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Planetary scope


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Hi 

 

So I am  going to be looking  for a scope  in the future (purely visual use on planets and the moon )  something lighter than  the  Intes Micro as it is starting to feel a bit heavy  ( welcome to old age) 😀 

open to suggestions here    I have an EQ6  to support  

 

Regards 

 

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If only for planets and the moon how about a Bresser Messier MC-127 / 1900 Maksutov Cassegrain OTA?

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I recommend a visit to next months Practical astronomy Show in Kettering (March 19)

All of the regular vendors will be there i think, and you'll be able to get advice, and more

importantly, see the scope in the flesh and get an idea of what you need and maybe get a show discount on its price if you want to purchase.

 

 

 

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Hi   I like the suggestions    especially the Starwave Ascent   My friend has a Mak 180  he is selling   may try and get a look through that as well 

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Remember for planets its all about your local atmospheric seeing.

Usually i find it to be 'mediocre' most of the time. Often its just pants. Sometimes things are a little better.

This is the main thing to get good views : decent seeing. Even if all the 'boxes below are ticked' if the seeing is poor,

and won't support high power observing, theres nothing much you can do but hope it improves a bit.

 

Scope cooldown comes next Cat scopes & Newts with big thick primarys take a long time to reach thermal equilibrium. Refractors less so.

 

Collimation. Is your Newt / Cat scope well collimated ?  Refractors don't (or shouldn't) have this issue.

 

Small central obstruction. Some debate here, but the smaller it is, the better.  

 

High quality optics 

 

 

 

I'm a refractor guy at heart, and i think in this country we hardly ever get all  the conditions needed, and i've always 

had my best views through a 5" size class of refractor.

I've used and looked through loads of scopes including 10" and 12" refractors, 8 & 9" SCTS, 7" Maks and none of them have bettered

the views through a good refractor, especially when using a binoviewer.

 

I agree with @Nightspore that a 4 - 5" refractor longish focal length (F7 - F10) is the way to go.

The F11 scope linked from Altair looks ideal.

Its quite a long tube though, so you may find the eyepiece in some tricky positions.

 

Finally on the plus side, finally for us northern hemisphere bods, we are finally starting to see the big planets return to a decent altitude

after what seems like years and years glued to the southern horizon.

Jupiter will be in Pisces, Uranus next door in Aries, Mars will be in Taurus at opposition later in the year, and even Saturn (Capricorn) is starting to improve.

 

Of course all of the above is merely my opinion, as they say over on 'Cloudy Nights' YMMV - your mileage may vary, and i'm by no means a prolific observer,

although i have had around 20 - 25  years of trying my best to seek out some nice Lunar and planetary views. Sometimes things all come together, and those

are the nights i remember best.

 

 

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Hi   thanks for the replies  Love my Intes Micro   but have to accept it is starting to get a bit heavy   ... time to hit the gym    

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Of course. 

You've already had the pleasure of some very fine scopes : the 150 Ylena and the IM Mak Newt.

 

How about a Takahashi FC 100 ??

A Fluorite doublet design (Steinheil) so rapid cool down and a very nice lightweight easy to use size

And just enough aperture to 'get you in the ballpark'.

These scopes have a loyal following, and are excellent performers by all accounts. They hold their value as well.

 

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Long focus refractor every time. if your not after imaging then an f12 - 15 achromat will do you proud and not be expensive. I regularly use an 80mm F15 vintage achro for lunar and planetary. Quick cool down times also help the viewing experience.

 

I have had a few Maks over the years, my most memorable view of Saturn was with a well cooled Mak 127. If you want a bit of apeture then a 150 is just as good. If your tempted with a 180. they are great scopes but are heavy and you wont get much advantag weight wise over the Intes. With Maks, to get the best out of them, let them cool down and they will perform well. They arent a grab (from a nice warm house) and go (to minus 10) scope, they need to cool. When I had my 180 I used to leave it for an hour outside to acclimate.

 

 

 

 

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Hi   thanks for that    I had  some great views of Saturn with the Ylena 150  and the intes    the moon was  also stunning    I am just starting to feel the weight of the Intes a bit over the last few weeks    

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Hi Dave. I have an Alto Astro EDT130 triplet frac and a Sky-Watcher ED120 doublet.  There is very little difference in the performance and the SW is not much more than half the weight (and half the price). It also balances further forward in the mount so there's less EP height variation with elevation. I haven't used the 130 since I got the ED120. I've heard these ED120's described as SW's best kept secret. I bought mine used of ABS and it came with an upgraded focuser. The original is ok but will mark your accessories.

Alan.

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On 01/03/2022 at 23:44, Werisit said:

Hi Dave. I have an Alto Astro EDT130 triplet frac and a Sky-Watcher ED120 doublet.  There is very little difference in the performance and the SW is not much more than half the weight (and half the price). It also balances further forward in the mount so there's less EP height variation with elevation. I haven't used the 130 since I got the ED120. I've heard these ED120's described as SW's best kept secret. I bought mine used of ABS and it came with an upgraded focuser. The original is ok but will mark your accessories.

Alan.

Yeah I had a ED 120 too a few years back (and an ED100) they are really good scopes, not as good a build quality as the United Optics scopes which Altair astro sell under the Starwave badge (FLO sell them as Starfield, Telescope House sell them as Technosky) but still a good scope. 

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