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Bought a $40 telescope filter off eBay that was just blue cellophane
I was trying to photograph Jupiter last month and thought I’d save a few bucks on a “planetary filter.” When it showed up, it was literally a piece of blue plastic wrapped in cardboard. I stuck it on the eyepiece and got a blurry blue blob. Lost $40 and an hour of clear sky. Has anyone else gotten burned by cheap astro gear?
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brooke4482d ago
Honestly, are we sure it was a total waste? I bought a cheap blue filter once and stacked it with a yellow one to try to get better contrast on Jupiter. Wasn't perfect, but I could see the bands a little clearer than without it. Sometimes you just gotta get creative with the garbage gear.
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knight.uma2d ago
My uncle once tried to fix a broken telescope by taping a magnifying glass from an old desk lamp to the front of it, and we actually saw a blurry smudge that might have been Saturn's rings. It was honestly more about the adventure than the result, and we still joke about that night every time we camp. Sometimes the hacky stuff gives you a story even if the view sucks.
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