I'm taking the plunge!!

[lineout]

Originally Posted by raymo

I can't argue with most of your reasoning re the 80mm versus the 100mm, but some points to consider are that the limiting magnitudes are
most certainly not almost identical; compare the view of a starfield through an 8" and then a 10", the difference is quite large. A 12.2
star is nearly twice as bright as a 12.7 one. Also, the 100mm has markedly better resolution. If you can move/and/or store that chunky great mount, I would have thought the difference in length of the two scopes would be insignificant. You might also get frustrated before too long with the lack of focal length for smaller objects.
raymo

Appreciate the advice thank you. I'll stick with the 80ED for now and see how it goes.

If I don't like it I can repurpose it as a guide scope.

Rene

[lineout]

Hi all,

Well I picked up my AZ EQ6 mount and SW ED80. Due to a busy weekend I wasn't able to play too much, but here are my early impressions:

ED80:
1. Very securley packaged
2. Beautifully constructed scope.
3. Very happy I went with the ED80 (based on size alone)

AZ EQ6
1. Very securely packaged
2. Pardon the French but holy crap is this thing built. Word of warning, if you are going to buy one and not have it permanently mounted, hit the gym. The mount is HEAVY.
3. Beautifully constructed. Looks like it was built from a girder from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it is that solid but is so smooth to operate.

Tonights task is to update the firmware, which is about all I'll have time for. Hope to get it out in the field this weekend. I'll post more later.

Rene

[rustigsmed (Russell)]

Originally Posted by lineout

Hi all,

Well I picked up my AZ EQ6 mount and SW ED80. Due to a busy weekend I wasn't able to play too much, but here are my early impressions:

ED80:
1. Very securley packaged
2. Beautifully constructed scope.
3. Very happy I went with the ED80 (based on size alone)

AZ EQ6
1. Very securely packaged
2. Pardon the French but holy crap is this thing built. Word of warning, if you are going to buy one and not have it permanently mounted, hit the gym. The mount is HEAVY.
3. Beautifully constructed. Looks like it was built from a girder from the Sydney Harbour Bridge, it is that solid but is so smooth to operate.

Tonights task is to update the firmware, which is about all I'll have time for. Hope to get it out in the field this weekend. I'll post more later.

Rene

Good to hear everything is running smoothly and good plan with the firmware updates Fingers crossed for some clear skies.

yes I went all in and went straight from a dob with no equatorial experience to a 12" scope those first few months I had wish I started with an ED80! Balancing / polar aligning etc not knowing what i was doing and with all that weight up high was scary!!