"Help" I need your opinion

Striker (Tony) · #1 30-12-2004, 02:28 PM

What do you think of this package....be quick I need to make some decissions.

And how much would you pay for this.....I can get it for around $1000 or less maybe.

Konus 150 with EQ5

Click

Dave47tuc (David) · #2 30-12-2004, 02:54 PM

Hi Tony,
Why do you want a 6"refractor when you have a 8" Dob?

If you really want a tracking scope, buy a EQ mount for your 8".
Your best mount would be a EQ6. Cheap enough.

If you really want the Konus, there ok but the EQ5 is a bit small for such a big refractor.
Hope that helps.

"OOPS" should have checked first. Its a mak. There good, have the same dew problems as SCT etc. A good second scope. Put a solar filter on it and get more use out of it. Pick it up for $800. Good buy. If it has tracking all the better.

Sorry for the first mistake

Best.

Striker (Tony) · #3 30-12-2004, 03:23 PM

Thanks Dave..

Thats why I asked the question...I am looking for EQ5 mount but when I saw all this included for that price I was tempted.....A new EQ5 mount is approx $600-$700 as far as I know...extra few hundred I could get the scope aswell......I could put the Dob 8 on this mount aswell.....I am not that intersted in the scope but wouldn't mind the extra 6 inch for no reasons I can think of at the moment......lol

What is the type and cost of the mount you recommend for the Dob 8?
EQ5 has been recommended to me with a price tag of $700 plus tube rings and extras at a cost of $850 total.

Dave47tuc (David) · #4 30-12-2004, 03:29 PM

Tony,
I think the EQ6 is around $1500. It would be wise to check as many dealers sell them.

Best.

Dave47tuc (David) · #5 30-12-2004, 03:31 PM

By the way, your link was a USA site. So the money is not the same. You would pay double or more here in Aus.
Check locally.

Best.

Striker (Tony) · #6 30-12-2004, 03:57 PM

The USA site was just for reference not for price!

This sale is actualy private but he lives just up the road from me...I know the retailer he bought the package off, so I know what the retail price is and what he payed for it.....and when he bought it.....

He bought the scope of Brian at the Astronomy and science shop at Normon park Brisbane, I asked Brian which he confirmed, Brian is a great help and is always happy to help noobs like myself out. I didn't even buy my dob from him and he said to bring it in for colimatting anytime for free.

With the private sale I may be able to get him to sell around $900...not sure weather to push for a good sale or just go buy a new EQ5 with rings and base plate for close to the same amount?

beren · #7 30-12-2004, 07:49 PM

Striker if the scope is exactly the same as the one in the advert the grand asking price i reckon is a great buy . The cheapest EQ5 price ive seen is $499 from Andrews Communications , add another $250 for a dual axis motors plus a approx $300 for steel tubular legs. With your friends scope you get all this plus a 6 inch Mak OTA ,very nice , good luck on your decision.

PS: if your going for a mount i would go for a HEQ5 {grands worth} or if you willing the eq6. I have a EQ5 , its not bad {except for the aluminium legs} for my short tube refractor but i wouldnt like to have a 8"newt on it . By the time you bulk up a EQ5 youll be in HEQ5 terrioity .

Striker (Tony) · #8 30-12-2004, 08:10 PM

Thanks Aragorn,

Your opinion is much appreciated.........I will sleep on it or even give it a couple of days...if it sell's.......I will just go for a good mount.......if he gets desperate I may buy it off him at a good price......time will tell.

Thanks again....

mch62 (Mark) · #9 30-12-2004, 08:23 PM

Ditto to Aragorn, As an EQ6 owner go the HEQ5 . Your better off with a larger mount. Nothing worse than a wobble mount when your trying for high powers. With either of these you can put your 8"and any thing else in the way of guide scopes cameras ect on it with ease.
If you have an 8"dob do you need a 6"mak?or a descent mount for your 8"Dob so you can track!
Mark

Striker (Tony) · #10 30-12-2004, 08:47 PM

Thanks Mark,

I'm trying to put this through on the side without the wife (Monster) knowing about it.....I will just tell her it cost $200...she wont even know....lol

But I will spend the money on a HEQ5 if absolutely necesary!

Thanks again Mark and everyone else for your opinions and comments.

Striker (Tony) · #11 01-01-2005, 02:27 PM

Ok......I am dreaming now but what do you think about this package model (SK25012EQ6-2IN)...and does anyone know if this is the same as the 1 advertised for $2299 at Andrews......

http://www.skywatchertelescope.net/SK25012EQ6-2IN.html

beren · #12 01-01-2005, 10:22 PM

Aye it is , i have seen one advertised over at Astronomy online for below 2 grand as a factory second and some others at ebay but Andrews has the best advertised price , other dealers sell them as well so if your good you might be able to haggle some better deal . Its a nice package but the price puts you into a realm of tempting choices like Meades LX75 range and Celestrons advanced series range and not far off LX90/nexstar 8.....tempting.

