80mm frac opinions

[Luna-tic]

Criteria: APO, 80mm, f/6 or faster, $1000 or less.

What would you recommend as best deal/performance? I'm considering picking up a refractor, within those limits set above.

I've looked (read about) at 5 models that fit:

1-Explore Scientific 80mm f/6 ED APO triplet, #EDT-0806-CF. Comes with Vixen dovetail, hard case, 2" diagonal, 2" Crayford focuser, $850, weight 7 lb.

2-Meade 80 Series 6000 f/6 APO triplet, #261001  same accessories as above, 2.5" Crayford focuser, $999, weight 6.9 lb.

3-Orion 80mm ED CF f/6 APO triplet, #09534, carbon tube, hard case, no mount rings, 2" focuser, $949, weight 5.5 lb.

4- Williams Optics GT71 f/5.9 APO triplet, #A-F71GT-AP; includes field flattener/reducer, mount rings, dovetail, 2.5" Crayford focuser, soft case. $898, weight 5 lb.

5-Williams Optics GT71 20th Anniv model. f/5.9 APO triplet; Same as above, but no flattener/reducer, has hard case and 2" focuser  $958, weight 5 lb.

There were a couple of nice Stellarview 80's, but they were f/7 and slightly over the dollar limit. I'm sort of leaning toward the non-anniversary model Williams Optics. The aperture is just slightly less, at 2.8" vs. 3.1-3.2". I suppose that's what is making it the tiny bit faster, but I like best the light weight of 5 lb. The Orion is a close 2nd.

 

Oh, how would any of these do as a guide scope?

[alan potts]

My friend has the Meade and has had it for about 8 years, he likes it very much. I guess options 1&2 are the same front element anyway and the extra few mm will help, the Meade also has the bigger Crayford, I feel that would be my choice.

[ronin]

Bit confused, the 2 GT71's you say at the end are different diameters and that the difference is around 0.3" so some 7.5mm difference, that just seems odd. Also the WO site give identical specifications. Have you mixed up a couple of scopes? Is one the ZS71. I see the ZS also says Crayford focuser whereas the GT71's say R&P. Check (4) is it supposed to be ZS not GT ?

Also the GT71 accessories you give says the one with the flatener is less cost then the one without and flateners are around $150. However the US seems to get different deals and combinations then the UK/EU does. Finally a 71mm is 32% down on the light gather of an 80mm.

If the ES is the FCD-100 glass then I would seriously consider that one. Every report on it seems to be very good. And I have 3 WO refractors so a bit biased towards WO.

The Meade is a scope that seems to quietly just get on and does an excellent job, another that you hear little about it but everyone likes it. And as Alan says I suspect the front element is the same as the ES (non-FCD-100 variety).

Guide scope I would say look at the ZS61, but the above 80's will all be good as a guide scope just a bit bit and so heavy.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I think my APM 80mm F/6 has the same front element as the ES triplet. Very pleased with that scope

[Luna-tic]

7 hours ago, ronin said:

Bit confused, the 2 GT71's you say at the end are different diameters and that the difference is around 0.3" so some 7.5mm difference, that just seems odd. Also the WO site give identical specifications. Have you mixed up a couple of scopes? Is one the ZS71. I see the ZS also says Crayford focuser whereas the GT71's say R&P. Check (4) is it supposed to be ZS not GT ?

Also the GT71 accessories you give says the one with the flatener is less cost then the one without and flateners are around $150. However the US seems to get different deals and combinations then the UK/EU does. Finally a 71mm is 32% down on the light gather of an 80mm.

If the ES is the FCD-100 glass then I would seriously consider that one. Every report on it seems to be very good. And I have 3 WO refractors so a bit biased towards WO.

The Meade is a scope that seems to quietly just get on and does an excellent job, another that you hear little about it but everyone likes it. And as Alan says I suspect the front element is the same as the ES (non-FCD-100 variety).

Guide scope I would say look at the ZS61, but the above 80's will all be good as a guide scope just a bit bit and so heavy.

I was looking on High Point Scientific's website when I got the above info. You're correct about the Williams Optics offerings, the more expensive model had the better Crayford focuser in 2" size, but did not list a reducer/corrector in the included accessories. The lesser cost had the reducer and a 2.5" R&P focuser. Both say FPL-53 ELD glass. They both look very nice and were the overall lightest on the list.  I like the specs on the Orion, too, at 5.5 lb and 3.1" it is the lightest for the largest aperture and has a 2 focuser; what's the advantage of the 2.5 and 3" focusers on other offerings anyway? Is it for dedicated AP cameras? What I'd get wouldn't be larger than 2", since that's what my SCT's are, and I want to be able to switch between all three scopes.

What got me started on this is, our astronmy club is setting up a dual refractor for solar observing; they decided on a couple of 80's, one with a white light filter and one with Ha, to be used in our public outreach. Since the purpose is solar and observation only, they're going with achro doublets to keep cost down, but the size and handling of these size telescopes has gotten me interested in something similar that I can use both for AP through it, or as a guide scope for AP in my SCT's, which is why I'm looking more at APO's. Seems like $1000 is a common range with quite a few offerings,  next step up is $1500 to $2K and larger aperture, or even faster (f/5 range) in 80's.  I can now image at f/6.3 or f/10 with my C6, and f/7 or f/10 with my Edge 8, so I wanted something as fast or slightly faster, but set a cost limit, which I know will get busted anyway when I start adding accessories I don't already have.

[recceranger]

My friend - you can’t go wrong with a Sky Watcher 80 ED Pro with an upgraddd crayford. I’ve had mine for 8 years and the views I’ve had have been the best of any scope I have owned (CPC 1100 and MAK 150 Pro).

I had it out the other evening and the visual view of M31 was fantastic.  On imaging it’s absolutely bang for buck. A real marvel

 

 

[Luna-tic]

3 hours ago, recceranger said:

My friend - you can’t go wrong with a Sky Watcher 80 ED Pro .....

Doesn't meet the criteria. I don't want anything slower than f/6, that one is f/7.5.  I already have a scope that's f/7, and one that's f/6.3.

I like the Skywatcher scopes I've seen, if it were in my budget constraint, the 80mm Esprit might be one I'd consider, it's f/5, but the weight is almost 9 lb. Too much to attempt mounting as a guide scope.