Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

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West83 Slovenia
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Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#1

Post by West83 »


Hi gang,

I have been itching to buy a new scope. I am always looking at the used market, which is almost non-existent around here, but this will likely be a retail purchase.
So I have a small newt and frac, and I am really trying to find something to either complement both or provide a significant improvement. Was looking at AR127L and S, also Skymax127 was scanned, but generally I would love to hear opinions.

The purpose of this topic is mainly to broaden my perspective, and I would appreciate if you can hypothetically provide insight into what you would be looking into, if you had my equipment to begin with.
1 key limitation is storage (bigger dobs are currently a no-go for me due to space limitations, but will definitely get a 10" down the road).

Thank you!
Telescope Celestron Astromaster 130 - 130mm f/5 Reflector | Celestron FS80 - 80mm f/11.3 Refractor | TS Photoline 102mm f/7
Mounts SW AZ GTI
Binoviewer MaxBright II
Barlow Baader Q-Barlow 2.25x / 1.3x
Eyepieces Baader Classic Orthos 6mm, 10mm, 18mm | Baader Classic Plössl 32mm | Maxvision 24 mm 68°| BST 5mm
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#2

Post by Lady Fraktor »


The Bresser AR127 L or S are nice telescopes but function slightly differently.
The S model uses what is called a sub-aperture corrector lens to get better colour correction but that assembly interferes
with changing the focuser in the future if you wanted to and you cannot use a Herschel wedge with these.
You can still use the S for solar observing using a front mounted filter made of Baader Solar Film though. Probably minor considerations but good to be aware of.
Both telescopes are good, I have used both in the past.
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#3

Post by Bigzmey »


What you are looking to achieve in your next scope? In terms of aperture 127mm refractor is about the same as 130mm reflector you have.

If you want to go deeper on DSOs I would consider 6"-8" scope. Does not need to be a DOB. This 150mm short tube is a great performer on DSOs.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startr ... 0-eq5.html

They sale just OTA to

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startr ... 0-ota.html

Another great option is 6" or 8" SCT. Same reach as DOB, but much more lightweight and compact.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#4

Post by Ylem »


I second an SCT of 6-8"

I had a 10" Dob (I do miss it) but it did rob me of some space.
I dropped down to an 8" SCT and never looked back.
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#5

Post by turboscrew »


I, too, see a 8" as a logical thing, considering that the "around 100 mm" range is already well covered.
8" would, really, bring something new to it.
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#6

Post by Refractordude »


Find an astronomy club in your area. Go to the club's next star party and tryout different scopes and sizes.
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#7

Post by John Baars »


Since you have a 10" in mind in future and your current equipment is around 5", an 8" will be a good update for the time being. It is possible, however, to spend a lifetime with 4 to 6 inch telescopes. Or 8 inch in case of a reflector. A good 5 inch refractor will still be enjoyed by your grandchildren when they are grown up. :D
Refractors in frequency of use : *SW Evostar 120ED F/7.5 (all round ), * Vixen 102ED F/9 (vintage), both on Vixen GPDX.
GrabnGo on Alt/AZ : *SW Startravel 102 F/5 refractor( widefield, Sun, push-to), *OMC140 Maksutov F/14.3 ( planets).
Most used Eyepieces: *Panoptic 24, *Morpheus 14, *Leica ASPH zoom, *Zeiss barlow, *Pentax XO5.
Commonly used bino's : *Jena 10X50 , * Canon 10X30 IS, *Swarovski Habicht 7X42, * Celestron 15X70, *Kasai 2.3X40
Rijswijk Public Observatory: * Astro-Physics Starfire 130 f/8, * 6 inch Newton, * C9.25, * Meade 14 inch LX600 ACF, *Lunt.
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#8

Post by TCampbell »


This is a tricky question because there's no "best" scope. I've never actually /owned/ a Dob ... but have used many. There are reasons that, while I've personally owned one, I wish I would have known about them when buying my first scope. Buyer's remorse for first telescopes isn't uncommon. The advice to visit an astronomy club's public observing night to ask questions and perhaps (if they permit -- and they usually do) you to look through the scopes is highly recommended.

