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Old 13-03-2017, 12:37 PM
astro744
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astro744 is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2007
Posts: 1,244
I have the F80M and use it to complement my C9.25 SCT and Telrad. I originally had the 23mm pulse illuminated crosshair but found the pulse distracting when looking for faint fuzzies. Stellarvue recommend a highly corrected eyepiece such as a Nagler for the f3.75 focal ratio and I tried a 16NT5 and it is a great combo giving 19x and 4 deg sharp field. I don't miss the crosshairs and 19x is great for identifying some of the smaller DSOs and 4 deg matches nicely with the outer ring of the Telrad. The number of stars visible in 80mm is great for star hopping in barren star fields like Virgo when galaxy hunting.

I leave a 20mm low cost wide field eyepiece in it and use during the day for bird watching in my backyard. Stellarvue make a camera tripod adaptor for it.

The finder is light for its size but still requires extra counterweights on either an SCT or Newtonian. The 60mm may be a better choice if weight is an issue and the 50mm is lighter again. Yes you can use any 1.25" eyepiece that will reach focus.

Whatever you choose, enjoy!
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