Loaner Scope Program

This paper expands on the article in the July 08 Ephemeris. Since it does not have to be space limited I can go into more detail on what is available.

Selecting the Right Loan

Part of my responsibility is to make sure that we are loaning the right scopes. The right scope is the one that the loanee will learn from (and use). Whenever a loanee (particularly a beginner) wants to borrow a scope, they and I exchange some email. Naturally, the answer depends largely on what the loanee wants to look at and how far they are willing to travel. This article distills the general advice I give to beginners. Others may disagree, but it is my byline so I do not represent this as other than my opinion.

If you are already familar with using a small Dob or refractor and want to try something bigger then this article will suit your needs better.

Beginner's Sweet Spot
What about Electronics?
Other Recommended Smaller Scopes
Other Beginner Scopes in the Inventory
How will the club support Me?
Other Reading

The Beginner Sweet Spot

In the interest of full disclosure I am a Dob bigot. A Dobsonian Scope is a combination of the optics design by Sir Issac Newton and the very simple base designed by John Dobson. The simplest type is the tube Dob that was John's original design. They allow you to observe while sitting (although a variable height chair will be more convienient). The tube is removed from the base (rocker box) and should easily fit in most cars.

I have owned or used all of the other types of scopes (Schmitt Cassegrains, Refractors, Equatorial Mounts, etc), but nothing equals the price performance of a Dob. A Dob is also the similest of scopes to use. Just plop it on a relatively flat surface and point it at something. Given that bias it is not too surprising that my first recommendations for beginners are 6 to 8 inch Dobs.

The 6"-8" Dobs

The club has 5 scopes in this category. These are relatively light. They will fit in the back seat of most sedans. The bases fit in most trunks. You do need to learn to star hop, but the club will teach you star hopping .

The manual scopes (#11 -6", #13 - 6", #12 - 8", and #36 - 8") are the scopes I recommend starting with.

The club also has a 6” scope( # 46) with Digital Setting Circles. These assist in locating objects (at the cost of making the scope more complex to set up). You can use this scope either with our without the electronics. With the electronics turned off it is just another 6" Dob like #11 and #13.

Table Top StarBlast

What if you are really space limited or on a very tight budget then the club's StarBlast #49 is the right instrument. The StarBlast is my number one recommendation for a truely beginner scope. It will provide you a good viewing experience. You do need a table (or chair) to set the scope on while viewing.

What about Electronics?

The manufacturers strongly market scopes that have a number of electronic bells and whistles. These are supposed to make finding objects easier. While this seems like a good thing, electronics are a truly mixed blessing. If you carefully set the scope up and carefully use it, they can greatly assist you in locating objects. Note the word “carefully”. Many beginners think they want electronics only to find out they spend their time fighting with them.

A manual Dobsonian mounted scope is easy to use and you can spend your time observing. The club will teach you how to read star maps and find things with them.

Other Recommended Beginner Scopes

The club also has some beginner scopes that are alternatives to the Dobs

8" Ultima GO TO Schmitt Cassigrain (SCT)

Scope #48 is an 8” Schmitt Cassegrain with full GO TO. This type of scope uses a combination of mirrors and lens to reduce the size of the tube.

Despite my own preference against this design I found I enjoyed the night I worked with this instrument. It is heaver than a Dob, but not prohibitively. It is also more compact. And then there is the GO TO. That makes setting up more complex, but the scope is able to accurately find most objects. The scope requires batteries. The link will provide you more info on the scope

Binoculars

Surprisingly one of the best beginner "scopes" is simply a pair of binos. These are easily the most transportable scope. You can observe most of the brighter objects. "Scope" #42 is a pair of 10x80 (10 power and 80mm aperature) binoculars.

Other Smaller Scopes

The program also has some scopes smaller than 6”. Of those, the StarBlast is only one I would unconditionally recommend. I list this scope in the low cost section of my beginner program . It is light enough for a child to lift and use.

What about the smaller scopes in the program? From a price performance perspective a 6” Dob ($230) is a better buy than a 4.5” ($190). The smaller scope offers little advantage other than its price. On the other hand if you primarily just want to look at the planets (and are not fussy about the optics) then these will work. (The Starblast is still a better choice).

What about the Equatorial Mounts? An Equatorial Mount allows the mount to track the motion of the sky with a single movement. In principle, that should make it easier to use. However, it requires that align the mount to the north star. Some equatorials also limit how you can move the scope to look at an object.

Scope #44 is a 4.5” is a manual scope that is optically similar to the 4.5” Dob. This is an entirely manual scope. The tripod is slightly smaller (and much less steady) than the base of a Dob. It is also marketed as typical beginner scope.

The club has two larger Newtonians on Equatorial Mounts ( #23 - 6" and #35 - 8"). You have to manually locate objects with each of these, but then the scope will move the axis using a motor, but the motor requires AC power.

The club also has a number of Schmitt Cassigrains on a type of Equatorial platform called a wedge. Optically these are similar to #48, but they also have to be set up with the wedge pointing north. Unlike #48 they require you to manually find the objects. Once found you must use the motors to track the object. You must use the motors as you cannot move the scope small amounts manually.

Which is the right scope for me?

As I said above the best way is to email me and we can discuss it. Once we select a scope I will arraign to transfer it to you. Most scopes are stored with the previous loanee so it may take some time to arraign the transfer.

How will SJAA Support Me After the Loan?

SJAA has a Beginner’s Astronomy Class held about once a month. These provide information on astronomy at a beginner's level. Here are some of the past presentations.

SJAA offers “Beginner’s Workshops”. Normally we hold these once per quarter in place of a “Beginner’s Astronomy Class”. These allow you to bring your scope (loaner or otherwise) and SJAA will give you help using your scope.