High focal-length scopes are good for small objects, but some objects are large enough that they wont fit into the field-of-view for these scopes. I primarily use two different scopes ... a refractor with a focal length of around 500mm and a reflector with a focal length of around 2500mm. "Which" scope I pick for the night depends on what I want to do.

An 8" Dob ... will usually have a focal length of around 1200mm ... so that's sort of a happy medium. Not too wide ... not too narrow. We'll call it the Goldilocks focal length.

Next, consider the telescope to be (a) optics, (b) mount, & (c) electronics. When you buy a telescope, a portion of your purchase price is going to these various categories.

If you avoid telescopes with electronics, the price comes down because there is no 'c' ... so now it's between 'a', and 'b'.

If a telescope has a tripod, you've got to wonder ... is it /solid/? My first telescope (actually my first two) came with aluminum tripods. While they seemed solid enough to look at... looking through the telescope was a different experience entirely. I'd be looking at a planet ... say Jupiter ... and realize that it isn't focused. I'd reach for the focus knob and this would induce vibrations because the tripod was NOT solid. Jupiter would shake so fiercely in the field of view that I had no idea if my adjustments to focus were making things better or worse. I'd have to let go ... wait for the scope to settle ... and then try again. It was really frustrating.

I realized that what I really needed ... was a /solid/ tripod. But that was a lot more money. I ultimately dropped about $350 in *just* the cost of a tripod. And that did fix things -- but it also means when we add the cost of the scope plus the more-solid tripod, the scope costs a whole lot more to make it usable.

Meanwhile ... a Dobsonian telescope doesn't have a tripod. No legs. It uses something akin to a 3-sided box on a turn-table and it's VERY solid. It's also VERY cheap. This means not a whole lot of your telescope-buying-dollars are going to 'b' (the mount) and that leaves /most/ of your funds going into the quality of the optics.

So I tend to think of a dob as being perhaps a "best bang for your buck" category. But this assumes dobs that sit on the ground -- not table-top dobs (where table-stability results in vibrations).

I'm referring to completely manual dobs ... no electronics for goto or even push-to. If you want that -- and they do make them -- they go into a more expensive category.

Dobs are not typically suitable for astrophotography -- although there are certainly people who have used them for this -- it's not their forte for a lot of reasons. I don't recommend astrophotography for beginners due to the complexity of it and the extra costs can be surprising.

The downside is the cost of everything has gone up. Just a few years ago you could get an 8" Dob for $350-450 USD. Today they are more like $600-$900. I think Apertura still lists 8" Dobs at around $550. And of course ... finding them in stock is the next trick.
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#9

Post by gregl »


FWIW, the most popular scopes in our club are the 8-inch SCT and 8- or 10-inch dobs. If you should decide on an SCT, be sure to get one with a dual-fork mount. I have an 8SE and while the OTA is fine, the one-arm mount is shaky.
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#10

Post by Kanadalainen »


My first scope was a 10" Dob - a great instrument, and it ran me about $750 CAD. I did my first 110 Messiers with it - was one of the best astro projects I've undertaken. A Dob is easy to set up and tear down, easy to focus, simple, portable.

I would also vote for an 8' SCT, a fun scope, not as forgiving, but great reach for deep sky pursuits.
Ian

Fracs: Stellarvue 70T f6; SW 120mm Esprit f7; "Mark Mk. II" - 60 mm Tasco f6; C80 frac f 11.4
SCT: C8 Edge f10 or f7 with reducer
Dob: 14.5" homebuilt strut dob (f4.5 ZOC mirror), Nexus II, Moonlite focuser
Mounts - Ioptron Skyguider pro, Astro Physics GTO900
Cameras and lenses - ZWO 2600 mc, 290 mm mini, Canon 60D modded with Rokinon 10mm 2.8; Rokinon 135mm f2

Skysafari 6 Pro, Astro Pixel Processor, Pixinsight - using Mac tablet and ASIair pro to run the AP rig.

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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#11

Post by West83 »


Thank you all for the replies, advice and suggestions! Much appreciated.

It has given me a lot to think about, and I have taken some time to scout the markets for what's available and what fits the bill. The 8" SCT does sound like the perfect scope for me, but the prices are well over 2k€ (8se) and 3k€ for the version with a decent mount. So sadly it's something that will have to wait. So far I have identified several scopes that might be of interest, but of course there's always give and take, especially in astronomy (when the budget both space and money-wise is limited).

