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jmoore
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/01/03
Posts: 1959
Loc: Beaufort, NC
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I'll be brief, since I've got a meeting in 5 mins.
Just wanted to say that I got my 5" Starmax Mak yesterday! And the skies were clear and steady last night! Temperature was a warm 20 degs or so (it's been closer to 0 lately). So, what a good omen!
I let it cool for about 2 hrs while I watched a movie, and then took it out for a brief test drive on Saturn and Jupiter around midnight. Optimal magnification for me last night was about 250x with this new scope. Blew me away! Much detail to be had on these planets. I happened to be viewing Jupiter just as one of its moons was peaking out from behind (or in front?). Very cool.
I directly compared the views of Jupiter to my 80mm refractor. No comparison. I could see similar detail on Jupiter in both scopes, but it was SO MUCH bigger in the Mak, AND SO MUCH brighter, in spite of the fact that I was at 150x in the refractor and 250x in the Mak. With the Mak, I could easily confirm that I was seeing the GRS, whereas with the 80mm, I THOUGHT I was seeing it, but couldn't confirm (until verifying with the Mak).
I think I could make out 5 of Saturn's nearby moons (definitely 4) with the Mak, compared to 2-3 that I can usually see with my 80mm.
In short...I dig this new scope, and think it will be getting a lot of use in the coming days. No regrets on my purchase, especially considering the really good deal I got.
Ciao,
Jeff
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Hardin 12"
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Suk Lee
Post Laureate
Reged: 10/07/03
Posts: 4315
Loc: Pleasanton, CA
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Congrats on your new Mak - they're wonderful scopes.
Suk
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http://www.siliconvalleyskies.com
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EdZ
Professor EdZ
Reged: 02/15/02
Posts: 12601
Loc: Cumberland, R I , USA42N71.4W
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Way to go Jeff.
So how about undertaking a little task?
test your scope on some doubles at the diffracation limit. Great way to try out very high magnifications. You'll be up in the 200+ range for any of these
Rayleigh Limit is 5.45/5= 1.09 arcsec, that's the limit for a true split for a 5" scope. Not an overlap, a true thin hairline split.
I have a file over in the double star forum with a selection of about 50 double stars of various separations. You should be able to try 3 or 4 just below , right at and just above your limits.
If the central obstruction is diminishing resolution to the full extent, you will find you can't resolve doubles closer than maybe 1.5 arcseconds.
Once you find the closest double you can resolve we can divide backwards and find the effective point source resolution aperture to determine the affect of the C.O. If you choose to accept this assignment, no hurry, but after you get some results we can compare notes with my C5 SCT.
Doubles to Test your Scopes
edz
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Teach a kid something today. The feeling you'll get is one of life's greatest rewards.
member#21
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jmoore
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/01/03
Posts: 1959
Loc: Beaufort, NC
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Hey ed,
sounds great. I responded with a private message to you.
cheers,
jeff
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Hardin 12"
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litespeed
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 10/31/03
Posts: 956
Loc: Treasure Coast, FL
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Jeff,
Congrats! That is a great scope. 
You can really push that magnification to the outer limits on clear nights. You can really pull out some killer detail on the planets when the air is still (for such a small scope). I'm still amazed at what it can do.
Super long cool down times though. How was your collimation check?
Curious.... 
AJ
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AJ
Orion 127 SVP
TouCam
Canon 20D
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jmoore
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/01/03
Posts: 1959
Loc: Beaufort, NC
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Didn't even check the collimation. I just assumed that Maks don't need collimating, or so I've heard, so I didn't bother. I will check, though. Guess I need to star-test, huh? (can't exactly Cheshire/laser the Mak). I assume it was good, or else Saturn wouldn't have looked as good as it did at 250+x.
Yes, I've been warned well-enough about the cool-down times, so I went into this purchase with open eyes. Just need to have some forthought...stick it outside as soon as I get home at night so that's it ready to use later in the evening. At least I can use my 80mm while I'm waiting 
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Hardin 12"
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Gary BEAL
professor emeritus
Reged: 05/10/03
Posts: 583
Loc: New Zealand
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Jeff,
welcome to Makworld, most that enter never leave. I am one of those diehard Mak enthusiests, in fact I have the disease worse than most.
The cooldown is not the plague that others would have you believe, just needs a little forethough thats all. If you get it out and the temperature diffence is not too great you can always do some deepsky first.
I predict the 80mm will fall into less use as time goes on.
Gary
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Visit my homepage: http://www.totalwebsolutionz.co.nz/zeissnut/
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Oldfield
Postmaster
Reged: 03/20/02
Posts: 5218
Loc: Hong Kong
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spend more time with it and you will be able to see more with it later... congratulations!
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The Home Astronomer from a city where most people are proud of the light pollution
Toys: C5, Ranger, Borg 45ED II, SM40/BF10, Unistar Light, TG-SP II, LXD55, ToUCam Pro, DMK 31AF03, Canon 10x30 IS, Pentax PCF III 10x50...
My observation log and ideas My General Blog
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Anonymous
Unregistered
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Wow, I didn't know there would be such a difference! When you get a chance, can you let me know how it compares to the 80mm on deep space? 
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jmoore
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/01/03
Posts: 1959
Loc: Beaufort, NC
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Dan, others could probably answer your question sooner than I, Dan. I can tell you that in theory, the 5" will grab 2.5x more light than the 80mm (I'm sure you knew this). I've already seen the difference this makes on planets, and I was able to pick out extra moons from Saturn (the 5" can grab point objects a full magnitude fainter than an 80mm).
So, my guess is that DSOs will look much better in the 5" Mak. BUT, there is something to be said for the wide field that I can get in the 80mm (3+ degress vs. 1+ degree in the Mak). So, the 80mm will be the scope of choice in some instances.
There are two other things I like about the 80mm. First, it's just fun to see how much I can get out of my small scope...sort of a challenge factor. Second, I can take my 80mm backpacking if I want to (might only weighs 3.5 lbs w/out eyepieces). And then of course there will be the diff's in cool-down time. The refractor wins there, too.
In short, I think these two scopes will compliment each other really nicely.
Gary, thanks for the "welcome". You're probably right about my 80mm getting less use now, but it will definitely have its niche. If nothing else, I'll always use it for birding (that's why I bought in the first place).
cheers,
jeff
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Hardin 12"
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33107
Loc: Gulfport, MS
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Jeff,
Told you you would like the scope!!!!!!!!!!!
CONGRATS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scott
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  Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
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conus
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/12/03
Posts: 2977
Loc: OC, Calif
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Congratulations. Have been to the Orion sight many times looking at those Maks. Been into this hobby just long enough to understand that I'll eventually get a second scope and those look like good candidates. Am I missing something or are people who buy APO's paying a lot more money for a difference in image quality so marginal that it's sometimes scarcely perceptible?
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Steve R.
12" Orion XTi
Fujinon 10x42
Oberwerk 12x60
My toUcam Images
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john-AZ
super member
Reged: 11/06/03
Posts: 109
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Although in general I agree with you, you are missing something...astrophotography being the most obvious and focal length being another...some people prefer a system around f5 and rich field refractors are simply wonderful for viewing DSO and doing widefield astrophotography!
Your arguement could also be applied (against you) to the Questar line of telescopes which happen to be Mak Cassegrains...people are still buying them and "wasting" their money on those too. They will tell you they love them and want nothing else in spite of the fact they could buy an 18" Dob for the same money! Why? Different scopes for different folks...they all have a place and pros and cons. With refractors the "con" is price.
John
Edited by john-AZ (02/09/04 01:53 PM)
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