Quote:
Originally Posted by dannat
the Borg are great units -cheaper than Tak , 71Fl would be very good, can be bought from peter tan in HK www.tan14.com.gears.htm [cheaper than hutech]
the WO would not disappoint either |
Daniel is correct and understated. Borg are a premium quality instrument and can be good value for money.
Be warned, the Borg are modular telescopes. You buy bits and pieces to put together what you want. This makes them very flexible but also a bit confusing. Their modular design also break down well for travel. You can carry the tube components in checked luggage and the objective unit in your carry on.
If you buy the #6071 kit HK$7200=A$1260 you get a 400f5.6 telephoto. There is a helical focuser in the middle of the train. However you'll need to buy tube rings to support it. If you want a visual scope, you'll have to buy a visual back end plus diagonal etc. Not trying to put you off Borg, just warning you to cost out all the bits and pieces before you make a decision.
I considered Borg many years ago but was buying during the GFC at a time when the A$ was very weak which made buying Borg via Hutech a relatively expensive undertaking and decided to go the William Optic route instead. If you can afford the Borg, they'll be better than the WO and that helical focusser won't sag or slip.
If you can't afford the Borg, Andrews is currently selling the MEGREZ 72 ED f/6 FD for $500. Except for 2mm extra aperture, this looks identical to the M70 instrument I have. The Focuser on the M72 is the same as mine, it's ok when tension is properly adjusted, but not great when the tension gets loose. It is much better than the awful slippery Synta Crayford focusser that came with my ED80.
The WO ZS71A at $800 is supposed to have a better 2 speed R&P focuser if you believe the advertising. I have no experience with this focuser and can't make an informed recommendation whether it's worth the extra money.
cheers
Joe