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 Posted: Mon Nov 29, 2004 1:24 pm Post subject: 80mm Short Tube |
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Where is the best place to get an 80mm short tube refractor. What accessories are "must have"?. Is this a good choice for a beginner?
John |
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lostbowyer
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Joined: 22 May 2004
Posts: 25
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| Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2004 12:22 am Post subject: |
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There are a lot of good 80mm scopes out there. For the money I would have to say that the Orion 80mm short tube is a great deal. It has great optics for the money and is a great grab and go scope.
Accessories would depend upon what you want to do with the scope. If you are thinking of using the scope both for stargazing and terrestrial viewing I would recommend an alt-az style mount. It is simple to use and quick to setup. If you only intend to look at stars, then an equatorial mount might be a better choice. Once polar aligned it will be easier to track an object while viewing.
If you plan to look at the moon, then a moon filter will be a must. There are many style eyepieces available for scopes, for beginners, I would suggest just a few eyepieces (2 or 3) and a barlow lense to fill in the in-between sizes for starters. Simple Plossel lenses will be fine for a start until you get use to using the scope. Don't go crazy on eyepieces you might never use a second time. It is better to learn the abilities of your scope and equipment, than to go crazy buying a lot of stuff you will never use in the long run. |
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jmurray
Joined: 29 Nov 2004
Posts: 2
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| Posted: Wed Dec 01, 2004 6:13 pm Post subject: MAK 90 |
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How does the short tube 80mm compare to a 90mm Mak?
I'm would want to do both astronomical and terrestrial viewing?
John |
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lostbowyer
Site Admin
Joined: 22 May 2004
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| Posted: Tue Dec 07, 2004 12:05 pm Post subject: Re: MAK 90 |
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| jmurray wrote: |
How does the short tube 80mm compare to a 90mm Mak?
I'm would want to do both astronomical and terrestrial viewing?
John |
It depends what you are looking for ultimately. Both scopes are small and compact and make great grab and go scopes. The 80mm refractor is an f/5 which is a low power wide field scope. If you want wide field views, then this is a better scope for you. The 90mm mak is a better scope if you want high power finer detail images. If you are looking for fine detail on the planets or be able to read the name off of the side of a boat at a mile away, then the mak might be a better choice.
Glenn |
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