CHAPTER 3: Choosing a Telescope — What’s New?Chapter_3__Choosing_a_Telescope.htmlChapter_3__Choosing_a_Telescope.htmlshapeimage_1_link_0
 
Telescope News & Reviews (November 09) The economic slowdown is shaking out the telescope business, as it is all other areas of the economy. Even before the recession’s onset in late 2008, some telescope companies were in trouble, due to tough competition from bargain Chinese products, and a lull in consumer interest in telescopes following a peak buying spree a few years earlier when high-profile astronomical events like Mars were in the news. Yes, some companies have disappeared. But others are moving in to take their place: some new, others existing, but expanding their presence to take advantage of market opportunities. What follows is some of what’s new, updating our book. This is not meant to be a complete listing of new products but a highlight of new offerings that caught our attention. First... COMPANIES THAT ARE NO MORE On page 44 of The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide, we mention several brands of premium Dobsonians, ones made by small companies, often one-person shops operating out of basements or garages. As you might expect, such operations are volatile. Several seem to have disappeared: Anttlers Optics Discovery Telescopes • Night Sky Telescopes MCTelescopes StarSplitter Telescopes StarStucture Telescopes (lacking any website now) The same applies to U.K.-based Cape Instruments and the Newise hybrid Newtonians mentioned on page 46. Gone before they were even noticed. NEW PRODUCT TRENDS I: TRUSS-TUBE DOBS ABOUND However ... balancing the loss of some small Dobsonian companies is the trend to much greater availability from mainline companies of good, low-cost Dobsonians with truss-tube designs. Previously, you had no option but to go to a specialized manufacturer and pay a premium price to get a truss-tube Dob. Now, following Meade Instruments’ lead with their excellent LightBridge series (see p. 43), other “big-name” companies have stepped in to offer Dobs with sectional and portable tube assemblies. In mid-2008, Sky-Watcher (a.k.a. Synta Optical from China) introduced their “Collapsible” Dobsonian series, sold as FlexTube models in some countries. Available in 8-, 10, and 12.5-inch apertures (for $400, $600, and $1000 respectively), these telescopes offer a tube with a front end on rails that slides down the bottom half of the tube (it “telescopes!”) to make the tube more compact for transport. The optics stay in excellent collimation and the fit and finish is beautiful. Cost is higher than the solid-tube Dobs we praise in our book (p. 54), but the classic solid-tube models are likely on the way out, except perhaps in 6-inch beginner models. For example, Sky-Watcher USA lists only the Collapsible Dobs on their website. So for affordable Dobsonians, these are among our recommended top choices. Sky-Watcher in Canada has announced that by spring 2010 it will have versions of these Collapsible Dobs with computerized Go To and Tracking systems, for $400 to $500 above the cost of the standard models. Could be great, but we’ll reserve judgement until we see them working. Orion Telescopes expanded their line of excellent computerized “Push-To” Intelliscope Dobsonians (we like them! - see p. 54) with a new 12-inch model, their SkyQuest XX12 (left, in silver), with truss tubes that disassemble into four pairs. While more complex to set up than the Sky-Watchers (where the tube stays together and slides up and down), the break-apart trusses of the Orion do make for a more compact scope when stored. Orion offers the XX12 as a package with cases for all the bits, plus a tube shroud (you’ll want them!), and the computer, all for $1,600. Super! Astronomy Technologies (a.k.a. Astro-Tech), effectively the house brand of the big U.S. dealer Astronomics, now offers a big 16-inch 3-strut truss-tube Dob (left, in black), the AT16D, for $2,400, well below the price of premium Dobs. It comes from Guan Sheng Optical in Taiwan. We can expect other companies to follow with big affordable models like this, to compete with the Meade LightBridge 16 and the Astro-Tech. NEW PRODUCT TRENDS II:
YET MORE APO REFRACTORS! With optics sourced from China, Taiwan and Russia, many dealers and companies are offering excellent apochromatic refractors at previously unheard of prices: $2,000 for a triplet 4-inch ED apo for example. Color correction, especially in the triplets, is excellent. Focusers and fittings are also well-made. This is the golden age of the apo! An up-and-coming name is Astro-Tech, primarily sold through Astronomics in the U.S. They offer apos from 66mm to 111mm apertures, in lower-cost doublet and higher-cost triplet models. The 106mm f/6.5 triplet (shown at left) is a bargain at $2,100. Color correction is first class. Also available from Astronomics is the highly-regarded TMB (Thomas M. Back) Signature-Series of triplet apos with, again, breakthrough prices. We love the new 92mm f/5.5 