asaint
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 04/25/03
Posts: 2021
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Orion 127 Mak Cass Vs. Celestron C5 SCT
Edited by Mike Loffland (12/27/05 10:20 PM)
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wilash
Fairy Godmother
   
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 5746
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Has anyone compared a Intes Macro M503 5" f/10 maksutov cassegrain with a Celestron C5? The Intes can also use 2" eyepieces.
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rob cos.
professor emeritus
Reged: 03/11/04
Posts: 630
Loc: Plymouth,Ma
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Ed,
I just happened by this review as I'm looking into re-acquiring the Orion 127...great review! I love the disclaimer. 
I really liked this scope the first time around and sold it to help finance a trip(every little bit helped). This review is consistent with my own observations as well as just about every other review i've read.
Thanks for the good read. Albeit, i'm 2 years too late in reading it.
-------------------- Rob
Antares 10"f/4.9 Dob w/ DBA Birch Base and Sky Commander
Antares 1529 6" F/6.5
UA Unistar Deluxe w/encoders
LXD75
ETX125PE
Eyepieces:
University Optics
Harry Siebert
TMB/Burgess
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mtc
sage
Reged: 04/04/05
Posts: 241
Loc: Chelmsford, MA
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I just can't imaging giving up my Orion 127. The review certainly paints it in a wonderful light - and my experiences with it have all be great....
-------------------- StarMax 127
Starshoot DSC
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Starman1
Vendor - Scope City
   
Reged: 06/24/03
Posts: 10957
Loc: Los Angeles
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I have a wonderful 12.5" dob, but I don't use it on the planets, Moon, or for double star observing. I use a 127mm Orion Maksutov for that, and it gives me excellent views. A severe Ronchi test shows a little undercorrection, but, nonetheless, the images are so sharp that views through this scope have sold around another half-dozen of them for Orion. It's a good match for the SVP mount, and the price is only a little more than a 31mm Nagler--for the whole scope! It's a good scope.
-------------------- Don Pensack
12.5" Truss Dob, 5" Maksutov
Sustaining Lifetime IDA member, TeleVue junkie
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jonbosley
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/19/05
Posts: 540
Loc: Texas
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I would love to see a review of the new Orion 150mm Mak-Cass.
Jon Bosley ------------------------ 8" Harding Dob
-------------------- C11 XLT Celestron
Atlas Goto Mount on Concrete Pier
WO 66 SD Doublet APO Refractor
Philips SNC900NC Webcam
Faymax FC-1000m Webcam with cooling fan
Orion Star Shoot Deep-Space CCD
POD Observatory
www.whitedwarfobservatory.com
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bgi
member
Reged: 12/01/05
Posts: 70
Loc: Ga
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My Orion 127 mak (also purchased used) is optically excellent. My only complaints are: 1) It's not larger; and 2) Orion won't sell me a dovetail plate to properly fit the SVP. When my SM shows me the Enke mimima, the 127 can't quite keep up. But the views are great. I sometimes prefer the more subtle planetary images seen with the 127.
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Gendo
Post Laureate
   
Reged: 12/12/05
Posts: 3231
Loc: Rexburg, ID
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I can't compare a Mak to a Schmidt since I haven't experienced a Schmidt first hand, but I love the color, clarity, and contrast I see in my Konus Mak.
I actually see Saturn's color with the 5.1" Mak, unlike the 6" Newt. Maybe the UTC coating on the corrector plate has something to do with that.
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kfred
Carpal Tunnel
   
Reged: 11/11/03
Posts: 2005
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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I'm not able to read the review...says that the page can't be found error 404.
Fred
-------------------- River Cam - Cambridge England
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spaceydee
Postmaster
   
Reged: 04/16/04
Posts: 15346
Loc: Where the Kittens Are
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I am getting the same error.
-------------------- Dee
space-scientist
student violinist
Nexstar8i,SV80S,80/9D,FC100,94 Brandon,TMB92SS,GM8
8" f/7 Discovery,12.5" Portaball, PST
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Gendo
Post Laureate
   
Reged: 12/12/05
Posts: 3231
Loc: Rexburg, ID
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I found it. It is at a different URL than what is posted up top.
C5 vs Orion 127 Maksutov-Cassegrain: http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=870
It would be interesting to compare the Konus 130/Celstron c130 to the Orion 127.
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spaceydee
Postmaster
   
