Pocket scopes

[yeti monster]

I'm keen to get a travel scope and am drawn toward 90mm Mini Maks as they appear to be very portable whilst still offering a decent scope experience. Has anyone any any words of wisdom on these pocket scopes?

[A McEwan]

The 90mm Mks by Skywatcher are excellent wee scopes. They are indeed lightweight, well-made and portable, yet offer good through-the-eyepiece experiences too. Not exactly widefield scopes, but very good for quick looks and holiday travel.

Ok, that's the normal blurb out of the way. I also spent a winter years ago studying Jupiter through a 90mm Mak on a driven mount and the detail it showed was amazing. The spots, festoons and of course transits were all very clear and I still remember them now. So as well as being a portable "mini-scope" they are also capable of very rewarding planetary observation.

And they're cheap.

Ant

[yeti monster]

That's what I'm thinking.

Of those I've (virtually) looked at thus far, Celestron C90, Skymax 90 and "Seben comet" 1200-90, I'm drawn toward the Skymax from FLO. I'm sure that they are all equal scope wise, but with the decent looking tripod the FLO deal looks best.

[A McEwan]

Forget the Seben, or if you do buy one, don't expect too much of it. Conversely, the Skymak will surprise you with what it's capable of. I prefer the Skymax to the Celestron as the Celestron coms with a 45 degree diagonal - not the best for astronomy, and I think the focuser on the Skymax model is better too. Budget for a dewshield, regardless of which one you go for.

Ant

[yeti monster]

A dewshield is a must here, far too humid for shiney glass. I'm trying to find a local supplier in ShenZhen, as I'm a cheapskate, but I've already saved enough on my UWANs to cover the cost of buying from FLO, so not a huge problem.