The Complete Handbook of Telescope Accessories

I bought this for my shop's reference shelf and it's already been useful for checking compatibility specs on a customer's focal reducer. The chapter on installation torque and thread pitch alone kept me from damaging a premium diagonal. Minor gripe: the brand comparison chapter is light on actual price data, but that changes quickly anyway, so I get why. Solid reference, not a page-turner, but that's not why I bought it.

The book is thorough, but it reads more like a technical manual than a guide. I was hoping for more practical examples of, say, which eyepiece to use with a specific telescope model. That said, the section on cleaning optics saved me from a potentially expensive mistake. It's a good resource to have on hand, but I wouldn't recommend it as someone's first astronomy book — it requires some existing knowledge.

This is the reference I wish I'd had ten years ago. As someone who runs an observatory for a small college, I appreciate the clear breakdown of back focus calculations for focal reducers — I've had to explain that to three interns this month, and now I just hand them this chapter. The troubleshooting section on dewing is also spot-on. I've already ordered a second copy for the workbench.

I picked this up to get into astrophotography, and it taught me a lot, but it doesn't hold your hand. The installation chapter assumes you know what an SCT thread pattern is, which I didn't at first. There are some helpful checklists, and I eventually got my field flattener set up right, but it took a few re-reads. The maintenance section is practical and I've used the spirit level trick for collimation. I just wished it was written a bit more for beginners.

A genuinely neutral reference, which is rarer than you'd think in this hobby. I run a small telescope servicing and sale operation, and this book has become my standard intake guide. The business chapter is honest about margins and market realities — no get-rich promises. It's not flashy, but the sections on thread pitch and collimation drift have been worth the purchase price. If you're reselling used gear, get this.

It's a very complete reference, but I found the tone a bit dry, even for this subject. I bought it for the troubleshooting section and was glad to have clear steps for fixing an image shift issue in my focuser. The book covers a lot, but I felt like some sections were too short for their complexity — the section on astrophotography filters could have been twice as long. Still, for the price, it's a decent addition to the shelf.