which ed 80?

[stavroz]

Hi all,

Im a newbie and i have decided to get myself a telescope, something i have wanted to do for a long time.
Ive read a lot on the net over the last few weeks and visted a few shops.

Anyways ,my choice has been narrowed down to a 80mm Ed due to its portability etc. Maybe one day i will get a DOB ( i know someone will try to convince me i should get one ) but now right now.

i like the ZenithStar 80 II f/6.8 ED Doublet but its just too expensive the Saxon ED 80 is a lot cheaper and has the FPL-53 lens.

Has anybody had any experience with the Saxon or others ED80's?, is it a good buy?

thanks

[Starkler]

I would be one of those people ;)


You probably seen the phrase 'aperture rules'. Well let me tell you that IMO its very much true. I have a 10" dob and i bought an orion ed80 as a second scope. I found the little 80mm scope to be very dissapointing in what i was able to see with it after being used to more aperture.
I ended up selling my ed80 and getting a 130mm f5 newtonian for a grab and go scope. The difference that the extra aperture makes is huge.

I think that most people here would discourage the purchase of such a small scope as your one and only unless you really cannot go bigger.
I suggest you go along to a public viewing night and see the difference for yourself.

[janoskiss]

:welcome: stavroz!

I agree with everything Geoff said. Re Saxon ED80, it's like the others of that type i.e., Orion, Skywatcher... The WO is more compact (does not have oversized tube) and has a better focuser. Performance-wise the ED80 is great for its aperture, but that aperture is rather limiting esp under light polluted skies. I did own an ED80 also alongside an 8" Dob, and my experience matches Geoff's and I too have sold the ED80.

[74tuc]

I agree with Geoff.

Those 80mm 'scopes are cute and perform extremely well but in the aperture department they are wanting. Remember that you will have to get a mount of some sorts - more money! I think that you have to buy eye pieces and a star diagonal - don't know about package deals.

An 8" dob. would be a nice starter - there are some package deals available. See Andrews web site.

Jerry.:)

[mick pinner]

all the ED80 scopes are basically the same except for colour, l do agree with the dob fraternity that aperture rules but if that was the only driving force we would all have 30" scopes.
the views through the 80's are superb for a small scope and the wide field of view will be great for browsing and finding new objects, the joy of viewing will be directly proportional to the mount it sits on so try to get at least an eq5 and also a good quality diagonal if you can afford it.

[jjjnettie]

Does the Saxon come fully mounted?
If it doesn't you will have to budget for that.
Have you thought about a pair of 20x80 binos? They gather more light than the 80mm refractor. Great viewing and easy to grab and go. This will be my next purchase.

I won't say one word about buying a dob.

[[1ponders]]

OK, now that our friendly Dob fraternity have had their chance to convert you :poke: :lol: They are just concerned for your soul, so be understanding. :poke: :scared: :rundog:

I have the Orion ED80 and I find it a great little scope. It's very versatile in that I like using it for visual plus for it's price it's optical quality is outstanding for photography. I use both the ED80 and a Bintel 12" dob in my begginer astronomy classes and I find they both have their +ves and -ves. So knowing that at this time you are not after a Dob then the Orion ED80 is a great little scope.

I understand that many of the other "Brandname" extralow dispersion 80mm scopes come from the same factory, but I haven't actually looked through them so I'll reserve comment.

[74tuc]

Re:"I won't say one word about buying a dob."

Go on. Let's hear it.

Jerry.

[Starkler]

Sure the ed80 is capable of lovely widefield views, but where there is light polution the scope is much less useful unfortunately.
As for high power viewing, the little scope just runs out of light before the magnification gets very high at all. This is worse where light polution prevents you from becoming properly dark adapted.

FWIW my 15x70 binos are just as usefull.

[matt]

Yep.

The guys have pretty much nailed this one in their answers.

From my observations and reading what others have written on this website over many months, it appears to me an ED80 makes an excellent widefield photographic scope and a very nice finder/guide/spotting scope attached to an instrument of larger aperture which does the "real work"????

I'm not sure you'd want it as your one and only visual scope, though:shrug:

I'll back what's already been said... aperture!

But they are great little scopes.

[AstroJunk]

I bet you're glad you asked now! :lol:

Buy a Lightbridge. Oops, sorry, it just slipped out. Didn't mean to say anything about dobs.:P

[stavroz]

I didnt mention but i wanted to use it for "bird watching" as well. I live in a area that has a lot of light, i read defractors were better in this situation.?
I want to be able to unpack it for a quick look at the stars off my balcony during the week. I was going to get the Guan Sheng GS-300 at Andrews but its a lot bigger than i realised.

[Harb]

Hi ya,
Well I'll add my piece...........
I have both plus a few, and I think the following.
I have a Williams Optics Megrez 80 Refractor and I am very hapy with it. It is a great scope for AstroPhotography because the cameras you can attach have longer to record the light on their sensors than our sensors, the human eye can do in "real time".
Now don't get me wrong, it is a very nice scope to look through and just observe with the eye, but it really shines with imaging due to its compact size and relative ease to mount and track.

