"Help" I need your opinion

[nightsky]

Hi I want to buy one of these instruments,but they have advantages and disadvantages, the Private sale one has a lot of Accessories the disadvantage it's only 3.5" and if something goes wrong I have little or no come back, the commercial one is a 5" but only a few Accessories see below, but at least I would have some come back if something goes wrong. I have to decide within a few days which one to buy, therefore I would appreciate any comments,suggestions alternatives, I have been sent pics of the private sale one, but I am not sure how to upload them to the group, so if anyone wants to see them please let me know and I will post them direct to you. Thanks

AU $2,500.00 plus $175 postage

This is the complete package all you wanted and more Plus its new only taken out of the box to test and gaze at wonderingly,
ETX 90 Premier Edition
NEW • Electronic Level Sensor • Electronic Magnetic North Sensor • High Precision Internal Clock • Red Dot Viewfinder (SmartFinder™) SPECIFICATIONS Model ETX-90PE Manual PDF Aperture 90mm (3.5") Optical Design Maksutov-Cassegrain Focal Ratiof/13.8 Focal Length 1250mm AutoStar#497 Tripod Celestron Field Tripod Software AutoStar Suite AE PC Interface Cable Included UHTC Included
Before I get asked yes it does have the Celestron heavy duty field tripod because its sturdier and it wont rust ever.unlike the Meade Deluxe field tripod
All the Extra Accessories
Lens 4mm GSO Super plossl bolt case 9mm GSO Super plossl, bolt case 15mm GSO Super plossl, bolt case 26mm Meade super plossl 4000 series, bolt case 32mm GSO super plossl, bolt case TS Zoom Lens 7- 22mm, bolt case Barlow 3x Knight Owl ED, box Moon Filter Standard Variable density GSO polarizing moon filters set (2) T adaptor T adaptor coupler canon EOS · Filters Meade Set (1) Red Yellow Smoke Blue Green Dew Shield Soft wrap Additional software Winstars Lens Hard Case (old and the only second-hand item) Meade Soft Tripod Carry Bag Lens cleaner cloth (never out of the packet) Original Box for Telescope 8 AA batteries Instruction manual for Meade ETX PE 90 I’ll even throw in some old astronomy magazines

The Commericial one from a Australia Retailer $1765.00 including postage.
not sure yet what eyepieces etc come with it
ETX 125AT Including UHTC,
Tripod & 497 Autostar controller 505 Connector cable
RS-232 Adapter
AC Adapter including 25FT Cigarette lighter adapter
http://www.meade.com/catalog/etx/etx_mak.html

[acropolite]

If you are considering spending $2500, then an extra $400 or so will buy a new Meade LX90 8 inch SCT, a far better telescope than either of the others. The ETX90 offer is has been around Ebay (hoping to catch an uneducated buyer) for some time and does not represent any sort of value and is in fact dearer, by a large margin, than new equipment of the same specifications. The accessories included are not of high quality nor value. The ETX 125 would be a better proposition, still nowhere near as good as the LX90 8 inch but as stated previously if you are prepared to spend $2500 plus postage then spend a few extra dollars and get the larger 8 inch LX model,

[davidpretorius]

spot on phil! go the 8"

[janoskiss]

The ETX90 "deal" can be called nothing but a scam IMO.

I believe you wanted to stay at or under 6"...? LXD75 6" Schmidt-Newt from Bintel. Or the 6" Orion Mak and stick it on a Goto EQ mount...

[JohnG]

This has all the hallmarks of a scam to me, I put it in the same catagory as the 120mm Astro Physics refractor and mount for $700AU, yeah right!!!!

Spend the extra $400 and get the 8" SCT from a reputable dealer, you won't regret it.

My 0.02 cents worth.

JohnG

[janoskiss]

Not really. I'm sure the ETX90 sale is genuine. The problem is not it is too good to be true (like the AP for $700) but that it is a complete rip-off (unless I'm missing something, which has been known to happen).

[JohnG]

To each there own, but if it is the add I just read on EBay, it still looks and reads like a scam to me and, how amazing, the AP refractor has dissappeared.

JohnG

[janoskiss]

:eyepop: I did not realise these were ebay scopes. Don't do it, nightsky! Stay away from ebay scopes, brand name or otherwise. Go to a telescope shop like Bintel and buy from there. e.g., they have the ETX125AT outfit for less than what you have quoted.

[casstony]

Of the two listed, get the etx125 - more brightness and resolution, no anguish if something breaks down, very portable and easy to use.

From previous posts it seems that the LX90 is not portable enough for you. If you didn't mind the extra complexity another option is an go-to equatorial mount and put whatever ota you like on it.

-Tony

[nightsky]

To be honest I was a bit dubious about the private sale, it dropped from $3700 to $2500 and as "Janokiss" and "Casstony" said I do want something portable and easy to handle. Thanks for the replies lads I really do appreciate it

[asimov]

Theres a nice looking celestar 8" fork mounted job here....I've had my eye on it for awhile. http://www.geckooptical.com/cgi-bin/gecko/index.cgi?catid=2&subcatid=12

[asimov]

Or this: http://www.geckooptical.com/cgi-bin/gecko/index.cgi?catid=2&subcatid=12

[nightsky]

thanks m8, I'll have a look

[acropolite]

My initial post re the ETX90 was a little "soft", in reality the offer has been discussed in another part of this forum and is almost double the RRP of the items from a reputable dealer, hence whilst maybe not a scam is certainly an attempt to rip off an unsuspecting buyer.
As for portability I the ETX90 or 125 is not that much more portable than the LX90. The LX OTA is compact, once off the tripod, and the tripod itself wouldn't be that much larger than those necessary for the smaller ETX's. MY LX 90 OTA takes half the back seat of my car and the tripod sits on the floor in tha back.
There's also a nice celestron 8 inch up for offer in the buy & sell. http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=8446 I notice you have already seen that post, but it would be well worth putting in an offer. It's also worth remembereing that there's no substitute for aperture.

[nightsky]

Hello acropolite. Although I did not make a offer for this scope I did send a msg to "annie33" on the 20/3 asking the price of postage to my address,as she is in the Snowy Mountain area and I live on the Central Coast but she has never replied.

[nightsky]

Theres a nice looking celestar 8" fork mounted job here....I've had my eye on it for awhile. http://www.geckooptical.com/cgi-bin/...=2&subcatid=12 (http://www.geckooptical.com/cgi-bin/...=2&subcatid=12)
This one has been sold
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