[SJAAboard] Thoughts on requirements for scopes larger than 10"

[Gary Mitchell]

Rob Hawley (SJAA) wrote:

>>>Are we running a "try before you buy" program?  If so, maybe we
>>>should get a cut.
> 
> 
> My reaction is similar to Mark's.  
> 
> We are also not running a museum of what people used 20 years ago.  All of
> the scopes need to be in good condition with at least commercial quality
> optics. They must not have any defects that prevent their target members
> from using them. I am happy to keep older scopes (like the Zeider, the
> Orions, and a more limited set of the 8" SCTs) that are in working condition
> with good optics.  However, commercial grade optics are much better today
> then they were in the past.  That raises the bar above at least three of the
> pre 2007 scopes (27, 28, and the 14").  All of these are now gone.

Apparently I'm not being clear.

There are commercial scopes that are in the stores now.  There
commercial scopes that are no longer on the market.  There are
homemade scopes.  There are scopes that are part commercial and
part homemade.  There are scopes with optics ranging from crappy
to fantastic.  There are scopes with ease of use ranging from
nearly impossible to extremely simple.  etc.  Each of these
qualities is independent of each other.

When I hear that the loaner program should only be populated
with currently available commercial scopes, that means to me
we're rejecting all the above except the first one, or at least
that's the most important criterion.

I strongly feel the loaner program should emphasis scopes that
are easy to use and have good optics, not whether you can find
the same thing on store shelves today.

The point is to give people a chance to get aquatinted with
scopes and astronomy.  Once they build up some experience,
they'll have what they need to make an informed choice if they
decide to buy a scope.

THAT should be the point of the loaner program, to provide the
opportunity to get that experience.

It's like the difference between teaching someone how to drive
a car (any car) versus teaching them to drive a particular make,
model, and year.  If it's the latter, it seems to me like club
is just being used.

Gary