AMATEUR ASTRONOMY, VIEWING TIPS, TELESCOPE AND EQUIPMENT REVIEWS,
PHOTO GALLERY, ACCESSORIES, ASTRONOMY FORUM, MAKE EQUIPMENT CASES AND MORE.
MARC THE SCOPE GUY
YORK REGION / FENELON FALLS, ONTARIO CANADA
PAGES: 28 / GALLERY PHOTOS: 13 / LINKS: 6
LEFT: 6" f/8 refractor on EQ6 mount with 70mm f/13 secondary scope, 9x50 finderscope, and Telrad (just visible).
RIGHT: 10" Newtonian reflector on EQ6 mount with 9x50 finder and Telrad.
WELCOME TO MY WEBSITE
I am just an avarage working class guy with an interest in astronomy. I have no degree in astrophysics, am not a walking hard drive full of statistics and formulas, and I can't look up in the sky and recognize all of the constellations by name. I do own a telescope (several actually), a book full of star charts, and have the patience sometimes required to find an object I have never actually seen before with the use of a chart.
I have created this website not only to share this hobby of mine with like-minded people, but also to learn a little bit more about computers. I have created this website without the use of any page builders or site building software programs. I typed the HTML code with one finger (right middle finger to be exact), so this is about as fancy as things will get. Thanks for dropping by, and I hope you enjoy my website.
Please feel free to view or sign my
guestbook at the bottom of this page
Scroll down the page and click on the underlined BLUE WORDS describing the page you want to look at.
SOME LIGHT READING 
WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?-Why do I endure those long trips, set-up and tear-down times, the 5:00 a.m. bedtime, and the physical effort involved with going out for a night of serious deep sky observing?
THE EARLY YEARS-My fascination with astronomy began when I was about 12 years old. There wasn't a great variety of equipment available to anyone with an average budget in those days, but I still had a great time with my first "real" telescope.
A PASSION REBORN-Now I'm a little older, somewhat wiser, and have a renewed interest in astronomy. Equipment is plentiful and more affordable than it was years ago. With dark skies only a few hours away, it's a whole new ballgame.
WEBNOTE FOR SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 12/SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 13, 2009 -FINALLY!! Aside from a viewing session plagued by mosquitoes about a month and a half ago, my first real viewing session this year.
PHOTO GALLERY 
I'm still in the process of upgrading my imaging equipment. Here are a few unmodified webcam shots, and what little I accomplished with my DSI.
DEEP SPACE PHOTOS(2)
MOON PHOTOS(9)
JUPITER PHOTOS(2)
TELESCOPE / MOUNT 
REVIEWS
Each item below is a piece of equipment that I have owned for several years and am quite familiar with (except for the FLT132). Whether it's a brief trip outside for a few quick views through a portable scope, or a marathon session with the heavy artillery, there's something for every occasion. Each review is based on my experience through repeated use of each telescope or accessory.
*NOTE: In some of my equipment review pages I have included links to the manufacturer for more information concerning the related item. This is solely for convenience if you want to find out more about the item or any related products, and I don't work for or receive comission from any of the manufacturers.
TELESCOPES
SKYWATCHER 10" F1200mm NEWTONIAN REFLECTOR-A great deep space scope.
SKYWATCHER 70mm F900mm REFRACTOR-Moon and planetary portable
SKYWATCHER 4.5" F900mm NEWTONIAN REFLECTOR
-Not a bad starter scope
SKYWATCHER 4" F500mm REFRACTOR-Another starter scope.
SKYWATCHER 6" F1200mm REFRACTOR-Serious Moon and planetary viewing.
WILLIAM OPTICS FLT132 F925mm APO TRIPLET REFRACTOR-This review may be a little more detailed than those for my other telecopes, but this is no ordinary telescope.
MOUNTS
LIGHT MOUNT COMPARISON-Altazimuth mount (AZ3) VS Equatorial mount (EQ2).
SYNTA EQ6 DRIVEN EQUATORIAL MOUNT- A big heavy mount for big heavy telescopes.
ACCESSORIES 
EYEPIECES-The most important accessory you will buy.
MOON FILTERS-Used when the view is so bright, it hurts to look.
FINDERSCOPES, ETC-How to choose, aim, and use finderscopes and reflex sighting devices when you don't have a GO-TO mount that will find things for you.
BINOCULARS-My little Tasco Sonoma 10X50's, and my Celestron Skymaster 25X100's.
* FILTERS: colour and specialty *-I own a great many filters other than those mentioned elsewhere in my website, but I haven't really had the chance to use them to the extent I could write a detailed evaluation of them and the best objects to use them on. Until I do, here is a link to another website with a summary of them that pretty well echoes what magazines and astronomy texts will tell you.
DO IT YOURSELF 
EYEPIECE/ACCESSORY CASES-Practical, organized, and functional for field use.
TRAVEL CASES-Homemade cases for my OTA's with plenty of cushion and impact protection.
VARIABLE POLARIZER-Simple, cheap and effective.
FIELD TABLE/ACCESSORY CASE-Heavy but useful, impressive to look at, and a joy to use.
OTHER STUFF 
ASTRO-CHAT ASTRONOMY FORUM-Message boards to post and answer questions related to astronomy with people around the world. Sections for beginners, veterans, imaging, observing, equipment, off topic and more. It's free to register as a member and access many extras including making a post, uploading avatars, private messaging, automatic notification of responses and much more- definitely worth a look.
COLD WEATHER VIEWING TIPS
A few tips to make your winter viewing experience more pleasurable.
LINKS PAGE-A lot of useful information related to astronomy and observing can be found on these pages. Links include an astronomy discussion postboard, where to find the planets, current Moon phase, field of view/magnification calculator, usage of colour and other filters, and more.
FEEDBACK RESPONSE-A response to the various questions, comments, and good natured ribs and insults I have received regarding this website and it's contents.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR SIGN THE GUESTBOOK,
or CONTACT ME AT THIS ADDRESS: MARCTHESCOPEGUY at YAHOO dot CA
THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!
MARC THE SCOPE GUY
AMATEUR ASTRONOMY, VIEWING TIPS, TELESCOPE AND EQUIPMENT REVIEWS,
PHOTO GALLERY, ACCESSORIES, ASTRONOMY FORUM, MAKE EQUIPMENT CASES AND MORE
-----------------------
SOME LIGHT READING 
PHOTO GALLERY 
TELESCOPE / MOUNT 
ACCESSORIES 
DO IT YOURSELF 
OTHER STUFF 
ASTRO-CHAT ASTRONOMY FORUM-Message boards to post and answer questions related to astronomy with people around the world. Sections for beginners, veterans, imaging, observing, equipment, off topic and more. It's free to register as a member and access many extras including making a post, uploading avatars, private messaging, automatic notification of responses and much more- definitely worth a look.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW OR SIGN THE GUESTBOOK,