Daniel Mounsey
Vendor - Woodland Hils
Reged: 06/12/02
Posts: 3200
|
|
What do most ETX owners find themselves doing or viewing with their ETX's?
--------------------
|
dengwer
super member
Reged: 02/14/06
Posts: 154
Loc: Texas
|
|
Mostly planets and moon and double stars. Grab and go views or show the guests quick views. Also birds and insects.
David
--------------------
ETX125AT
Wife's ETX90RA
Orion Ultra-View 10x50
Meade 12" Lightbridge Deluxe
coronado PST
Edited by dengwer (11/27/08 07:13 PM)
|
Quads
sage
Reged: 09/07/08
Posts: 296
Loc: Central Sands, Wisconsin
|
|
I look at almost everything that others do with much bigger scopes, albeit not always as clearly as they can. The rest of the time my point and shoot Canon is piggybacked on it.
--------------------
I'm a "just for fun" photographer that also takes nighttime sky pictures.
Meade ETX-80AT-TC-BB
Canon PowerShot SX100 IS
Affordable Astrophotography
Powered by Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries
|
yock1960
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/22/08
Posts: 980
Loc: SW Ohio, USA
|
|
Learn how to image and dream of $$ better tracking $$ scopes!
--------------------
LXD75 GEM
Orion Starblast 4.5" Imaging Reflector
William Optics Zenithstar 66 SD APO
Meade DSI II OSC
Meade DSI III OSC
Orion Starshoot Autoguider
Televue Powermate 2.5x
Discovery 6" Dobsonian
Nikon Action Extreme 10x50's
Gallery
|
Odin
super member
Reged: 03/21/07
Posts: 193
Loc: Ont, Cdn 46N 84W
|
|
View everything, as much as I can, when I can...
--------------------
*=== Life Is Great Under The STARS ===*
LX90 8" EMC
Rigel Quickfinder
ETX125PE UHTC
60mm Refractor Meade Digital Series
Meade Electronic Eyepiece
32mm,26mm,15mm,9.7mm series 4000 Super Plossl
2x Barlow
10x50 Tasca Binoculars
|
stefanj
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/15/07
Posts: 1755
Loc: Western New York State
|
|
Right now??/ Clouds, snow and clouds- But I Use my 90 on a lot of DSOs- I do the initial finding with the 10"- then switch to the ETX to see if I can still see it- Most times I'm pleasantly surprised!
--------------------
Life is a circus- and I'm stuck in the FREAK TENT
If these are blue- it means the moon is full!
Meade ETX 90RA w/ tripod
Meade AZ 70 (now solar)
Meade DS 2130 AT
Zhumell 10" Dob
Simmons 10x50 Binoculars
GLPx8
LPI
|
Mak2007
sage
Reged: 06/24/07
Posts: 356
Loc: MD
|
|
Thanks for ask that question. This is a very good one and I will be very interested in the replies.
In my case I use my ETX only for visual (no photo), mainly moon and planets. Also doubles. Secondarily (very secondarily) DSO. Excellent for Grab and go, particularly living in a quite light polluted area and with no much time for set up a telescope. Only problem is that requires around 2 hours to rich thermal equilibrium, even with the chimney trick.
My first choice was an APO, but they are too expensive. The Maksutov type was a good option, and many reviews (like S&T, Star Ware, etc) mentioned a very good optical quality of the ETX despite the so so mechanics. I also like its portability. The ETX-125 gives me 5 inches aperture, otherwise impossible for me to get with an APO (which would be around 3 thousand bucks)
I have been using different sets of eps in the ETX, from Plossls to Konigs, all with excellent views, including Brandons and Supermono (yes, you will think that I went crazy buying a set of Supermonos for an ETX, but actually they work excellent particularly in lunar observations. I enjoy them and I was thinking to get them for my future APO).
No Naglers here (I think that they are not necessary and probably inadequate for a very slow scope with tracking like the ETX).
In summary, I use it for visual observation mainly on planets and moon.
