User Reviews

Review of the 20” DocTelescopes Lasermax II F3.53

The DocTelescopes Lasermax II F3.53 offers a remarkable viewing experience with excellent build quality and customization options. Its ease of transport and assembly make it a top choice. This is a complex telescope not recommended for beginners but a delight for advanced amateur astronomers.

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The Rockin’ TD Ranch - a review of sorts

Smack in the middle of the Massacre Rim Dark Sky Sanctuary in Northwestern Navada sits an Airbnb called the Rockin’ TD Ranch. The nearest town is Cederville, CA, population 530, which is 20 miles west down a dirt road. Alturas is another 30 miles west so the term middle of nowhere is apropos.

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Musings on a $50 Fathers Day Astronomy Present

For fathers day recently, the wife asked me what I wanted. I told her I had been looking at a $150 GSKYER long focal length refractor on an online marketplace. That was a while ago. I had recently noticed the owner had dropped the price to 50 dollars and with it being fathers day, what did I have to lose? She said yes and we scooped it up. Tonight was the first night (In a long while) that I would get a chance to see how far 50 dollars could go in astronomy fun.

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Review of Rigel Systems Wifi nSTEP Focus Controller on a Solar Telescope and a Mirror Lens

Following Dr. Palmer's easy instructions had the equipment ready to go in no time. Connection to the ALPACA wifi driver was trivially easy, and for the longest time, I thought I was doing something wrong because I was expecting it to fail. Or, at least, to be more complicated. It wasn't.

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Comparing Two Wide field Constellation Binoculars- Orion 2x54mm versus Kasai 2.3x40mm

I sat on the fence a few years before I decided to step off and gamble my money on these wide-field, low power Galilean binoculars. I've never been impressed with any sort of Galilean telescopes, field glasses or opera glasses and I suspected that they were just an expensive, trendy gimmick; but based on others' comments and experiences, I considered that these specialty items, with their wider than typical fields, might actually fill a niche in my astro-equipment arsenal.

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Quick Review of the Itty Bitty Radio Telescope

The Itty Bitty Radio Telescope (hereafter, IBT) is a simple DIY device that can be used to detect radio waves from the Sun. It primarily consists of a satellite dish, a signal meter, a power source and a mount (often a lazy susan rig). In my case, I purchased an 18” dish off of Craig’s List, the signal meter was obtained via eBay and the remaining items were sourced at Amazon and local hardware stores.

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Review of RafCamera custom made adapters

In short, I’m delighted with the experience of using RafCamera and would use them again if the need arose. Patience is required as anodising and shipping does take time (though you could opt for express delivery for a higher price)

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Review: The AM3 Harmonic Drive Mount and TC40 Tripod from ZWO

The AM3/AM5 mounts are very unique! They definitely take a bit of getting used to - The AM3 is unlike any telescope mount I've ever used. One of the main things you'll notice right away, is how easy it is to use. Once you begin using one of these mounts, it will be near impossible to want to use any other kind. Now, you'll have all this extra time available - from not having to adjust, and re-adjust the settings you would on a typical EQ mount.

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A review of my Sky Watcher Esprit 150

My Esprit 150 is a phenomenal scope. It is definitely the best scope I own as far as sharpness and versatility. I haven't used my other large refractors since I got my Esprit, and I haven't really missed them. I used to think that if I could only have one scope it would be a C14, but because of the how good my Esprit 150 is at so many things I might have to change my mind. It certainly is a lot easier to image with than my C14. I bought my Esprit on sale for 7000 dollars. It is still a chunk of change, but when I compare it to my friend's Stellarvue 180 costing 19000 dollars it seems like a bargain. The only downside is how heavy my Esprit is. My carbon fiber Explore Scientific 127 is so much lighter it's a breeze to handle compared to my Esprit.

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A Couple of Awesome Books I Came Across

I like this book so much, I bought a spiral bound printed copy as well as the electronic version. After all, the electronic version is only $6.50 and you can print out whichever page covering whichever constellation that you’ll be focusing on for the evening's observing session.

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