So I have a fairly modded but generally (at least that is the consensus online) sub-par newton that is the Astromaster 130, it has done it's job in getting me deeper with astronomy, and I actually love the scope despite it's shortcoming. Hard to forget the first views of some DSOs and planets and with all the modifications and replacements I did, it's a different scope now. The 80mm F/11.3 frac surprised me with how good the views can be mainly of the planets and the moon, but the limited aperture definitely shows. So that is why I am eager to buy a new scope (I definitely feel the addiction to astro gear creeping up).

1. 6" SCT
seems it can ride my AZ GTI - aperture upgrade with good all round capability. Meade LX65 ACF seems best optically, but apparently it lacks the accessory line of the celestron SCTs (like focal reducer, which might come in handy).
I have identified several 6" SCTs, namely Astrofi, SLT, C6 and nexstar 6, all on astroshop. The price discrepancy makes me question what sets them apart besides the mount. The OTA C6 is more expensive than the cheaper SLT and Astrofi. Anybody knows if it's much difference optically?


2. Mak 127

Again, a big plus that it can be handled by my existing mount, another plus is the price which sits it at 420€. This allows me to buy some additional gear (such as the binoviewer!)

Is there much I would gain from the added 1" of sct, or you reckon the mak with a set of maxbright II binos would be good. Any experience with binos in general with 5" maks out there? I have read that Maxbright might be better due to various features that are not present in WO or other cheaper binos.
I would be looking to buy 10mm BCO and potentially 18mm so I would have 2 sets for the solar objects and potentially smaller brigher DSOs.
Telescope Celestron Astromaster 130 - 130mm f/5 Reflector | Celestron FS80 - 80mm f/11.3 Refractor | TS Photoline 102mm f/7
Mounts SW AZ GTI
Binoviewer MaxBright II
Barlow Baader Q-Barlow 2.25x / 1.3x
Eyepieces Baader Classic Orthos 6mm, 10mm, 18mm | Baader Classic Plössl 32mm | Maxvision 24 mm 68°| BST 5mm
Filters Baader Neodymium (Moon & Skyglow) | Astronomik UHC
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#12

Post by Kanadalainen »


These are both good options, I would lean to the SCT... but only have experience with Celestron edge stuff. I should say that the edge series are quite popular and you might find them in your country on used markets. For example I found my C8 Edge locally for about $1.5k CAD with a reducer and dew shield, eyepieces, etc.. thus for about 50% of the cost new.
Ian

Fracs: Stellarvue 70T f6; SW 120mm Esprit f7; "Mark Mk. II" - 60 mm Tasco f6; C80 frac f 11.4
SCT: C8 Edge f10 or f7 with reducer
Dob: 14.5" homebuilt strut dob (f4.5 ZOC mirror), Nexus II, Moonlite focuser
Mounts - Ioptron Skyguider pro, Astro Physics GTO900
Cameras and lenses - ZWO 2600 mc, 290 mm mini, Canon 60D modded with Rokinon 10mm 2.8; Rokinon 135mm f2

Skysafari 6 Pro, Astro Pixel Processor, Pixinsight - using Mac tablet and ASIair pro to run the AP rig.

"Mothers! It is there!" - Rafael Gonzales-Acuna, 2018.
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#13

Post by Bigzmey »


West83 wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 1:39 pm Thank you all for the replies, advice and suggestions! Much appreciated.

It has given me a lot to think about, and I have taken some time to scout the markets for what's available and what fits the bill. The 8" SCT does sound like the perfect scope for me, but the prices are well over 2k€ (8se) and 3k€ for the version with a decent mount. So sadly it's something that will have to wait. So far I have identified several scopes that might be of interest, but of course there's always give and take, especially in astronomy (when the budget both space and money-wise is limited).

So I have a fairly modded but generally (at least that is the consensus online) sub-par newton that is the Astromaster 130, it has done it's job in getting me deeper with astronomy, and I actually love the scope despite it's shortcoming. Hard to forget the first views of some DSOs and planets and with all the modifications and replacements I did, it's a different scope now. The 80mm F/11.3 frac surprised me with how good the views can be mainly of the planets and the moon, but the limited aperture definitely shows. So that is why I am eager to buy a new scope (I definitely feel the addiction to astro gear creeping up).

1. 6" SCT
seems it can ride my AZ GTI - aperture upgrade with good all round capability. Meade LX65 ACF seems best optically, but apparently it lacks the accessory line of the celestron SCTs (like focal reducer, which might come in handy).
I have identified several 6" SCTs, namely Astrofi, SLT, C6 and nexstar 6, all on astroshop. The price discrepancy makes me question what sets them apart besides the mount. The OTA C6 is more expensive than the cheaper SLT and Astrofi. Anybody knows if it's much difference optically?


2. Mak 127

Again, a big plus that it can be handled by my existing mount, another plus is the price which sits it at 420€. This allows me to buy some additional gear (such as the binoviewer!)

Is there much I would gain from the added 1" of sct, or you reckon the mak with a set of maxbright II binos would be good. Any experience with binos in general with 5" maks out there? I have read that Maxbright might be better due to various features that are not present in WO or other cheaper binos.
I would be looking to buy 10mm BCO and potentially 18mm so I would have 2 sets for the solar objects and potentially smaller brigher DSOs.
Unfortunately, 6" SCT can't ride on AZ GTi. I thought it would be a good combo and purchased 6" SCT OTA, but it was too much. AZ Gti could not complete alignment, perform GoTo or track accurately with 6" SCT.

127mm Mak however rides nicely on AZ GTi, so that would be the logical choice if you want to keep using your mount.

6" SCT is substantially better on DSOs than 5" Mak. But, 5" Mak would still be good on brighter DSOs. Both scopes are great for Lunar, planets and doubles.

I would not rush into buying binoviewer if you end up with Mak. The views it produces are somewhat dim and they will get even dimmer with binoviewer since it splits light in half.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#14

Post by Bigzmey »


Looking back at the scopes you already have, I don't believe you will get any improvement on DSOs with 127mm Mak over 130mm reflector you have. From my experience performance of 127mm Mak on DSOs is on pair with 80mm refractor (which you already have to). On Lunar, planets and doubles the Mak could perform a bit better, but not enough to justify the purchase.

At one point I was searching for the best performing scope AZGti mount can handle. As I already mentioned 6" SCT unfortunately was too much for AZGti. Then I tried 127mm Mak, which runs just fine on it, but after comparing it side by side with 80mm ED refractor I have, I realized that I would rather use 80mm refractor and sold the Mak. At the end I found that 100mm F7 refractor is the best scope AZGti can handle.

So, the bottom line 127mm Mak is fun scope to play with and it will ride fine on your mount, but I doubt it will improve your observing capabilities with scope you already have.

I would go back to recommending 6"-8" scope, but that would mean getting heavier mount to.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#15

Post by West83 »


Bigzmey wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 5:40 pm So, the bottom line 127mm Mak is fun scope to play with and it will ride fine on your mount, but I doubt it will improve your observing capabilities with scope you already have.

I would go back to recommending 6"-8" scope, but that would mean getting heavier mount to.
So considering all that was said, the Mak is definitely going off the list. Was hoping that it would significantly improve the planetary views, but based on the above, it might not bring any wows.

Back to the drawing board for me.

So I did check the ST150 short refractor. Seems to be a great improvement, at the price it does seem reasonable. Alas, the mount is required to run it, which adds to the cost. This makes me wonder if I should wait a bit and buy a decent mount that can hold it and something that will be viable for a C8 or bigger scope.

A word or two about the 150mm-f/5: Do you reckon it can benefit from the SemiAPO filter. I ask only because I did some reading and some say it helps a lot on brighter targets, and considering I can easily get 150x, it should provide solid views of the planets. Another question is binoviewers, I am very eager to get into that at some point, any experience with it that could help me decide?

I am leaning towards AZ with Go-to. Go-to is kind of a preference because of tracking, and AZ seems to be better with longer scopes (at least that is my impression, but I could be wrong).

Any thoughts on the following:
https://www.astroshop.eu/alt-azimuth-wi ... oc/p,50088
Is the Tri-Pier worth the extra coins in your opinion, or is it geared towards a very demanding astronomer?

