Telescope Lending Library
Though most Eugene Astronomical Society members own a telescope, viewing through different scopes is interesting, eye opening, and fun. Outreach being the principal goal of our mission, placing accessible, easy to use telescopes with the public has long been among our most impactful activities. To that end, our extensive and carefully curated lending library has been aimed at beginning and intermediate visual observers wishing to try their hand at the hobby.
Our telescopes can be a wonderful addition to your home, where you can share views with children, family, friends and neighbors. We encourage you to bring them to our star parties! Scopes can be checked out to club members for a three-month period, placed and renewable at the lending coordinator's discretion. You are free to use our telescopes with your own equipment (mount, tripod, eyepieces, filters, cameras etc.) but scope kits must be checked out and returned intact. For the would-be astrophotographers on this page, we maintain one 127mm refractor (below) on a CG-4 equatorial tracking mount for those that wish to try their hand at the hobby. We have many astrophography experts in our membership who can help guide your journey, but the telescopes and observing kits below that we support for our club go out to members equipped for visual observing. We hope our scopes spark a deeper interest for the beginning or speculative user.
Lastly, you must be an active member of the club in good standing before borrowing a telescope from the library. Scopes are not rented out — loans are free with membership — but your membership must be current (i.e. dues paid) in order to borrow the telescope.
Contact our telescope lending coordinator, Dan Beacham for details, at beachamd@yahoo.com. Be sure to put "Lending Library Request" in the subject line.
The ZWO Seestar S50 Smart Telescope
Focal ratio: f/4.9 (focal length 250mm)
50mm triplet apochromatic lens
Watch for the EAS Seestar at our star parties and Solar Sunday events
The SeeStar S50 Smart Telescope from ZWO combines a telescope, electric focuser, astronomy camera, and ASIAIR controller into one unit! This all-in-one telescope also includes an alt-azimuth mount, integrated tripod, and filter-switching device for the ultimate in simplicity and ease of use. Pairing it with the app on our tablet allows you to capture and display live images of sky objects such as the Sun, Moon, galaxies, and nebulae, which stack automatically on the screen for a fun and interactive experience in your yard or at a start party. Operating from a comprehensive database of internal deep sky objects, the scope quickly orients itself to the night sky, plate solves the field of view and tracks objects out of reach to traditional visual astronomy.
In the near term, EAS board and outreach members will be the curators of this scope, bringing it along to star parties and outreach events. The scope will be made available to users at lending library discretion, notably those who will be able to bring and operate the unit at EAS events.
Unihedron Sky Quality Meter
The EAS owns a sky quality meter for measuring the brightness/darkness of the sky at your observing site. This is the lensed version of the SQM that measures a small (~20°) area of sky and averages out the light it gathers and displays the result in magnitudes per square arc-second. Anything above 21.00 is pretty good. Our best observing sites out of town sometimes reach 21.7. Eugene's sky is about 17-18, which is pretty awful.
The sky quality meter is available on short notice and the loan period is until the next person wants to use it.
The Coronado 40mm PST H-Alpha Solar Scope
Focal ratio: f/10 (focal length 400mm)
The Personal Solar Telescope (PST) is a small telescope for looking at the Sun. It filters out almost all of the incoming light, leaving only the one wavelength emitted by ionized hydrogen. It further reduces the brightness with a blocking filter to bring the intensity down to a safe level for viewing. The etalon (the part that selects the wavelength allowed through) is tuneable to enhance prominences and surface granulation or to reveal sunspots.
This wee scope has a brass barrel and weighs only a couple pounds. It has a 1/4" x 20 threaded hole for tripod mounting. It comes with a tripod and built-in sun finder.
Coronado 60mm H-Alpha Solar Scope
Focal ratio: f/6.7 (400mm focal length)
As the old joke goes, this telescope is only good for one star, but it gives you a great view of it. This is a scope for looking at the Sun. It filters out almost all of the incoming light, leaving only the one wavelength emitted by ionized hydrogen. It further reduces the brightness with a blocking filter to bring the intensity down to a safe level for viewing. The etalon (the part that selects the wavelength allowed through) is tuneable to enhance prominences and surface granulation or to reveal sunspots.
