Recommendation for portable, novice scope

Hi everyone,

I'm a bit of a newbie. I have a C-8 which I am selling as it's just too big to comfortably move (especially in my small car). I'd appreciate any recommendations for a decent, portable scope. At face value the ETX or RA-90 looks good, but I've heard it's a bit of a toy. I am also cost conscious and the lower the price the better. Maybe a shortube 80 with slow motion cables?

Criteria :

1. Portability.
2. Cost (under 300 would be terrific, but perhaps I dream).
3. Mount/stability that is decent and user friendly enough to move about the sky.

Thanks,
Tony

Perhaps you can get a Tasco Starguide 4 if there's still any? It's a pretty typical Synta product with regards to construction quality, etc. but when I recently saw it for $300 (Canadian) at a discount department store, I had to have it.

I've thoroughly enjoyed it since day one and the goto is quite fun and accurate when aligned correctly. For the money, I doubt it can be beat.

Many people say an 8" Dobsonian is the best scope for novices, but they are even less portable than your SCT.

I too have a Stellarvue AT1010, and I have found it to be a very nice scope. I used to have a 6" Schmidt-Newtonian, which I hardly ever used, but since I got the AT1010 I've used it a lot. I live in the center of town, and it's easier to move around and set up.

Pros:

It gives good views of large, bright objects like the moon, planets, and the brighter DSOs.

Very portable, even on an equatorial mount; others recommend alt-az mounts, as they're generally lighter and easier to use.

It's ruggedly built.

It will keep its resale value.

Cons:

You don't get a lot of magnification. Planets look small.

You're not going to see really dim objects. Globulars and galaxies look like white wisps.

My opinion is that an amateur astronomer needs binoculars, a small, portable, "quick-view" scope, and a larger scope for those rare occasions when you have good weather and the time to enjoy it. No one piece of equipment is going to do everything perfectly.

I'd suggest you keep your C8. You might find later on you regret selling it. Even if you use the small scope most of the time, sometimes you'll want the bigger one. I've just bought a C8 myself.

Hi Tony

I have the Stellarvue AT1010 and the ETX90 (And a 8 SCT). At higher powers the ETX90 beats the SV by a huge marign. Certainly not a toy. Todd Gross compared the ETX to a TV85. And while he concluded the TV85 beat out the ETX, he was also impressed with the ETX optics enough to do a comparison. The mount is not going to win any awards, but given the the cost the value is considerable. I expected the ETX and AT1010 performance to be closer given the central obstruction in the Mak, yet the C.A. in a fast achromat impacts high power/planetary performance more than I expected.

The AT1010 on the other hand is better at low power wide field views, something the ETX90 can not do. (The ETX gets about 1.25 deg FOV). It is also costs three to four times as much money, by the time you buy a diagonal and EP. A fast achromat will show considerable false color, maybe less than an less expensive F5 scope, but it is there. For some it is objectionably for others it is not. This is not to knock the SV. An achromat is an achromat and a fast achromat is going to have false color, even an expensive one. Lastly it is not nearly as portable as the ETX90.
I thought I could mount it on the 8 SCT, but find it too large for that purpose. It is a big scope for 78mm aperture.

In summary I would assess how much portability, wide field and cost matter. If the ETX90 could get the wide fields it would be the clear choice, especially given the sales prices. The AT1010 is also on sale for $399.00, but you will need an EP and a diagonal and a mount/tripod.

Something to consider with the ETX, is the ability to remove it from the mount and use it with a small inexpensive GEM mount.

I do love wide fields, which is why I bought the AT1010, Yet I find it overpriced for what it is. The ETX RA, given the sales prices is a though act to beat, yet the wide fields of the AT1010 are nice...though choices..good luck.

Thanks
Randy

I always used to recommend the ST80, but then I bought my son (then 11 years old) an Orion XT-6. Great 'scope, superb optics (embarassingly so), and easy to move around. You can pick them up used here for about $250. Good luck!

Pat

First, ask yourself if you want a goto scope or not. There are very strong, almost religous, opionions on both sides of that discussion Not that I want to open this can of worms, but at least if you have noticeable light pollution I wouldn't go without a goto mount.

If you decide to get a goto scope, I'd look at the Celestron NexStar 80GT, a tad over $300 new or used on Astromart for much less. I think Tasco made a very similar one too, some people found these ridiculously cheap a while ago.

I bought one used and like it a lot as a grab-and-go scope, the mount is quite stable, pointing works well, and its optics are surisingly good for such a cheapo tube. Plus, the OTA rides piggyback on my NX11 so if you keep your C-8 (which I would do) then you can do that too

H

Thank you all for such informative, wonderful responses. You're all very helpful. I haven't decided between Goto/versus traditional (for lack of a better term), I suppose the cost of what I can find will largely dictate. I live in Los Angeles, if that makes any difference. Regarding goto and other electronic items...which company has the most reliable manufacturing and most user friendly warranty/repair policy (I suppose in every case the owner is responsible for shipping)?
Also, in somehting like a ETX 90 or an ST-80 can one operate the scope manually?