Sky Atlas 2000.0

I'm thining about getting a star atlas and have read good reports on sky atlas 2000. I was wondering if anyone here has it?
Do you find it good?
Does it have alot of DSO's marked on it?
Is the laminated filed version the one to go for?
Is there another atlas that users find equally as good or even better?
Thanks,
Michael
AI quoted me €165 to buy the laminated field version from them. I can get it from a number of places on the net for €65.
BTW, anyone know anywhere that, in general., is cheap for astro books??

Michael,

I have the Field version of 2000.0 Sky Atlas (laminated, white stars on a black field), and I think it's superb. It has 81,312 stars up to visual magnitude 8.5 and about 2,700 deep sky objects. My wife got it for me as a birthday present off Walter Mee of Andromeda Optics, so I'm not sure how much it cost, but I assume it was a lot less than the AI price you were quoted!

I have a 'spare' copy of the laminated field version and you can have it for EURO 20. Never used, pristine condition, just one teensy problem. It's missing the close-up chart of the Virgo cluster. It has all of the other 'large-scale' maps, and the close-up of the belt-area of Orion.
Let me know if you're interested. I can bring it along to Whirlpool if you are.
Including the carrier-case and fairly prompt postage on Fed-Ex, which meant order placed on Tuesday delivered on Friday, came to less than EURO 120. I could have sold it on at AI prices and made a tidy profit myself :twisted: !!
As for cheap places to buy books, then I can wholeheartedly recommend Amazon.co.uk. They're an average of 50% cheaper than AI INCLUDING exchange rate and postage. For example, all three volumes of Burnham's Celestial Handbook cost EURO 48 including exchange/postage, while one volume of the book was quoted at EURO 28 in the AI shop. Amazon have a better selection than Eason, Waterstones and Hodges Figgis too.

Price: $35.00 at www.amazon.com
It might not be the laminated edition but total cost including postage would not be far off €40
I have done a lot of good value shopping at amazon.com and am very happy with them.
You could but 4 of them for ur friends and it would be cheaper than paying "165 Euro" locally
The above offer at €20 from Paul Tipper is excellent also Michael.
Sometime soon I must tell you all about problems down here trying to let people know about our Astronomy club through local radio and media, due to "others" having the rights....keep posted, bet 90% you you know who I am talking about already
See you all at Birr

Yea, €20 euro seems reasonable alright. Might have a look at it at Birr if that's ok Shane.
As for your efforts on radio, I can only imagine!!! Keep up the effort though...eventually it'll get though. Alot of new members (including myself) to IFAS clubs are AI people who have got a little disappointed with the whole situation.
Michael

Michael,

I think you are confused between the laminated deluxe edition and the laminated field and desk editions. AI could not have quoted you for the laminated field edition as they do not sell it. They only sell the deluxe and laminated deluxe editions and obviously quoted you for the latter.

Sky Publishing prices are $119.95 for the laminated deluxe edition and $69.95 for the laminated field and desk editions. You may be able to pick them up slightly cheaper shopping around.

Personally, I would avoid the laminated field edition as white stars on a black background are extremely difficult to read at night. It may sound wrong but the preferred version for observing is actually the laminated desk edition with black stars on a white background. I use the standard deluxe edition because it utilises a larger scale and has coloured DSO symbols but I also have the laminated desk edition for dewy nights. I gave the laminated field version away as I found it more or less unusable although people with very young eyes may find it acceptable. The laminated deluxe edition is similar but doesn't fold so can be somewhat large and unwieldy. Haven't said that, it's a beautiful atlas.

Gordon