Monday, June 24, 2013

Anyone want a loaner telescope?

Being the president and webmaster of our astronomy club, I quite often get offers for people who want to donate a telescope to our club.  This is how we got the Meade LX200 and recently the observatory dome.  Do I ever refuse the offers - sometimes - if they are obviously not very good scopes or something that would be found on the top shelf of a sporting goods store.
If a scope is pretty decent, I usually can't refuse the offer and will go pick it up.  After a while, my house may end up looking like a tripod farm.  It's starting to do that now.
So, I need to give these telescopes a good home.  How do you get one you ask?  Easy - just a few requirements.

  • Must be a member of our club (Eastside Astronomical society)
  • When we have our rare clear skies, take it out and let it play in the yard. 
  • Take it to a local star party viewing and show kids the moon, planet or some deep sky object. 
  • Come over and get it. 
Send email to request a scope. 
Six inch Celestron refractor - come get it!
What is available?
  • Celestron 6 inch refractor  - pictured above. 
  • Celestron 8 inch Compustar (this is a very early "goto" scope and has a lot of gear with it.  Needs a Y2K chip uptdate)
  • Meade 10 inch SCT (another early "goto" scope with a boxy computer with it.  NOTE: the drive on this one is kind of messed up and not working right, but it can always point and look). 


No comments: