Right now i am living in a
Clear Skies
I guess it is all relative. For me 102mm and 80mm are in the same grab and go tier since I use both of them on the same mount,pakarinen wrote: ↑Fri May 05, 2023 1:22 pm I sold my 102. Thinking about it more, it wasn't a great GnGo. Great optics, but a little too heavy and long for my tastes. I might try an F5 90mm refractor if I can find a good used one. My 90mm Mak was a dream to transport, but I sold it because I like wider FOV.
A
I bought the 102mm as a cheap gateway into the realm of refractors. Wasn't thrilled with the mount so I got an AZ5 for it and quickly learned that its tripod is a beast - super sturdy with zero vibration for that fairly light load, but while nice for home, not ideal for g&g. I also have one of those GTiX mounts and it came with a lighter weight tripod (somewhere in between the ones that Skywatcher pairs with the AZ3 and AZ5). It's perfect. Not exactly something to use on a hike, but for a quick trip by car, the combination is perfect, at least for me . . . at the momentBigzmey wrote: ↑Sat Apr 15, 2023 1:24 am Skywatcher 102mm and 120mm achro refractors are compact and lightweight and will show your lots under the dark skies
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startr ... 2-az3.html
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startr ... 0-az3.html
Mount is always a weak spot in starter packages. At least AZ3 is usable (I had it for half of year) and I did appreciate the light weight of that grab and go. Of cause once you try a better mount there is no going back.SkySurfer wrote: ↑Sat May 13, 2023 12:24 pmI bought the 102mm as a cheap gateway into the realm of refractors. Wasn't thrilled with the mount so I got an AZ5 for it and quickly learned that its tripod is a beast - super sturdy with zero vibration for that fairly light load, but while nice for home, not ideal for g&g. I also have one of those GTiX mounts and it came with a lighter weight tripod (somewhere in between the ones that Skywatcher pairs with the AZ3 and AZ5). It's perfect. Not exactly something to use on a hike, but for a quick trip by car, the combination is perfect, at least for me . . . at the momentBigzmey wrote: ↑Sat Apr 15, 2023 1:24 am Skywatcher 102mm and 120mm achro refractors are compact and lightweight and will show your lots under the dark skies
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startr ... 2-az3.html
https://www.firstlightoptics.com/startr ... 0-az3.html
The scope itself is great. Most of the reviews I've read say it's pretty good considering its price and that it's anachro . To my novice eyes, it's spectacular. There's a bit of a blue fringe on the edge of the moon and bright planets at high magnification but I don't find that to be an issue, and it's incredibly sharp compared to our 8"dob so I'm quite happy with it. Of course I'm avoiding looking through anything more refined so I don't get any crazy ideas about upgrading
Interesting! I finally sold my 102ED and I'm trying to decide between a 90mm Omegon or a SkyWatcher ST102
You need to be a member in order to post a reply
Not a member? register to join our community
Members can start their own topics & subscribe to topics
It’s free and only takes a minute