spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
#5660793 - 02/03/13 09:53 PM
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these parameters:
1. 4" Achromat, need it to be light
2. Somewhat fast, but not f/5...I have a semi APO filter and plan to use a dew shield cap stopped down for bright objects to cut the purple.
3. GoTo mount. Yes, for bright deep sky in my whiter than white back yard
4. Easily taken off mount to put on my CPC1100 as a RFT
5. Needs a 2" focuser, so I can use my good 2" diagonal and EPs.
6. Available, iow, not waiting forever to find a good used one.
Now I thought perhaps a Celestron 102 SLT. F6. Or what would you suggest? Don't want a 80mm or a 120st.
thanks
Bob
Edited by spongebob@55 (02/04/13 10:26 AM)
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5660811 - 02/03/13 10:07 PM
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Bob:
If you are looking for an inexpensive, used scope, I think Orion 100mm F/6 AstroView/Skyview achromat might be the ticket. Basically the same scope as the Celestron 102F/5 but F/6.
Jon
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Loc: Frederick, MD
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5660843 - 02/03/13 10:36 PM
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Orion 100 f/6
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: Scott Beith]
#5661139 - 02/04/13 04:59 AM Attachment (27 downloads)
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Orion 100 f/6
Great minds think alike... A bit more discussion. I have one, bought it used for $125. I thought I was going to use it as a finder but I decided it was just too big. It's a good low, to mid power scope, significant false color at higher magnifications on bright objects.
Jon
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Thomas Karpf
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/09/09
Loc: Newington, CT
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5661175 - 02/04/13 06:31 AM
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Explore Scientific AR102 f/6.5 currently on sale for $499.
https://www.astronomics.com/explore-scientific-ar102-4-inch-refractor-optical...
Plus a Nexstar mount for $499
https://www.astronomics.com/celestron-nexstar-nx-68-se-go-to-computerized-mou...
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: Thomas Karpf]
#5661461 - 02/04/13 10:35 AM
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Quote:
Explore Scientific AR102 f/6.5 currently on sale for $499.
https://www.astronomics.com/explore-scientific-ar102-4-inch-refractor-optical...
Plus a Nexstar mount for $499
https://www.astronomics.com/celestron-nexstar-nx-68-se-go-to-computerized-mou...
I was also thinking of the ES AR102. Its collimatable too. But its 11.3lbs. and you put a big honkin' EP in there, and its at the mounts stated max load of 12 lbs. Let me mull it over. A used one on ebay went for $318 the other day....
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5661487 - 02/04/13 10:42 AM
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Quote:
Quote:
Orion 100 f/6
Great minds think alike... A bit more discussion. I have one, bought it used for $125. I thought I was going to use it as a finder but I decided it was just too big. It's a good low, to mid power scope, significant false color at higher magnifications on bright objects.
Jon
Thanks Jon and Scott for your suggestions: It doesn't appear that the Orion 100 f/g lens cell is collimatable, or?
Unfortunately, I'm a little gun shy now b/c of a terrible experience I had with a 'mint condition' used OTA. And this guy had near perfect feedback. I never use that other site again. Took an act of congress to get my money back. 
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Loc: Frederick, MD
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5661527 - 02/04/13 11:02 AM
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http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=645
http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1300
http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=924
A bit of reading for you. 
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Loc: Frederick, MD
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: Scott Beith]
#5661531 - 02/04/13 11:04 AM
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It has a collimatable cell.
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: Scott Beith]
#5661554 - 02/04/13 11:16 AM
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Quote:
http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=645
http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1300
http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=924
A bit of reading for you.
Love it! Thanks along with the note on the collimatable cell!
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csrlice12
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/22/12
Loc: Denver, CO
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: Scott Beith]
#5661557 - 02/04/13 11:16 AM
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Omni 102XLT, Under $500 and comes with the CG4 mount...probably one of the best package deals going. And, the scope is collimateable.
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: csrlice12]
#5661597 - 02/04/13 11:41 AM
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Omni 102XLT, Under $500 and comes with the CG4 mount...probably one of the best package deals going. And, the scope is collimateable.
Surely, but it doesn't fit into my parameters in the original post. Any other ideas?
