Looking for a Short Tube wide angle.

[tico]

I'm looking at some small refractor of short focal length, F / 4 or F / 5, mainly for wide-field visual observations, particularly large areas of the Milky Way, bright open clusters, bright Messier objects, particularly emission nebulae large extensive as the North American nebula with pelican, the Rosetta nebula, Gamma Cygni complex ...., I have possibility to use a telescope Dobson 8 "for planetary and lunar observation, so look for another type of telescope that compliments me this, and allow me to observe wide field.

I have seen that there are different sizes, but I look for one that is manageable and that can be used in a photographic tripod robust as I have, it also would use it once for bird watching.

I have seen that there is Orion SW or ST-80 with 400mm of focal lenght, also, some 102mm and 500mm SW focal lenght, something like that is what I seek ... someone has had experience with any of these telescopes?

I have also seen that there are refractor telescopes AR80 and AR90 Optics known, that such work?

I would also like to use some nebular filter for observation of nebulae, which would you recommend?

Thank you very much in advance for your advice.

Paco

[NGC 1502]

Hi Paco, I had an ST90 for several years (no longer made) the slightly larger version of the much more popular ST80.

It was brilliant for low power wide field observations. If that's what you want, then there are lots of short focus achromatic refractors to choose from.

The limitations come if you try to ramp up the magnification. Different folk will have an opinion as to what is acceptable, but for me with

that scope it delivered crisp views up to around 60x. I'd have a look at some reviews, and pick the one that sounds ok and is available at

the right price for you.

If it were me, I'd get one that has a 2" focuser. If it's low power wide field you are after, then the larger focuser will allow a wider field of

view if you get a nice low power wide field 2" eyepiece.

It's possible to use these scopes on a good photo tripod, but the experience will be much better if used on a simple

alt - az mount with slow motion controls.

As for filters, I'd say a good make of UHC filter would be the first to get.

Edit - you mention use for birding - if you use one of these scopes with a standard 90 degree diagonal (it will probably come supplied)

then it will give a right way up but reversed left to right view. Diagonals that correct the view for birding etc are available, but the ones

I have tried do not give quite as crisp a view. I stuck with a standard diagonal for land use and accepted the reversed image.

HTH, Ed.