|
|
|
|
filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
 Posted - 05/11/2010 : 04:45:26
|
I have a spotting 'scope, a relic of my old match shooting days. Once in a while, I haul it out and do a little star-gazing. Whlle it is very good for viewing pistol-ball holes in targets at 200 meters, it is less than satisfactory for anything else.
Well, it's the creationists to the rescue! I never thought I'd say that....
Finding the Right Telescope for You. Six Things to Consider . . .
by Steve Miller December 7, 2007
Want to get a better glimpse of God’s handiwork in the night sky? Ready to move beyond basic binoculars but don’t know which telescope to buy? Before I became an active amateur astronomer, I was in your shoes. Here are some helpful hints that I learned.
Let me start by saying that it may be tempting to save a few dollars and buy a snazzy-looking telescope from a department store. But these telescopes have many shortcomings, including small optics, shaky mounts, and a coarse focuser. The key to finding a quality telescope, like any other significant purchase, is to do your homework. Some of the most critical things to consider are the telescopic optics, the type of telescope, the cost, accessories, and intended use.
First—Optics
Telescopic optics are “everything.” How a telescope collects light is important, and aperture is the key. Aperture is the size of the “objective” lens or mirror of the telescope and is defined by its diameter. (See the figure below.) The objective is what the telescope uses to gather light to create an image, so more aperture means that images will be brighter and that you will see fainter objects.
Furthermore, a greater aperture allows you to see finer details. So do not be fooled by ads inferring 400x power. Magnification is determined by the focal length of the telescope divided by the focal length of the eyepiece. The rule of thumb is no more than 50x magnification per inch of aperture. For instance, if an instrument has only 60 mm (a little more than 2 inches) of aperture, then the most magnification that you can actually use is only about 100x.
|
And so forth. I don't see myself rushing out to buy a real telescope like the amateur astronomers use, but should I do, I'll know what to look for.
Thanks, AiG! 
|
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist! 
|
|
|
The Rat
SFN Regular
Canada
1370 Posts |
 Posted - 05/11/2010 : 05:28:38 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by filthy
...it is less than satisfactory for anything else. |
Piffle and balderdash! You'll find that a spotting scope is an excellent birding tool, any decent birder has one. Try it, you might find yourself a new hobby!
|
Bailey's second law; There is no relationship between the three virtues of intelligence, education, and wisdom.
You fiend! Never have I encountered such corrupt and foul-minded perversity! Have you ever considered a career in the Church? - The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Blackadder II
Baculum's page: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=3947338590 |
 |
|
|
filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2010 : 07:13:43 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by The Rat
Originally posted by filthy
...it is less than satisfactory for anything else. |
Piffle and balderdash! You'll find that a spotting scope is an excellent birding tool, any decent birder has one. Try it, you might find yourself a new hobby!
|
Actually, while I enjoy watching birds and I feed the greedy little scoundrels every winter, I'm not a birder, no. I'm more of a bugger. 
The 'scope and it's attendant tripod are too bulky and inconvenient for scrambling through the briers. I only carry a small set of binoculars and my camera. How can you see insects and snakes and good stuff like that if you're always looking up? Bug watching is fascinating and can be done on a starvation budget.
Hereza bugger trick: Cut a circular piece of plywood just big enough to fit snugly into the end of a pillow case. Cut a hole the center of it just big enough to snugly fit a flashlight in it (I use a 6v lantern). Either tape it or put a hose clamp around it so's it won't fall through. Devise a means to hang it. Go to some quiet, remote place and as soon as it's dark, hang it up, turn it on, kick back in your camp chair, pour yourself a stiff bracer, and wait. You will soon be rewarded.
Oh, and forget about mosquito dope -- it will repel your quarry as well. You'll just have to wear a long-sleeved shirt, and live with them. And bats; you might get a visit from bats.
