 RonBurgundy
sage
Reged: 06/16/09
Posts: 252
Loc: Philadelphia
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I've seen throughout many posts that people talk about Astrocans. However, I can't seem to find a picture of one anywhere. Anyone know where I can see one?
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Kipp Ginsburg
8" LX200-ACF
Orion 120mm F/5.0 Piggybacked Refractor
Meade UWA Set [4.7mm-30mm]
DSI-II
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KerryR
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 1141
Loc: SW Michigan
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It's astroScan--
Edmund Sci ball scope from the 70's, still in production, typicaly not very high qc, but good for the wide angle views they're made for.
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Kerry
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RonBurgundy
sage
Reged: 06/16/09
Posts: 252
Loc: Philadelphia
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Oh....  Jeeze! Well, that makes a lot more since. It's kind of funny lookin'. Thanks Kerry
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Kipp Ginsburg
8" LX200-ACF
Orion 120mm F/5.0 Piggybacked Refractor
Meade UWA Set [4.7mm-30mm]
DSI-II
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KerryR
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 1141
Loc: SW Michigan
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You're welcome!
It IS a funny lookin' scope, isn't it? They're fun to use, though...
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Kerry
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RonBurgundy
sage
Reged: 06/16/09
Posts: 252
Loc: Philadelphia
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Yeah... I actually like it a lot. 400mm focal length. I'd like to see the Sagittarius Cloud with that!
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Kipp Ginsburg
8" LX200-ACF
Orion 120mm F/5.0 Piggybacked Refractor
Meade UWA Set [4.7mm-30mm]
DSI-II
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Eddgie
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 02/01/06
Posts: 2699
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I owned one 20 years ago, and a couple of years back, got bit by the nostalgia bug and bought a used one.
Don't do it.
First, they cannot be collimated, and the one I had was off. Not terrible, but enough that I had to put a target about 1/3rd way from the center to get it sharp.
Next was the FREAKING COMA!!!!! OMG! The WORSE coma I have ever seen!
Third is the focuser. THE WORST FOCUSER I CAN EVER REMEMBER HAVING!
Forth was the pointing. There is no way to really put a finder on it. Edmund used to sell a little metal gun-sight though, but not easy to use under dark skies.
Fifth was the movement. It is only suitable for the lowest power viewing.
And last was the fact that the packaging SEEMs clever.. .Until you try to put it away. It is actually FAR bigger than the 4.5" (or whatever) aperture would require. The big ball is like, well, a big ball!
I took only one night of playing with it to decide that it needed to find another home.
And while I basically broke even on the purchase, I lost money when you factor in shipping.
My advice? Don't be tempted by the novel shape and the promise of magnificent wide field views. I did not find either to be the case.
Just my opinion. Maybe "Fun" for an 8 year old, but honestly, I think that it is not a very practical telescope.
Regards.
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Celestron C14, CGE (Big Al)
Astro-Physics 6" f/8 (Buffy)
Televue 101 (No name, but I call it my Widescreen HD Space TV)
The night sky is my mistress. She seduces me away from all other lovers.
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davidpitre
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 05/10/05
Posts: 1824
Loc: Central Texas
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I tend to drink so much coffee at star parties that I am in and out of the astrocan all night long.....and don't you hate fumbling in those things with your dim little red light?
It's kinda' scary.
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David
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RonBurgundy
sage
Reged: 06/16/09
Posts: 252
Loc: Philadelphia
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Eddgie: If it's that bad, I think I'll pass....
David: I know the feeling. I forgot my little red light at the last one 
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Kipp Ginsburg
8" LX200-ACF
Orion 120mm F/5.0 Piggybacked Refractor
Meade UWA Set [4.7mm-30mm]
DSI-II
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GlennLeDrew
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 06/18/08
Posts: 1250
Loc: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
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Not only is the big red ball BIG, it has a metal weight installed under the primary mirror so that it can balance on that ball. So, bulky AND heavy.
You'd get what I consider to be better wide field views from a 100mm bino. Simlar aperture, but no central obstruction, AND the benefit of using both eyes for a gain in signal to noise.
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Home-made 11X50 right angle bino, 8.1 deg. FOV
Modified 26X100 bino, 3.5 deg. FOV
Home-made Mk II RA bino, using interchangeable objectives and eyepieces
My Gallery
Mediocre minds discuss people. Good minds discuss events. Great minds discuss ideas.
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richsvt
member
Reged: 01/09/09
Posts: 65
Loc: Boston
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I got one about 20 years ago. I still have it and offered to my 11 yo. He loves the shape. Looking through it helps him practice focusing and aiming. When I show him the same stars in my other scopes (all refractors), he is amazed at the differences. Still, it is a neat device and still useful if you fully understand its limitations. I would not hesitate in letting him take it while camping.
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rustynailz911
professor emeritus
Reged: 01/30/08
Posts: 543
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bushnell had a clone of astroscan. iv used both the bushnell had no coma it was a 500mm FL.it was collimatable as well,better focuser.nice litle package i was going to grab one lastyear when optics planet was clearing them out but missed out heres a cn article on the bushnell http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=908
Russ
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4.5"F8 Newt
9.7mm Meade 4000 Plossl 52 Deg FOV
15mm Meade 4000 Plossl 52 Deg FOV
26mm Meade 4000 Plossl 52 Deg FOV
2x Shorty Acromatic Barlow
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4557
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Quote:
I've seen throughout many posts that people talk about Astrocans. However, I can't seem to find a picture of one anywhere. Anyone know where I can see one?
