do a lot of public observing, do you have a particular telescope for this task?
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Jeronimo
TeleVue 101 + Gibralter
Celestron NS11 GPS/wedge + Hyperstar
Photon Instruments 127mm + SV F50W2
Lunt Solar Systems LS60DS Ha + Celestron CG-5
Naglers, Panoptics, Radians, Nikon binoviewer
Fujinon 10x70 FMT-SX, 7x42 CD; Canon 15x50IS;
Pentax 7x50 PCF WP, 10x50 PCF WPII, 10x50 DCF SP
Work
20" R/C RCOS on Paramount + Tak FSQ
16" R/C RCOS on Paramount + TEC 140
16" Meade LX200 SCT + TV 76
Ethos, Naglers, Panoptics
Coronado Solarmax 90mm Ha
Coronado Solarmax 70mm Ca
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tatarjj
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/20/04
Posts: 1130
Loc: Austin, TX
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I take my big scope. Never had a problem with anyone abusing it. Sometimes kids touch the eyepieces, but that happens with any scope. Nice thing about a big scope at a public star party is that you can look at objects that are not normally public star party targets and make them look impressive. For example, I had people who had never looked through a scope before gasping at the beauty of the Veil nebula once at a dark public star party site with OIII filtration. Another time, with alot of moonlight and clouds out, I asked if someone wanted to see a nebula in another galaxy. After an afirmative answer from the group, I turned to NGC 604 (big nebula in M33) and warned them that it would be pretty faint. Still, most folks saw it, and some saw a little detail in it. They were excited just to see another object in another galaxy!
Alot is how you present objects. At recent public star party under poor conditions (clouds and moon), I kept warning people how bad and faint targets looked under the current conditions. People seemed delighted just to see the target. I'd say, "It's alot harder to see than it should be, due to all the clouds. In fact, we're actually looking through a cloud right now." Then they'd say "I see it! It looks like a donut!" (or whatever we were looking at).
Unfortunately, some people are unable or unwilling to climb the ladder to look through the eyepiece, but probably 90% are fine with it.
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John T.
Austin, TX
25" f/4.2 Dob
18" Obsession #701
4" Stellar Vue Achromat
8X56 Binos
Edited by tatarjj (11/03/09 11:13 AM)
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StarmanDan
sage
Reged: 08/27/07
Posts: 391
Loc: China Spring, Texas
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Quote:
Nice thing about a big scope at a public star party is that you can look at objects that are not normally public star party targets and make them look impressive.
This is so true! Once I did a Boy Scout convention but since it was during the day we had to come up with creative ways to show off. I had my scope inside the convention hall pointing out a window towards a high rise hotel room across the highway. With a high power eyepiece I was able to zoom in on just the doorknob of the door to the one of the hotel rooms. I then challenged folks to look through the scope and identify the object. Nearly everyone could not guess just by looking through the scope. I then had them look through the finder. It was quite a sight to see folks look through the finder then through the scope, then out the window, then back to the finder, back to the scope... Then exclamations of "no way!" usually ensued as they finally figured out what they were seeing.
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"Starman" Dan Doyle
Texas Astronomical Society of Dallas
Central Texas Astronomical Society
8" LX200GPS w/ST80 guidescope, Canon 350D+DSI Pro
150mm f/8 Sky Watcher Refractor
10" f/4.5 Homemade Dob
RV-6 Criterion Dynascope
http://darcstar.wordpress.com
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rocco13
Got Milk?
Reged: 07/29/06
Posts: 2642
Loc: Phoenix, Arizona
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Star parties I take my 12" dob and my good glass (EPs) since most everyone else there knows what they're doing and how to treat the equipment.
Outreach events I take my old C8 and my cheap Celestron zoom EP. I would still be upset if something happened to it, but it would be easier to deal with.
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Rocco
Zhumell Z12
Super C8 (1984 vintage)
Celestron 102 f/5
and a cheap pair of binoculars
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walt r
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/13/07
Posts: 3458
Loc: Doylestown, PA
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I take my 18. With the Argo and ServoCat objects stay in the FOV so I can use higher power. And as John T said, I can show them fainter objects that look impressive. The line to view through my scope is always long.
I just need to bring the step ladder for the kids.
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Walt
Obsession 18" f/4.45 #1370 AN/SC
MK67 Deluxe 6" f/12 Mak-Cass, Super Polaris GEM, JMI MicroMax DSC
DIY 60mm f/6 Achromat
Cookbook 245 CCD
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Skylook123
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/30/05
Posts: 4780
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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At a star party for astronomers, like All Arizona, the 18". At star parties for public outreach, the 10" SCT/Atlas. For the visitors, just point it and forget it.
