RafaelP
member
Reged: 12/01/12
Loc: NYC
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: stevenf]
#5611763 - 01/08/13 11:15 AM
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Steven, I like the 6x30, I can see how the larger finder would tip the C90 off balance.
Last night it was finally clear. I went on the roof again. I was able to get Jupiter to 100x to 150x. It didn't always look good, but there were moments of clarity when I could see more detail! I couldn't find any of my targets posted above, which probably are too faint for the C90, as the darkest nights here are still too way bright(darn CitiBank buiding!) I think I should start saving up for a C6...
I did run across a neat very red star,Tauri 119 , while looking above Orion. I went back to the Orion nebula and the Trapezium too, since those are definitely visible!
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: stevenf]
#5612459 - 01/08/13 06:26 PM
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Robo-Mak!
The superhero the Questar 3.5" wishes it could be. 
We actually used the C90 on a CG5 for awhile in the White Mountains last summer.
Regards,
Jim
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John Kuraoka
sage
Reged: 12/12/12
Loc: Sunny San Diego, CA
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: jrbarnett]
#5612648 - 01/08/13 08:27 PM
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I'm curious whether the dielectric diagonal was a worthwhile upgrade? I have the Orion 90 Mak-Cas with the stock diagonal.
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jrbarnett
Eyepiece Hooligan
Reged: 02/28/06
Loc: Petaluma, CA
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: John Kuraoka]
#5612911 - 01/08/13 11:19 PM
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I actually use a vintage Vixen prism diagonal with mine, usually. I find diagonals pretty much fungible to be honest.
Regards,
Jim
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RafaelP
member
Reged: 12/01/12
Loc: NYC
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: jrbarnett]
#5615843 - 01/10/13 04:33 PM
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John,
I don't know if the upgrade was worth it since it is my first scope, I will try to do a side by side comparison.
R
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John Kuraoka
sage
Reged: 12/12/12
Loc: Sunny San Diego, CA
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: RafaelP]
#5616040 - 01/10/13 06:46 PM
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Thanks Rafael! I know the 90mm Mak is really slow, so it would be good to know if the better diagonal actually helps make the most of what's there.
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RafaelP
member
Reged: 12/01/12
Loc: NYC
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: John Kuraoka]
#5616258 - 01/10/13 08:55 PM
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On the roof tonight again for an hour and a half. Went looking for M78 again, no luck. I was able to split Meissa and Lamda Orionis at x132, I pushed it to x150 then even to x200 to confirm. I couldn't make out the colors of the stars though. Checked out Jupiter again, looked great at X132 and okay at x150. High clouds came in and I called it a night.
I think I am getting the hang of using the Mak! I can tell now when it is properly cooled down by doing a star test, there are nice even rings and no heat plume on both sides of focus.
John, I will test out the diagonals during the daytime when it isn't so chilly!
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azure1961p
Postmaster
Reged: 01/17/09
Loc: USA
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: RafaelP]
#5616266 - 01/10/13 09:01 PM
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Raf,
I'm looking forward to you getting some phenomenal summer seeing with that c90. During those hot balmy heat waves we get in the north east the seeing can be unparalleled with anything you'll encounter at other times. The cooler months can bring about ok to good seeing, but summer... Those rare once in a lifetime or a year nights where you can't believe your actually seeing it- detail, for me has always been either a July or August night.
I'm sure your scope will be all that when it comes around.
Pete
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t.r.
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/14/08
Loc: Upstate NY
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: azure1961p]
#5616811 - 01/11/13 08:13 AM
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Got in another run with the C90 last night. Slightly better conditions, barely with a thin high altitude veil but steady. Bumped the mag just over 100x, all the same detail as before, caught the red spot again and festoons. I also noticed real nice, hard round airy disks for the moons, similar to what my fine Vixen C80SS produces. I like it better for planetary than my C80SS for sure. Had a Meade 90 ETX RA years ago and this is better. It is also better than the older C90 I had with twist focus...NO VIBRATION! Can't wait to check out Luna. As Pete points out, I think with better seeing this little puppy is gonna rock!  The beauty of this little guy is in its simplicity and ease of use for quick looks, this time right after dinner for an hour.Problem is, now my C6 is sitting idle while I play with this to learn its potential! My "big" scopes (AP130 and C11) stay in for the winter! 
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RafaelP
member
Reged: 12/01/12
Loc: NYC
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: t.r.]
#5617006 - 01/11/13 10:43 AM
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t.r.- I haven't been able to see that much detail on Jupiter, festoons etc., just the three dark bands so far. Hopefully when seeing improves!
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RafaelP
member
Reged: 12/01/12
Loc: NYC
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: RafaelP]
#5618138 - 01/11/13 10:31 PM Attachment (24 downloads)
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Since I don't have a camera attachment for the C90, I did some pencil sketches last night. I used the sketches for a little oil painting to try to illustrate what Jupiter looks like through the scope.
