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Went with a $40 used dobsonian over a brand new $200 refractor for my first scope
Picked up that beat up Orion on craigslist from a guy in Bakersfield and honestly the light gathering on Jupiter's moons blew away anything that little glass tube was gonna show me, who else has gone vintage over new gear and regretted or loved it?
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rayc381mo ago
beat up Orion on craigslist" sounds like a punk band name. I mean, $40 for a dob that can actually show you something versus a brand new paperweight with lenses, kind of a no brainer.
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park.adam1mo ago
Reminds me of this one time a buddy of mine bought a "hobby grade" telescope from a pawn shop for like $30. It was missing the finder scope and the mount was held together with zip ties. He spent more time trying to figure out how to balance the tube than actually looking at anything. Meanwhile I scored a beat up 8 inch dob from some guy moving out of state for $60. Craigslist is a gamble for sure but man, when it works out it works out. Your mileage may vary with the whole paperweight thing, but a busted up dob with a little elbow grease can go a long way.
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hugo_cooper1mo ago
yeah but @rayc38, half the fun of a paperweight is the frustration you paid for.
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