It's where you sit and read the astropaper in the mornin' time. 
More seriously:
http://scientificsonline.com/product.asp?pn=3005001&cm_mmc=Mercent-_-Google-_-NULL-_-3005001&mr:trackingCode=026D1735-DB81-DE11-8C0A-000423C27502&mr:referralID=NA&bhcd2=1257598797
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
Edited by rmollise (11/07/09 08:02 AM)
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gnowellsct
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/24/09
Posts: 729
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This is much better, and 10% cheaper. HOWEVER, most of the Star Blasts don't do too well at higher magnifications.
http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~product_id=09814
Greg N
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"Aperture will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no aperture."
featuring selected astrojunk:
bunch o' widefield eyepieces
bunch o' narrowfield eyepieces
couple o' Barlows
couple o' scopes
couple o' mounts
couple o' tripods
and a pier 'n' stuff
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4557
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Quote:
This is much better, and 10% cheaper. HOWEVER, most of the Star Blasts don't do too well at higher magnifications.
http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~product_id=09814
Greg N
That has not been my experience _at all_. Mine, and those I've tried do quite well indeed up to 200x at least, with the main problem bein' gettin' there with such a short f/l scope.
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Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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Zebra24601
Postmaster
Reged: 10/09/05
Posts: 11476
Loc: San Gabriel Valley, CA 91770
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Quote:
bushnell had a clone of astroscan. iv used both the bushnell had no coma it was a 500mm FL.it was collimatable as well,better focuser.nice litle package i was going to grab one lastyear when optics planet was clearing them out but missed out heres a cn article on the bushnell http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=908
Russ
I got mine from them for about $125 last year (it was a "or best offer" deal). It fits fine in the free handbag I got from Santa Anita a few years ago. Just stuffed some bubble wrap on the bottom for padding. Not heavy, at all.
At the price I paid, it was a steal. No way you could get 100mm binoculars for that price. Of course, I had to add a Rigel Quikfinder, which was another $45 or so. But I have gotten lots of use out of this set up.
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Zebra24601
Meade 8" SCT w/UHTC * Celestron 100ED * Celestron C11 * Celestron Firstscope 80EQ
Meade LXD55 mount * Orion Sirius goto mount
Bushnell Voyager 4.5" Compact Reflector * Barska 15x70 binoculars * Galileoscope * Really cheap Tasco spotting scope
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AlienFirstClass
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/13/09
Posts: 736
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Quote:
I owned one 20 years ago, and a couple of years back, got bit by the nostalgia bug and bought a used one.
Don't do it.
First, they cannot be collimated, and the one I had was off. Not terrible, but enough that I had to put a target about 1/3rd way from the center to get it sharp.
Next was the FREAKING COMA!!!!! OMG! The WORSE coma I have ever seen!
Third is the focuser. THE WORST FOCUSER I CAN EVER REMEMBER HAVING!
Forth was the pointing. There is no way to really put a finder on it. Edmund used to sell a little metal gun-sight though, but not easy to use under dark skies.
Fifth was the movement. It is only suitable for the lowest power viewing.
And last was the fact that the packaging SEEMs clever.. .Until you try to put it away. It is actually FAR bigger than the 4.5" (or whatever) aperture would require. The big ball is like, well, a big ball!
I took only one night of playing with it to decide that it needed to find another home.
And while I basically broke even on the purchase, I lost money when you factor in shipping.
My advice? Don't be tempted by the novel shape and the promise of magnificent wide field views. I did not find either to be the case.
Just my opinion. Maybe "Fun" for an 8 year old, but honestly, I think that it is not a very practical telescope.
Regards.
But if one looks at Ebay you will see that an Astroscan sells well and quickly.
It is a popular scope which fills a niche well and has for decades.
If you get one, you will likely keep it.
If not, you can easily get your money back...just like this poster did. ;<)
Just try that with most other scopes.
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rmollise
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/06/07
Posts: 4557
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Quote:
But if one looks at Ebay you will see that an Astroscan sells well and quickly.
I think we've been down this road before. 
"Popular" doesn't mean "good." It means cute and cheap. The Astroscan is passable as a telescope and unique in design, but it is not a telescope that performs very well.
--------------------
Uncle Rod
Rod's New Book:
Choosing and Using a New CAT
Available now!
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KerryR
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 1141
Loc: SW Michigan
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Yup. We just did this, huh?
I really love my Astroscan, but, I grab a 4" f7 refractor (same price range) far more often-- better images at higher powers, and, considering the ability to use 2" ep's a similar low-power fov.
The 'Scan could be a far more of a contender if Edmund would address the biggest weaknesses of the scope: large sample variability. You just don't know what you're going to get!
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Kerry
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RonBurgundy
sage
Reged: 06/16/09
Posts: 252
Loc: Philadelphia
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Hmmmmm..... Sounds like I'll stick with the short tube for my widefield views  . At least I now know the difference between an Astroscan and an Astrocan
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Kipp Ginsburg
8" LX200-ACF
Orion 120mm F/5.0 Piggybacked Refractor
Meade UWA Set [4.7mm-30mm]
DSI-II
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KerryR
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 1141
Loc: SW Michigan
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The 'Scan sure won't offer any competition to your 120mm f5!
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Kerry
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