Overall Rating: 5 Optics:10 Ease of Use:9 Value:4 Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote) Date: 05/16/2002 06:06:44 pm PST By: Bernie Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=92098
This is a carefully considered statement by an experienced user, containing valuable insights that may prevent many a novice from running into a dead end. I needed three years and many expensive wrong turns to realize the truth of what Bernie is saying: If you want a tool for excellent views of all objects with fields below 3 degrees, get a big Dob. If you want beautiful widefield, get a Docter Aspectem. The FS-102 is a gorgeous instrument in the way a Jaguar is a gorgeous car - an extravagant collector's piece, not an efficient tool.
What an idiot. I am still not sure what you are comparing since you did not provide any "review" on the FS-102. If you prefer a big Dob that's great, but what "value" have you added to a review of this or any other scope. What function or feature on the FS-102 did you provide input on. You obviously dislike many of them based on your rating. You "claim" to have owned several of them. Why did you keep making the same mistake by buying refractors when at best they would only be a marginal performer by your criteria? You might also get yourself caught up on prices and products. You seem to be a graduate of the Enron school of accounting. I guess your numbers serve your purpose, but they are not accurate by any means. Check the FS-102 GM8 combo price, the check the ELT price. (the EL-11 is not a current model) In fact based on your criteria why waste your money on a 12.5 Starmaster when you can get a Meade 16 inch Dob for about 1/3 of the cost. Since the Meade has a larger aperture it will obviously outperform the inferior Starmaster using your $ per inch ratio. I came to this review site to get some user feedback on the FS-102. The current sale price makes the 102 very tempting. After reading the reviews and then reading your "commentary" I felt I had to reply. Actually I love the views through my 20inch Obsession, but it is a pain to move, setup, and use. My AP155 is fantastic also, but I have it setup on a perminant pier and have to drive out to the country to use it. Now that I have seen the price on the FS-102 GM8 combo and since a pro-Dob user like yourself feels obviously threatened by this little scope, in the end you DID help me make up my mind. Thanks. DJ
Bernie's commentary about the Takahashi FS 102 is completely irrelevent. It dwells too much on the debate on the subject of refractors vs reflectors and too little on the real issue regarding the quality and utility of the scope being reviewed. Bernie's vote is therefore useless and unwelcome. I recommend it be ignored.
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