Telescope/Accessory Review Sites

[skyjim]

Many of us need data before making a purchase decision.  I'm going to leave this post at the top of the board for future reference, especially for anybody who is lurking but not posing questions.  Visit these sites and spend some time, and you can learn a great deal!

Cloudy Nights - Updated frequently, Cloudy Nights features reviews from a large variety of contributors.  You get a wide spectrum of experience and opinion, sometimes reading a review which sounds like you wrote it yourself.  Lots of useful data and opinion!

www.cloudynights.com/


Ed Ting's Scope Reviews - The opposite approach to Cloudy Nights.  Ed Ting is something of a legend among observers in the Northeast U.S., and people started asking for his opinions long ago.  Here he enjoys the fruits of this high standing by having lots of people loan him all sorts of scopes for review - some of them common, readily available standards, some made of pure Unobtanium.  The advantage here is a single reviewer, so it is easier to compare two different scopes and arrive at some idea of their comparative merits in the eyes of an accomplished observer.  Not updated as frequently as Cloudy Nights.

www.scopereviews.com/


Affordable Astronomy Reviews - Here's a site which chooses to review only items whose retail prices are below certain ceilings: Scopes and mounts <$1500.00, Binoculars <$500.00, eyepieces and accessories <$200.00 (U.S.).  A variety of diiferent points of view, in short capsule reviews.  Not as large a number of reviews as the other sites, and runs some banner ads, but a different approach.

members.tripod.com/irwincur/index.html


Another site I'd normally list, the one belonging to meteorologist and amateur astronomer Todd Gross, seems to be offline as of this writing.  I'll add it later, assuming it reappears.

Jim

P.S. - I'd like feedback from ES members on pinning these types of threads to the top of the front page.  I see it as a timesaver for beginners.  If you guys find it annoying to have to scroll down to find the latest posts, let me know.  I'll probably be adding a couple more eventually.

[snazee1]

I used scope reviews!! I really like it. the guy talks in laymans terms and he adds his own two cents!! This site was actually the deciding factor for me to choose between the 10 in dob and the 8 in Newt.  So if anyone is in the market for a new toy, this site will really help!!!

[irwincur]

Thanks for mentioning my site on your list of links.  It makes me feel good to see that the word is getting out.  I strive to give the widest variety of reviews possible.  The best part is however, that the reviews are done by real users and not a single reviewer.  I believe that this is a much more objective system and it is much more helpful to the end user who needs help.

irwincur

[skyjim]

Here's Todd Gross' minireviews site, as promised way back when I started this thread...


 Todd Gross' homepage


Click through to his astro-reviews.  He's getting a tad behind on newer scope models, but some good data here nontheless.

On Irwincur's comment above, I tend to think that there are advantages both ways.  Many different opinions are very nice, but it's hard to know how knowlegable/objective some reviewers are.  By reading multiple reviews by a single person, you gain a feel for their expertise, their personal biases about scope types (which most long time scope users have in one form or another), and how relevant some of their criteria are likely to be for you.  Apples and oranges to me - all serve to make us smarter scope buyers and I do a lot of looking at both.  The new forums at Cloudy Nights are also really promising places to get information both from reviewers and other users.  Highly recommended!  

Clear Skies!

Jim

[Jacaranda3739]

I was wondering what owners of these eyepieces thought of them. Are they any good? I have heard good and bad about them.
That is, good from the manufacturers(naturaly they aren't going to say anything bad about them.) and good and bad from the people who purchased them.
Anyone here own one?

[skyjim]

Jacaranda - I removed the original thread since you moved it here...

I've heard mixed reviews, but a few observers whose opinions i take seriously have told me that they find the premium zooms useful at times.     Five to ten years ago, no serious amateur was likely to recommend any zoom on the market.  So I'm a little intrigued.  

Since I haven't had much personal exposure to thelatest zooms, I'l try to hunt some down at the Riverside Telescope Maker's Conference in three weeks, and let you know my impressions, OK?

Jim