Striker (Tony) · #13 02-01-2005, 10:06 AM

The best price I have seen so far is actualy from a local dealer on the Gold Coast called Star Optics.

Click here

If you honestly think I should be looking at a diff scope...let me know.....

beren · #14 02-01-2005, 12:50 PM

Cool......i guess the big plus with that setup is the mount but man its price {and its GOTO variant } puts you into some interesting and tempting scope ranges . Seeing that you got a 8" Dob that would be suited to wide field DSOs viewing what about a refractor like the Meade LX75 AR5 {sells for 1900 i think ,the larger 6 inch sells for 2400 i think} , the higher focal length will help with plantery viewing and although youll still get some colour fringing {can be lessened with a special filter}as far ive read it delivers fine views . I really havent followed news on how the new LX75 mount performs lately but the Autostar GOTO system works well {Silvie may be able to give details on her LX55} and you get the LPI imager in the package to . If your keen to jump up to 10" aperture from my own experiance i havent noted any dramatic increase in gain with the change , its more subtle.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #15 02-01-2005, 03:35 PM

Good wrap Aragorn.

And you're certainly right about the ranges of scopes available in the price bracket. I went throught similar issues about 5 months ago. I don't pity you Striker

There are an awful lot of temptations when you get into the $1500 - $3000 price range.

Good luck with it. And as someone once said, and I'm paraphrasing here " Any scope that you use is a good buy. Any scope that you don't use is a waste of money"

Paul

Striker (Tony) · #16 02-01-2005, 03:35 PM

Thanks Aragorn,

You have me now looking at the LXD75 and the LX90,

I just thought the bigger the better in both aperture and length of the scope...when I look at the LX90 its much shorter....

What would be the difference between the LX90 and 8/10" Dob on a EQ6 mount.....

I have never seen the LX range in use...actualy I have never seen any telescopes in use besides mine.....What I want is something that has a lot of WoW factor that I can do Photography eventualy.

Can you see as much with the LX90 as you can with a average size Dob.....or again is the LX200 a much better option to go with.....I know the price is considerable...but if I am going to spend $3000 on a scope...$5000 is not that much further....and is it worth the money......

If you had the money what scope would you all get for photography.

Striker (Tony) · #17 02-01-2005, 06:27 PM

I am going to need serious therapy after this....is their a 1800 help line for telescope buyers that cant make a decission on what to buy....if not they need one.....

I like the look of this one aswell....Meade LXD-55 AR-6

LXD-55 AR6

I'm definetly going shopping early this week..maybe once I have seen them all the decission may be easier.....I hope.

[1ponders] (Paul) · #18 02-01-2005, 07:16 PM

Your opening a real can of worms here Striker. Dobs (newt) V SCT's V Refractors. ITs been going on for years

Basically Newts (Dobs named because of their mounting) are generally "faster" than SCT's (Lower f/number, good for DSOs and low light level photography, but can be notorious for coma), but its generally (I can hear the screaming now) that SCTs give better contrast on planets, yet still give decent views on DSOs (Higher f/number. They have a corrector plate that "helps" correct coma). Having said that Apo refractors give the best views on planet especially for photography, (don't hear any screaming over that one

)

Now the LX55 and LX 75. I'd suggest checking out the Meade site for detailed info,

http://www.meade.com/catalog/index.html

but in short:

Refractors, Newts, Schmidt-newts and SCT's mounted on a meade equatorial mount.

The difference in the numbers? The LX75 are the latest models.

Now your wondering about the shorter tube. Because of the triple folded light path in an SCT, the focal length is about 3X the length of the telescope tube (OTA - Optical Tube Assembly).

Basically the telescope you choose depends on the use you're going to put it to.

This page helped me alot when trying to decide what I wanted
http://www.allaboutastro.com./articles.html

Good luck
Paul

Striker (Tony) · #19 02-01-2005, 07:51 PM

Thanks Paul,

But you could do me a big favor and stop all the stress trauma I am going through and sell me your 8" Meade LX200 with 4 hours free onsite tutorial for $2000....lol...

Sorry for all the telescope questions......its just when your going to spend upwards of $3000 on something you dont know a lot about...meaning all your experience and feedback is taking seriously and much appreciated.

I am not going to rush out and buy the first scope I see but I will be looking first thing this week.....work can wait...this is important...hehe

Striker (Tony) · #20 02-01-2005, 11:12 PM

Again Aragorn your comments have been very helpful....Thanks to you and Paul (Iponders) who have been replying to my emails, I have more of a understanding at what I need to look at.

I will post the short list of scopes I am looking at once I have had a chance to sight them, I would appreciate everyone's opinion once I have the short list.

Thanks again.

P.S. Bloody clouds have moved in again.....another lost night...grrrrrr