Viewing with your own sensors (eyes)..............
This is where aperature comes in because as I said earlier, your eyes have to look at objects in "real time" you don't have the beifit of recording your image over a long period.
So bigger aperature the better for straight veiwing in my books.
newts come in varrious mounting configs such as EQ or Dob etc and this becomes a choice of what you intend to do with it....ie an EQ mount is much better for Imaging as long as it is ratted to carry the size reflector you have ontop of it.
A Dob is cheap and very fast and good for casual observing, but long exposures for imaging can be a problem but can be helped with the aid of EQ platforms etc, but are not as good as a good EQ mount and a quailty Refractor for imaging in my book,
well not until you spend huge figures anyway
The other scopes are a mixture of both the technologies and have various compromises and beifits, and are a decision makers minefield, but as you advance, you will no doubt look at the various types and find one that suits you.

so your original Question..........
If you need the smallest, compact unit for astro and terrestrial viewing, I think a corrected refractor would be your best chioce or maybe a high quality spotter scope would be ok as well.
My other option would be a pair of bino's such as sold by company's like Andrews Comms.........say 25x100 are nice, I have a pair and they are really fun things to have at just a bit over $400 from memory.
A Dob would be my choice if money was an issue, as aperature rules in visual observing and of course a full on EQ mounted large aperature scope would be my best pick.

I brought a Meade Lightbridge 12" Dob as my field scope and will be moving up to the 16" as soon as they hit the country as they just are the best thing for large aperature portability IMHO.
I have the WO Megrez 80 for portable Imaging.

Think about the bino's though, they have a great built in tripod mount and are great portable units for daytime work!!

cheers
John

[iceman]

:welcome: stavroz! Can you make it up to Kulnura this weekend? You'll get to see some of the dobs and what it's like to look through them. I don't know if there'll be any ED80's there but it's possible, Jakob might bring his ETX (I think it is?).

Look in the star parties forum for "Kulnura 28th", and it's got a map and discussion there. It's well worth the trip to look through the different types of scopes before you buy.

The experience is worth the price in petrol.

[acropolite]

I have an ED80, bought for imaging and widefield. As Geoff and the others have said for visual use, they are disappointing compared to a large dob, but for astrophotography and visual for widefield, lunar and the brighter planets they perform nicely. As a terrestrial scope they excel, HRH liz uses mine on a wobbly camera tripod (the proper tripod is "that big ugly thing" and therefore unacceptable) for browsing the countryside and birdspotting. With regards to a quick peek, anything with a mirror will require a significant cooldown time to reach optimum performance, normally a few hours with an SCT or dob.

[ballaratdragons]

I have an ED80 and in a nutshell, the ED80 sucks for night visual observing!

Photographically this little gem shines!!!!!!

But if you want to use it for Bird watching you are in for a pleasant suprise. My ED80 out-performs my 12" in daylight!!!!!!!!

But when night time comes, the ED80 fails. Take pics at night with it and visually view at day with it. Then you have a marvellous scope.

[ballaratdragons]

Oh, and to answer your original question:

Saxon, Orion, Skywatcher etc etc. All the same scope!

[janoskiss]

Being a bit harsh on the poor little ED80, Ken! :lol: But you are comparing the one of the biggest off the shelf scopes with one of the smallest. I can tell you that on deep sky, my ED80 near your place under Snake Valley skies outperformed the 8" Dob at my place in light polluted suburbia.

[ballaratdragons]

Yeah, sorry for the comparison :whistle:

It is a real let down visually going from the 12" to the 80. Even in my dark sky I have trouble resolving Trifid in the 80. It's soooooo faint!

But I suppose it wasn't designed for making DSO's bright :lol: It really works excellent for photography though.

I guess I am spoiled with the 12" showing it so clear and bright.

Sorry Stavroz, don't listen to me, listen to them. They say 'Buy a Dob' :D

[beren]

I have a 80mmED , I really enjoy using it visually in tandem with my 10"SCT and for imaging its a life saver for your sanity as you climb the rocky road of astrophotography. As a second scope that offers the imaging angle its got to be one of the best buys out there but I agree with the other guys aperture rules , for your one and only scope that is :) I can't resist not putting a CAT amongst the Dobs how about a 8 inch SCT new or used , offers aperture and portability although you'll need a EQ5 mount at least to mount it

[stavroz]

I would have liked to make it to Kulnura but i have a feeling even if i could make it i would end up wanting to get a 20".
If i stick with something smaller i can stay blissfully ignorant and can have some fun with the smaller scope for a few years and not have to worry about collimation, transportation, storage and free time required of the bigger scopes.

[h0ughy]

he's hooked, in denial already! Listen to Ken! he is all knowing and wise. but he lives i the sticks with little or no light pollution. get something you feel comfortable with - if in doubt visit a astro club and speak to the members, then go out and get a skywatcher ED80:whistle: :rofl: :P . I liked it so much I wished I owned the company;)

[jase]

I refer to a cloudy nights thread:
Which 80ED? - http://cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Number/1211701

If you can afford it - get a Tak and never look back. :)

[g__day]

I have a Megrez 80mm (Williams Optics) scope piggy backed on a C9.25" on a CG5 and I think this is a great combination for its price bracket and intended use. Widefield views on Meg are superb, for faint objects a larger scope is the go.

I think biases aside there is great and consistent advice on this topic. May I suggest you read http://www.atscope.com.au/visual.html particularly the sections on What do you want to do with your telescope? and What can I expect to see through a smaller telescope?