Want a premium 7" Mak-Cass cheap(ish)?

[MortonH]

Intes Micro 715 f/15 with quartz premium optics.

US $2,990 plus shipping from APM.

http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=906245

[raymo]

I'm not proud, I'd be happy with the SW 180mm Mak. I know they're
chalk and cheese, but I'd still be happy. I wish I hadn't sold my 150 Mak.
raymo

[glend]

It is a great looking scope, and obviously well made however at f15 I just don't have the time or mount to image with it. Probably a very nice visual scope for someone local.

[Wavytone]

There's an 8" f/15 and a superb custom 275mm Mak as well - if you have the $$$ and a suitable site.

While these are primarily for visual observers after high power they're not bad on DSO's if you have suitable 2" eyepieces.

[MortonH]

I've looked through a Baader Hyperion 36mm in an IM 715 and it was good. Enough to show most of the Orion nebula and quite spectacular too.

[Camelopardalis]

So no volunteers to buy one so we can all have a look-see?? :lol:

[AG Hybrid]

I doubt there is much to gain over a C8HD visually. Every time I get a massive itch to buy the 7" SW Mak for instance I remind myself. "If you just throw a bit more money in you can get the C8HD".
~$4500 for a used 7" Mak. That thing better be able to make me a coffee in the middle of the night for that price.

[Camelopardalis]

Yeah I think you're right...the C8 is a bit more versatile, but might just lose the edge at the highest magnification. To be fair, I've used mine at 400x on all of one occasion...

[N1]

Would this thing be any better than a Mewlon 210, which costs 3.9k in OZ and is not known to be struggling at high powers?

[ariefm71]

I don't think so. I used to have an IM615 and they were nowhere near my ex Mewlon 180.

[Wavytone]

Well... last Sunday night I spent a couple of hours with my Skywatcher 7" f/15. Most of that time I spent tinkering with collimation in very good seeing.

While it had looked close to being right before, I had always thought it was a tad less than perfect.

What I didn't realise is that actually these SW Maks really are VERY sensitive to collimation. After tinkering with push-pull screws for over an hour it is now spot-on and star images are what they should be - with a near perfect diffraction pattern - and distinctly better than any C8 I've looked through in 35 years.

One thing I noticed is that even when the inside-focus and outside-focus rings appear concentric in say a 13mm eyepiece at 200X, you have to be careful to make sure the test star really is in the centre of the field view. If its off to one side - even by a little bit - the result is the Mak will actually be slightly misaligned and the image less than perfect when it comes to focus.

So no I won't swap mine for an Intes Micro at 3X the price.