Stu1smartcookie

Mike , what is the scope in the second photo ?

This is a good counter argument .. to be fair . Indeed as has been mentioned on here even your EQ1 with a motor can track .

i truly love this photo , John

Hi Jason , from what you write then you have the perfect set up . I have one of these mounts that are great for a quick get out and go . I also bought an AZ5 which is used instead of my EQ5 when i just want to just look at the night sky . There is something quite relaxing about using an Alt Az mount .. no polar aligning , and leveling of the mount = no extra set up time. I can honestly say that i will be using my AZ5 90% more than my EQ5 .

And one that is actually used !

I have briefly had one of those ... apart from the dreadful finder ( which , if you change you will also need a different finder shoe) it was a really nice little scope . In fact i would have bought one of those instead of my ST80 IF i could hove found one . I think the ED glass was a bit "over blown " ( pun intended ) if you want my opinion , but as i say it was great for a bit of wide field viewing . It is , however well over twice the price of ST80 and because its such a short tube you really do not gain too much over the ST80 , viewing wise . Bresser do make nice scopes though , that really look the part .

The way I am going is to probably have three scopes .. frac, newt and Mak or sct ... the trick is to not let aperture fever take over .Bit It’s almost inevitable that buying a small scope makes you wonder if getting that 120mm frac just to compliment your little scope makes a perfect match and that leads to 4, 5 and 6 scopes ! I really do love the large newt that I have but I can see me getting much more use out of the ST80 or any other small scope . Lol I already want to upgrade the focuser !!! And there is nothing wrong with the original one ! Interestingly I watched a YT post regarding the best filter to use with an achromat .. which is the baader semi apo filter .. has anyone else used one of those ?

Madness must be in the name stu lol

Regarding EPs .. that’s a subject I have never ventured into .. most of my EPs are standard fare .. I’ve seen a wide variation of prices and really am lost in this case . A decent EP can raise the bar of a cheap scope , as can a good focuser . Of course an achromat will always be an achromat and always have limitations but making the best of a budget scope gives great satisfaction . Lol it’s a bit like “pimp my scope”. I would like to get another Refractor for planets but of course I’m also entering into Mak and SCT territory ... hey @WOnderste .. where is my omni 127 lol 😂

Hi Steve .. I doubt I will ever stop lol .

So , after purchasing an st80 yesterday I was lucky enough to be able to use it late last night . It got me thinking , whilst I was freezing ! What can I actually do with this scope ? What really is it’s forte .. it’s an achromat .. so CA at high power will spoil to a certain extent views of bright objects ( although with a 25mm EP looking at the moon last night the view was free of CA ,and crystal clear ) .. but , why do people buy these scopes when there are more powerful scopes for not a lot more money.A 130p newt is only a few pounds more .. a small mak can be obtained for about 130 pounds . Are scopes really pigeon holed into categories or can they all do a bit of everything.. because at this rate I am going to end up with a dozen of them !! I’ve owned many scopes already and to be honest , when you are looking at a star , there is no difference in my mind . Sirius was splendid last night .. my 200p would not have shown it any better . Views of stars do not benefit using high magnification ( unless you are trying to split a double ) but the appearance usually remains the same . Of course planets are a different matter , as viewing benefits from a high magnification. We are constantly told there is not one scope that will do everything maybe the rhetoric should be , there is not one scope that does everything well . For experienced members on here this might be a pointless post , but , any discussion actually helps new members , so , any thoughts are welcome . Stu

On a positive note , last night was the clearest night I have had with a scope . After the sleet and rain that blighted the entire day the skies cleared around 11 pm . It was absolutely freezing but , well , when you don't see the stars for what seems like weeks on end .. you really do have to grasp the moment ( that’s what I told my wife , who thought I was nuts )

Thanks for your input here .. in the end I am going for the 80 as I can also use it for a guide scope ( when I inevitably get a bigger mount) the evostar 102 , Vlaiv was indeed a long scope but the seller didn’t have all the accessories and as it was sold as “new” I declined it . The ST80 is brand new and I will sell the mount it came with as I certainly won’t use it . I have to say both these scopes were a lot cheaper than buying through a store .. so I am happy with my purchase . I certainly know their limitations so CA is going to be my friend rather than my enemy lol I am going to use the 80 as a quick get up and go wide field low power scope , after all my 200p can give good planetary views

Hi , I feel that I am on here asking questions every week lol but , here is another one . So , I have a 200p on an EQ5 mount which is motor driven and works brilliantly. But , I also want another , more portable scope to use at short notice . I have the chance to purchase either a 102 evostar ( not ED) or an st80 . Out of the two the evostar wins handsomely in most areas but the portability of the St80 is its plus point . Would the evostar be too similar to my 200p this rendering it a bit of a waste of money ? Thoughts welcome kind regards Stu BTW , I am mainly visual .. although like many I will take the occasional photo

Have to say , i am quite impressed when the scope is mounted on my EQ5 . I've tried it using tracking motors and it works perfectly .

Just to prove that i did make the AZ5 work with my 200p ... i gave it first light last weekend ... it was very steady but there was some irritating vibrations , although the scope did settle quickly . But , i am purchasing another , smaller scope to use with my AZ5 ... lol i cropped the photo a bit too aggressively , sorry ... but it sits on an EQ5 tripod which is adapted to take the AZ5 mount head . I certainly would NOT use this set up on a breezy night

... ok , you've convinced me . lol Actually , watching the YouTube channel "Galactic Hunter " i do recall they picked up an unwanted guest when putting their scope bag on the ground . As for the weather there... "along with the sunshine , there's got to be a little rain sometime " OMG i am remembering some old songs today lol

The weather always has been and always will be a pain for us hardy astronomers in the British isles .. and there lies the problem , evolution of the Earth has deemed it so that we are surrounded by water and are subjected to wind and rain at any given time ( usually when there is an astronomical event such as an eclipse or meteor shower ) . This makes us even more determined to get outside when we finally get a clear night . Looking back , during the first lock down we were blessed with lovely clear nights . When you compare our weather to that of , say , Arizona we are such a poor relation ... and of course when we do get a clear night , most of us battle against the dreaded LP ... or a very bright Moon . But , hey , its a British pastime to moan about the weather . As in the song "the sun'll come out tomorrow " .. although maybe not here ..

Hi Marc, still haven't bought the elusive small refractor ... i did revisit the svbony yesterday .. yes some negativity but also some very positive comments

And for me , Spring is the best time ... dark around 7 ish so time to set up the gear in the light , an hopefully not so flipping cold lol

Cheating ?... depending on light pollution it was probably a necessary evil , shall we say . But finding the targets oneself does give satisfaction

lol then you could put a car into space

Yes adjusted the mount arm as the blurb says to do that when you have heavier scopes

But would that small pier be strong enough for my scope?

To be fair it’s something I tried and I get very very close to the zenith .. I thought about a pier extension ( and there is a fairly solid one available ) but I wanted to keep the mount as rock solid as poss . I certainly would NOT use the mini pier that comes with the mount when you buy the aluminium tripod . I had one of those with another mount .. at best it makes a wobbly connection.