79 replies to this topic

[Rick-T137]

I am not the type to often dwell on regrets, but @MarkMittlesteadt posted a nice thread on the Cats & Casses forum talking about visiting an ETX-105 that he used to own and how nice it was to reunite with it.

 

That got me thinking. I used to have an ETX and I regret parting with it. What other scopes did I own that I regret selling and/or giving away?

 

• Sears 2426 40mm Reflector - this was my first scope that I got for Christmas 1979. In my 20's I threw it out because I had a C8 by then - why would I need this? Fortunately a few years ago I found another one and bought it - so the regret isn't as bad.
• Celestron C8 - this was from the mid 90's and it was a black tube on that crazy little wedgepod. It was a great scope - I wish I had it now that I have some experience under my belt. As a novice, much of its capability was likely lost on me.
• Meade ETX-90/EC - my first "GOTO" scope. It was a great little unit (once I had the quirks of the drive sorted out) and I would *LOVE* to have one today.
• Meade Starfinder 10" Dob - I did a Messier Marathon with this back in the early 2000's. I used to take that scope everywhere. I sold it to a good friend of mine, and she has let me visit it on occasion. I'm not sure I'd want another one, but I kinda wish I'd kept this one. The mirrors on it were great!
• Orion StarMax 127 - I got this for the Mars Opposition of 2003 (I think?) and it was a great scope. I wish I had kept it.
• Meade 2120 LX6/Premier, later put on an LXD-75 mount - This one is at the TOP of the list (not literally though, apparently!). This scope had freaky sharp optics and was so much fun to use. I just really enjoyed using that scope. It gave me by far the best views of Jupiter that I've ever had.
• Explore Scientific ED-102 Triplet - last one! For six years this was my main scope and I really enjoyed using it. I really wish I'd kept it and paired it with either my 10" SCT or my 10" Dob. That would have been a killer combination!

When I look at this list, it's like 1/2 of all the scopes I've ever owned! I don't regret the journey I've been on, and I'm really happy with my current freaky sharp 8" SCT and my super transportable 70mm refractor. The more I think on it, the more I think I wound up exactly where I want to be telescopically speaking.

 

Hmmm... no regrets I guess?

 

How about you? Did you let one (or more!) get away that you wish you hadn't?

 

Clear skies!

 

Rick

 

PS: As a Canadian, I have to say "SORRY!" if this topic has been done before. I had a quick search for "regret" in the forum topics and didn't see anything that really fit. Cheers!

 

EDIT: I realize some of my scopes aren't Classics - but most of them are. I also think the vast majority of people that sold their scopes would have been Classics. Maybe I'm wrong about that?

Edited by Rick-T137, 17 August 2024 - 11:55 AM.

[ShaulaB]

No regrets here. But my house is large enough to accommodate all the gear we have accumulated over the last 40 years.

[CloudyMatt]

I sold the Dobsonian I built. It was a 10 inch F6 truss job I believe and I made everything except the mirrors, spider and focuser. Looking back my woodwork on it was very very precise. I do quite a bit of woodwork but getting the precision needed to make square boxes and aligned systems, especially in a truss - it was pretty sweet.

 

The mirror was a no-name and was not very good in retrospect. It showed me all the spikey stars of the universe but was great as a light bucket.

 

I tried contacting the person I sold it to and no response.

 

My 10" Lightbridge is better in every important way but I could kick my own arse for selling it.

 

I try to make my motto "no ragerts" but that's a bit tough. I kinda regret selling my ETX90 with 497 setup. I had to acquire the setup over time because it came without controller or diagonal or finder. By the end it was a fully decked out '90 with all the bits and pieces and the buyer didn't have to sweat or wait finding the good stuff.  I would only want a 125 now but it was a gem for sure.

 

I bought and sold a lot of top tier binoculars and spotting scopes. ED glass and top optics from Leica and Swaro - don't really regret the trappings because they more than funded future pursuits - but a few of them were spectacular.

Edited by CloudyMatt, 17 August 2024 - 12:53 PM.

