I need a portable rig - How about a Mak?

dcalleja · #1 31-05-2009, 04:35 PM

Hi all
I use my 8" LX200R for imaging and with the fork etc its a bit of a chore to setup and tear down (yes I should get a shed I know). I want to get something more portable for visual work that I can take out and setup more quickly.

What do I look at visually? - deep sky targets and sometimes planetary for the most part.

I was looking at the Skywatcher Maks at Bintel as one option (the 6"). They look pretty portable (say on a HEQ5 Pro?) and would fit my budget. I have two concerns.

1. Its f12 (good for planetary work) and
2. It only has a 1.5" visual back

Anyone got any views (I know theres been some discussion here). Can you use a focal reducer to get wide(r) field view. Are the Skywatchers any good (same as the Orion I think).

Basically - Can you get the best of both worlds or am I better off with a short tube refractor?

Appreciate any views or debate before I see the bank manager.

Robert9 (Robert) · #2 31-05-2009, 05:08 PM

Love my Nexstar 6SE. Goes caravanning with wife, me and the dog. Compact, easy to set up and align. Good viewing. What more?
Robert

gbeal · #3 31-05-2009, 05:33 PM

I am a Mak fan from waaaaay back, having a definite like for the Mak/Newts. I have returned with a M703, a 7" Maksutov Cassegrain, and love it, absolutely. It is primarily for imaging, but the looks at DSO's I have done of late have really impressed me, nice dark views with pinpoint stars.
Haven't really looked at planetary, but lunar views are equally spectacular.
While I have a 2" visual back, the fact that I only own 1.25" eyepieces isn't the issue you may think it is. Yes, a wide field refractor will be great for wide field, but for planetary and most DSO's you can't beat aperture.
Gary

Crusader · #4 31-05-2009, 06:21 PM

Doesn't a Mak take quite some time to reach ambient temps? I've read that is the major downside in Maks for grab-and-go applications.

marki · #5 31-05-2009, 06:28 PM

Love Maks. They are nice and small so easy to handle and deliver great views with lots of contrast. The focal lengths are not as limiting as you may think. Being a closed tube they will require some time to cool down but you might like to consider a lynmax cooler or similar.

Mark

AstroJunk (Jonathan) · #6 31-05-2009, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcalleja

Hi all
I use my 8" LX200R for imaging and with the fork etc its a bit of a chore to setup and tear down (yes I should get a shed I know). I want to get something more portable for visual work that I can take out and setup more quickly.

Bit confused here - how do you think another EQ scope is going to be any quicker to set up. And for that matter an HEQ5 be more portable?

If you want something for Visual then buy a dob.

BTW I use a Black Diamond 150 Mak (2" back) on a heq5 pro as my travel scope and find it very nice. I don't use it visually though...

stephenb (Stephen) · #7 31-05-2009, 08:18 PM

What about an ETX-125PE? I know it's only 5" but... meets most of the criteria for a grab and go.

Or Celestron 5SE or 6SE? I don't know what you budget is but I hope this helps.

'Grab and go' is a real broad definition, in my opinion. What is 'grab and go' for you is different for me.

For me, grab and go means:

1. No imaging considerations
2. Can pick the 'scope up with on hand
3. Can be packed and travel in a space of a small suitcase (say, approximately 400 x 400 x 400mm)
4. No Dobs!

Good luck.

Wavytone · #8 31-05-2009, 09:42 PM

What do you want to observe with a small scope ?

The reason I ask is that having tried an ETX I found it to be a horrible compromise - they are f/15 - obviously supposedly a lunar & planetary scope - the field of view is far too small to be useful for anything else. However, IMHO the aperture is too small and the focal length isn't long enough to give a satisfactory view of the moon, Jupiter or Saturn. Lastly the mount and drive system just get in the way for such a small scope, they are really irritating.

I'd suggest a 4" ED refractor around the f/7 mark if widefield is more your thing. If you want a catadioptric for size reasons, try to get f/10 or f/12 - IMHO f/15 is just plain too long with modern eyepieces. The Orion maks 127-150 mm would do, and the Celestron 6" SCT on a one-arm fork looks like a better buy than the ETX, more aperture, it's f/10 and still small/light enough to be a grab & go.

Also take a look at your eyepieces - for an f/15 Mak you'll want 50, 30, 18 and 12mm.

dcalleja · #9 31-05-2009, 10:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gbeal

I am a Mak fan from waaaaay back, having a definite like for the Mak/Newts. I have returned with a M703, a 7" Maksutov Cassegrain, and love it, absolutely. It is primarily for imaging, but the looks at DSO's I have done of late have really impressed me, nice dark views with pinpoint stars.
Haven't really looked at planetary, but lunar views are equally spectacular.
While I have a 2" visual back, the fact that I only own 1.25" eyepieces isn't the issue you may think it is. Yes, a wide field refractor will be great for wide field, but for planetary and most DSO's you can't beat aperture.
Gary

Thanks Gary
Do you use a FR on your Mak at all?

dcalleja · #10 31-05-2009, 10:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marki

Love Maks. They are nice and small so easy to handle and deliver great views with lots of contrast. The focal lengths are not as limiting as you may think. Being a closed tube they will require some time to cool down but you might like to consider a lynmax cooler or similar.

