dybz

Thanks for clarifying; I did not realize the older one was referred to as the blue one, thanks. 3mm does seem like a small impact at 140mm. For now I have simply ordered a 90 degree finder scope so should solve majority of issue. Hopefully either the rings come back in stock or other options open up. Thanks all for the input.

To confirm - you have the newer Skymax 127? I saw on these forums that folks were using 140mm on older 127's, but the newer ones were measured at an outer diameter of 143mm and there was some concern about whether the 140mm rings would fit well.

Says it can handle up to a 100mm aperture. I have the skymax 127 so bit too big

Scopestuff's right angle mounting plate seems like it would work, but also looks like it would not provide sufficient clearance for the 127. Oh well, I guess I can simply use the AZ5 in left hand/straight up configuration and mount the 127 bit far back in the clamp to help balance things.

That was another possibility, but I cannot find a verdict on which rings actually fit the Skymax 127. There is also the possibility of attaching an L bracket onto the AZ5 so it becomes a bottom mount, but there I can't find an actual L bracket that attaches to a Vixen mount and has a vixen mount to attach a scope to.

Normally the AZ5 is a right hand side mounting, but since I got the Skymax 127 as an OTA mounting it righthand would result in the finder being at the 7/8 oclock position. Is there any issue with rotating the AZ5 around and flipping the 127 to do a lefthand mount? If not, is there a way to rotate the AZ5 slow-motion knobs so they are not then pointing toward the front of the telescope?

Just got my skymax 127 as well from FLO. Now waiting for a tripod to show up...

I just ordered mine so still waiting. From what I read the mak 127 will have a tighter field of view vs the sct so the sct should be slightly better at DSO. The difference seems small and generally neither is considered great relative to a reflector of similar aperture. Realistically if you want both planets and DSO get the reflector. Even the 6/750 gives you great DSO and planet views with the included 10mm eye piece and the heritage 150 is extremely portable. With the heritage though you might want to make a shroud to cover the open area and no one seems to be a fan of the focuser. You can order the skywatcher explorer 150 plus az4 mount from the UK if you want a better focuser and solid tube, but you lose some portability. The explorer also comes with a 2x Barlow so you get the equivalent magnification of the sct/mak without anything extra.

I also forgot to mention - check out Grovers Optics and FirstLightOptics out of the UK. For me it was a good amount cheaper to order from one of those and pay shipping rather than ordering from a store within the US. For instance the 127 + AZ GTI mount is $880 here vs something like $600 shipped from UK. Also opens up additional models that we don't have in the USA like the Sky-Watcher Explorer 150p and Sky-Watcher AZ4 mount/tripod, which only comes out to ~$450 shipped.

I went through your exact conundrum and settled on the skymax 127 as I want to focus on planets/moon and portability was high priority. Main two things you need to decide is what you want to focus viewing on and how important portability is for you.

Thanks for the comments all. I ended up ordering the Skymax 127 + AZ5 mount head as I have a tripod that should hold these quite nicely. The portability of the Skymax won me over in the end as at its size we could actually take it on a family holiday where skies will be darker. The 150p would definitely not come along with a bigger tripod it would require. Plus starting off I think the kids will be more interested in seeing planets as they would not be able to quite wrap their heads around what the various fuzzy blobs way out in space really are. Maybe eventually I will get a big Dob to go alongside the 127 if the family enjoys the viewing.

Thanks all. I ended up going with a Sky-Watcher Skymax 127 after realizing it's the same price after shipping as the Explorer 150p. After a bit more digging I had ruled out the Evostar 120 due to its size and the comments here on CA. Portability is high on my priority list and this will be used primarily for planet/moon viewing so the extra focal length and no CA on the 127 is nice even at a slight loss of light gathering. Thanks everyone for the replies.

I've been exploring the FLO website and now debating between the Sky watcher skymax 127 and sky watcher explorer 150p. With respective mounts price is identical shipped. Which would be better for planet/moon observation?

I can get an evostar 120 refractor for $100 more than an explorer 150p, mount included for both. Which would be preferred? I believe the 120 refractor is said to be about equal to the 150 reflector in light capture due to the secondary mirror on the reflector, but how bad is the CA on the evostar? The benefits with the evostar are larger possible magnification and also it is capable of taking 2" eyepieces. They seem to be about same weight with the evostar being longer and explorer being more bulky around. Is this down to personal preference at this point? Starting off I will be focused on planets/lunar exploration. Transportability in vehicle and walking about 5min to good viewing site are key so I don't want to go for a full size dobsonian.

I should mention I am in the States. I was looking for an AZ-4, but they don't seem to be available here. Only the AZ-5, which is $420. I see the AZ-4 is priced at ~220 GBP, wish we could get something in that price range here. Edit: I think I just found a store in England that will ship over here and total price is $250 for the AZ4. Might jump on that.