This scope has a brass barrel and weighs 6 pounds, so it's a hefty unit for its size. It has a 1/4" x 20 threaded hole for tripod mounting. It comes mounted onto a solid tripod.
Accessories and Equipment list:
Helical focuser
Built-in finder
Right-angle star diagonal
25mm Coronado Plossl eyepiece (16X)
Vixen ED80 80mm (3") Refractor
Focal ratio: f/7.5 (600mm focal length)
Vixen makes top quality refractors. The ED80 is one of the best small refractors made. Its Extra-high Dispersion (ED) achromatic objective lens provides a crisp view of even the brightest objects, and its small size makes it easy to take out at a moment's notice. We've converted a sturdy equatorial mount into an alt-az mount for ease of use, so you can be set up and observing within minutes. Manual slow-motion controls let you track objects easily.
The scope's 600mm focal length gives a pleasingly wide field at low power yet can zoom in on the Moon and planets or split tight double stars at high power. The right-angle diagonal lets you look down comfortably into the eyepiece rather than strain to sight along the tube. This scope is easily portable in a trunk or back seat.
Accessories and Equipment list:
1.25" rack and pinion focuser
Red dot finder
Right-angle star diagonal
26mm Plossl eyepiece (23X)
17mm Orion Sirius Plossl eyepiece (35X)
10mm Orion Sirius Plossl (60X)
Alt-Az mount with adjustable tripod
Orion Giantview 25 x 100mm Binoculars
Field of view: 2.5°
These are truly enormous binoculars. It's like having two 100mm telescopes side by side, one for each eye. The eyepieces provide 25x magnification and a 2.5-degree field of view for excellent views of open clusters like the Pleiades, the Beehive, Coma Berenices, etc. The Andromeda Galaxy is unforgettable in these binoculars.
These are way too heavy and way too much magnification to hold by hand, so they come with a Bogen Professional tripod (model 3036). This tripod is solid as a rock and adjustable in multiple ways (individual leg angle in addition to a 3-axis head). It has seen some use, but is still perfectly serviceable.
The binoculars fit into a 21" x 12" x 8" hard case for storage and transport. If you want to see the night sky in stereo, this is your chance to do it large.
The Baby Mak, our 4" Orion Maksutov-Cassegrain spotting scope
Focal ratio: f/12 (focal length 1250mm)
This little scope is a great beginning setup to look at the moon, open clusters and bright solar system objects. The Baby Mak is an ultralight and sturdy Optical Tube Assembly (OTA), mounted onto a simple alt-az tripod for the ultimate in simplicity and ease of use. The OTA weighs only 4 pounds, and the scope mounts onto the portable tripod in minutes to have you scanning the skies from your yard or any place you can bring it along. Great for beginning astronomers young and old, just mount the scope onto the tripod, look through the finder, and take in the views!
The Little Mak, our 5" (127mm) Celestron Maksutov-Cassegrain
Focal ratio: f/12 (focal length 1500mm)
Don't be fooled by the complicated sounding name, this little scope is a great setup to look at the moon, open clusters and bright night sky objects. The Little Mak is a light and sturdy Optical Tube Assembly (OTA), mounted onto a simple alt-az tripod for the ultimate in simplicity and ease of use. The OTA weighs only 5 pounds, and the scope mounts onto the portable tripod in minutes to have you scanning the skies from your yard or any place you can bring it along. Great for beginning astronomers young and old, just mount the scope onto the tripod, look through the finder, and take in the views!
Bushnell 4.5" "Purple Planet Eater" Dobsonian
Focal ratio: f/8 (900mm focal length)
This is a great small reflector for quick grab-and-go observing. If you hold the door for them, a child could take this outside in one trip (base and tube each weigh less than 10 lbs) and set it up in a minute or two.
A red dot finder and smooth and steady motions make it easy to point to your target. Its 4.5" mirror gathers plenty of light for fine views of the moon, planets, star clusters and more. Easy to transport, this little dob will fit in most any car.