scope (left) — it’s ultra-compact, bino-viewer friendly, fast for imaging, and has superb color correction. A great photo-visual scope for $2,000. See our blog for more information. A name long established in apos is APM Telescopes, the German-based company run by Markes Ludes. At the 2009 NorthEast Astronomy Forum APM announced their plans to enter the North American market in a big way with a local distribution office and U.S. website, APMAmerica.com. APM specializes in apos with Russian Optics, from LZOS and LOMO, housed in superb German-made tube assemblies. Quality is a cut above the Oriental imports but prices are premium ($4,000 for the 105mm f/6.2 model, left). But for anyone looking for top-end refractors, APM provides a blitzkrieg of new choices to entice the refractor fanatic. Another European player set to make inroads in North America is the newly renamed Officina Stellare, formerly AstroEngineering/A&M. We show two of their superb apos on page 56 of our book. The hallmark of these Italian-made refractors are their carbon-fiber tubes, designer colors, and first-class Russian optics, often with Thomas Back designs, similar to what APM offers. As of this writing, models are available thru a U.S dealer Teton Telescope. Prices are premium, but the prestige is high! These are the Lamborghinis of refractors. Meanwhile, Vic Maris and his California company Stellarvue continues to expand an extensive line of apos, from 70mm to 160mm. Particularly attractive is the slick new carbon-fiber 105mm f/7 Raptor (pictured at left, in black) for $2,500. Many models are often in stock, but some require buyers be placed on waiting lists for several weeks or months. In the lower cost league, a new startup company, Explore Scientific, founded by ex-Meade employee Scott Roberts, is offering an 80mm f/6 ED triplet for $800 (left), a 102mm f/7 ED triplet for $1,500, and a 127mm f/7.5 triplet for $2000. Again, all with appealing prices and features. Initial reviews on websites like CloudyNights.com have been favorable but we have yet to test any of the Explore Scientific line-up.. Taiwan-based William Optics, who have made some superb refractors, continues to advertise a wide lineup. The FLT 98mm f/6.3 (left) would make a great photo-visual scope. However, their products are now often available only thru their on-line store and not through local dealers. We certainly have praised WO products in print, both in our book and in reviews, but customers will now have a more difficult time getting them. Also, it seems that Pentax refractors and astrographs (see p. 58), though of superb quality, just didn’t catch on in North America (too many odd-sized fittings and adapter tubes that Japanese companies never realize are too unwieldy). So the dealer in the U.S. who was carrying Pentax, Oceanside Photo and Telescope, no longer lists Pentax telescopes. And Pentax in Japan makes no mention of them either. Pity. NEW PRODUCT TRENDS III: THE RETURN OF THE MAK-NEWT This hybrid design is illustrated on page 37 and discussed briefly on page 46 of Chapter 3. Several years ago, Maksutov-Newtonians were all the rage, praised for their refractor-like images, flat field, and versatility for visual use for all kinds of objects, from wide-field deep-sky to high-power planetary viewing. Most units came from Russia, but seemed to fall out of favor when the influx of Chinese-made telescopes took hold. Now, Mak-Newts are making a small comeback. The new company Explore Scientific has a Mak-Newt as a centerpiece of their product line. Designed in conjunction with renowned astronomer David Levy, the Comet Hunter (left) is a 152mm (6-inch) f/4.8 with a slick carbon-fiber tube and enough back focus to allow it to work with most cameras. With a wide flat field and fast speed, it should work fine for imaging. And with a central obstruction of just 30 percent, its visual resolution at high power shouldn’t be too compromised. However, visually, the strength of this telescope is for wide-field sweeping, thus the “Comet Hunter” name. Cost for the tube assembly only is about $1,200. Meanwhile, Orion Telescopes (in the U.S.) and Synta/Sky-Watcher (outside the U.S.) both sell a 190mm (7.5-inch) f/5.3 Mak-Newt, presumably made in China, equipped with a basic 2-inch Crayford focuser. Orion’s (left) has a white tube; Sky-Watcher’s (below, left) has a gold-flecked black tube. Secondary obstruction is 31 percent, smaller than in most Schmidt- and Maksutov-Cassegrains, so high-power planetary views should be very good, if the optics are first class. The metre-long tube weighs 22 pounds, so this large scope will require a hefty mount, especially if it is to be used for photography. It promises a flat field ideal for imaging with large chip cameras. For imaging, the main concern would be the quality of the focuser — a solid two-speed focuser would be far better on a fast scope like this. For visual use, large Maks need settle-down time, so plan on allowing the telescope to cool for 30 to 60 minutes