What is best? SW Heritage 130P, Meade ETX - 80, SW mak90 EQ1 or Orion XT6"?

[lulaz]

Hello to all!

I'm here again asking about telescopes... but I want to make sure that I buy a good telescope! (links of each telescope on the botton of the page)

Well, I found out that a store near here sell an Orion SkyQuest XT6 for about 400 dolars (includes shipping and taxes). I'm still wandering what is the best? I want your oppinion on three main points:

1- Which one is the best for viewing? I want to know which of them will provide me a better view of Planes, of the moon and of the DSOs... (answer separately for each one)

2- which is the best to Carry around?... I want to know if the XT6 is really that heavy and sucks to transport and if the Meade 80 or Heritage 130P would be THAT easier...

3- This one is particullary to Heritage: does the fact that the Heritage has an oppened tube makes it really bad? I mean, is it something that I can just build an cilinder made by foam, to protect the secondary mirror or it is something that will really be a problem and it has no way to fix it? (or it is too expensive and probably will break the secondary mirror)

Thank you all!!!!

Links of each telescope

ETX 80:

Meade Instruments Corporation - ETX-80AT-TC GO TO Computer Telescope

Orion SkyQuest XT6:

SkyQuest XT6 Classic | Orion Telescopes

SW Heritage 130P:

TELESCOPE SUPPLIERS - SKY-WATCHER TELESCOPE

SW Mak90 EQ1:

TELESCOPE SUPPLIERS - SKY-WATCHER TELESCOPE

[sxinias]

The ETX 80 will be the most portable, the XT6 will be the best for viewing, the heritage 130 the best compromise between viewing and portability, and the MAK90 left out in the pasture ... the least portable of the bunch. For viewing, the XT6 is the best followed by the 130, the MAK 90 with the ETX 80 in last place. Only the XT6 has sufficient aperture to start showing details of deep space objects, etc.

Your concerns about the Heritage 130 are completely without any foundation. The scope is excellent. Get the XT6. It will show you the heavens in details the others can not do and it is easily transported.

[russ]

I agree, the XT6 is an excellent all round telescope. Ample aperture for all targets. Easy to setup and use. Awesome planetary scope. And looks good in black

[Chris H]

Aperture counts above all if you want to look at more than planets and the moon. The XT6 can gather nearly 4 times as much light as the ETX-80.

Check out this youtube video, the XT4.5 is just a little smaller than the XT6 but it will give you an idea of the size http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kncc47kVUTA&feature=related