Small Refractor for Wide Field and Planetary?

I’ve been using one of the short tube 80’s recently and have been having a ball with it. I’ve really enjoyed the Wide Field scanning on a photographic tripod. Some of my favorite targets have always been the planets but when I try to pump up the magnification to get a good view of Mars it’s been pretty disappointing. It’s been awhile since I’ve given a nickname to one of my scopes but I’ve been calling this one the Kaleidoscope lately.

The high contrast and pinpoint stellar images have made me want a high quality refractor. I’d like something I can still use for Wide Field scanning on a simple photo tripod with a pan head, but I’d also like to be able to use 175x to 200x for discriminating observations of planets. Is there such a scope?

I like the concept of the Borg design and have looked at their 76ED coupled with a 100ACH objective. I think the achromat would be fine for the Wide Field work but I’m not sure if 76mm is enough aperture to resolve planetary detail.

I also like the Takahashi Sky 90.

Are there others I should consider? Am I making a mistake by ruling out a higher quality achromat like the APM 102 triplet or the Stellarvue AT1010?

Budget is always a concern or I guess I would just get a AP Traveler and be done. It looks like I’ll be able to budget around $1500 for an OTA. I’d like to be able to attach it to a standard photo pan head, but I can also mount it on a Super Polaris mount when necessary. The idea of purchasing used is appealing.

Any thoughts or recommendations would be appreciated.

Tybee

Tybee,

For that kind of money(even less)you could get a beautiful Tak Sky 90 OTA or a Televue 85 apo. Both scopes would suit your needs for widefield and planetary(although my TV85 got a little dark when I really cranked the power. The resolution was still good, but it just didn't grab enough light at 200X per inch to be enjoyable) You may also consider the new Orion 80ED apo. It is a 600mm focal length and 1/3 the price of either the Tak or TV. I just got one and love it.

Bob

I am able to use up to 200X on planets and double stars with my C102 (4", f10) and have been very pleased with the views. As these are available pretty cheap (less than $500 new, around $200-300 used), you should be able to get something nice with a $1500 budget. You might find a used fluorite version of the C102 that Vixen produced for a while, a different model of Vixen refractor, some model of 4" TV, or maybe even pick up a used Tak FS102 for this price. (OTA's for new Tak FS102's can be had for less than $2000.)

Good luck with your choice, but whichever you choose, I would second Victor's advice about a longer focal ratio, especially if you do not get an APO. Good achromats f10 and longer tend to be much better for planets than the fast models. With low-power 2" eyepieces, you can still get pretty good wide-field views. (I use a 2" U.O. Konig 40mm with mine.)

Gary

Tyee,

I have an Orion ED-80, an Astroview 100, and a Celestron C4R (4in F/10 Achromat).

Both the ED-80 and the Celestron are very decent planetary performers. Neither will cost 1500 bucks, so you could buy some pretty cool eyepieces also. My preference goes towards the ED-80 of those three. I recently lent it out to a friend of mine and he thinks it's a super little scope too.

I use the ED-80 on both a photo tripod and a CG-4 mount. If the next batch of these are as good as the one I got, it's a hands-down winner.

Cheers!
Steve

Hello there Tybee,

I think you have a conflicting goals: on one hand you want to use the refractor on a simple photo tripods but on the other hands you're concerned about planetary resolution and wanting to get to 175x - 200x.

In my opinion, if you want to have both wide field and still excels on planetary observation and without chromatic aberrations which is annoying to some, you need to get an APO refractor. At 175x-200x, you also have to rethink your "simple photo tripod" mount ;-). IMHO, you need at least 4-inch of aperture minimum for a "discriminating observations" of the planets (the more the better). Here the older used TV-101 or better NP-101 may suit your need as well as the 105mm TMB and of course the AP Traveller. Ah but for a budget of $1500, you might consider the Vixen 102ED f/6.5.

Alternatively, if you don't want to spend the $$$$, you might consider two scopes: keep your ST and get yourself a good quality 8" Dobs like the Discovery PDHQ.

Ron the 4-inch Tall Evangelist B[ee]

Well, the TeleVue 4-inchers have been showing up a lot on AM -- suits any budget. I think they are all fine on Wide Field, and on planets you may see a very slight pale ring arount moon and Jupiter (I wouldn't exactly call it "color" but technically that's what it is). You'll have to decide how little of it you can tolerate. While these are not airline carry-on like the Traveler, I think they'll go into a suitcase just fine -- wrapped in a foam camping mattress or something.

Or the Borg -- why not the 100ED? I believe these come up once every few months and one sold recently for about $1600 with a bunch of extras. It's _very_ compact.

-- William

p.s. I use a Genesis on the Panoramic mount at up to 270X.