However, at the Grand Canyon Star Party, a public outreach venue, I will use the 18" on DSOs while my wife will use the Atlas on planets and double stars. Anything at 7000 feet at the Grand Canyon is awesome in the 18", so I just point it at the Ring, or Dumbbell, or Sagittarius eye candy, or even The Sombrero fills a 9mm Nagler; absolutely sends visitors away with their perspectives of the Universe shattered into itty bitty pieces. Can't beat aperture for that! Also, there are a couple of outreaches we do each year for university astronomy and optical sciences students; I use the 18" for that one just because.
I must say, I hear the horror stories about outreach and public doing inappropriate things with equipment and eyepieces, but in 15 years of doing outreaches, up to 10 times a month, I've never had a single incident that wasn't of my own doing. The only eyepieces I've used for the last 10 years have been a 22mm Panoptic for medium power, and a 9mm Nagler for higher power. I just can't go back to Plossls any more.
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Jim
A Bad Night With A Telescope
Beats A Good Night Doing Anything Else
Tectron 18" Truss Dob/Sky Commander DSCs, "Derrick"
Meade 10" LX-5 SCT/Atlas-G "Ol' Blue Eye"
Orion 90mm refractor,
Meade 10" Starfinder Newt/JMI NGCMax DSCs,
Celestron 10x50 Ultima Pro
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b1gred
Enginerd
Reged: 04/01/04
Posts: 15703
Loc: Castle Rock, CO 6677' MSL
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My GPS 9.25 with the TV-85 piggy-backed is my usual setup.
Many people mistake the TV-85 as a "finder" for the 9.25, but in reality the GPS 9.25 is a "go-to" for the TV-85
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"Dark Skies & Great Viewing"
RandyR / W0RDR
GPS 9.25 XLT/Sky Align /FeatherTouch
TV85 w/FeatherTouch
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edosaurusrex
super member
Reged: 01/30/07
Posts: 179
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For public stuff I always take the Orion 4.5in SkyQuest Dob in case there are kids at the event. I let them try to find the easier DSO's and brighter stars and planets. The scope is pretty indestructible.
When I'm being selfish it's the Heinz 57 scope(Criterion RV6 optics, Parks tube & spider, Meade focuer and GE mount), AND the $25 60mm f10 Tasco refractor for my "What can you really see in a Cheap Scope" project.
Ed
Edited by edosaurusrex (11/03/09 10:38 PM)
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skyward_eyes
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/12/06
Posts: 2100
Loc: Arizona
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I help with nearly 300 public programs a year and almost always use my 16" with my best eyepieces (35, 22 Pans and ES100 14mm). I will put binoviewers in when the moon is out. On nights where the weather is very questionable I will bring out my little C-90 or 10" Dob. Something that can fit under the cover of my truck.
My 24" I am designing is being designed for out reach as its an f/4.3.
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www.skywardeyes.webs.com
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John Noble
super member
Reged: 05/07/08
Posts: 178
Loc: Sandy Eggo, California
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I take a 90mm Orion MCT on a driven Min-EQ which is in turn jury-rigged onto a Bogen 3021 photo tripod. Eyepiece is usually a Barlowed 25mm Sirius Plossl on planets or a 40mm Sirius Plossl on other stuff to get the exit pupil up a little.
I always have by far the smallest scope at my club's monthly outreach gig, and I kind of like it that way. For one thing, I can answer the "how much does it cost" questions with a surprisingly low number. When I tell them that they can spend even less and see more (thinking XT6 here), they're even more surprised.
The Mak throws up a nice sharp image and doesn't intimidate the smaller kids as much as some of the yard cannons other club members bring. I keep the viewing position pretty low since the kids seem to naturally gravitate to the little pea shooter.
I would bring my Onyx 80EDF if I had a driven mount that would hold it--I hate re-pointing a manual mount all evening.
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"We had the sky up there, all speckled with stars, and we used to lay on our backs and look up at them, and discuss about whether they was made or only just happened."
--Huckleberry Finn
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Bill Whitehead
member
Reged: 07/11/09
Posts: 12
Loc: Exit 135 - Garden St Parkway
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Friends,
I use a cheapo Celestron 80mm refractor. It gives good clear images of stars. The other people I go with have bigger and better scopes than I have, so I figure that they can focus on the DSO's. I focus on double stars and carbon stars. If I can find a deep red carbon star people get pretty excited.
peace,
Bill
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hfjacinto
Almost got me
Reged: 01/12/09
Posts: 2068
Loc: Union,NJ
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Bill,
Don't underestimate your refractor, on double stars that scope is awesome! I can also say that it has great contrast. But Bill is right when looking at DSO's a bigger scope is usually better. On a super dark night with great seeing the 9.25 rules. At Jenny Jump, that scope shows me so much that I can spend an hour on an object looking at its detail. Looking at M13 and seeing it fill up a 13MM eyepiece that is awesome !!