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5661978 - 02/04/13 03:19 PM
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Quote:
Thanks Jon and Scott for your suggestions: It doesn't appear that the Orion 100 f/g lens cell is collimatable, or?
Mine has the collimatable cell. You can see the darn thing in the photo.  It's probably a good thing but I would much prefer one without the collimatable cell, it's ugly...
As far as being gun shy... I am gun shy, I have one basic rule: The only place I will buy sight unseen is Astromart.
Jon
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spongebob@55
sage
Reged: 12/26/11
Loc: Bergen Co. New Jersey
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5662439 - 02/04/13 08:28 PM
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Quote:
Quote:
Thanks Jon and Scott for your suggestions: It doesn't appear that the Orion 100 f/g lens cell is collimatable, or?
Mine has the collimatable cell. You can see the darn thing in the photo. It's probably a good thing but I would much prefer one without the collimatable cell, it's ugly...
As far as being gun shy... I am gun shy, I have one basic rule: The only place I will buy sight unseen is Astromart.
Jon
The other site was Astromart.
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coopman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 04/23/06
Loc: South Louisiana
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5662490 - 02/04/13 09:10 PM
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Maybe it's just me, but I really find that AR102 to be ugly looking. But then again, nobody will be able to see it at night.
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stevew
Now I've done it
Reged: 03/03/06
Loc: British Columbia Canada
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: spongebob@55]
#5662529 - 02/04/13 09:36 PM Attachment (25 downloads)
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Antares 105 F-6.
Probably about the same performance as the Orion/Synta 100 mm
But a little prettier.. 
They are sold as an OTA only.
You could contact Hands on Optics for price and availability.
Steve
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oldtimer
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/13/08
Loc: Lake County Illinois
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: coopman]
#5662535 - 02/04/13 09:38 PM
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UGLY?? Are you getting it to look at or through?
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Widespread
sage
Reged: 05/11/11
Loc: Bowling Green, Kentucky
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: oldtimer]
#5662930 - 02/05/13 05:18 AM
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I suppose this is not the optimal time to confess that I spend a lot of time just looking at my telescope…
Anyway, I bought a 60SLT a while back just for the mount / tripod, and the OTA build quality makes the ST80 look like a premium scope. The 102SLT looks similar (aside from aperture), so I'm guessing the quality may be similar. The focuser on the 60SLT looks quite poor. Also, when I got it, the small center portion of objective cover (the part removed for stopped-down viewing) had popped,out, and was lying on my objective glass. It had not been designed to avoid falling inward.
Moreover, Beware: if you get a fast cheapo refractor thinking you will save money, you may end up with an apo. I'm kind of kidding, but in fact, That's what happened to me. I loved the crisp, low mag wide views and small form factor, but wanted much better optics, build quality and focuser.
If you can really be content viewing only at low and medium mags, this is a good value. And, quite honestly, it's almost worth it for the mount alone. But only you can decide whether you will be happy with what is basically a larger version of the ST80. There is almost always a planet or two up in the sky, and I cannot stand being out there without being able to get decent views of them.
My 2 yen,
David
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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster
Reged: 06/16/04
Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: stevew]
#5662946 - 02/05/13 06:00 AM
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Antares 105 F-6.
Probably about the same performance as the Orion/Synta 100 mm
But a little prettier..
They are sold as an OTA only.
You could contact Hands on Optics for price and availability.
Steve
Steve:
It might be a better performer too. But it looks like they are not cheap. When a fast achromat approaches the cost of an ED-80, the waters get murky... Optical quality and freedom from aberrations is a nice thing.
As far as ugly.. yes, ideally I am only looking through the scope but some times there is something that just bothers me and the Synta collimation cell bothers me and I see the darn thing every time I use the red dot finder, there's the cell.
And besides, it's a well established fact that scopes that are more attractive to look at are also optically superior. )
Jon
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Mark Costello
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 03/08/05
Loc: Matthews, NC, USA
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Re: Suggest a Grab n Go for me based on ......
[Re: oldtimer]
#5663099 - 02/05/13 09:05 AM
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When my ES AR127 arrived, I didn't think it'd win any beauty prizes with that dew shield. But it gets purtier every time it comes in from a observing session.
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