Title: Q: Can you suggest some equipments for schools
1Q Can you suggest some equipments for schools?
A Different schools have different needs due to
their programs, location, budget, number of
students, etc. It is important to know if the
equipments are for visual or imaging work, or for
inspiration. The following are just some possible
equipment choices, popular in the amateur
astronomy community, and are benefited by cost
saving due to mass productions
Small high quality refractors with small
equatorial or alt-az mounts best image quality,
very versatile, most expensive. A compromise is
to have a small one for portable and frequent
uses. Good for planet/solar/lunar visual
observations, wide field imaging. (Front Solar
filter required for solar observations thru the
telescope.) Medium size catadioptrics with GOTO
mounts reasonable price, reasonable image
quality, but a bit low in contrast and have
narrower field, very powerful when combined with
a GOTO and tracking system. Good for high power
imaging or general purpose visual
observations. Large reflectors with dobsonian
mounts cheap for the size, good image quality,
but no tracking. Their large sizes allow
observation of dimmer objects.
2Continue
Eyepieces a set of high, medium, and low power
eyepiece for each scope is the minimum. Quality
is important for high power eyepieces, while good
wide field low power eyepieces are also quite
expensive. There are many good and low cost
medium power eyepiece. Some company sells a set
of eyepieces which could be a low cost way to
start with. Neutral density moon filter.
Binoculars are low cost, very useful, and can
be given to students no using the telescopes.
Note DO NOT distribute binoculars for solar/day
time sections! Solar projection screen. FRONT
solar filter. Cooled CCD cameras with high
quality optical and tracking systems can take the
best DSO (deep sky objects) pictures, but are
very expensive. Some cheap CCD/CMOS based webcams
are very good for taking videos of planets for
stacking, as well as class demonstration. Digital
cameras with proper adaptors can take good
stack-and-track images for planets and bright
DSO. In recent years, binoviewers have become
very cost effective. Experience has show that
their views are very effective for attracting the
attention of the untrained eyes. Recommended if
budget allows.