before enjoying the sharp images a Mak-Newt can provide. NEW PRODUCT TRENDS IV: THE MARKETING OF RITCHEY-CHRÉTIENS Telescopes take their turn as the anointed favorites among astrophotographers. In the 1970s it was Schmidt-Cassegrains. In the 1990s it was big apo refractors. Now, it is the Ritchey-Chrétien Cassegrain reflector. The stunning images taken with these instruments by top astrophotographers inspire the rest of us to copy their work, if only by buying the same stuff. But come on now! Who can afford the $10,000 to $40,000 for a top-end RC-scope? Only doctors and software tycoons. (Used to be stock market gurus, too, but not now!) So what about the rest of us? It was inevitable — just as we saw Chinese and Taiwanese companies bring apo refractors down out of the stratosphere, so we are with RCs as well. Orion Telescopes has entered the low-cost RC fray with two instruments, a 6-inch f/9 ($800) and an 8-inch f/8 ($1,200) (shown at left in white). These are promised for June 2009 shipment. Their benefit is a flat field (compared to most other reflectors), meaning that stars are sharp across the entire field of view. With similar offerings is Astro-Tech/Astronomics, with their 6-inch f/9 ($800) and 8-inch f/8 ($1,400) (shown at left, in black). The 8 differs from the Orion version in having a carbon fiber tube which should minimize focus shift as temperature changes. All these low-cost RCs use a good two-speed Crayford focuser similar to units found on many import telescopes. Elsewhere in the world identical RCs are sold under the original Guan Sheng Optical brand name, the Taiwanese source for many of the telescopes sold in North America under various “house” brands. Larger versions are promised — Guan Sheng advertises a 10-inch f/8. Not to be outdone, Vixen of Japan has a competing design, their VISAC, that uses a sub-diameter corrector lens mounted just in front the secondary mirror, plus field flattener lenses near the focus. Their VC200L is an 8-inch f/9 ($1,800) that has been around for a while (we mention it on page 46). But anyone considering an RC might want to have another look at the Vixen. Other companies are offering high-end imaging scopes: Deep-Sky Instruments is another new player, while Starizona has introduced their Hyperion 12.5-inch astrograph (left) for $10,000. By comparison, the lower-cost Guan Sheng units from Orion and Astro-Tech are appealing, but ... keep in mind these are advertised quite properly as astrographs. That means they are optimized for deep-sky imaging, not observing. To fully illuminate the camera field, the secondary mirrors are huge, blocking 40 to 50 percent of the aperture by diameter. That level of obstruction will certainly compromise the contrast and resolution of planetary views, both visually and photographically. So be warned! What these Cassegrain astrographic telescopes are good for is shooting galaxies, globular clusters and planetary nebulas — small deep sky objects needing the 1,400 to 1,800 mm of focal length. Nevertheless, the availability of low-cost imaging cameras like the Orion Starshoot Pro and QHY8 means a lot more people will be attracted to astrophotography, all hoping to emulate the photos they see taken with high-end RCs but at a fraction of the cost. And with patience and persistence, the new low-cost gear should deliver decent results. But the patience needed for great photos can’t be bought. NEW PRODUCT TRENDS V: TAKING TELESCOPES TO A HIGHER TECH When Meade Instruments introduces a new high-tech scope it certainly creates a buzz. Their Autostar-equipped telescopes started the Go To revolution in the early 1990s, which evolved with their addition of GPS receivers and compasses on board, so users wouldn’t need to enter their location or time, nor aim the telescope to north, something many buyers found a puzzle. Up to now, users still had to aim the scope at and center 2 or 3 bright stars to complete the initial “alignment” of any Go To system, to calibrate the computer to the actual sky. Now, Meade’s innovative new LightSwitch telescope promises to do away with that step, too. That protrusion below the tube is a small, low-res camera that takes an image of the sky during setup, finding the stars you would otherwise manually center in the eyepiece to complete the alignment. The telescope aligns itself! That in itself is pretty neat, but the advances continue with Meade combining their successful and well-honed Autostar™ with the audio and video content of their MySky™ hand-held pointing device we describe in Chapter 14. The merging of the software of the MySky with the Go To hardware of the Meade scopes was inevitable. What you get is a telescope that will talk to you as it takes you on a tour of the sky, and — if you hook up a video monitor (an optional extra) to the scope’s video-out jack — the scope will also show you images, movies and animations of the objects on its tour. Meade calls it their “Astronomer Inside™” technology. Well, the thought of a little astronomer