Telescope Reviews: Two cute kids scopes

· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt

· Submit a Review / Article

Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums

Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User

You are not logged in. [Login]

Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online
FAQ · Calendar

Equipment Discussions >> Reflectors

Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all)

tnakazon
super member

Reged: 06/26/10

Loc: Los Angeles

Two cute kids scopes new

#5639713 - 01/23/13 10:46 PM Attachment (112 downloads)

From the previous decade.

Post Extras:

BDS316
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/16/09

Loc: Sol 3

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: tnakazon]
#5640097 - 01/24/13 07:01 AM

If they can indeed resolve Cassini's division on Saturn, they must have mirrors made by ZOC.

Post Extras:

MessiToM
professor emeritus

Reged: 12/21/09

Loc: Huntingdon PA

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: BDS316]
#5640368 - 01/24/13 10:35 AM

Didn't know Orion sold a.knock off of the astroscan by Edmund scientific

Post Extras:

Binojunky
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 12/25/10

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: MessiToM]
#5640644 - 01/24/13 01:07 PM

Both these scopes were 3" reflectors, the Celestron version is still available if you look around. The Astroscan is vastly superior as it should be for more money however the Orion Starblst 4.5" is the best of the bunch in these low cost scopes,DA.

Post Extras:

BDS316
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/16/09

Loc: Sol 3

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: BDS316]
#5640817 - 01/24/13 02:20 PM

Quote:

If they can indeed resolve Cassini's division on Saturn, they must have mirrors made by ZOC.

I was sort of trying to be humerous, but I really feel that this is another example of false advertising. These scopes are simply not capable of resolving an image of Saturn such as the ones shown on the boxes, and I don't think it's right or fair, and would be very potentially disappointing to a young newbie.

imho, ymmv

Post Extras:

csrlice12
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/22/12

Loc: Denver, CO

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: BDS316]
#5640894 - 01/24/13 03:10 PM

Guess we should stop using pretty ladies or handsome hunks in car commercials too....just ain't gonna happen...

It's also why we all here basically say stay away from Walmart scopes, the best views you will see are on the box.

By the way, I saw your "Goldeneye" stickers in another thread, did you ever get the scope completed yet?

Post Extras:

BDS316
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/16/09

Loc: Sol 3

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: csrlice12]
#5641086 - 01/24/13 05:16 PM

Quote:

Guess we should stop using pretty ladies or handsome hunks in car commercials too....just ain't gonna happen...

It's also why we all here basically say stay away from Walmart scopes, the best views you will see are on the box.

By the way, I saw your "Goldeneye" stickers in another thread, did you ever get the scope completed yet?

I am in posession of the stickers, for which I am grateful. The scope is kept in an unheated garage to reduce cooldown time, so I plan on putting the stickers on sometime after the winter.

Not sure if any additional mods are needed. I will pick up a chair and some new EP's at NEAF. The last time out, we saw 6 stars in the trapezium at 140x (pentax 8.5 XF)and split some 1-1.2 arc second doubles, and we were able to track at 300x near Dobson's hole.

Thanks 4 askin'

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: BDS316]
#5641136 - 01/24/13 05:45 PM Attachment (21 downloads)

Quote:

I was sort of trying to be humerous, but I really feel that this is another example of false advertising. These scopes are simply not capable of resolving an image of Saturn such as the ones shown on the boxes, and I don't think it's right or fair, and would be very potentially disappointing to a young newbie.

imho, ymmv

At one time, I had both an Orion FunScope and a Tasco Rocket scope. As I recall both were 76mm @ F/3.7. I gave away the Funscope and removed the optics from the Rocketscope, made a finder and eventually it ended as a quick look scope which I still have.

The unusual proprietary eyepiece design was the big limitation but if the plastic tab were removed, standard 1.25 inch eyepieces could be used though focusing took some patience...

Jon

Post Extras:

GeneT
Ely Kid

Reged: 11/07/08

Loc: South Texas

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: MessiToM]
#5643234 - 01/25/13 07:45 PM

Quote:

Didn't know Orion sold a.knock off of the astroscan by Edmund scientific

I did not know that either.

Post Extras:

tnakazon
super member

Reged: 06/26/10

Loc: Los Angeles

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: GeneT]
#5643386 - 01/25/13 09:22 PM Attachment (21 downloads)

This old version of the Orion Funscope (or the Tasco Rocketscope) is hard to come by nowadays. It's still marketed in the UK and the Continent as the Skywatcher Infinity 76. As Jon knows, the main attraction of this scope is the 3-inch parabolic mirror.

