Hello from Turkey

[dugun]

Hello to all astronomers. 
After a few years break I am back to my hobby. I already built a no name 127/f10 and with the help of mechanician all aluminium alt-az mount.

Regards to all
Demir

[Ales - iStar Optical]

Aug 27, 2014 3:00:21 GMT -5 dugun said:

Hello to all astronomers. 
After a few years break I am back to my hobby. I already built a no name 127/f10 and with the help of mechanician all aluminium alt-az mount.

Regards to all
Demir

Demir,
can you please let me know what is the main use for your new scope(s)? The 127 F10 is portable enough so most people consider project with a larger lens. If you specialize only in planetary viewing I would understand. In any case, check the extensive list of iStar lenses already designed and in production or in stock.
Another important question is your budget. So please get back with me on this, we will do our best to help you with your objective lens needs.
best regards,
Ales

[astromanuk]

Hi Demir, welcome!

You have some lovely observing conditions in Turkey. Are you in the mountains or along the coastal plain?

If you are planning another refractor you have come to the right place.

Look forward to hearing of your observations and also plans for future telescopes.

[dugun]

Hi Ian,
I live in İstanbul, in the middle of the red zone or white blob There no other way for me than driving 1-1,5 hour to reach a place where the observing condition are much more good. This is not a problem for me because I love to be in nature also.

Demir

[astromanuk]

Hi Demir,

You have the best of both worlds... the cultural benefits of one of Europe's greatest cities and excellent wildlife a short journey away. I spend a lot of time visiting wildlife resorts in the South of England and find many amateur astronomers I know do the same. All part of the same big picture.

[dugun]

Ales,
I wish to find an easy answer to my telescope(s) search. My old 127 f/10 has coating blemishes and no adjustable lens cell. For a while 127 is collecting dust at my ex-wife house (she is a very good friend now ). I have 2 Rini eyepieces, 1 prism diagonal and 1 barlow and a very robust alt-az mount. So my budget is not only for lens(es) but for the other accessories also. Now it's getting more complicated but let me explain it with my bad English.

The setup must be portable. I have no chance at all to use it from where I live.
The cost of the setup should justify the frequency of its use. Even I am free most of the time I don't know how often I will use it. 10-20 night per year or much more I don't know. These are the very first criteria to form my budget, which result ''keep the cost down''.

From this point things get more complicated, require knowledge of astronomy and optics where I am nul. I am confused now and need your help.

I am a casual observer, stargazing without any specific intention, just for saying a big wow for each part of the space where I am looking. So for me buying a telescope is choosing the exit pupil range. İf the desired exit pupil size is not well chosen some of the observable objects within the apperture size of the choosen telescope may not render a good view at the eyepiece. In search of overcome this problem I may end having an eyepice arsenal possibly without no succes at the end.

At the end I came to a conclusion that buying two lenses will be more favorable and much more budget oriented than having an arsenal of eyepiece ( I don't know if the later is the destiniy of an astronomer )

A 100mm f/12 operating at 0.5-1.5 mm exit pupil and a 127 f/5.5 or 150/f5 with 2-5mm exit pupil. I know that the short focus refractor will have it's best with quality eyepiece, but just a few. And these will serve well also for the 100mm.

As I sad before I am a little confused and an advive from you and from the fellow astronomers will be precious.

Demir