shrunk down and dropped into the scope to talk to you sounds a little odd, but isn’t that what this Go To tech should be doing? — capturing the expertise of astronomers and playing it back on demand to tour you around the sky? This is all a natural evolution of Go To systems, moving us beyond the crude two-line displays of current hand controllers into a richer multimedia experience at the scope. If it excites people, turns them onto the sky, and teaches them more than they would otherwise learn, why not? Bring it on! But it has to work. By September 2009 the first units were reaching customers, and on user-group websites such as Mike Weasner’s Mighty ETX early buyers were reporting on a number of technical issues with their ETX-LS. Early adopters often have to sort through bugs in any new high-tech product. The initial Lightswitch model is a 6-inch f/10, with either classic Schmidt-Cassegrain optics ($1,300) or Meade’s flat-field Advanced Coma Free (ACF) design ($1,500). An 8-inch can’t be far behind. It may be that as attractive the LightSwitch ETX-LS appears it might only be the start of another high-tech revolution. After all, many of us have advanced multi-media players in our pockets now — our Blackberries, Palm PREs, Androids, iPhones, and iPod Touches. What if they could connect to and control our telescopes? And then talk to and show us neat stuff as they take us and our scope on a tour of the heavens? Then any Go To scope could become a multi-media teaching tool. Though not with the LightSwitch’s self-aligning technology to be sure. Perhaps we’ll see this next level of technology in 2010. Telescopes are about to get a lot more interesting! It’ll be fun — and isn’t that what the hobby is all about? — Alan Dyer, Revised November 2009 (all photos gleaned from manufacturer and dealer websites) http://www.meade.com/lightbridge/index.htmlhttp://www.skywatcherusa.com/products/telescopes/dobsonian-telescope/http://synta.en.alibaba.com/http://www.skywatcherusa.com/home.phphttp://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/index2.phphttp://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=dobsonians/~pcategory=telescopes/~product_id=24757http://www.astronomics.com/main/category.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/AR848BMR3BKF8M0EVXARB2FB34/Page/1http://www.gs-telescope.com/http://www.astronomics.com/main/category.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/K56U1T2Q7KWF8GDVGLKVBN1PL3/Page/1http://www.astronomics.com/main/TMB_Optical_Telescopes.asp/TMB/Telescopes/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/0JVW4BJ3P5868N5E5DFH8JE1Q5/Page/1BAG_Blog/Entries/2009/4/26_Selecting_the_Perfect_Telescope.htmlhttp://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1969http://www.apmamerica.com/http://www.officinastellare.com/http://www.tetontelescope.com/index.phphttp://explorescientific.com/http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=2022http://www.williamoptics.com/http://www.optcorp.com/http://explorescientific.com/http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=astro-imaging_scopes/~pcategory=astro-imaging/~product_id=09972http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/swtinc/index2.phphttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ritchey-Chr%C3%A9tien_telescopehttp://www.telescope.com/control/category/~category_id=astro-imaging_scopes/~pcategory=astro-imaginghttp://www.astronomics.com/main/category.asp/catalog_name/Astronomics/category_name/U5QNWB3RKWWL8N3EL99F9DX9A0/Page/1http://www.gs-telescope.com/http://www.vixenoptics.com/http://www.deepskyinstruments.com/http://www.deepskyinstruments.com/http://www.hyperiontelescopes.com/http://www.telescope.com/control/product/~category_id=astro-imaging_camera/~pcategory=astro-imaging/~product_id=52085http://www.qhyccd.com/http://www.meade.com/etx-ls/index.htmlhttp://www.weasner.com/etx/menu.htmlhttp://www.weasner.com/etx/menu.htmlshapeimage_4_link_0shapeimage_4_link_1shapeimage_4_link_2shapeimage_4_link_3shapeimage_4_link_4shapeimage_4_link_5shapeimage_4_link_6shapeimage_4_link_7shapeimage_4_link_8shapeimage_4_link_9shapeimage_4_link_10shapeimage_4_link_11shapeimage_4_link_12shapeimage_4_link_13shapeimage_4_link_14shapeimage_4_link_15shapeimage_4_link_16shapeimage_4_link_17shapeimage_4_link_18shapeimage_4_link_19shapeimage_4_link_20shapeimage_4_link_21shapeimage_4_link_22shapeimage_4_link_23shapeimage_4_link_24shapeimage_4_link_25shapeimage_4_link_26shapeimage_4_link_27shapeimage_4_link_28shapeimage_4_link_29shapeimage_4_link_30shapeimage_4_link_31shapeimage_4_link_32shapeimage_4_link_33shapeimage_4_link_34
Chapter 3 of The Backyard Astronomer’s Guide contains 36 pages of detailed information about telescope types, how to choose a telescope, and specific advice on dozens of models. This section of the website updates, but does not replace, that chapter. For the complete picture, we refer you to our book.Backyard_Astronomers_Guide.htmlBackyard_Astronomers_Guide.htmlshapeimage_25_link_0shapeimage_25_link_1