Your Most Used Scope 2019?

[Nightspore]

I've been looking back at my 2019 logs and unsurprisingly my grab & go refractors have been out more nights than any of my other scopes.

 

 

The modified ST102 was the most used. 

 

 

Closely followed by my 72mm Evostar.

 

 

I first got out this year on February the 17th with the ED72. The ST102 was out the next three nights in a row from February the 25th culminating in seeing the comet C/2018 Y1 Iwamoto on the 27th.

 

 

From the 29th of March the ST102 has gone out predominantly with just these three eyepieces.

 

 

What is your most used scope in 2019?

[+RonC]

My SW 150PDS followed by my ED80.. 

 

Edited December 15, 2019 by Ron Clarke

[+Bino-viewer]

Well i've only had a big reflector for most of this year till September.

I wasn't using it that much and when my TEC arrived, that became my primary scope.

 

It's not what you'd call grab and go though, and thought it would be nice to have a 4" size class of refractor

to go with it or maybe a nice Mak (it would have to be Russian 🇷🇺 which may be difficult as they no longer make them !)

Possibly even a Celestron C8 HD, as for the price they are very nice. (I've owned one before and regretted selling it)

I think i'm a refractor guy through and through though. 

 

I do tend to chop and change my kit around, and have missed using a refractor up until 4 months ago.

 

I've even considered getting a mono eyepiece again, and a mirror diagonal, just for ease of use more than anything 

I was very impressed with Bryan's ES 92º last month. A proper monster of an eyepiece !

I can't remember if it was a 12 or a 17 off hand ?

 

 

 

[+Bino-viewer]

Another 8" contender here........

 

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p10753_TS-Optics-8--f-12-Cassegrain-telescope-203-2436-mm-OTA.html

[+Ibbo]

TS71 Imaging Star.

 

Normally it would be the Lunt 60mm solar scope but the sun is very quiet and the weather has been awful.

[+Bino-viewer]

My binocular use should get a mention as well. 
I’ve not used the 15x50 Canon’s much, and have tended to opt for my Fujinon 7x50s

Optically (i’m not an expert) the Fuji’s seem rather special. 

[Nightspore]

13 hours ago, Bino-viewer said:

Well i've only had a big reflector for most of this year till September.

I wasn't using it that much and when my TEC arrived, that became my primary scope.

 

It's not what you'd call grab and go though, and thought it would be nice to have a 4" size class of refractor

to go with it or maybe a nice Mak (it would have to be Russian 🇷🇺 which may be difficult as they no longer make them !)

Possibly even a Celestron C8 HD, as for the price they are very nice. (I've owned one before and regretted selling it)

I think i'm a refractor guy through and through though. 

 

I do tend to chop and change my kit around, and have missed using a refractor up until 4 months ago.

 

I've even considered getting a mono eyepiece again, and a mirror diagonal, just for ease of use more than anything 

I was very impressed with Bryan's ES 92º last month. A proper monster of an eyepiece !

I can't remember if it was a 12 or a 17 off hand ?

 

 

 

Mak's can be nice grab'n'go's but they're a bit limited in my experience. 

 

 

My old 102mm SkyMax has been out as much as my 127mm SkyMax this year. It's great for the Moon and M42 but not so hot on open clusters. The main advantage of any 4" scope for me is that I can pick it up with one hand.

 

 

The 102mm and 90mm Mak's are very portable.

 

 

The ED72 has the peculiar advantage of being a good rich field scope and a good lunar scope. So if I want a rich field/lunar grab'n'go it's an obvious choice. 

 

 

And probably why it's been out slightly more than the ED80. I can usually get at least an arc degree more field with the same eyepiece on the ED72. I have fun with all of them though lol.

[Nightspore]

I'm pretty convinced that the main reason the ST102 has been out the most was that I had good luck on Moonless nights with the weather.

[Nightspore]

13 hours ago, Bino-viewer said:

Another 8" contender here........

 

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p10753_TS-Optics-8--f-12-Cassegrain-telescope-203-2436-mm-OTA.html

Not exactly grab'n'go though lol. Well, not for me anyway.

[Nightspore]

1 hour ago, Bino-viewer said:

My binocular use should get a mention as well. 
I’ve not used the 15x50 Canon’s much, and have tended to opt for my Fujinon 7x50s

Optically (i’m not an expert) the Fuji’s seem rather special. 

 

I used these pre-WWII Carl Zeiss Jena 8x30 wide angle binoculars for years. I can't hold them still enough with one hand now though.

Edited December 16, 2019 by Nightspore

[Doc]

Looking back through my notes I have used the 120Ed Esprit five times this year, and the Clave 80mm F15 three times this year.  My Swarosvski bins are used every week for birding and wildlife.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2019 by Doc

[Nightspore]

5 minutes ago, Doc said:

Looking back through my notes I have used the 120Ed Esprit five times this year, and the Clave 80mm F15 three times this year.  My Swarosvski bins are used every week for birding and wildlife.

 

 

I'm guessing that makes the Espirit the winner?

[Doc]

It does indeed. 

 

It basically depends on what I'm doing. Double stars and planets the Clave got used and deep space stuff the Esprit got used.

[Nightspore]

51 minutes ago, Doc said:

It does indeed. 

 

It basically depends on what I'm doing. Double stars and planets the Clave got used and deep space stuff the Esprit got used.

Yeah, it's the same with me. The ST102 has basically replaced my ST80.

 

 

Especially when I realised it would work on the AZ5. The ST80 and ST102, with aftermarket focusers, are great portable scopes. But they are only achromats and while they are fine for rich field they aren't too hot for other stuff.

 

So the ST102 is the largest refractor I have that can safely be put on the AZ5. Moonless nights without any serious dedicated planetary viewing are what it does best. The ED72 only went out five less times than the ST102. 

 

 

The ED scopes are better for planets and doubles, although I have some Mak's for that.

 

 

Edited December 16, 2019 by Nightspore

[+bryand]

Bit of a mixed year for me.  I don't log what scope I use each time I go out, but I'll have started off with the Celestron 9.25" workhorse.  Big, but it always works.

 

But then I started to appreciate the finer qualities of my ED 102 refractor.  I grew to prefer the view I got from the lenses, but wanted a bit more detail, so this was my spring/summer rig:

 

And so the 4" was moved on, along with its CEM25 mount (which I never really got on with) and replaced it with my current favourite autumn/winter rig, a WO 132 refractor on my do-everything AZ Mount Pro:

 

 

About as massive as the C9.25, and I think more elegant in almost every way. 

But then considering what I paid for it, I would say that, wouldn't I?

My grab 'n go rig lives in my car and consists of my 20x100 bins on an AZ5 mount.  In terms of number of times set up this wins, though in terms of duration of session, the scopes win.

 

 

Merry Christmas everyone!

Bryan

Edited December 18, 2019 by bryand

[newtyng5]

I only have 1 scope. And because of the awful weather it's hardly been used. Coupled with the fact it's impossible to observe from home, so I have to travel.

 

Have a great Christmas all!

[philjay]

Ed80 binoscope, Meade 127 EDT followed closely by the Towa 80mm f15. Like Mick I use my 10x42 nikon bins for birding regularly

[Nightspore]

Well, my ST102 got out again tonight.

[Guest]

My Nikon D3200 saw more light than any of my 'scopes. My 15x70 bins were my most used optical device.

[Nightspore]

Well, the first time I got out last year was with the ED72, on my birthday, in February. The last time I got out was on Christmas Day with the ST102. Easily my most used scopes.