Celestron C90
7:30 EST
Roof in Midtown Manhattan
x125 magnification using GSO 20mm plossl with a x2 barlow(I think!)
moons from left to right:
Io, Ganymede, Europa and Callisto
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Quinn
member
Reged: 03/19/12
Loc: California, Los Angeles
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: RafaelP]
#5618413 - 01/12/13 03:19 AM
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I've had a Orion StarMax 90mm for about a year now and have been more than happy with it. I purchased the tabletop mount with the 90º diagonal and the 25 and 10 mm Plossl e/p. Well on a table top the mount sucks. Pointing the scope to zenith and you'll be beating your chin on the table. The mount will screw on to a 1/4"-20 3/8"-16 photo tripod and that works well if the tripod is rigid enough. Optically I don't think there is a difference between the Orion or Celestron Maks.
I use mine mostly for viewing the Moon where it excels. With a tFOV of around 1º you won't be viewing many nebulas or open clusters. If the sky is dark Globs are wonderful.
Enjoy
Quinn
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t.r.
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/14/08
Loc: Upstate NY
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: Quinn]
#5618583 - 01/12/13 08:19 AM
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Actually RaphaelP, that is a very realistic rendering viewed at about 8 inches from the screen! The right color too. The only thing I'm seeing additionally is a gradation in the polar regions which you show as just a solid shading,a more jagged edge on the two main belts and the ragged edges on the inside of the North equatorial belt where the gray/blue festoons begin to drift into the equatorial zone. I can't see the streamers of the festoons going into the middle of the zone by any means so far. You will just have to catch a time that the red spot is transiting...you will see that too! Your Jovian moons are portrayed slightly fuzzy...mine are nice, hard round airy disks with a single diffraction ring...at least when the seeing is good! Check out these Jupiter pics through the C90...
http://www.celestron.com/astronomy/celestron-c90-mak-spotting-scope.html
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azure1961p
Postmaster
Reged: 01/17/09
Loc: USA
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: t.r.]
#5618603 - 01/12/13 08:37 AM
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That's acrylic not oils. Nice job.
Pete
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azure1961p
Postmaster
Reged: 01/17/09
Loc: USA
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: azure1961p]
#5618605 - 01/12/13 08:40 AM
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Why Mr. Barnett, it would appear you've shaved your beard and colored out the grey!
Pete
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RafaelP
member
Reged: 12/01/12
Loc: NYC
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: azure1961p]
#5618666 - 01/12/13 09:31 AM Attachment (17 downloads)
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I will have to check again when the weather is good to see how I saw the moons! There may have had the single diffraction ring too. It was also I little less yellow and a more grey pinkish color. I attached another little Jupiter painting that I think is a little closer. It is oil on a 2"x3" panel.
Pete- It is oil paint for sure! I squeezed the paint out of the tubes myself. 
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rmollise
Postmaster
Reged: 07/06/07
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: RafaelP]
#5618701 - 01/12/13 09:56 AM
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Quote:
Since I don't have a camera attachment for the C90, I did some pencil sketches last night. I used the sketches for a little oil painting
Very cool!
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azure1961p
Postmaster
Reged: 01/17/09
Loc: USA
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: rmollise]
#5619420 - 01/12/13 04:43 PM
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And it's dry?
Pete
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RafaelP
member
Reged: 12/01/12
Loc: NYC
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: azure1961p]
#5619459 - 01/12/13 05:06 PM
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Pete- Nope, they are still wet. I just took some quick shots with my cellphone camera. They take just take several days to dry to the touch and several weeks to be completely dry.
R
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RafaelP
member
Reged: 12/01/12
Loc: NYC
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Re: Which 90mm Mak for tiny Apartment and travel?
[Re: RafaelP]
#5638871 - 01/23/13 12:50 PM
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I took to C90 to Los Angeles and finally felt I was able to put it through it's paces with some clear and semi-dark nights. I had been struggling using printed star maps (Cambridge, Turn Left at Orion)to find anything. I ended up downloading Sky Safari Plus which made star jumping so much easier for me. It felt a little more free form too.
There is a lot of light pollution in LA, and with the small aperture perhaps the views were not amazing, but here is the list of some DSO I was able to find:
NGC 457 - Owl Cluster in Cassiopeia
Andromeda Galaxy(I could fit the center bulge in at x56)
M 36 - Pinwheel Cluster in Auriga
M 35 in Gemini(it may have been the more compact NGC 2158 which is close by)
Hind's Crimson Star(hard too see due to LP!)
M 44 - Beehive Cluster in Cancer
M 67 in Cancer
NGC 2264 - Christmas Tree cluster in Monoceros(was unable to make out the Cone Nebula)
I was hoping to get some nebulae(besides M 42)but a narrow pass filter is really needed to separate them from the background LP. That is all for now!
~Rafael
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