[vtornado]

I sold a nice meade 8 SCT it was the wrong scope for me at the wrong time in my journey.  It was under mounted, field of view too narrow, not collimated, prone to frost.

 

Many of these problems were fixable, but there was no such thing as "cloudy-nights" in the day so no source of good information on how to address these issues.

 

I think I would like to own another 8 inch SCT,  I will have to find a great deal on one as new is now above the budget.

[starman876]

I sort of regret every scope I sold.  They were all great scopes.   Any scope I had that was bad I basically destroyed so no one else would suffer.   Believe it or not I regret selling a Coulter 13.1. That scope had fantastic optics.  The AP 5" F12 was another one of those scopes with fantastic optics.   The Tak TS120 was another one of my favorites.   The 10" Dob with the royce mirrors.  The 12.5" porta ball was another awesome scopes with great optics.    The Meade ED170 was another scope that had awesome optics.   I regret selling them all.  There are dozens and dozens more I could list that were all scopes that were loved and appreciated.   

[Rick-T137]

I sold a nice meade 8 SCT it was the wrong scope for me at the wrong time in my journey.  It was under mounted, field of view too narrow, not collimated, prone to frost.

 

Many of these problems were fixable, but there was no such thing as "cloudy-nights" in the day so no source of good information on how to address these issues.

 

I think I would like to own another 8 inch SCT,  I will have to find a great deal on one as new is now above the budget.

That's how I was with the C8. Fast forward 30 years, and I now have a Meade 2080 LX3 from 1985. That's pretty much what stops me from picking up a C8. Besides, I'm really happy with how the Meade performs, and I've got three different mounts for it: Fork, GEM and AZ.

 

Like you pointed out, back in the "day", we didn't have things like Cloudy Nights to help us out. I wasn't even a member of an astro club back in the 90's.

 

But now I have it all figured out (yeah, right!). Collimation, insulation, mounts, using charts, etc. It's all under my belt, so now when I go out and observe, the scope kind of "gets out of the way" and I just observe. It's beautiful!

 

Clear skies!
 

Rick

[mikemarotta]

I never regret the time stargazing with any telescope.

 

However, although I was going to sing the praises of my Celestron EQ 130 Newtonian, my first adult telescope, which my wife and daughter bought for me, I really stopped to think about this. I had that telescope for five years. I was never satisfied with my skill at collimating it and I went over to refractors. After I donated the telescope to the GoodwillI I decided to try again with collimation and bought a 130-mm Tabletop Dobsonian Newtonian from Astronomers Without Borders and it went better for me. That all being as it may, however, I have to admit that the regrets are not for having sold but for having bought in the first place. 

 

We often recommend to newbies that they join a local club so that they can try out various telescopes to see which they prefer. I borrowed an 8-inch and a 10-inch Meade SCT from my local club and bought the 8-inch and then donated that to the Goodwill because it was still too heavy -- not so much to lift (though there was that) as to put down carefully. 

 

The best telescope is the one that gets used. Right now, I have five in the shed that do not get used, including an 8-inch Newtonian and an f/10 102-mm refractor. 

 

And do not get started on eyepieces.

 

The hobby is a journey. We are engaged with a passionate pursuit that enhances our experience and self-experience. Regrets must be part of that. It is best, perhaps, not to dwell on them.

 

Thanks, and Clear Skies,

Mike M.

Edited by mikemarotta, 17 August 2024 - 04:36 PM.

[deSitter]

No regrets! I have only sold 2 scopes and they were replaced with betters in the same class. I've given away 4 or 5 including my RV-6, my first big scope. It went to a good home.The kid I gave it to is in his 50s now If I have any regrets, it is that my trees are gradually eating away at my sky!

 

-drl

[CHASLX200]

Plenty here with around 480 scopes over the years.

[Kasmos]

Pretty much still have every scope I've had.

 

My biggest regret is being too lazy to set up a scope on the many clear nights when I sort of drifted from the hobby. Especially since my eyesight was so much better then (as in very little vitreous gunk!) 