Reged: 04/16/04
Posts: 15346
Loc: Where the Kittens Are
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Thank you for your help Gendo,
and the link at the top has now been fixed thanks to one of the Admins!!! Thanks!
-------------------- Dee
space-scientist
student violinist
Nexstar8i,SV80S,80/9D,FC100,94 Brandon,TMB92SS,GM8
8" f/7 Discovery,12.5" Portaball, PST
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Phil Frederick
professor emeritus
   
Reged: 12/19/05
Posts: 617
Loc: Seattle, WA & La Paz MX
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Hi Folks,
Commenting on a bunch of little pieces in this thread...
There are a couple of reviews of the Orion Mak 150 and the new Celestron C6 SCT on Astromart.
I have a Celestron C5 SCT and while the optics are good, the contrast isn't what I'd like and a little soft on the planets. So I bought the new Orion 150 Mak. I ended up returning it almost immediately because of IMHO a huge image shift when focusing . This was what the reviewer noted also. I ended up buying an Orion 100ED instead. WOW! but still have the C5--not sure what to do with it.
Have thought about getting a Mak127 as a result of the great reviews and portability, but wasn't sure how to mount it on my Orion SVP which was another issue raised here. Talked with Orion tech support and they said to just remove the inverted plate and use the 127mm rings and dovetail. Seems like an easy solution. Maybe I'll get one !
Regards to all from Seattle,
Phil -------- TV76, SVP100ED, C5, 100F/6 and ST80 in Mexico
-------------------- Phil
Intes M603 6" Mak
Intes M500 5" Mak
Astro-Tech 80LE CF
Orion 127 Mak
Orion ST120 f/5
Orion ST80 f/5
SV F50 Sparrowhawk
SV F60 Biggerhawk
Tak Teeguls, SV Stableock, Bogen475s, Oberwerk Jarrah, and a rebuilt Astroview tripod with Walnut/Oak legs.
...Naglers, Radians, LVWs, BO/TMBs, Stratus', 32 & 38 SWA's
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BAMBAM
member
Reged: 11/08/07
Posts: 60
Loc: Barrie, ON
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I want a skywatcher 127mm mak. Is it the same manufacturer of the orion? Lawrence
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johnfdean
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/04/06
Posts: 569
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Thanks Gendo. I have been looking for a planetary scope. I seem to change my mind every week.
-------------------- Celestron C6 f/5 by Vixen with Polaris GEM
14" Tscope dob f/4.7 with Argo Navis
80mm Nighthawk on Eq 2
Celestron C-4 f/10 GEM
Sky Scout
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sixela
Postmaster
   
Reged: 12/23/04
Posts: 9499
Loc: Boechout, Belgium
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Quote:
I want a skywatcher 127mm mak. Is it the same manufacturer of the orion? Lawrence
Yes.
--------------------
400mm f/4.46 David Lukehurst truss Dobsonian on Tom Osypowski equatorial platform
Orion Starblast (114mm f/4 reflector, Alt/Az)
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
   
Reged: 06/16/04
Posts: 12070
Loc: San Diego, California
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Hi: A nice review... I have a C-5 OTA that I purchased with the idea that it would make a quick look scope/ultra-portable telescope. I still have it but it rarely gets used, a couple times a year. Here's a few observations I have made plus a comparison with another scope...
- THere is no doubt the C-5 Packs a lot of aperture into a small package, 11 inches long, it fits in a standard camera case.
- As a Grab and Go, it does take time to reach thermal equilibrium. I find this noticeable.
- The hole in the back, at least the hole in mine is 1 inch in diameter. This puts a limit of the unvignetted field of view. A worst case calculation shows it would be about 1.2 degrees but in practice I have measured it at much more, between 1.8 and 1.9 degrees. The edges are probably not fully illuminated but it is not so noticeable except that the field stop is soft.
- It does have a large CO, as Ed points out it does take a hit on the contrast.
- The reason this scope gets little use is that I also own an Orion Space Probe 130ST fitted with a 2 inch focuser. Now there is no doubt that I am a fan of the Newtonian design... Still, the C-5 (and previously an ETX-125) stays inside because this small Newt performs noticeably better, providing crisp high power views as well providing 3 degree TFoVs. The C-5 is definitely more compact at 11 inches vs 24 inches, that is why I keep the C-5.
- What works for each of us depends on how we observe and how a particular scope fits with the rest of our equipment. In terms of smaller scopes, I tend to use refractors because they do best the things that a small scope does best.
Jon
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