"Tom E." wrote in message ...

It seems I found it at Oceanside Telescope. $895.00.

It's $829, actually (minus sales tax).

Ouch.

Compared to similarly-priced decorative brass telescopes, it's a
bargain. :-)

Seriously, if money was no factor, which would you prefer if
you could just have one scope for a year, the Tak 60 or the
Orion 80ED? ...or the new Celestron 80ED (but the reviews
aren't out yet).

If I could only use one telescope during my entire life, and it had to
be one of these, I'd choose the 80ED without question, due to its
advantage in aperture. But if it's just for a year, with no other
limitations, then I'd pick the Tak. It would be interesting to be
able to use a truly fine instrument for a while, because virtually
everything I've ever owned or used--telescopes or anything else--has
been second-rate at best (by my own choice, these days). No, that's
not a whinge in a world where many people go hungry every day, but you
know what I mean. ;-)


- Robert Cook