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Index of Subjects --Apple-Mail-496--222289933 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed When it comes to telescopes like that the best answer is "Run, run, run=20= for your lives, and when you are finished, run some more.... under the=20= best conditions, the maximum USEFUL magnification for a telescope is=20 twice the diameter of its primary lens or mirror. Thus for a 60 mm=20 objective (like the one in question, you can't really use it at more=20 than 120x. Even then, you may not see much. This one, at least has a=20 glass lens, but many like it have plastic lenses. They are often of=20 such poor quality that they put an aperture stop behind the main lens=20 which blocks out a lot of the light, but legally still qualifies as a=20 60-mm lens. These are not called "Trashco" telescopes for nothing.... Richard is correct. A good pair of binoculars, and an introductory book=20= like Nightwatch by Terence Dickinson (the new 4th edition is out), or=20 the Beginner's Observing Guide from the RASC (http://rasc.ca/bog/)=20 would be a much better choice. A would also recommend a subscription to=20= SkyNews (http://www.skynewsmagazine.com/) or at lest picking up the=20 current issue to go with the binoculars and book. And lastly don't forget to bring him to Nova East this summer!=20 http://halifax.rasc.ca/ne/ That way he can look through all sorts of=20 telescopes, both large and small! Pat On Apr 10, 2008, at 5:40 PM, Richard Stern wrote: > Hi, > > I don't know that particular model, but I suspect that if you buy him=20= > a telescope for that price it will be hard to look through, he field=20= > of view will be very limited, and the image will be poor and fuzzy. If=20= > he expects to look through it and see images of nebulae, galaxies and=20= > planets like those on the web or in books he's likely to be=20 > disappointed. Far better to get him a reasonable pair of binoculars.=20= > If he has really set his heart on a telescope, either save up a=20 > thousand or two dollars for a decent one, or at least make sure he=20 > fully understands the limitations of a cheap one. (BTW, same=20 > principles apply to beginner birders). > > Richard > > On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 5:09 PM, David & Alison Webster=20 > <dwebster@glinx.com> wrote: >> >> =A0 Our 11 year-old grandson who is very keen on stars, planets,=20 >> astronomy etc wants a telescope and has settled on a Canadian Tire=20 >> TASCO 675X ($199.99). >> >> =A0 Can anyone comment on whether this is a good buy for the price = or=20 >> as Giles says, "Merry Junk' ? >> >> Yours truly, Dave Webster, Kentville >> >> > > > > --=20 > ################# > Dr.Richard Stern, > 70 Exhibition St. > Kentville, NS, Canada > B4N 4K9 > > Richard Stern, > 317 Middle Dyke Rd. > Port Williams, NS, Canada > B0P 1T0 > > rbstern@ns.sympatico.ca > rbstern@xcountry.tv > sternrichard@gmail.com > ################### Patrick Kelly RR#2 159 Town Road Falmouth NS B0P 1L0 Canada (902) 798-3329 --Apple-Mail-496--222289933 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/enriched; charset=ISO-8859-1 When it comes to telescopes like that the best answer is "Run, run, run for your lives, and when you are finished, run some more.... under the best conditions, the maximum USEFUL magnification for a telescope is twice the diameter of its primary lens or mirror. Thus for a 60 mm objective (like the one in question, you can't really use it at more than 120x. Even then, you may not see much. This one, at least has a glass lens, but many like it have plastic lenses. They are often of such poor quality that they put an aperture stop behind the main lens which blocks out a lot of the light, but legally still qualifies as a 60-mm lens. These are not called "Trashco" telescopes for nothing.... Richard is correct. A good pair of binoculars, and an introductory book like Nightwatch by Terence Dickinson (the new 4th edition is out), or the Beginner's Observing Guide from the RASC (http://rasc.ca/bog/) would be a much better choice. A would also recommend a subscription to SkyNews (http://www.skynewsmagazine.com/) or at lest picking up the current issue to go with the binoculars and book. And lastly don't forget to bring him to Nova East this summer! http://halifax.rasc.ca/ne/ That way he can look through all sorts of telescopes, both large and small! Pat On Apr 10, 2008, at 5:40 PM, Richard Stern wrote: <excerpt>Hi, I don't know that particular model, but I suspect that if you buy him a telescope for that price it will be hard to look through, he field of view will be very limited, and the image will be poor and fuzzy. If he expects to look through it and see images of nebulae, galaxies and planets like those on the web or in books he's likely to be disappointed. Far better to get him a reasonable pair of binoculars. If he has really set his heart on a telescope, either save up a thousand or two dollars for a decent one, or at least make sure he fully understands the limitations of a cheap one. (BTW, same principles apply to beginner birders). Richard On Thu, Apr 10, 2008 at 5:09 PM, David & Alison Webster <<<color><param>0000,0000,EEEE</param>dwebster@glinx.com</color>> wrote: <excerpt> =A0 Our 11 year-old grandson who is very keen on stars, planets, astronomy etc wants a telescope and has settled on a Canadian Tire TASCO 675X ($199.99). =A0 Can anyone comment on whether this is a good buy for the price or as Giles says, "Merry Junk' ? Yours truly, Dave Webster, Kentville </excerpt> --=20 ################# Dr.Richard Stern,=20 70 Exhibition St. Kentville, NS, Canada B4N 4K9 Richard Stern,=20 317 Middle Dyke Rd. Port Williams, NS, Canada B0P 1T0 <color><param>0000,0000,EEEE</param>rbstern@ns.sympatico.ca</color> <color><param>0000,0000,EEEE</param>rbstern@xcountry.tv</color> <color><param>0000,0000,EEEE</param>sternrichard@gmail.com</color> ################### </excerpt><fontfamily><param>Courier</param> Patrick Kelly RR#2 159 Town Road Falmouth NS B0P 1L0 Canada (902) 798-3329</fontfamily> --Apple-Mail-496--222289933--
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