Going to need to know about the Meade ETX80

[oscaletrains]

Anyone have or use this?

[Graeme1858]

No, but your avatar is very cute!

Are you thinking about buying one?

Regards

Graeme

[oscaletrains]

No, but your avatar is very cute!

Are you thinking about buying one?

Regards

Graeme

All ready did. My boy expressed interest in hooking his camera to his telescope and I didn't think it'd be very easy to attach it to a Onesky. I am interested in knowing what upgrades this ETX might require.

[Ylem]

I once had the ETX70
Not bad as I recall

[Piet Le Roux]

Anyone have or use this?

I have a ETX90 so similar mount but not a refractor telescope. It has the same controller. The type of controller would depend if you taking abould the old ETX or the new Observer ETX, the old had the Autostar and the observer is equipped with a Audiostar controller. I have both types of controllers so any questions about the controllers I could possibly help you.

[Piet Le Roux]

https://www.meade.com/etx80-observer.html

[oscaletrains]

https://www.meade.com/etx80-observer.html

That's the one. Hope they have decent directions.

[StarBru]

I own the ETX90-EC with #497 Autostar f/13.9 and the Meade Adventure Scope 80mm f/5.

At a dark sky site, the 80mm f/5 optics will stun you! It doesn't do too badly in backyard either. Just realize that high magnification is not it's strong suit. You really shouldn't try for more than 80x to 100x magnification with the 80mm, and I actually prefer the magnification for that scope at about 44x. The Mak can take more magnification, but I personally have not used it at more than about 139x. The Mak has very sharp, magnified views, making it perfect for viewing the planets and the moon, not so much for the brighter DSO's.

I have not had a lot of success with the go to mount of the ETX, but I think the faster optics of the ETX80 will make it easier to find objects than my ETX90 Mak because of the wide-field views, therefore making it easier to align the go to mount and eventually find objects with it. There are some good videos on youtube about aligning the ETX mount and about finding the HOME position, which can be confusing at times, maybe the newer ETX Observer series has better instructions, etc. I don't know.

The 80mm is a refractor just like the ETX80, but does not have the go to mount. It essentially has the same optics as the ETX80. The ETX80 is a wide-field fast refractor as opposed to the ETX90, which is of a slower focal ratio Maksutov Cassegrain (Mak) design. I prefer the wide-field views of the 80mm over the tighter, more magnified views of the ETX90, and the faster optics of the ETX80 is in my opinion, is more suited for the beginner. The 80mm refractor is not as powerful in magnification as the Mak, so it is suited better for nebulae such as the Orion Nebula and other deep sky objects (DSO's). However, I still enjoy the less magnified views of the moon and planets with the 80mm and the chromatic abberation (CA) does not bother me.
Just my :twocents:

[oscaletrains]

I own the ETX90-EC with #497 Autostar f/13.9 and the Meade Adventure Scope 80mm f/5.

At a dark sky site, the 80mm f/5 optics will stun you! It doesn't do too badly in backyard either. Just realize that high magnification is not it's strong suit. You really shouldn't try for more than 80x to 100x magnification with the 80mm, and I actually prefer the magnification for that scope at about 44x. The Mak can take more magnification, but I personally have not used it at more than about 139x. The Mak has very sharp, magnified views, making it perfect for viewing the planets and the moon, not so much for the brighter DSO's.

I have not had a lot of success with the go to mount of the ETX, but I think the faster optics of the ETX80 will make it easier to find objects than my ETX90 Mak because of the wide-field views, therefore making it easier to align the go to mount and eventually find objects with it. There are some good videos on youtube about aligning the ETX mount and about finding the HOME position, which can be confusing at times, maybe the newer ETX Observer series has better instructions, etc. I don't know.

The 80mm is a refractor just like the ETX80, but does not have the go to mount. It essentially has the same optics as the ETX80. The ETX80 is a wide-field fast refractor as opposed to the ETX90, which is of a slower focal ratio Maksutov Cassegrain (Mak) design. I prefer the wide-field views of the 80mm over the tighter, more magnified views of the ETX90, and the faster optics of the ETX80 is in my opinion, is more suited for the beginner. The 80mm refractor is not as powerful in magnification as the Mak, so it is suited better for nebulae such as the Orion Nebula and other deep sky objects (DSO's). However, I still enjoy the less magnified views of the moon and planets with the 80mm and the chromatic abberation (CA) does not bother me.
Just my :twocents:

Thanks for the info, after he has a chance to use it awhile I might have more questions. Just getting in to the whole thing, I am betting he will be happy with whatever photos he can get from it for awhile.

[StarBru]

You are going to need this Meade 64ST adapter along with a T-Mount specific to your son's camera if you don't have these items already:
https://www.meade.com/meade-64st-adapte ... odels.html

[oscaletrains]

You are going to need this Meade 64ST adapter along with a T-Mount specific to your son's camera if you don't have these items already:
https://www.meade.com/meade-64st-adapte ... odels.html

Thanks. I knew about the T mount and ordered it but did not know about the adapter.