Tasco Luminova reflector

Just bought this scope. Is it a good one?

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"Shiraz" wrote in message
...

Just bought this scope. Is it a good one?



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Shiraz wrote:


Just bought this scope. Is it a good one?

Too late... :-(

- Alex

Shiraz wrote:


Just bought this scope. Is it a good one?


Shiraz,

I don't know that particular model, but my question to you
would be 'do you enjoy using it?' If the answer is 'yes', then
it's a good'un.

If you bought it based partly on a claim of high maximum
magnification, you'll soon find out that what is claimed may be
technically true, but useless. The rule of thumb, even with
_very good telescopes_ (and the Tasco is unlikely to be that),
is that the maximum useful magnification, in the very best
weather and 'seeing' conditions, and with high-quality eyepieces
is about 50X per inch of aperture. So if you had, say, a 4"
aperture (diameter of the primary mirror), the max you could get
on the best nights would be about 200X; and the best observing
would likely be far lower than that.

If, by some horrible fluke, it came with a 'sun filter' or
'solar viewing filter' that screws into the eyepiece, BREAK THE
DAMNED FILTER AND THROW THE PIECES INTO THE NEAREST VOLCANO; or
garbage can. Those things are at the exact focus of all the
sun's heat that the telescope captures, and is almost certain to
crack in use. If you look at the sun through a cracked solar
filter, you are likely to lose some or all of the vision in your
eye, and probably won't even know it at the time. The eye is
pretty insensitive to pain, so guard your eyesight above all
else when observing the sun.

All that said, I know many amateur astronomers who spent happy
years with their Tasco scopes before moving up to a
higher-quality scope. If you enjoy yourself, it's a good scope.
For now :-).

--
Tom McDonald

Shiraz wrote in :

Just bought this scope. Is it a good one?

If I may be so bold as to make a suggestion. Next time you might want to
ask this question BEFORE you buy a scope. That way you won't feel so bad
when we tell you the answer is, "no."