Hi, all -- I was browsing KSL's classifieds, and saw that someone in Duchense was selling the following setup: - Celestron 4-inch refractor (c4-r or c102hd, dep. on age) on somewhat shabby EQ mount. - a scope "highly recommended" by Ed Ting at scopereviews.com at a price of $750. - 2.3 mm Celestron xcel EP - a decent, if inexpensive EP - 5x Powermate (serious stuff, a couple hundred or more new) - a "filter". The photo of the filter makes me think it is some sort of UHC or LP filter -- it's kind of shiny for $300. Now the downside would be that the supplied mount is probably inferior, but the accessories themselves are almost worth the price of admission. Anyway, I don't want to be a "multiple-scope" guy. My 6" f/5 reflector is probably pound-for-pound and photon-for-photon pretty close to a 4" refractor (although I admit being tempted). I saw it and thought that if someone has the gas money, or needs to head east anyway, it seems like a great deal, especially if the seller could say more about what the filter was (if it's a UHC, it's probably about $100 new). On the topic of filters, the always-sketchy "telescopes.com" offers a set of Zhumell filters for about $100 with free shipping, including a variable polarizing filter, a UHC (narrowband) filter, a broadband filter, and an O-III filter (1.25" format). I couldn't resist. I wanted to offer a decent review, but with inversion, and the pathetic weather lately, I can't be too precise. What I can say is this: From my backyard (three blocks from Redwood Rd), I cannot normally detect the dumbbell, but other DSO (the ring, M81/82, M31, Messier open clusters, globulars in Sagit./Ophiuc. region) are pretty easy. I can definitely see it (M27) by passing the O-III or UHC filters in front of the EP when looking (after which, I can see it w/o a filter). M42 grows with any of the filters (except, obviously, the polarizing one) in. So, with the Orion or Lumicon UHC filters at $100 each, I think the Zhumell set is not too bad. Probably not great, but I can find planetaries at home, without having to travel, for a pretty low cost. I'll let you know if the broadband helps with galaxies, if there is ever a clear-ish night with not a lot of moon.... ---- Rev. Michael A. van Opstall Department of Mathematics, University of Utah Office: JWB 313 opstall@math.utah.edu