vixen a80mf

[garethmob]

hey guys iv looked at the vixen a80mf for quite some time i have a eq2 tripod not doing anything thought i might get it to mount it n see but just wondered if

1 the mount can hold it (it mentions the vixen porta mount but i dunno)

2 what is the main diff between chinease n jap versions

3 is it a nice scope?

[NickK]

hey guys iv looked at the vixen a80mf for quite some time i have a eq2 tripod not doing anything thought i might get it to mount it n see but just wondered if

1 the mount can hold it (it mentions the vixen porta mount but i dunno)

I have a Chinese 1.15" focuser Vixen A80Mf and a Porta mount. The porta mount comes with a tripod.

It does hold it although with heavy EPs the scope will require rebalancing as the clutches can slip. The Allen keys are stored under the rubber cover at the top of the mount and are held in place by a strong magnet. I think the Porta II is probably a better bet if you want a wider range of weights supported.

I can lift the entire scope + mount + tripod in one hand with my arm outstretched. It's that light.

2 what is the main diff between chinease n jap versions

Chinese = 1.25" only focuser and supposedly cheaper optics.

Japanese = 2" focuser and superior optics.

I would go for the Japanese model as the 2" focuser can take the PST mod (solar observation) which makes it infinitely more resellable.

I had the opportunity to see through NickH's solar A80Mf at SGL6. It's 910mm fl and larger aperture really works well and the images are, in my view, far superior to a basic PST.

3 is it a nice scope?

At f11.4 it's a good beginner planet scope, although the aperture means images are dimmer than is good for DSOs/imaging.

I hope that helps.