Mark

Thanks Mark
I've never heard of a lynmax cooler - is it a type of Peltier cell?

Quote:

Originally Posted by AstroJunk

Bit confused here - how do you think another EQ scope is going to be any quicker to set up. And for that matter an HEQ5 be more portable?

If you want something for Visual then buy a dob.

BTW I use a Black Diamond 150 Mak (2" back) on a heq5 pro as my travel scope and find it very nice. I don't use it visually though...

I find the fork mount with a wedge a chore to setup and polar align. (Although to be honest it may be more the weight factor). I had thought a GEM might be easier to work with (faster to setup?)

Quote:

Originally Posted by redesford

What about an ETX-125PE? I know it's only 5" but... meets most of the criteria for a grab and go.

Or Celestron 5SE or 6SE? I don't know what you budget is but I hope this helps.

'Grab and go' is a real broad definition, in my opinion. What is 'grab and go' for you is different for me.

For me, grab and go means:

1. No imaging considerations
2. Can pick the 'scope up with on hand
3. Can be packed and travel in a space of a small suitcase (say, approximately 400 x 400 x 400mm)
4. No Dobs!

Good luck.

Thanks - the smaller form factor and weight are a consideration for me

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wavytone

What do you want to observe with a small scope ?

The reason I ask is that having tried an ETX I found it to be a horrible compromise - they are f/15 - obviously supposedly a lunar & planetary scope - the field of view is far too small to be useful for anything else. However, IMHO the aperture is too small and the focal length isn't long enough to give a satisfactory view of the moon, Jupiter or Saturn. Lastly the mount and drive system just get in the way for such a small scope, they are really irritating.

I'd suggest a 4" ED refractor around the f/7 mark if widefield is more your thing. If you want a catadioptric for size reasons, try to get f/10 or f/12 - IMHO f/15 is just plain too long with modern eyepieces. The Orion maks 127-150 mm would do, and the Celestron 6" SCT on a one-arm fork looks like a better buy than the ETX, more aperture, it's f/10 and still small/light enough to be a grab & go.

Also take a look at your eyepieces - for an f/15 Mak you'll want 50, 30, 18 and 12mm.

A combo of DSO and planetary work so I gues I'm looking at some kind of compromise. Focal length was a big concern for me though as most of the MAKs seemed to have quite long FL. The Skywatcher\Orion at f12 is so not quite as long as the ETX so thats a little better, though f10 would be more ideal. I've also read somewhere that it pays to get a decent diagonal as the ones supplied with some of the chinese scopes are fairly poor quality.

dcalleja · #11 31-05-2009, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Robert9

Love my Nexstar 6SE. Goes caravanning with wife, me and the dog. Compact, easy to set up and align. Good viewing. What more?
Robert

Thanks Rob. Thats the sort of thing I'm looking for. Drop it in the boot (gently) and haul it out for a quick session

White Rabbit · #12 01-06-2009, 12:02 AM

Get a dob with an argo navis, dont get an eq5. I promis you that an ep5 is not quick to set up, nor is it light.

I have an ETX125 as well, it's probably the quickest scope to set up in the world but the 5" aperture will kill you if your coming from a larger scope. Youll always be left wishing you'd brought the Meade 8".

marki · #13 01-06-2009, 01:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcalleja

Thanks Mark
I've never heard of a lynmax cooler - is it a type of Peltier cell?

No its basically a long tube with a computer fan on it. Lynmax make them for meade and celestron so probably also for skywatcher as well. Here's a link to the meade ones at OPT.

http://www.optcorp.com/ProductList.aspx?uid=105-766

PS. I know what you mean about the fork mount and wedge, I fight with a 10" in the same config. Its a real pain to set up, the scope and mount weigh a ton. EQ mount and tube will be much easier (I know I also have one) then the fork.

Mark

gbeal · #14 01-06-2009, 06:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcalleja

Thanks Gary
Do you use a FR on your Mak at all?

Hi Dan,
yes, but really only for imaging, and then I actually prefer the native 1800mm focal length to the reduced ~1200mm.
An aside, from the "don't get an EQ mount comments", a Mak or any other scope on an alt/az mount, like the Giro, or W/O or similar is a great grab and go.
Gary

Robert9 (Robert) · #15 01-06-2009, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dcalleja

Thanks Rob. Thats the sort of thing I'm looking for. Drop it in the boot (gently) and haul it out for a quick session

And the GOTO works very well too! Really ideal I find for when on holidays under those amazing black skies out bush and all you want to do is sit back and star-gaze.
Robert