--------------------
10x50 Nikon Action Ex
ETX-125PE
L. Henzl Konig 24mm, 16mm Brandon, 12/9/7/5mm TMB Supermonocentrics
For my wife: 24mm Hyperion, 12/8.5 Pentax XF
My workhorses: 32/24/16/12(Zebra) U.O. Konig II
Barlows 2x TV, 2.8x Klee
"Don't worry about what telescope you own, or its quality. Just get out under the night sky, and enjoy God's wondrous universe." Thomas M. Back
|
Dangermouse
member
Reged: 02/13/08
Posts: 85
Loc: 170.5E; -45.9S
|
|
Quote:
even with the chimney trick.
What's the chimney trick?
|
Odin
super member
Reged: 03/21/07
Posts: 193
Loc: Ont, Cdn 46N 84W
|
|
One item of enjoyment is Asterism's. Though the Planets and Moon take first base. 
--------------------
*=== Life Is Great Under The STARS ===*
LX90 8" EMC
Rigel Quickfinder
ETX125PE UHTC
60mm Refractor Meade Digital Series
Meade Electronic Eyepiece
32mm,26mm,15mm,9.7mm series 4000 Super Plossl
2x Barlow
10x50 Tasca Binoculars
|
Mak2007
sage
Reged: 06/24/07
Posts: 356
Loc: MD
|
|
Chimney trick...Sorry, I meant turn the scope downwards and open the eyepiece holder or the back photo port to make the warm air scape faster. At least for me does not works clearly and I just prefer to get the ETX out for at least 2 hours before use it. In this way you can get very high power at planets (150-200x if atmosphere allows it) and particularly the moon (here I am talking even over 250-300x, believe me or not), without the alterations due to air currents inside the scope (look like the air is moving).
--------------------
10x50 Nikon Action Ex
ETX-125PE
L. Henzl Konig 24mm, 16mm Brandon, 12/9/7/5mm TMB Supermonocentrics
For my wife: 24mm Hyperion, 12/8.5 Pentax XF
My workhorses: 32/24/16/12(Zebra) U.O. Konig II
Barlows 2x TV, 2.8x Klee
"Don't worry about what telescope you own, or its quality. Just get out under the night sky, and enjoy God's wondrous universe." Thomas M. Back
Edited by Mak2007 (11/28/08 04:42 PM)
|
DNTash
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 09/02/07
Posts: 762
Loc: India
|
|
Planets, doubles, everything in Orion (time and again), the moon, and particularly colorful stars, in general, for me.
--------------------
AT 72
TMB 92
Orion 120ST
|
Swamp Fox
super member
Reged: 12/26/06
Posts: 124
Loc: Goose Creek, South Carolina
|
|
Mostly the moon, doubles and star clusters.
--------------------
Tele Vue 102
Tele Vue 35mm Pan; 22mm T4 Nagler; 17mm T4 Nagler; 12mm T4 Nagler; 10mm Radian; 2x Powermate
Meade ETX 125PE
Meade 4000 26mm SP; 24.5mm SWA; 15mm SP; 14mm UWA; 9.7mm SP; 8.8mm UWA; #140 2x Barlow
|
Joe Lalumia
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/24/07
Posts: 3611
Loc: Rockwall, Texas, USA
|
|
Anything-- it--- finds. Yes I know small aperture, but many many objects are still visible in dark skies, or on a reasonably clear dark night.
From my "darksky" driveway site just about anything under mag 9.
--------------------
LX90 8" LNT, SV Nighthawk & TelePOD, SV 80/9D & M4 mount, ETX 90, Orion XT10i, 20x80 binoculars, SV-BV3s-- www.texasastro.org
"Great minds discuss ideas;Average minds discuss events;Small minds discuss people." Unknown
Edited by Joe Lalumia (12/01/08 05:24 PM)
|
Daniel Mounsey
Vendor - Woodland Hils
Reged: 06/12/02
Posts: 3200
|
|
Sounds like most observers are viewing doubles. That's nice BTW. What about deep sky or astrophotography attempts?