Went to Dublin over the holidays and thought I could pick one up there, but the Republic of Ireland only markets Celestron scopes and nothing else. Even Ireland's largest astronomy showroom - Astronomy Ireland - carries only Celestrons.

Post Extras:

ed_turco
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 08/29/09

Loc: Lincoln, RI

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: tnakazon]
#5644830 - 01/26/13 06:02 PM

Are those telescopes for cute kids or are they for kids who are somewhat less in the looks department.

Just kidding

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: GeneT]
#5645472 - 01/27/13 04:44 AM Attachment (13 downloads)

Quote:

Quote:

Didn't know Orion sold a.knock off of the astroscan by Edmund scientific

I did not know that either.

It wasn't really a knockoff of the Astro-Scan. The Astro-Scan is a 4.5 inch F/4, these were an 3 inch F/3.7. The Astro-Scan had a real 1.25 inch focuser, the Rocket Scope and the FunScope had a 1.25 inch hole in the plastic with a plastic pin. The one eyepiece, a 9mm, had a helical groove that mated with the pin.

One could cut the pin off, file it flat and use standard eyepieces using the "rotate while slipping and sliding the eyepiece" focusing. At F/3.7, the depth of focus makes this difficult. I made one into a finder for my 16 inch Strut Dob but it didn't make a very good finder though it had it is cutie pie moments too.

Jon

Post Extras:

tnakazon
super member

Reged: 06/26/10

Loc: Los Angeles

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: ed_turco]
#5645499 - 01/27/13 05:16 AM Attachment (16 downloads)

Quote:

Are those telescopes for cute kids or are they for kids who are somewhat less in the looks department.

Just kidding

The title of the thread was a bit misleading - I was referring to the scopes, which were marketed specifically for kids. I think they look cute, but I'm more interested in the parabolic mirror of the old Orion Funscope. Don't know if the 80mm Explorascope has one though - I haven't looked through it yet. At least it has a collimatable primary mirror.

Post Extras:

careysub
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 02/18/11

Loc: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: Binojunky]
#5647219 - 01/28/13 12:09 AM

I looked at the Astroscan some years ago, but am glad I saved my money and got the StarBlast 4.5. In fact I have two of them now.

Post Extras:

GeneT
Ely Kid

Reged: 11/07/08

Loc: South Texas

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: tnakazon]
#5648557 - 01/28/13 03:56 PM

Quote:

the Republic of Ireland only markets Celestron scopes and nothing else. Even Ireland's largest astronomy showroom - Astronomy Ireland - carries only Celestrons.

Strange ???

Post Extras:

careysub
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 02/18/11

Loc: Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: GeneT]
#5649263 - 01/28/13 09:05 PM

Well, Ireland was once home to the world's largest telescope.

Post Extras:

Scanning4Comets
Markus

Reged: 12/26/04

Loc: Deep Space!

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: careysub]
#5650856 - 01/29/13 06:09 PM Attachment (14 downloads)

Gee, those eyepieces look real safe in there,

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: Scanning4Comets]
#5651502 - 01/30/13 01:14 AM Attachment (10 downloads)

Quote:

Gee, those eyepieces look real safe in there,

They are...surprisingly so. I have been doing this for more than 10 years without a mishap. The length of the eyepiece provides a locking action, they have to be nearly upside down for them fall.

It works for me, can't guaranty it would work for anyone else..

Jon

Post Extras:

Scanning4Comets
Markus

Reged: 12/26/04

Loc: Deep Space!

Re: Two cute kids scopes new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5651569 - 01/30/13 03:11 AM

Wow! I never would have figured Jon! Well, if it works for you, great idea! In looking at it from the first pic, one would never think they were secure!

Cheers,

Post Extras:

Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Two cute kids scopes [Re: Scanning4Comets]
#5651631 - 01/30/13 06:07 AM

Quote:

Wow! I never would have figured Jon! Well, if it works for you, great idea! In looking at it from the first pic, one would never think they were secure!

Cheers,

Like I said, I can't guaranty that it will work for anyone else, it really does depend on the fit of the eyepiece in the hole and different eyepieces may be different. In general, I make sure the tripod stays vertical so there is no way they can fall out but it's nice to know that that safety margin is greater than one might expect.

Jon

Post Extras:

Pages: 1 | 2 | (show all)

Extra information

7 registered and 17 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator: Jarad, ausastronomer, okieav8r

Print Thread

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Thread views: 1584

Jump to

CN Forums

Home

Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics