Buying a Telescope
This activity is a bit unlike the others in that it will cost
you quite a bit if you decide to do it! Every semester, students
decide they want to buy a telescope. This is discussed a bit in
Chapter 5, but let's take it just a bit further.
Before you buy a telescope: STOP! Take some time and certainly
don't get into a rush. A good telescope can lead to an enjoyable,
lifelong hobby. Buying a cheap telescope, or buying any telescope
without knowing what you are doing, can lead to a great deal of
aggravation. Save yourself some grief!
Now, that said, here are some suggestions:
- Do your homework. Talk to people who have telescopes,
such as at meetings of your local astronomy club, or at
telescope-making classes at your local museum or school.
In some major cities, planetariums or observatories (such
as Griffith Park in Los Angeles and Chamberlin in Denver)
offer public star parties where you can have the chance
to look through various telescopes and talk with their
owners. (Sometimes you can find a good used telescope
this way.)
- Get a really good idea of what you want, including
eyepieces and mounting, before you reach for your check
book or credit card. Over-estimate what you want and need.
Obviously, don't get carried away with this, but
telescopes are a bit like computers -- no sooner than you
get it home you realize that you want a more powerful
model!
- Don't trust sales personnel at camera, department,
discount or sporting goods stores. Some may know what
they are talking about, but most don't. Rely on your own
knowledge or a trusted source such as your astronomy
instructor or experienced telescope owner. There are a
few stores dedicated to telescopes in major cities where
the personnel are highly knowledgeable, but avoid the
others. Also, advertisements often are misleading (especially
in regard to usable power) without technically being
untruthful. Don't believe everything in ads, especially
in the newspaper or store catalogs.
- Once you are firmly committed, but as good a set up as
you can, with several eyepieces, a sturdy mounting and a
precise clock drive. You can't anticipate or afford to
purchase everything, but you don't want to be bored in
the first few months. Good equipment should last -- and
be enjoyed -- for many years.
One last word -- don't inflate your expectations of what your
telescope can do. Even fairly small telescopes can do wonderful
work, but you simply aren't going to see things in them like many
of the photos in your astronomy textbook. The photos are not the
way things normally look in telescopes because they are images
built up in long time exposures. On the other hand, experience
can hone your skills, such that you begin to see details through
your telescope you didn't see originally. This can take years,
but you can develop and eye for detail that further enhances your
enjoyment of astronomy.
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