[Rick-T137]

Pretty much still have every scope I've had.

 

My biggest regret is being too lazy to set up a scope on the many clear nights when I sort of drifted from the hobby. Especially since my eyesight was so much better then (as in very little vitreous gunk!) 

I'm halfway through my 50's and I'm learning how to deal with the junk in my eyes. I have one floater in my left eye that looks like the TUI cruise ship logo - kind of a smile that is winking at me. Eye doc said "Get used to it". Fortunately it's off to the left and mostly out of the way - and also fortunately I have gotten used to it. I rarely notice it while observing. I have other floaters and bits n bobs in my eyes, but for the most part my eyes are "fully functional".

 

Clear skies!

 

Rick

[CHASLX200]

No regrets! I have only sold 2 scopes and they were replaced with betters in the same class. I've given away 4 or 5 including my RV-6, my first big scope. It went to a good home.The kid I gave it to is in his 50s now If I have any regrets, it is that my trees are gradually eating away at my sky!

 

-drl

I was not crazy about the SW180 Mak. 826 killed it.  But at least it is on my i had list.

[Rick-T137]

I was not crazy about the SW180 Mak. 826 killed it.  But at least it is on my i had list.

I wonder where your freaky sharp 84 C8 is these days...

 

Clear skies!

 

Rick

[Kasmos]

I'm halfway through my 50's and I'm learning how to deal with the junk in my eyes. I have one floater in my left eye that looks like the TUI cruise ship logo - kind of a smile that is winking at me. Eye doc said "Get used to it". Fortunately it's off to the left and mostly out of the way - and also fortunately I have gotten used to it. I rarely notice it while observing. I have other floaters and bits n bobs in my eyes, but for the most part my eyes are "fully functional".

 

Clear skies!

 

Rick

I'm 68 and at about 62 (the left) and at 65 (the right) each eye had a small retina tear that released a bunch of gunk that created glare on bright objects. My left eye was always my prefered eye and I had to switch to the right. I think it's slowly getting better so maybe I can switch back. The Doc says it's not worth the risks of going in, but maybe I need a second opinion.

[CHASLX200]

I wonder where your freaky sharp 84 C8 is these days...

 

Clear skies!

 

Rick

No clue. But even at their best SCT's can't beat a super good Newt and any of these mass made Maks can't as well.

Edited by CHASLX200, 17 August 2024 - 04:29 PM.

[jgraham]

The short answer is no regrets here. Pretty much all of my scopes served their purpose and earned a well deserved retirement (mostly my homebuilt gear) or I still have it. Eventually I plan on returning some of my gear to The Wild, but not any time soon. In the meantime I'm still enjoying the ride!

[Orion68]

No serious regrets.  At times I do wish I had my Televue Pronto back. It was built very solidly and under a dark sky it gave very nice views. It even presented M57 quite well for a small aperture scope.

[CHASLX200]

No serious regrets.  At times I do wish I had my Televue Pronto back. It was built very solidly and under a dark sky it gave very nice views. It even presented M57 quite well for a small aperture scope.

I miss many of the scopes i sold. I sure missed my AP 800 to pay double the going rate to get it back.

Edited by CHASLX200, 17 August 2024 - 06:28 PM.

[RichA]

I am not the type to often dwell on regrets, but @MarkMittlesteadt posted a nice thread on the Cats & Casses forum talking about visiting an ETX-105 that he used to own and how nice it was to reunite with it.

 

That got me thinking. I used to have an ETX and I regret parting with it. What other scopes did I own that I regret selling and/or giving away?