Neither of the above photos are mine. I lost my bug folder with the demise of my last computer. I plan to get back at it this summer.
|
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
|
| Edited by - filthy on 05/11/2010 07:22:00 |
|
|
|
Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2010 : 10:17:30 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by filthy
Hereza bugger trick: Cut a circular piece of plywood just big enough to fit snugly into the end of a pillow case. Cut a hole the center of it just big enough to snugly fit a flashlight in it (I use a 6v lantern). Either tape it or put a hose clamp around it so's it won't fall through. Devise a means to hang it. Go to some quiet, remote place and as soon as it's dark, hang it up, turn it on, kick back in your camp chair, pour yourself a stiff bracer, and wait. You will soon be rewarded. |
Too much hard work.
Tie a rope between two trees or poles, about three feet off the ground. Spread a white bedsheet over it, like a tent. Put the flashlight or lantern (or UV light) in the middle. Kick back, etc. |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
|
|
|
Baxter
Skeptic Friend
USA
131 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2010 : 10:44:18 [Permalink]
|
| What happens, you just catch some bugs? If I get to see some bats I'll try it. |
"We tend to scoff at the beliefs of the ancients. But we can't scoff at them personally, to their faces, and this is what annoys me." ~from Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey
"We can be as honest as we are ignorant. If we are, when asked what is beyond the horizon of the known, we must say that we do not know." ~Robert G. Ingersoll
|
|
|
|
filthy
SFN Die Hard
USA
14408 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2010 : 11:49:09 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by Dave W.
Originally posted by filthy
Hereza bugger trick: Cut a circular piece of plywood just big enough to fit snugly into the end of a pillow case. Cut a hole the center of it just big enough to snugly fit a flashlight in it (I use a 6v lantern). Either tape it or put a hose clamp around it so's it won't fall through. Devise a means to hang it. Go to some quiet, remote place and as soon as it's dark, hang it up, turn it on, kick back in your camp chair, pour yourself a stiff bracer, and wait. You will soon be rewarded. |
Too much hard work.
Tie a rope between two trees or poles, about three feet off the ground. Spread a white bedsheet over it, like a tent. Put the flashlight or lantern (or UV light) in the middle. Kick back, etc.
|
The only hard work is the initial construction. After that you have something highly portable that takes less than a minute to set up.
| What happens, you just catch some bugs? If I get to see some bats I'll try it. |
Catching bugs is too much hard work, unless you're planning a brim-fishing trip. Mostly, all I want is a photograph.
Bats are now & again visitors and they flit through so quickly that all you hear is a flutter and see a blurry, brown flash. Sometimes one or two will hang around for a while, though, making the night yet more interesting.
Another thing is that there is the chance that you could end up describing a new species. Any entomologist will tell you that they've only skimmed the surface for the more obvious ones.
"God must love beetles because he made so many of them!" Don't remember who said that.....
|
"What luck for rulers that men do not think." -- Adolf Hitler (1889 - 1945)
"If only we could impeach on the basis of criminal stupidity, 90% of the Rethuglicans and half of the Democrats would be thrown out of office." ~~ P.Z. Myres
"The default position of human nature is to punch the other guy in the face and take his stuff." ~~ Dude
Brother Boot Knife of Warm Humanitarianism,
and Crypto-Communist!
|
|
|
|
Dave W.
Info Junkie
USA
26022 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2010 : 12:11:33 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by filthy
"God must love beetles because he made so many of them!" Don't remember who said that..... |
J.B.S. Haldane:He is famous for the (possibly apocryphal) response he gave when some theologians asked him what could be inferred about the mind of the Creator from the works of His Creation: "An inordinate fondness for beetles." |
- Dave W. (Private Msg, EMail)
Evidently, I rock!
Why not question something for a change?
Visit Dave's Psoriasis Info, too. |
|
|
|
podcat
Skeptic Friend
435 Posts |
Posted - 05/11/2010 : 20:08:53 [Permalink]
|
| I thought the religious way of getting a good telescope was for you to pray for one with all your might. |
“In a modern...society, everybody has the absolute right to believe whatever they damn well please, but they don't have the same right to be taken seriously”.
-Barry Williams, co-founder, Australian Skeptics |
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Something pretty good from AiG
