Star Ware: The Amateur Astronomer's Guide to Choosing, Buying, and Using Telescopes and Accessories

428 Pages·2007·5.12 MB·English

by  Philip S. Harrington

STAR
WARE

STAR
WARE
The Amateur Astronomer’s
Guide to Choosing,
Buying, and Using
Telescopes and Accessories
FOURTH EDITION
PHILIP S. HARRINGTON
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
For my wife, Wendy, and our daughter, Helen,
the centers of my universe
and in memory of my parents,
Frank and Dorothy Harrington
Copyright © 2007 by Philip S. Harrington. All rights reserved
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
Wiley Bicentennial Logo: Richard J. Pacifico
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Harrington, Philip S.
Star ware : the amateur astronomer’s guide to choosing, buying, and using telescopes and
accessories / Philip S. Harrington. — 4th ed.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-0-471-75063-5 (pbk.)
1. Telescopes—Purchasing—Guidebooks. 2. Telescopes—Amateurs’ manuals. I. Title.
QB88.H37 2007
522'.2—dc22 2006025134
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Preface to the Fourth Edition vii
Acknowledgments ix
1 Parlez-Vous “Telescope”? 1
2 In the Beginning ... 10
3 So You Want to Buy a Telescope! 23
4 Two Eyes Are Better Than One 53
5 Attention Shoppers! 80
6 The “Eyes” Have It 173
7 The Right Stuff 210
8 The Homemade Astronomer 278
9 Till Death Do You Part 303
10 A Few Tricks of the Trade 329
Epilogue 349
Appendices
A. Specs at a Glance 351
B. Eyepiece Marketplace 371
C. The Astronomical Yellow Pages 381
D. An Astronomer’s Survival Guide 399
E. Astronomical Resources 401
F. English/Metric Conversion 405
Star Ware Reader Survey 407
Index 411

Preface to the Fourth Edition
If the pure and elevated pleasure to be derived from the possession and use of
a good telescope...were generally known, I am certain that no instrument of
science would be more commonly found in the homes of intelligent people.
There is only one way in which you can be sure of getting a good telescope.
First, decide how large a glass you are to have, then go to a maker of estab-
lished reputation, fix upon the price you are willing to pay—remembering that
good work is never cheap—and finally see that the instrument furnished to you
answers the proper tests for telescopes of its size. There are telescopes and
there are telescopes.
With these words of advice, Garrett Serviss opened his classic work Pleasures
of the Telescope.Upon its publication in 1901, this book inspired many an arm-
chair astronomer to change from merely a spectator to a participant, actively
observing the universe instead of just reading about it. In many ways, that
book was an inspiration for the volume you hold before you.
The telescope market is radically different than it was in the days of
Serviss. Back then, amateur astronomy was an activity of the wealthy. The
selection of commercially made telescopes was restricted to only one type
of instrument—the refractor—and sold for many times what their modern
descendants cost today (after correcting for inflation).
By contrast, we live in an age that thrives on choice. Amateur astronomers
must now wade through an ocean of literature and propaganda before being
able to select a telescope intelligently. For many a budding astronomer, this
chore appears overwhelming.
That is where this book comes in. You and I are going hunting for tele-
scopes. After opening chapters that explain telescope jargon and history,
today’s astronomical marketplace is dissected and explored. Where is the best
place to buy a telescope? Is there one telescope that does everything well? How
should a telescope be cared for? What accessories are needed? The list of ques-
tions goes on and on.
Happily, so do the answers. Although there is no single set of answers that
are right for everybody, all of the available options will be explored so that you
can make an educated decision. All of the chapters that detail telescopes,
binoculars, eyepieces, and accessories have been fully updated in this fourth
edition to include dozens of new products. Reviews have also been expanded,
based on my own experiences from testing equipment for Astronomy maga-
zine as well as from hundreds of comments that I have received from readers
around the world.
vii
viii
PREFACETOTHEFOURTHEDITION
Unfortunately, so much astronomical equipment is now on the market
that it is impossible to capture every product in these pages. That is why you
and I will rely heavily on the supplemental online material available for each
chapter. As you peruse the chapters, also visit their Internet counterparts,
found in the Star Waresection of my Web site, www.philharrington.net.
Not all of the best astronomical equipment is available for sale, however;
some of it has to be made at home. Ten new homemade projects are outlined
further in the book. These range from simple accessories that can be made in
less than an hour using common items that are probably lying around your
basement or garage to advanced accessories requiring a good working knowl-
edge of carpentry and electronics. All are very useful.
The book concludes with a discussion of how to assemble, care for, and
use a telescope. All too often I hear from people who are frustrated with their
telescopes. Not long ago, I was speaking with a friend of a friend who lamented
that she didn’t have a copy of this book before purchasing a small telescope
from a megamart-type department store. She was frustrated that even after
reading the instructions that came with her telescope, she couldn’t get it to
operate properly. We finally got the telescope to operate properly, no thanks to
the inadequate instructions. Our back-and-forth exchange led me to add a sec-
tion in this edition on how to assemble several typical of telescopes.
Yes, the telescope marketplace has certainly changed in the past century
(even in the four years since the third edition of Star Ware was released), and
so has the universe. The amateur astronomer has grown with these changes to
explore the depths of space in ways that our ancestors could not have even
imagined.
Acknowledgments
Putting together a book of this type would not have been possible were it not
for the support of many other players. I would be an irresponsible author if I
relied solely on my own humble opinions about astronomical equipment. To
compile the telescope, eyepiece, and accessories reviews, I solicited input from
amateur astronomers around the world. The responses I received were very
revealing and immensely helpful. Unfortunately, space does not permit me to
list the names of the hundreds of amateurs who contributed, but you all have
my heartfelt thanks. I want to especially acknowledge the members of the
“Talking Telescopes” e-mail discussion group that I established in 1999. Found
online among Yahoo! Groups, TT is a great group that I encourage you to join.
This book would be very different were it not for today’s vast electronic com-
munications network.
I also wish to acknowledge the contributions of the companies and deal-
ers who provided me with their latest information, references, and other vital
data. Tim Hagan from Helix Manufacturing deserves special recognition for
allowing me to borrow and test equipment.
As you will see, chapter 8 is a selection of build-at-home projects for ama-
teur astronomers. All were invented and constructed by amateur astronomers
who were looking to enhance their enjoyment of the hobby. These amateurs
were kind enough to supply me with information, drawings, and photographs
so that I could pass their projects along to you. For their invaluable contribu-
tions, I wish to thank Ron Boe, Florian Boyd, Craig Colvin, Jim Dixon, Ed
Hitchcock, Jack Kellythorne, and Craig Stark.
I wish to pass on my sincere appreciation to my proofreaders for this edi-
tion: Chris Adamson, John Bambury, Thom Bemus, Kevin Dixon, David Mit-
sky, Rod Mollise, John O’Hara, and Tom Trusock. I am very fortunate to have
had this skilled set of veteran amateur astronomers—all among the most
knowledgeable amateurs in the world—review the final manuscript. These
guys know their stuff! Their thoughtful input and suggestions have been espe-
cially useful in a marketplace that is growing and changing as never before.
Many thanks also to my editors Christel Winkler, Teryn Kendall, and Kimberly
Monroe-Hill of John Wiley & Sons for their diligent guidance and help
throughout the production phase of this book.
Finally, my deepest thanks, love, and appreciation go to my ever-patient
family. My wife, Wendy, and daughter, Helen, have continually provided me
with boundless love and encouragement over the years. Were it not for their
understanding my need to go out at three in the morning or drive an hour or
ix