 

• Sears 2426 40mm Reflector - this was my first scope that I got for Christmas 1979. In my 20's I threw it out because I had a C8 by then - why would I need this? Fortunately a few years ago I found another one and bought it - so the regret isn't as bad.
• Celestron C8 - this was from the mid 90's and it was a black tube on that crazy little wedgepod. It was a great scope - I wish I had it now that I have some experience under my belt. As a novice, much of its capability was likely lost on me.
• Meade ETX-90/EC - my first "GOTO" scope. It was a great little unit (once I had the quirks of the drive sorted out) and I would *LOVE* to have one today.
• Meade Starfinder 10" Dob - I did a Messier Marathon with this back in the early 2000's. I used to take that scope everywhere. I sold it to a good friend of mine, and she has let me visit it on occasion. I'm not sure I'd want another one, but I kinda wish I'd kept this one. The mirrors on it were great!
• Orion StarMax 127 - I got this for the Mars Opposition of 2003 (I think?) and it was a great scope. I wish I had kept it.
• Meade 2120 LX6/Premier, later put on an LXD-75 mount - This one is at the TOP of the list (not literally though, apparently!). This scope had freaky sharp optics and was so much fun to use. I just really enjoyed using that scope. It gave me by far the best views of Jupiter that I've ever had.
• Explore Scientific ED-102 Triplet - last one! For six years this was my main scope and I really enjoyed using it. I really wish I'd kept it and paired it with either my 10" SCT or my 10" Dob. That would have been a killer combination!

When I look at this list, it's like 1/2 of all the scopes I've ever owned! I don't regret the journey I've been on, and I'm really happy with my current freaky sharp 8" SCT and my super transportable 70mm refractor. The more I think on it, the more I think I wound up exactly where I want to be telescopically speaking.

 

Hmmm... no regrets I guess?

 

How about you? Did you let one (or more!) get away that you wish you hadn't?

 

Clear skies!

 

Rick

 

PS: As a Canadian, I have to say "SORRY!" if this topic has been done before. I had a quick search for "regret" in the forum topics and didn't see anything that really fit. Cheers!

 

EDIT: I realize some of my scopes aren't Classics - but most of them are. I also think the vast majority of people that sold their scopes would have been Classics. Maybe I'm wrong about that?

Meade LX200 12 inch.  Two of them.  A ideal scope to observe deepsky with.  Lots of aperture, flawless GOTO and despite its bulk, not too bad to handle.

William Optics 70mm semi-apo.  One of the sharpest scopes I've ever used.

5 inch f15 Edmund refractor.  A real handful, but nice to use on planets.

My first C8, the scope I learned on.

AP Star12.  I wished I'd kept it longer.

3 x Vernonscope AP 94mm scopes.  Best used bargain I've gotten.

Questar 3.5 inch Standard.  Easiest scope to use ever and as good as 90mm can get.

7 inch Questar.  Least scattered light around bright objects in any compound scope I've used.

77mm Bausch & Lomb Elite ED Spotting scope.  Highest contrast spotter I've tried, I had one, sold it, bought another.

[highfnum]

just 1

sold Edmund 6 inch reflector

 

 

i do have 6 inch criterion which healed my regret a bit

[Senex Bibax]

I'm 68 and at about 62 (the left) and at 65 (the right) each eye had a small retina tear that released a bunch of gunk that created glare on bright objects. My left eye was always my preferred eye and I had to switch to the right. I think it's slowly getting better so maybe I can switch back. The Doc says it's not worth the risks of going in, but maybe I need a second opinion.

Last November I had multiple tears in my right retina (age 63) that required two sessions of laser repair. My right eye still has somewhat blurred vision and floaters, and an early but noticeable cataract too. Fortunately I am "left-eyed", as I found out the time I went sheet shooting.

[Senex Bibax]

I actually regret selling a modern lower-end scope more than any of my classics. Last year I sold (and now regret) my 130mm SkyWatcher short tube reflector, and nothing else has beat it for combining portability and viewing GCs and nebulae.

[Mike Q]

No regrets so far since i still own all the scopes i have bought.  

[upwinddan]

just 1

sold Edmund 6 inch reflector

 

 

i do have 6 inch criterion which healed my regret a bit

I lost my Edmund 6” Reflector in a divorce about 40 years ago. Last year I finally found a replacement. Now I’m keeping my eye out for the long focal length RV6. 

[upwinddan]

It is rare that have sold a scope that I didn’t eventually regret selling.