New Products I would like to see:

Here's a list of 4 products that I think would be useful to the amateur
astronomer and might even be successful in the marketplace. Please comment by
critiquing my suggestions or adding your own.

1. Hybrid 2 inch-1.25 in diagonal. Lots of folks have some decent 2 inch
eyepieces and simple refractors like the ST-80 that are limited to 1.25 inch
eyepieces. It would be nice to use the better quality widefield eyepieces with
such scopes. I have done a bit of experimentation, using a 1.25 inch Diagonal
with my TV 32 Widefield and also with my BW-Optik 30 mm 80 degree eyepiece.
Probably some vignetting but the views are pretty nice and certainly wider than
is possible with a 1.25 incher. Given the cost of asian diagonals, a Hybrid 2
inch-1.25 incher should be no more than $40. One of these days I will have a
1.25 incher modified to take 2 inchers but not quite yet..

2. 8x50 finder integrated with a red dot sight or just gun sights. I find
using an 8x50 finder in combination with a Telrad or red dot finder to be
optimal. But why not mount both finders on a single mount, cleaner and could
be done with no modifications to the scope. Many small scopes do not have room
for two finders. Just a basic 8x50 finder on a Vixen/Synta dovetail mount.
Probably should cost $70 out the door.

3. Premium bases for Asian 6, 8 and 10 inch DOBs, Lots of 6, 8 and 10 inch
Asian DOBs out there, I own 2 myself. These are nice scopes IMHO, the downside
of them are the modest bases that tend to peel and come with require the Ebony
Star-Teflon treatment. Seems to me that a small 1 man show could make some
money buy producing Birch Plywood replacement bases complete with Ebony
Star-Teflon bearing and probably make some money doing it. I am thinking that
if it could be done for $150 it would be a pretty good seller, for $200 still
sell a reasonable number. Similar to the Wooden Legs for the CG-5 tripods,
make a big difference in performance and add some class at the same time.

4. Not quite astronomy but close. Televue has come out with the 60mm F6
astro-spotter for $800 barebones. Nice scope I am sure but it does cost $800.
At 60mm, the criteria for reasonable color free performance in an Achromat
would ask for F7, but it seems to me that one could improve greatly upon the
traditional inexpensive correct image spotter with a simple 60mm F6 Achromat
with a star diagonal. Given the cost of the ST-80 at $200, I would think such a
scope would be do able for under $150 and be a pretty darn good spotter for
those willing to put up with reversed left-right images.

For what its worth...

jon