I would like a small lightweight scope for daytime and casual nighttime use, potentially even backpack-able with a lightweight tripod. I've been spoiled by a William Optics 80 ED, which I had to sell but was too heavy anyway. I would like a WO 66 SD but it's more than I want to spend, so I'm leaning towards the ST80. But I'm wondering about the Orion GoScope 70. I assume the optics aren't as good as the 80, the included eyepieces aren't as good, and the focusing mechanism is not standard (although I'm not sure it's any worse than the ST80). But does anyone have any experience with it?
Another option is a 90 mm Mak, but I'm concerned about a too-narrow field of view. I wish there was something in between. Celestron's 65 Mini-Mak has a nice focal length but only a 45 degree diagonal.
There are also a couple spotting scopes (WO Toucan 50 and Celestron 60 SV f6.7) that have a "diagonal" that can be adjusted between 45 and 90 degrees, but I assume neither of these are suitable for astronomy.
Any other recommendations? Thanks very much for you advice.
Another option is a 90 mm Mak, but I'm concerned about a too-narrow field of view. I wish there was something in between. Celestron's 65 Mini-Mak has a nice focal length but only a 45 degree diagonal.
There are also a couple spotting scopes (WO Toucan 50 and Celestron 60 SV f6.7) that have a "diagonal" that can be adjusted between 45 and 90 degrees, but I assume neither of these are suitable for astronomy.
Any other recommendations? Thanks very much for you advice.
