Orion Optics OMC 140 - any experiences?

[Stu]

6 hours ago, alex_stars said:

Interesting indeed. My 2017 OMC-140 deluxe carbon tube OTA has no cooling vents. Did/does the OMC 200 have those?

 

2 hours ago, dweller25 said:

I don’t think any of the OMC140 versions had cooling vents.

I believe new OMC200’s have cooling vents on the front and fans on the back, all versions of the older style OMC200’s just had fans on the back.

My mistake, I thought both the new versions had vents but you are correct, only the 200 does.

[Richard]

On 01/04/2023 at 17:00, Stu said:

I’ve looked at that OMC200 many times! Too much for me. I think I sold my old Ali one for about £1200, something like that. I think the cooling is much better on the CF ones and if money was no object I would give it a go, but it’s not, so I won’t.

I’ve been watching the price slowly creep down, and have been sorely tempted, ultimate planetary scope, keep it for life, develop a sudden interest in planetary nebulae, globulars and so on, all the usual ‘excuses’ I make to myself. The price is more than fair, relative to a new one, but therein lies the issue - they’re v expensive new, for what they are, and ridiculously so compared to the old Al tube model.

Too much of a ‘one trick pony’, too; it might ‘just’ beat my 6” APM/LZOS on Solar System - none of the planets are well-placed at present - on a (clear) night with perfect seeing, once cooled, but how often does everything come together? The APM is adequately cooled after 90 min for all but critical viewing, less for deep sky, is much more versatile and available (for now at least) for about the same price - similar scopes can be had for less, a TEC140FL, for example.

I’m still tempted, though!