Accessories and equipment list:
Dobsonian mount
1.25" rack and pinion focuser
Red dot finder
26mm Meade Super Plossl eyepiece (35X)
13.8mm Meade Wide-field eyepiece (65X)
6.3mm Plossl eyepiece (143x)
Celestron Firstscope 4.5" Dobsonian
Focal ratio: f/8 (910mm focal length)
Like the above scope, this is a great small reflector for quick grab-and-go observing. If you hold the door for them, a child could take this outside in one trip (base and tube each weigh less than 10 lbs) and set it up in a minute or two.
A red dot finder and smooth and steady motions make it easy to point to your target. Its 4.5" mirror gathers plenty of light for fine views of the moon, planets, star clusters and more. Easy to transport, this little dob will fit in most any car.
Accessories and equipment list:
Dobsonian mount
1.25" rack and pinion focuser
Orion 'Easy Finder II' red dot finder
32mm plossl (28X)
18mm Criterion ASP eyepiece (51X)
10mm plossl eyepiece (91x)
Meade 4.5" Dobsonian
Focal ratio: f/8 (910mm focal length)
This is another great small reflector for quick grab-and-go observing. If you hold the door for them, a child could take this outside in one trip (base and tube each weigh less than 10 lbs) and set it up in a minute or two.
Smooth and steady motions make it easy to point to your target. Its 4.5" mirror gathers plenty of light for fine views of the moon, planets, star clusters and more. Easy to transport, this little dob will fit in most any car.
Accessories and equipment list:
Dobsonian mount
1.25" rack and pinion focuser
Optical finder
26mm plossl (35X)
9mm plossl eyepiece (100x)
Meade 127mm (5") Refractor
This telescope setup is mothballed until we can purchase or build a suitable mount for it.
Focal ratio: f/9 (1140mm focal length)
When people think "Telescope," this is the image that comes to mind. A big, honkin' tube with a lens at the top and an eyepiece at the bottom. The Meade 127 ED/APO does not disappoint. This is our flagship refractor. Its 5" apochromatic doublet objective lens and f/9 focal length makes this truly a monster, and its high quality manufacturing makes it a joy to use.
Despite its size, it's a fairly lightweight scope (15 pounds), and it's mounted on a Celestron CG-4 equatorial mount, which is also relatively lightweight for an equatorial mount (31 pounds fully assembled, but breaks down to an 18-pound set of legs and a 22-pound accessory case that also includes all the eyepieces, battery, etc). The mount is good and solid, though, and provides a stable platform for the scope. The mount is motorized, so once you've polar aligned it it will track the stars accurately all night. A rechargeable NiMH battery and charger are provided.
The 2" diagonal allows the use of 2" eyepieces for wide-field views, and a 1.25" adapter allows you to use 1.25" eyepieces as well. We've provided one 2" wide-field eyepiece, one 1.25" wide-field eyepiece, and a standard 1.25" Plossl for high power.
If you want to try a BIG refractor, this is your chance. Due to the size and value of this scope, loans will be at the lending coordinator's discretion. You must demonstrate competence with this type of setup before borrowing this scope.
Accessories and equipment list:
Celestron CG-4 mount with tracking motors
NiMH battery for tracking motors
Charger for battery
AC power supply for use near house
2" rack and pinion focuser
8 x 50 optical finder
26mm 2" Meade QX wide-angle eyepiece (44x)
15.5mm Meade wide angle eyepiece (74x)
9mm Celestron Plossl eyepiece (127x)
Eyepiece rack built into mount
The 6" Celestron SCT
Focal ratio: f/10 (focal length 1500mm)
The 6" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (SCT) is a light and sturdy Optical Tube Assembly (OTA), mounted onto a simple alt-az tripod for the portable ultimate in simplicity and ease of use. The OTA weighs only 9 pounds, and the scope mounts onto the portable tripod in minutes to have you scanning the skies from your yard or any place you can bring it along. These scopes are built to be portable and offer excellent light gathering capacity, set onto a simple push-to mount with virtually no adjustments needed to get you up and running in minutes. Great for beginning astronomers young and old, just mount the scope onto the tripod, look through the finder, and take in the views!
