Post by counterweight on Jan 17, 2013 21:13:25 GMT -5
Howdy folks,
I've been following IStar since it was announced (at least what was on CN) and am getting quite interested in a possible 'change up' of gear after all the great reviews I've read.
wanted to post in here as i joined the club a long time ago and don't think I've posted?
The idea of a 204mm 'R30' just wont leave my brain. I am relatively new to refractors, after many years of SCt, MK, and Newt's.
My first refractor was a tak FS-102 and there have been several since(current lineup an Orion ED80T-CF, Tak FS-128, and TEC APO160ED), my big one now a TEC APO160ED which is pretty nice and I feel blessed to own, to bad TEC stopped making them.
I have to say that after big mirrors even 160mm seems a bit lite on all but planets, and even there I'm wanting a bit more 'A'. After my conversion to refractors, ~2008/2009 my weather here in Portland, OR. has been pathetic! Last year only 62 clear nights... this I hope the bottom of a trend. I image so use my imaging calendar and image timestamps for reality checking just how bad it is here. The CSC is unreliable as it just records what it predicts for history, right or wrong.
Any old way... I'm disabled and this is the last hobby I can handle with any sort of dispatch. I'm unable to drive and so am stuck doing what I can from the city here, and that in reality ends up being a lot (esp compared to nothing).
I'm considering going back to the ease of being a purely visual amature, we'll see.
I've been following IStar since it was announced (at least what was on CN) and am getting quite interested in a possible 'change up' of gear after all the great reviews I've read.
wanted to post in here as i joined the club a long time ago and don't think I've posted?
The idea of a 204mm 'R30' just wont leave my brain. I am relatively new to refractors, after many years of SCt, MK, and Newt's.
My first refractor was a tak FS-102 and there have been several since(current lineup an Orion ED80T-CF, Tak FS-128, and TEC APO160ED), my big one now a TEC APO160ED which is pretty nice and I feel blessed to own, to bad TEC stopped making them.
I have to say that after big mirrors even 160mm seems a bit lite on all but planets, and even there I'm wanting a bit more 'A'. After my conversion to refractors, ~2008/2009 my weather here in Portland, OR. has been pathetic! Last year only 62 clear nights... this I hope the bottom of a trend. I image so use my imaging calendar and image timestamps for reality checking just how bad it is here. The CSC is unreliable as it just records what it predicts for history, right or wrong.
Any old way... I'm disabled and this is the last hobby I can handle with any sort of dispatch. I'm unable to drive and so am stuck doing what I can from the city here, and that in reality ends up being a lot (esp compared to nothing).
I'm considering going back to the ease of being a purely visual amature, we'll see.