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diagonal for OrionED80?

Started by maah, 01/13/2005 08:49AM
Posted 01/13/2005 08:49AM Opening Post

Hello!
Iam planning to buy an Orion ED80mm. A Im bit confused which diagonal to buy.I already have a Cave 8" and the Sky-Watcher ST80 end a set of 1.25" eyepieces.Any thoughts? Is really the 2" diagonal the way to go if you already have a set of 1,25" eyps?
Happy for avdvices. Thanks! My budget diagonalwise is max $100.
Clear skies to you All!
/Magnus
Posted 01/13/2005 02:43PM | Edited 01/13/2005 02:44PM #1
Burgess Optical has a great 2" diagonal that uses the same mirrors as William Optics for $89.00. I spoke to Bill Burgess yesterday and he said that he also had got a shippment of those diagonals that have scratches on the outside of the diagonals, so he is selling them for cost rather than shipping them back.

Give him a call:

http://knightcontrol.freeservers.com/
Posted 01/17/2005 05:32PM #2
I have the ED 80 and faced the same question a year ago. The friendly folks at 20/20 telescopes in Lansing, Il. advised me to spring for the 2", which also allowed me to fit a televue 35mm panoptic, and I've never regretted it. The little 80 is surprisingly good on the moon and planets, but where it really stands out is with wide-field, low power views of star fields in dark skies. It was an awesome combination at last years' Texas Star Party, but it's even nice from my light-polluted suburban skies. Of course the panoptic is pricey, and you can spend a lot less for eyepieces that do much though not all of what the panotpic does. Or you could keep a 1 1/4 diagonal and get a 24mm panoptic, which fits it. You won't get as wide a field, but the sky will appear darker and you could save a bit. Either way it's a great way to go. Now if only I could find a way to combine two ED80s with the 35mm panoptics to make a pair of wide field, tack sharp to the edge, apo binoculars!
Best,
Larry