Orion Skyquest 6" Dobsonian
Focal ratio: f/8 (1200mm focal length)
This is an excellent medium-aperture scope for both planetary and some deep sky observing. Its long focal length and high f-ratio allows for tack-sharp views of planets, star clusters, double stars, and Lunar detail; and its 6" aperture allows good views of the brighter nebulae and galaxies. It's a logical step between the 4.5" dob and the 8" scopes for someone looking to decide what they want for their own, or who just wants to borrow an easy-to-handle but powerful scope. It's lightweight, easy to transport, and easy to use. This scope is in excellent shape.
Accessories and equipment list:
1.25" rack and pinion focuser
6 x 30 optical finder
25mm plossl (48x)
9mm plossl (133x)
Moon filter
Eyepiece rack
Red penlight
The 8" Celestron SCT #1
Focal ratio: f/10 (focal length 2032mm)
The 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (SCT) is one of Celestron's most robust models, mounted onto a simple alt-az tripod for the ultimate in simplicity and ease of use. The Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) weighs about 13 pounds, and the scope mounts onto the portable tripod in minutes to have you scanning the skies from your yard or any place you can bring it along. These scopes are built to be portable and offer a ton of light gathering capacity, set onto a simple push-to mount with virtually no adjustments. Just mount the scope onto the tripod, look through the finder, and take in the views!
The 8" Celestron SCT #2
Focal ratio: f/10 (focal length 2032mm)
The 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (SCT) is one of Celestron's most robust models, mounted onto a simple alt-az tripod for the ultimate in simplicity and ease of use. The Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) weighs about 13 pounds, and the scope mounts onto the portable tripod in minutes to have you scanning the skies from your yard or any place you can bring it along. These scopes are built to be portable and offer a ton of light gathering capacity, set onto a simple push-to mount with virtually no adjustments. Just mount the scope onto the tripod, look through the finder, and take in the views!
The 8" Celestron SCT #3
Focal ratio: f/10 (focal length 2032mm)
The 8" Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope (SCT) is one of Celestron's most robust models, mounted onto a simple alt-az tripod for the ultimate in simplicity and ease of use. The Optical Tube Assembly (OTA) weighs about 13 pounds, and the scope mounts onto the portable tripod in minutes to have you scanning the skies from your yard or any place you can bring it along. These scopes are built to be portable and offer a ton of light gathering capacity, set onto a simple push-to mount with virtually no adjustments. Just mount the scope onto the tripod, look through the finder, and take in the views! This warhorse of a telescope has been freshly deforked from a cumbersome equatorial mount and outfitted into an alt-az configuration by the EAS Lending Librarian for the ultimate ease of use in visual observing. Salted away in a storage shed for decades, its optics are pristine and this scope is ready for action.
Orion Skyquest 8" Dobsonian
Focal ratio: f/6 (1200mm focal length)
The Orion Skyquest 8" is the scope we recommend when people ask "What scope should I buy?" Why? Because an 8-inch Dobsonian scope is an excellent choice for beginners and advanced astronomers alike. It's easy enough to use that it won't overwhelm a beginner, but its large aperture and high quality optics will satisfy even an experienced astronomer. It's not computerized, so there's less to go wrong. You have to aim it yourself, but that helps you learn your way around the sky and adds to the satisfaction of doing amateur astronomy.
This scope is in like-new condition and provides excellent images. The tube easily fits in the back seat of a car, and the rocker box fits in the trunk or the passenger seat.
Accessories and equipment list:
2" Crayford focuser with 1.25" adapter
Red-dot finder
32mm plossl eyepiece (38x)
20mm plossl eyepiece (60x)
10mm Orion eyepiece (120x)
Orion Skyglow Ultrablock filter (1.25" dia.)
Orion color filter set (blue, yellow, red, green) (1.25" dia.)
Hardin Deep Space Hunter 8" Dobsonian
Focal ratio: f/6 (1200mm focal length)
Updated with a new wood base (Early 2011), this mid-size dob looks good and moves good. Ergonomic handles make moving scope easy; a good finder and fine optics make for satisfying viewing. The tube easily fits in the back seat of a car, and the rocker box fits in the trunk or the passenger seat.