Other times when the moon is out or I am limited on time, I take the SN6. That is my widefield scope and sometimes it is better than the 9.25 especially when the seeing sucks.
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C9.25 ASGT 9*50 MM Finder,FT Focuser & 2" Diagonal
Meade LXD 75 6 Inch SNT w 9*50 MM Finder
5,6,9,14.5 MM Zhummel Planetary EPs
13,17,21,24,31,36 MM Baader Hyperion
6.7,8.8 MM Meade UWA & 11 MM Nagler T6
Planetary, OIII and Narrowband Filters
Thousand Oaks Dew Control w Kendrick Heaters
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skyward_eyes
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/12/06
Posts: 2100
Loc: Arizona
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Yes even your small refractor is a great scope! Much of my group uses 8" to 11" SCT scopes, I use my 16" Dob. One guy in the group uses a small ETX 80, he spends much of his time on the extremely large open clusters and people are blown away by the views of the double cluster and the Seven sisters, many of the clusters he views with his little 80 are just to wide for the larger scopes!
Never under estimate a little scope!
At the Grand Canyon Star Party I was showing very experienced astronomers the North American Nebula with a little Celestron First Scope mini-dob, they couldnt believe the view of the entire nebula! Not bad for a little $50 mini-dob!
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www.skywardeyes.webs.com
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Jimmy2K63
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/26/09
Posts: 1179
Loc: Kentucky
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Quote:
For public stuff I always take the Orion 4.5in SkyQuest Dob in case there are kids at the event. I let them try to find the easier DSO's and brighter stars and planets. The scope is pretty indestructible.
When I'm being selfish it's the Heinz 57 scope(Criterion RV6 optics, Parks tube & spider, Meade focuer and GE mount), AND the $25 60mm f10 Tasco refractor for my "What can you really see in a Cheap Scope" project.
Ed
What a COOL idea. Piggyback a department store scope on another scope and let people see first hand, and this doesn't have to be a bad thing either. They would be amazed once they knew what they were looking at in the cheap scope.
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http://astronomyguy63.blogspot.com/
LXD75 SN6-UHTC
Cave Astrola 10" f/5
Garrett 15x70/FarSight
Canon XS (1000D)
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Al Canarelli
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/06/07
Posts: 2611
Loc: Central New Jersey
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When the general public and all the kids are around to take a look, I pack the C-14 and the APO in the trailer and use only a 10" LX200 with a few inexpensive eyepieces. The reason for this is because it allows respectable aperture and is easy for the novice to view. Generally, no ladders required which equals no complications.
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ColoHank
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/07/07
Posts: 507
Loc: western Colorado
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Always the Questar, but I recently built a functional replica of a Galileo scope and have set it up a couple of times at public outreach events. Both scopes elicit lots of favorable comments.
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Questar 3.5 standard - pyrex and BB coatings
Powerguide II
8mm, 12mm, 16mm, 24mm and 32mm Brandons
modified Bogen 3030 w/ homebuilt wedge
Homebuilt Galileo scope and very large and ugly homemade tripod
other odds and ends, including iPod Touch with StarMap Pro (what a marvelous combo)...
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"Nothing exists but atoms and empty space. Everything else is opinion."
Titus Lucretius Carus 99-55 B.C.
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Dain
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/24/05
Posts: 1596
Loc: N.Y. Adirondack Mnts. NGC 4565...
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8-inch dob. I like the folks to see what I see, even in the same eyepiece.
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Best,
Dain
Adirondack Mountains (my true dark sky site)
@ Cedar River Flow
Local Site
Clear Skies?
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dpwoos
sage
Reged: 10/18/06
Posts: 206
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I use my best stuff, so that folks get the best views possible. It's just stuff, after all and maybe the experience ends up being really important to someone. I have even fantasized about giving it all away to some interested person and going back to basics.
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Bob Griffiths
Postmaster
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 6548
Loc: Frederick Maryland
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I use my little and cheap 100 f/6 Orion achro and an equally cheap Celestron Zoom eyepiece...
Reason is basically the scope does well on open clusters,. and it is small and light weight PLUS I spend more time looking thru other scopes aand shooting the "bull" with others then I do looking thru my telescope...
(most) Star Parties to me are social events...
For serious observing I stay at home, open the door to my observatory and do my thing ...
Bob G
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CPC1100
Nexstar 8i + GPS & Rays Brackets
Denk S1 power switch
Orion 100 mm Refractor
Meade LXD 55 ...AR-5 127 mm Refractor
Exploradome Observatory S.I.E. (Smiling Irish Eyes)
Gerbring Heated Motorcycle clothing in the winter
39*21'03" N
77*28'12" W
The sky over my head....
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Rat
super member
Reged: 10/13/06
Posts: 144
Loc: USA
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I like to bring something small. Easy and fast to set up and take down. In my case it's either a C5 or a Megrez 80 on a CG5 mount.
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