Orion 80 ED

HELP; I'm thinking about an Orion 80 ED. What is a realistic maximum magnification on a good alt az mount with slo-mo controls? AND, what can you really see with an 80 mm Apo?

HELP; I'm thinking about an Orion 80 ED. What is a realistic maximum magnification on a good alt az mount with slo-mo controls? AND, what can you really see with an 80 mm Apo?
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Hi and hello...

Some thoughts and comments...

I have an Orion ED-80. I am quite impressed with it, it has entirely replaced both an TeleVue Pronto and an 100mm F6 Achromat. Unlike those scopes, it has no false color I can see.

I do use it with a 2x barlow and an 4.8MM Nagler which is 240x. I also use it at 171x with a 7mm Nagler... I can't say that I see any more at 240x than 171x when viewing the planets but I can also say that the image in not "breaking down" either.

As far as small scopes being immune to light pollution... Not my experience at all. From my back yard, Mag 4 at best, middle of San Diego, lots of light pollution, it is a real chore to see M81 and m82 though it can be done. From dark skies, these are easy targets and there are many other galaxies to be seen. During the full moon this month, I was observing from the dark skies of the Navajo reservation, slewing through the Virgo cluster was fun, I was seeing lots of stuff. Not quite like a 10 incher but still fun.

IMHO, probably the best deal in quite some time and a pretty darn good scope too.

JOn

Observing at my light-polluted location with the 80ED, I mostly use the Nagler 9mm eyepiece (at 67x) for double stars and the occasional open cluster. Earlier this week, with the moon around first quarter, I looked at Saturn with a 6 mm Ortho (100 x) and then added a 2x barlow. This gave me a power of 200x and allowed me to make out the Cassini Division and the planet's shadow on its rings. That may be the limit of what I can expect of the 80ED at this location, but I suspect it can do even better under dark clear skies.