Accessories and equipment list:
2" rack and pinion focuser with 1.25" adapter
8 x 50 optical finder (straight through, reverse image to match scope view)
32mm 2" 70-degree Eyepiece (38X)
25mm Astrola eyepiece (48x)
17mm Orion eyepiece (71x)
9mm Astrola eyepiece (133x)
Generic Barlow lens
Moon filter
Eyepiece rack
8" Classic Hippie Dobsonian
Focal ratio: f/6 (1200mm focal length)
In the late 1960s, John Dobson started a revolution. With his simple altitude-azimuth mount, large aperture telescopes finally became portable. Amateur astronomy took off, and now the Dobsonian telescope is without a doubt the most popular design in the world. There have been many design enhancements since Dobson's first plywood and cardboard models, but the original design still works like a charm.
The club's classic Dobsonian was built in the 1990s during a telescope-making class taught by Dobson himself. Refurbished in 2019, it continues to provide excellent views and it moves as smoothly as any more modern scope. The tube is a cardboard concrete form. The altitude bearings are pipe fittings. The azimuth bearing is a phonograph record. The secondary spider is made with cedar shingles. The focuser is a simple cardboard tube you push and pull by hand. Yet this scope outperforms many brand new factory-built scopes.
At f/6 and with a well-parabolized mirror, the view through this scope will knock your socks off. And the view of this scope never fails to bring a smile at a star party.
Check out a piece of history! You'll love it.
Accessories and equipment list:
Push-pull cardboard tube focuser
Peep-sight finder
25mm Celestron SMA eyepiece (48x)
15mm eyepiece taken from binoculars (80x)
10mm Celestron SMA eyepiece (120x)
Eyepiece rack
8" Orion Skyquest XT8 Intelliscope
Focal ratio: F/5.9 (1200mm focal length)
This is a computerized Dobsonian telescope. The scope isn't motorized, so you nudge it along to track objects just like any Dobsonian, but once you align it on the stars the hand controller will help you find any object in its database. You select the object, then watch arrows on the controller as you push the scope into position. If you're just starting out in amateur astronomy, this is a good option for helping to learn where things are in the sky. Once you learn your way around, it can be used without the controller like a traditional Dob.
The optics are excellent, and the motions are smooth. The scope fits into the back seat of a car and the base fits into the trunk or passenger seat.
Accessories and equipment list:
Hand controller
9 x 50 right angle finder
2" rack-and-pinion focuser with 1.25" adapter
25mm plossl eyepiece (48x)
10mm plossl eyepiece (120x)
5.2mm Orion Lanthanum eyepiece (231x)
Color filter set
Starry Night software
PC adapter cable
The Explore Scientific FirstLight 10" Dob #1
Focal ratio: f/5 (1270mm focal length)
No telescope type has changed the hobby quite as much as the Dobsonian. Nowhere do you get as much light for your money like a good Dobson.
The 2.5" HEX focuser with helical gearing makes focusing easy and allows the use of both 1.25" and 2" eyepieces. A Telrad finder lines up your target into the eyepiece, and you are looking into the deep skies in no time.
If you want to transport the telescope as compactly as possible, our new 10" FirstLight Dobsonian / Newtonian is easy. Like our other Dobs, there are two parts to put into the car if you're setting up in the field; the rocker box and the Optical Tube Assembly (OTA). Each weighs about 25-30 pounds, and they fit together easily to yield one of the most robust telescope designs known. Unlike the truss tube Dobs or the larger aperture units that you have to build and collimate in the field, these scopes hold collimation between setup and takedown, meaning fast setup and takedown, with no collimation needed.
Details on planets and deep sky objects will be visible even for inexperienced observers. Bright star clusters are resolved to the core, and the sight of the terminator on the moon is an unforgettable experience.
The Explore Scientific FirstLight 10" Dob #2
Focal ratio: f/5 (1270mm focal length)
No telescope type has changed the hobby quite as much as the Dobsonian. Nowhere do you get as much light for your money like a good Dobson.
The 2.5" HEX focuser with helical gearing makes focusing easy and allows the use of both 1.25" and 2" eyepieces. A Telrad finder lines up your target into the eyepiece, and you are looking into the deep skies in no time.
