Posts Made By: Saul Martinez

What's the smallest instrument you should use to try to find this one?

Hi all!

I've reading the reviews of the starmax 102 and the starmax 127 and they seem like pretty good scopes for the money. Looks like I'll have a chance to get an starmax 90 for a good price. Is it as good as their larger brothers? I already own an astroview 100, but I'd like something that could allow me to go high power for a good price. I live in a very light polluted area anyway and I'm looking for something very portable to look at the moon and planets.

Thanks!

did you try the ones Orion sells?

http://www.telescope.com

Regards!

Saul.

Robert,

I am a newbie at this wonderful hobbie. I also have an Orion Astroview 100 that I grabbed from the Orion clearance center. I can say in it's favor that I really enjoy the portability of this scope. I keep fully assembled it in a small shed in the backyard and all I have to do is take it out, wait for 15 or 30 minutes to cool down and start enjoying the views.

I know that I am missing nice deep space objects that owners of 8 or 10 inchers get to see, but since I am new at this, I'm still learning the sky and every new object I grab it's interesting to me. So far I've seen some Messier and NGC objects and I like what this little scope can do. The planets may not be the best on this scope, but they look decent on it after you do some tweaking with the scope. I like to watch Jupiter and Saturn every night before I start hunting objects (I live on a light polluted area) and with the help of a good chart I always find something fun to look at.

I had to tweak the scope (I dissasembled it, repainted it's inside black, recollimated it and fixed the focuser to get a better view) and it's been a lot of fun. The false color was very, very annoying when looking at jupiter until I got a sirius MV-1 filter, and my neck thanks the addition of a right angle finder. I agree that even if this scope is not top of the line premium equipment, it will provide you with a good view of the heavens.

Follow all the advise the experienced observers gladfully give (I also explored a lot of forums and sites before I got my scope), because they know a lot of stuff we don't, but the most important thing I consider is portability and ease of operation. I love the fact that I can take my scope at night when it's clear at a moment's notice, and I think that this is a very important factor for a begginer. I would think about it twice to go out if I had to wait 1 hour to start watching when I feel like it when I started.

Bottom line, get the largest scope you think you can handle easily. If a 8 inch sounds like something you can move around and setup on your place, go for it!. If it looks like a 4 incher that you just trow in your yard to start looking, then go for it too! You will always have a chance to trade or sell your stuff in this great place if you want something else (I've done it myself!).

Clear skies!!!

Saul

Robert,

I am a newbie at this wonderful hobbie. I also have an Orion Astroview 100 that I grabbed from the Orion clearance center. I can say in it's favor that I really enjoy the portability of this scope. I keep fully assembled it in a small shed in the backyard and all I have to do is take it out, wait for 15 or 30 minutes to cool down and start enjoying the views.

I know that I am missing nice deep space objects that owners of 8 or 10 inchers get to see, but since I am new at this, I'm still learning the sky and every new object I grab it's interesting to me. So far I've seen some Messier and NGC objects and I like what this little scope can do. The planets may not be the best on this scope, but they look decent on it after you do some tweaking with the scope. I like to watch Jupiter and Saturn every night before I start hunting objects (I live on a light polluted area) and with the help of a good chart I always find something fun to look at.

I had to tweak the scope (I dissasembled it, repainted it's inside black, recollimated it and fixed the focuser to get a better view) and it's been a lot of fun. The false color was very, very annoying when looking at jupiter until I got a sirius MV-1 filter, and my neck thanks the addition of a right angle finder. I agree that even if this scope is not top of the line premium equipment, it will provide you with a good view of the heavens.

Follow all the advise the experienced observers gladfully give (I also explored a lot of forums and sites before I got my scope), because they know a lot of stuff we don't, but the most important thing I consider is portability and ease of operation. I love the fact that I can take my scope at night when it's clear at a moment's notice, and I think that this is a very important factor for a begginer. I would think about it twice to go out if I had to wait 1 hour to start watching when I feel like it when I started.

Bottom line, get the largest scope you think you can handle easily. If a 8 inch sounds like something you can move around and setup on your place, go for it!. If it looks like a 4 incher that you just trow in your yard to start looking, then go for it too! You will always have a chance to trade or sell your stuff in this great place if you want something else (I've done it myself!).

Clear skies!!!

Saul

Thanks Doug and Walter. You were right, I need a lot of infocus for my EP's to focus right, si I will use the suggestion of a low profile adapter to use my new diagonal.

Thanks for your comments! I will let you know how it went once I get the new low profile adapter.

Saul.

Hi Lee!

I also got the Orion 100 and the color is a recurrent issue with these scopes. Buying a MV filter is the best thing you can do, after I did that with mine I got wonderful views from it, specially after you ditch the supplied EP's that come with that scope.

You will enjoy the views much more once you get your filter, and if not, you can always return your scope.... Don't you love Orion's service?

Clear skies,
Saul

My first one was in 1986, a small 40mm table top refractor. It was very cute and it got me very nice images of the moon and fired up my interest in the night sky. Then 2 years ago my wife got me a 40 bucks 50mm scope that is actually nice once you mount it on a better tripod. That fired up my interest again, now I got myself an Orion Astroview 100 and I'm very happy with it... Still saving for an XT10!

Hi!

My Astroview 100 has proven to be a very good bang for the buck. Excellent views of M42 and all the auriga clusters in the winter, even in a light polluted city like El Paso, TX. Saturn looks nice and I am able to split the rings and the jovian transits are easily seen. Altough the views start to get a little mushy after 100x and the false color can get annoying for some (Nothing that an MV1 or a yellow color filter cannot cure), I like it very much. The moon looks fantastic at 75x, but The wide field views are just great, it's really nice to be able to take M42 in a single view!

I upgraded the finder to a RA one and it has worked perfectly on the orion EQ2, the shaking dampens in 1 or 2 seconds and a calm breeze does not seem to affect it. I like this small mount because I can take it outside with one trip, so it's a perfect quick peek scope.

I guess that the fact that these scopes are cheap does not have to mean they are bad. Shure, you need to tinker with them a little bit, but once you are done you end up with a great performing instrument.

It's like those little civics that the kids get and then soup them up until they end up with a pretty mean machine. It won't be a jaguar, but these kids end up having tons of fun with them. That's the way I feel about my little astroview 100. It shows me what it can, and it's fun to use, even if it does not cost as much as my car. I love going out every night and challenge myself to try to find the stuff on an urban night sky. And when I find it, even if it's just a tiny blob, I feel like I can do anything I want, a feeling that I don't want to give up. If it wasn't for manufacturers that give us scopes that the average guy can afford, a lot of us would be without one, and that would be a real shame.