Posts Made By: Eric Rachut

March 17, 2017 10:26 PM Forum: AstroMart FAQ

VIXEN 260mm VMC

Posted By Eric Rachut

I have a new Vixen VMC, 260mm (10.25 inch) scope and would like to add a few comments, particularly in regard to the excellent review placed in 2012 about this telescope. It is mounted permanently in an observatory on an optical alignment pier (rack and pinion, 4 inch steel tube in cast iron casing), which raises and lowers the scope to a convenient height, and I didn't want too much weight on that, yet needed more aperture - and this was the answer. The telescope has neither the yellowish images, ascribed to the coatings, or the Velcro-affixed cover on the adjustment screws for the secondary, described in the 2012 review; I did put Bob's Knobs in for the adjustment screws (which never needed tweaking) and replaced the (short) set screws on the visual back, which held two inch eyepieces or diagonal, with longer screws, since getting to the originals to loosen and tighten was awkward. Initially I found, as in the 2012 review, that an f/11.5 (3000 mm) telescope meant higher powers and narrower field, but putting in a Televue 55mm Plossl meant that the magnification was only 54x (as low as practical) with a field now of 1 degree 15 minutes (approximately). This was a great improvement for star hopping and for wider deep sky objects. (Mount a finder with magnification on it, though, not just a red-dot finder). This telescope can now be bought for three grand and I consider it a STEAL.