If you want to transport the telescope as compactly as possible, our new 10" FirstLight Dobsonian / Newtonian is easy. Like our other Dobs, there are two parts to put into the car if you're setting up in the field; the rocker box and the Optical Tube Assembly (OTA). Each weighs about 25-30 pounds, and they fit together easily to yield one of the most robust telescope designs known. Unlike the truss tube Dobs or the larger aperture units that you have to build and collimate in the field, these scopes hold collimation between setup and takedown, meaning fast setup and takedown, with no collimation needed.
Details on planets and deep sky objects will be visible even for inexperienced observers. Bright star clusters are resolved to the core, and the sight of the terminator on the moon is an unforgettable experience.
The 10" Trackball
Focal ratio: f/4.7 (1200mm focal length)
This is a new design developed by the EAS's own Jerry Oltion. It puts standard Newtonian optics in a ball-shaped mount, which rests in a cradle that allows free motion in any direction. You can even rotate the scope to provide a convenient eyepiece angle for any target. The mount has a motorized axle that provides tracking. Just point the scope at your target, let go, and it's tracking. This is the ultimate in grab-and-go scopes: setup takes about 30 seconds. The scope fits easily in the back seat of a car and the mount fits in the trunk or passenger seat. The motor runs on 6 AA batteries (provided) or an external 12v battery.
The optics on this scope are excellent. You can see the E and F stars in the trapezium with it, and split the double-double in Lyra with ease.If you've never used a ball scope before, prepare to be amazed. They're light-years beyond Dobsonians and equatorial mounts in comfort and ease of use. If you bring a stool or chair, you can observe sitting down.
Accessories and equipment list:
Motorized mount for tracking
"Quick mount" for holding scope when off main mount
1.25" rack and pinion focuser
Innovative glow-in-the-dark finder
25mm GSO Super plossl eyepiece (48x)
12.5mm Series 500 plossl eyepiece (96x)
6.3mm Orion Sirius plossl eyepiece (190x)
Moon filter
External power cord for 12-volt battery
User's manual
The "Little 10" -- 10" Folding Truss Dobsonian
Focal ratio: f/4.5 (1150mm focal length)
In 2008, this scope was transformed from a 75 lb light bucket to this modern, 41 lb folding truss tube dob. Easy to carry, easy to transport, this short 10" can really go low-power for bright, wide field views. Finding targets is easy with Quickfinder bulls eye sight and upright 6 x 30 finder. Will fit in any car, easy to take camping, or to that dark sky site. The pictured box stores the secondary cage, eyepieces, and finders; can also be used as platform to raise telescope-viewing height.
Accessories and Equipment list:
2" rack and pinion focuser with 1.25" adapter
6 x 30 RACI Finder
32mm plossl (36X)
15mm plossl (77X)
7.5mm Orion Epic (153X)
Collimation laser
Storage bag for folding trusses
Assembly & collimation instructions
10" Cosmos Dobsonian
Focal ratio: f/4.5 (1150mm focal length)
A fine, veteran scope, the White Ten has been around. It's shown kids the moon & planets at star parties, and for one club member every Messier object (82 in one marathon back in 2002). Recent upgrades include handles on telescope tube and base for ease of carrying, and new coating on primary mirror. This scope features a curved spider (no diffraction spikes) and an open tube for quick cooling. The 15" x 15" x 37" base will fit in most trunks; the 45" tube in most back seats. Total weight ~ 55 lbs.
Accessories and Equipment list:
1.25" rack and pinion focuser
Meade 2X barlow - giving 92X, 135X w/above EPs
25mm Meade MA eyepiece (44X)
17mm Explorer eyepiece (68X)
6.4mm plossl (181X)
Telrad finder
10" Meade LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain
Focal ratio: f/6.3 (1600mm focal length)
This is a computerized, go-to, ten-inch Schmidt Cassegrain. You align it on the sky at the beginning of the night and from then on it will go to whatever object you tell it to and track that object for as long as you like. It's in like-new condition and provides excellent images. It would make a great scope for photography or just visual use. The high-quality eyepieces provide a nice wide field of view, and at f/6.3 its focal length is actually quite short for a Schmidt-Cassegrain of this size. It's near the upper limit for what a single person can set up and take down; it's much easier with two people. The scope comes in a hard case, the accessories in another, and the tripod in a bag.