--------------------
|
nytecam
Postmaster
Reged: 08/20/05
Posts: 5753
Loc: London UK
|
|
Quote:
Sounds like most observers are viewing doubles. That's nice BTW. What about deep sky or astrophotography attempts?
I was waiting for the visuals to say their piece  I exclusively do the latter on my ETX-70 - all Messiers, NGCs and even fainter catalogs [including quasars to 12BLYs] and mag <15/16 are within range see my link below 
--------------------
Nytecam 51N 0.1W
Meade 30cm LX200+ETX-70+e-finder+C8+Ha+CaK PSTs SBIG SGS+homebuilt spectrographs
Starlight SXVF_M9+Lodestar CCDs/Canon 300D DSLR/Fuji E550
My observatory build-ETX-70 imaging-my videos
|
Daniel Mounsey
Vendor - Woodland Hils
Reged: 06/12/02
Posts: 3200
|
|
   Bravo man!
Seriously, that's fantastic! I applaud the efforts that someone would go to such lengths with such a tiny scope. People could seriously learn from you sir.
--------------------
|
JT5
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/08/07
Posts: 582
Loc: Ozarks of Missouri
|
|
Someday soon??? I called Meade again yesterday about repair status of my ETX-125PE. I should be able to get a tracking number today!!!
The issues>>>
Lost Horizontal Drive after the scope rotated into a hard stop. The LNT has never functioned properly. I tried to replace the battery, but the instructions were not adequate and resulted in me pulling the Optical fiber loose from the optical port of the LNT. Before this go around my Autostar and cable had to be replaced.
John
--------------------
My wife shares my love of the night skies and tolerates all of my other hobbies.
Televue Pronto w/Starbeam pointer and Televue tripod
Meade 2045D, ETX-125PE, 12" Lightbridge
Celestron: 7Amp PowerTank, 15X70mm binoculars
Meade, Swan and Televue Lenses (33, 26, 20, 15 & 9mm), Televue Barlow
Catsperch Observing Chair
Member: Astronomical Society of Eastern Missouri
|
Joe Lalumia
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/24/07
Posts: 3611
Loc: Rockwall, Texas, USA
|
|
JT5- I did the same thing the first time I changed the LNT battery pulled the fiber cable loose. I just removed the springs from hell... and mounted a Rigel Quickfinder. Now I can change the battery in about 1 minute.
Also replaced the Meade factory cables-- after two failures with the ones that Scopestuff.com sells... much better quality and longer and more flexible.
--------------------
LX90 8" LNT, SV Nighthawk & TelePOD, SV 80/9D & M4 mount, ETX 90, Orion XT10i, 20x80 binoculars, SV-BV3s-- www.texasastro.org
"Great minds discuss ideas;Average minds discuss events;Small minds discuss people." Unknown
|
Edrow10
member
Reged: 12/08/08
Posts: 77
Loc: Idaho
|
|
Planets,double/multiple stars, globulars, open clusters, nebulas, galaxies, you name it.
I've had most of the series 4000sp, and they are decent; but once I finally ordered my first premium e.p., the 19 panoptic----things changed. Almost everything showed more structure and resolution, M13 is awesome, as well as M42; and a good many objects.
--------------------
Orion XT8i Dob
AP Starfire 102mm-f8/WO EZ-Touch alt-az
|
nytecam
Postmaster
Reged: 08/20/05
Posts: 5753
Loc: London UK
|
|
and supernova like recently discovered SN2008hy in galaxy IC334 in Cam last night under a bright gibbous moon thus 
--------------------
Nytecam 51N 0.1W
Meade 30cm LX200+ETX-70+e-finder+C8+Ha+CaK PSTs SBIG SGS+homebuilt spectrographs
Starlight SXVF_M9+Lodestar CCDs/Canon 300D DSLR/Fuji E550
My observatory build-ETX-70 imaging-my videos
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Edit
Reply
Quote