Thanks!
Telescope Celestron Astromaster 130 - 130mm f/5 Reflector | Celestron FS80 - 80mm f/11.3 Refractor | TS Photoline 102mm f/7
Mounts SW AZ GTI
Binoviewer MaxBright II
Barlow Baader Q-Barlow 2.25x / 1.3x
Eyepieces Baader Classic Orthos 6mm, 10mm, 18mm | Baader Classic Plössl 32mm | Maxvision 24 mm 68°| BST 5mm
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turboscrew
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#16

Post by turboscrew »


I think Tri-pier (the little brother of Tri-pier360) is made for CEM70. At least the bolts should fit without adapter plates. It's also good for CEM120 with small load. Adapter plate is needed then, though. There are some adapter plates for other mounts too, like Sky-Watcher EQ-series (don't recall right now). We're talking upto 30 kg (66 lb) payload here for visual. And CEM70 (not considered as part of the payload) weights about 13.5 kg (30 lb), and then there are the counterweights.
And Tri-pier itself weights almost 12 kg (26 lb). 150 mm APO weights around 10 kg (22 lb), I guess.
I have a hunch that Tri-pier is overkill.

I have CEM120 and Tri-pier360 for my about 15 kg (33 lb) VX12, not because of the weight, but the size (sail-effect).
Without the sail-effect the scope could be 25 kg (55 lb) and still (barely) OK for AP.

Note that Lite Rock still goes with CEM70. It's the mount head that's the limiting factor in the package.
If you check: https://www.astroshop.eu/alt-azimuth-wi ... r_1_select
The maximum load is still the same.
CEM40 on LiteRock has 18 kg (40 lb) load capacity.

(BTW, I still have a Tri-pier too.)
- Juha

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Telescope: OrionOptics XV12, Mount: CEM120, Tri-pier 360 and alternative dobson mount.
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Explore Scientific HR 2" coma corrector, Meade x3 1.25" Barlow, TV PowerMate 4x 2"
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#17

Post by Bigzmey »


West83 wrote: Tue May 10, 2022 8:37 am
Bigzmey wrote: Mon May 09, 2022 5:40 pm So, the bottom line 127mm Mak is fun scope to play with and it will ride fine on your mount, but I doubt it will improve your observing capabilities with scope you already have.

I would go back to recommending 6"-8" scope, but that would mean getting heavier mount to.
So considering all that was said, the Mak is definitely going off the list. Was hoping that it would significantly improve the planetary views, but based on the above, it might not bring any wows.

Back to the drawing board for me.

So I did check the ST150 short refractor. Seems to be a great improvement, at the price it does seem reasonable. Alas, the mount is required to run it, which adds to the cost. This makes me wonder if I should wait a bit and buy a decent mount that can hold it and something that will be viable for a C8 or bigger scope.

A word or two about the 150mm-f/5: Do you reckon it can benefit from the SemiAPO filter. I ask only because I did some reading and some say it helps a lot on brighter targets, and considering I can easily get 150x, it should provide solid views of the planets. Another question is binoviewers, I am very eager to get into that at some point, any experience with it that could help me decide?

I am leaning towards AZ with Go-to. Go-to is kind of a preference because of tracking, and AZ seems to be better with longer scopes (at least that is my impression, but I could be wrong).

Any thoughts on the following:
https://www.astroshop.eu/alt-azimuth-wi ... oc/p,50088
Is the Tri-Pier worth the extra coins in your opinion, or is it geared towards a very demanding astronomer?

Thanks!
I can't comment about longevity since I had my iOptron AZMP just for a year, but in terms of performance it is a very nice GoTo mount for visual observing. 150ST or 8" SCT will be rock solid on this mount. It can take more than that easily. Here is my setup with 20 lb 7" Mak and 10 lb 4" frac.
Mak7-SV102 B.jpg
If you would consider manual AltAz, I can highly recommend SkyTee 2

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/alt-az ... mount.html

Here is my setup with 150ST on one side, 8" SCT on the other and 80mm ED on top for more fun. :)
Mech3-C.jpg
I don't have SemiAPO filter, so can't comment on that. But binoviewers work with 150ST quite nicely. Here is the light train to get BV in focus
150ST BVs setup.jpg
I thought of getting Baader Maxbright BV at first, but they have been out of stock for years (and still are :)), so I got simple Orion prism BV (very similar to WO model) and very happy with them.
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#18

Post by West83 »


This is a very, very (very, very) cool looking setup you got there!
Thank you for illustrating the actual requirements for a proper binoviewing experience :) I have pre-ordered the baader maxbright II (probably should expect them within the decade, and maybe by xmas this year).