Accessories and Equipment list:
Internal focuser
JMI Motofocuser
Telrad finder
8 x 50 straight through Finder
2" diagonal with 1.25" adapter
32mm plossl eyepiece (50x)
26mm Meade super plossl (61x)
18mm Meade super wide angle (89x)
9mm Orion plossl (178x)
2" Televue "Big Barlow"
12mm Meade illum. reticle eypiece (133x)
18-volt power supply (requires 110-volt AC)
Assorted filters
Dew shield
12" Meade Lightbridge
Focal ratio: f/5 (1524mm length)
A 12-inch telescope is a big step up from an 8", and even the difference between this and a 10" is readily apparent. Its extra light-gathering ability pulls in more faint galaxies and nebulae, and makes even the brighter ones more pleasing to look at. It will split tighter double stars, and offers jaw-dropping high-magnification views of the Moon and planets.
Meade's Lightbridge series of scopes are designed to provide serious aperture in an easily portable package. This scope comes apart into four separate pieces: the base, the mirror box, the trusses, and the secondary cage. Each piece fits easily in a car seat or all together in the trunk or the back of a station wagon or SUV.
Assembly and disassembly is relatively simple, and the scope is easy to use. It glides smoothly on roller bearings in the azimuth direction and on Teflon pads in altitude, so it takes very little effort to slew and track objects. It comes with a simple red-dot finder and a smooth 2" 2-speed Crayford focuser.
Accessories and Equipment list:
2-speed Crayford focuser
Red dot finder
30mm 2" Olivon widefield eyepiece (51x)
15mm Gary Russell Super-Wide eyepiece (102x)
Scopestuff laser collimator
Eyepiece rack
14.7" Truss Tube Dobsonian
Focal ratio: 4.7 (1760mm focal length)
The scope was built as a group project in early 2016 around a mirror started by Sam Pitts and finished by Optic Wave Labs for Jim Jackson, who then donated the mirror to the club. 8-10 club members joined forces to build the rest of the scope, and they did a great job. This scope is easy to set up and it moves smooth as butter. The optics are excellent, giving tack-sharp views at any magnification. This is a real light bucket, giving our larger 18" scope strong competition for the best scope in our inventory.
We call this scope "Orion" because of Bill Basham's gorgeous photo of the Orion Nebula that adorns the dust cover, and for the Orion-shaped pattern of knots in the secondary cage. When taken apart, Orion fits snugly in the back seat of a medium-large car or easily into the back of a station wagon or SUV.
This scope can be used with an equatorial platform (provided upon request) to track the stars while you're observing. The platform adds about 6" to its height, which may require a stool to reach the eyepiece near the zenith, but no ladder should be required even so.
Accessories and equipment list:
Equatorial platform
Light shroud
2" 2-speed Crayford focuser
Telrad finder
2" Televue 32mm Wide Field eyepiece
2" Televue 16mm Nagler eyepiece
2" 9mm Nagler 2" or 1.25" eyepiece
5mm generic 1.25" eyepiece
Zhumell laser collimator
2" focuser plug collimator
The Big 18" Dob
Focal ratio: f/5.5 (2500 mm focal length)
This 18-inch Dobsonian is one of the club's flagship telescopes. Purchased from Frank Szczepanski in 2008 and rebuilt by Tony Dandurand in 2009, this is big glass of the finest quality. It fits into a station wagon or a van or SUV, and it has wheels and handles so it can be rolled short distances while set up (i.e. from garage to driveway). This is a serious telescope and requires knowledge and skill to use, but if you're familiar with medium-sized Dobsonians and you want to try a large aperture, this is the scope to borrow.
Borrowers must be active club members for at least one year, and loans are made at the discretion of the telescope lending coordinator. Borrower must make an effort to take the scope to star parties.
Accessories and Equipment list:
2" Crayford focuser with 1.25" adapter
9 x 50 right angle optical finder
Telrad finder
2" Televue 35mm panoptic (71)
1.25" Televue 19mm Panoptic (132x)
1.25" Orion 13mm Stratus 68-degree (192x)
1.25" Burgess 9mm Planetary (278x)
Step ladder
