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frito
sage
Reged: 10/05/12
Loc: Fremont, CA
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: JohnMurphyRN]
#5539253 - 11/25/12 06:55 PM
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Ok, I just went and looked at Cragslist near to you. I see a couple of things that are mildly interesting but overpriced (but perhaps they'll take less?) and one that SEEMS LIKE A SCREAMING DEAL TO ME...
The Nexstar5 is a good scope, but $500 is more than I'd give - more like $350. There's an XT8 for $285, would be interesting to me at $200, and is what the people around here recommend as the ideal starting scope.
AND THERE'S A 10" DOB FOR $110!!!!! AN OLD COULTER 10.1 DOB!! The pics are good enough to convince me it should be useable. If it was close to me I'd jump on it myself. If you don't get it, I'll try get the guy to ship me just the optics eyepieces and focuser out of it. (assuming it doesn't get pounced on now that I've drawn attention to it)
haha yeah that coulters a steal in pretty much any condition. you could get the mirror stripped and recoated and still be good.
XT8 at 285 is a bit steep. if they will go down to 250 or less i'd pick it up if the coulter's junk or sold already.
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Haas
sage
Reged: 11/22/12
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: JohnMurphyRN]
#5539293 - 11/25/12 07:25 PM
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Yeah, I saw that one, and it was such a cheap price, I just assumed it to be something wrong, or typo, or something.
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frito
sage
Reged: 10/05/12
Loc: Fremont, CA
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: Haas]
#5539294 - 11/25/12 07:27 PM
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no, its just an old scope. they are not pretty but they are good scopes. i viewed through a guys 13.1 Coulter a number a weekends ago and it handily beat my XT8 on Andromeda galaxy (M31) and it should.
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Haas
sage
Reged: 11/22/12
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: JohnMurphyRN]
#5539312 - 11/25/12 07:40 PM
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Go for it, John. That thing is just too massive for me. I don't even have a decent place to store it.
I might contact the guy on that 8 incher.
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Haas
sage
Reged: 11/22/12
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: Haas]
#5539319 - 11/25/12 07:42 PM
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Even at $200 bucks, for me to travel to Lodi, and back, will probably cost me another $60 in gas. 
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JohnMurphyRN
sage
Reged: 09/09/12
Loc: Near St Louis
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: Haas]
#5539324 - 11/25/12 07:44 PM
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Go for it, John. That thing is just too massive for me. I don't even have a decent place to store it.
I might contact the guy on that 8 incher.
ok.....Offer at asking price sent for just the optics. We'll see what comes of it. Getting those optics at that price is enough to get me to take the ATM plunge.
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frito
sage
Reged: 10/05/12
Loc: Fremont, CA
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: Haas]
#5539331 - 11/25/12 07:50 PM
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Even at $200 bucks, for me to travel to Lodi, and back, will probably cost me another $60 in gas.
see if they will meet you half way? many people will. it never hurts to ask questions, you never know how desperate they might be to sell it and if it does not sell quickly they could change their mind.
imho you cannot go wrong with an XT8 or any other 8" dob to start off with. they are light enough to be carried as a single unit and small enough that you can stick them in a corner at your house when not in use. easily fits in a 20 x 20 square area.
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Haas
sage
Reged: 11/22/12
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: frito]
#5539344 - 11/25/12 07:57 PM
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Even at $200 bucks, for me to travel to Lodi, and back, will probably cost me another $60 in gas.
see if they will meet you half way? many people will. it never hurts to ask questions, you never know how desperate they might be to sell it and if it does not sell quickly they could change their mind.
imho you cannot go wrong with an XT8 or any other 8" dob to start off with. they are light enough to be carried as a single unit and small enough that you can stick them in a corner at your house when not in use. easily fits in a 20 x 20 square area.
True, and I never thought of the idea of meeting half way. I already contacted him asking how firm he was on price, we'll see where it goes from there. Getting excited already. You'd think I was a 8 year old on Christmas eve. 
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krp
super member
Reged: 11/10/10
Loc: Central Illinois
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: Haas]
#5539411 - 11/25/12 08:57 PM
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Good luck, an 8" dob will show you a lot.
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BigC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/29/10
Loc: SE Indiana
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: Haas]
#5539742 - 11/26/12 02:06 AM
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Haas,
Sent you aPM that ought to be of interest.
The scope in the link you posted is overpriced. I paid just over $100 for a 4.5" Starblast used,including shipping from Arizona last year.
Of course some areas have more people offering scopes for sale so chances of finding a good deal vary by your location.
Generally you don't want to pay too close to new price for a used item because you don't have any warranty or return protection.
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Jerry-rigged
sage
Reged: 01/30/12
Loc: Coastal Texas.
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: Haas]
#5540545 - 11/26/12 03:42 PM
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Go for it, John. That thing is just too massive for me. I don't even have a decent place to store it.
I might contact the guy on that 8 incher.
ANd here I though I got a good deal with my Coulter 10" for $200.  Really, though, it does not take up a lot of space. Just a 22" square patch of my garage. And my 10" coulter puts up nice views.
Oh, and your comment about a dob vs an ETX - I have an ETX 90, it is a nice scope, but despite being 40lbs heavier, the dob is more of a grab and go - I just move it to the driveway (one minute), grab my eyepiece box (30 seconds), check collimation(< 1 minute, usually) and I am ready to go, less than 5 minutes. With my ETX, the scope in inside, the tripod in the garage (two trips out) + mount the scope, then get an extension cord and untangle the 12v cord ( I don't use the AA's) Level (usually 5 minutes or so), find "home" and north & level( another minute or three), 2 star align (menus and slewing across the sky take time, 5-10 minutes), and 15 - 20 minutes later I am ready to observe. Not really grab & go. Once it is set up, the Go-to is nice, but I only have a 90mm scope.
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galexand
super member
Reged: 07/10/12
Loc: Bloomington Indiana
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: JohnMurphyRN]
#5540603 - 11/26/12 04:20 PM
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John, You just made my day. There was a 10" coulter odyssey compact on local craigslist, for "best offer." I am looking for a 3" refractor, but I have a soft spot for homeless animals and 10" should be enough aperture to last a lifetime. So I told him, "Try not to be insulted, but I'll give you $100" and the next day the dude dropped it off at my house! (grumbling that his wife can't stand having it take up space)
New toy curse, only got to see the moon and jupiter before a bank of clouds moved in! It's short an EP and finder, in pretty rough condition, but the fix-it list is only half a dozen items, and excepting the hazy mirror (which I will get re-coated if I fall in love with it), it is not going to be expensive.
Anyways, I'm a little excited to have such a large instrument, especially since I only risked $100, so I can experiment with it relatively fearlessly. Maybe I got a great deal, I'm not sure yet.
But I would say, I wouldn't wish this sucker on the unprepared! Between storage, transportation, and usage, it is a bear all around! Plus, you know, it's been a couple years since 1986...
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Haas
sage
Reged: 11/22/12
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: galexand]
#5540708 - 11/26/12 05:32 PM
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Got the pm, big C, and thanks!!
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Haas
sage
Reged: 11/22/12
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Re: Still trying to understand good or bad scopes
[Re: krp]
#5541057 - 11/26/12 09:13 PM
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Good luck, an 8" dob will show you a lot.
Well, as it turns out, the guy said he just put it up there, and isn't willing to come any lower than $275 bucks for the 8 inch dob. 
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