So I have been reading, checking reviews and whatnot, which got me to the point of 2 - 3 contenders.

1. SW 150 F8 (if some miracle should happen this might change into 150ED)
- Mount required - iOptron AZ Pro

700€ [2,000€ for ED version] + 1,700€ for mount


2. C8 (if some miracle should happen this might change to 9.25)
- same mount considered as above

1,445€ + 1,700€ for mount


3. SW 10" Flextube GOTO Dob
1,500€


Now I know that Dob was not an option before, but after lots of give'n'take I am seriously considering it, due to the price-performance ratio

I believe binoviewing is doable with all three (albeit with additional GPC for Dob, if not for others too) and that's something I am really looking forward to.

Obviously the dob is the main contender now, as it's something I can afford straight away. Just curious with my EP selection, that I might need to shell out some more coins for corrected EPs or soma coma corrector. The F4.7 doesn't really help my case here.

Based on everything I read, the Dob should outperform others on all targets. Am I correct in assuming this?

Any thoughts?
Telescope Celestron Astromaster 130 - 130mm f/5 Reflector | Celestron FS80 - 80mm f/11.3 Refractor | TS Photoline 102mm f/7
Mounts SW AZ GTI
Binoviewer MaxBright II
Barlow Baader Q-Barlow 2.25x / 1.3x
Eyepieces Baader Classic Orthos 6mm, 10mm, 18mm | Baader Classic Plössl 32mm | Maxvision 24 mm 68°| BST 5mm
Filters Baader Neodymium (Moon & Skyglow) | Astronomik UHC
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#19

Post by Lady Fraktor »


I am not sure about the mount, a 150 f/8 is quite lens heavy so you have more tube sticking out the back than the front. You either need to put extra weight at the focuser end of the tube or get a tall tripod.
A f/5 is better suited to a Az/ Alt mount, a f/8 is better with a EQ.
Have you seen a 150mm f/8 in person? They are quite large.
See Far Sticks: Antares Elita 103/1575, AOM FLT 105/1000, Bresser BV 127/1200, Nočný stopár 152/1200, Vyrobené doma 70/700, Stellarvue NHNG DX 80/552, TAL RS100/1000, Vixen SD115s/885
EQ: TAL MT-1, Vixen SXP, AXJ, AXD
Az/Alt: AYO Digi II/ Argo Navis, Stellarvue M2C/ Argo Navis
Tripods: Berlebach Planet (2), Uni 28 Astro, Report 372, TAL factory maple, Vixen ASG-CB90, Vixen AXD-TR102
Diagonals: Astro-Physics, Baader Amici, Baader Herschel, iStar Blue, Stellarvue DX, Takahashi prism, TAL, Vixen flip mirror
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Re: Looking to buy a new scope, opinions very welcome :)

#20

Post by Bigzmey »


150mm F8 is a nice scope. But it is a beast! It weigh 8.6 kg which is well within 15kg the load capacity of iOptron AZMP, but it is 130 cm long. It will be even longer with diagonal and focuser tube extended. For comparison the 4" refractor in the AZMP pic above is ~60cm long, and SW 150mm F5 is 64cm long.

As Gabby indicated, with 150mm F8 on the iOptron AZMP there might be problem with tripod clearance and the EP position will be too low to observe comfortably.

For some mounts you can add extension pier to elevate the scope, but I don't believe such extension is available for the AZMP.

I would not hesitate to recommend solid tube 10" DOB (if you can handle the size and weight). Collapsible DOBs like SW 10" Flextube GOTO need to be well designed and executed to be enjoyable. I suspect that at that price point SW 10" Flextube GOTO is somewhat flimsy and may have issues with collimation, vibrations and GoTo accuracy. Flex is not good for scopes. Calling a scope "flextube" is like calling a boat "sinker". :D

8" SCT and iOptron AZ Pro is a nice combo. I would pick that out of 3 options above. And you can always add later a fast F5-F6 refractor in 80mm to 120mm range to make it even more fun. Or you can start with fast refractor and add 8" SCT later. :)
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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