On Sun, 7 Sep 2003 14:06:56 -0400, "Michael A. Covington" ...reflected:


"Alan W. Craft" wrote in message
.. .
On Sat, 6 Sep 2003 15:23:19 -0400, "Michael A. Covington"
...reflected:

If you walked up to a display table at an astronomy convention,
and there was a brand-new Celestron C5 optical tube assembly on
one side, and an equally pristine Meade ETX-125 optical tube
assembly on the other, which one would you grab up and
run with, when no one was looking of course, and why?

Actually, the Orion 5-inch Maksutov

I've looked at that one, too, and have actually envisioned
entering my card info on the webpage...

I wonder where it's made...Taiwan(formerly Formosa)...mainland
China; certainly not in Japan.

But the C5 cools down very quickly, which is also an advantage for
grab-and-go observing.

And my impression -- admittedly unconfirmed -- is that the NexStar 5 mount
is smoother than the ETX-125.

I may very well end up getting one of those 5" xxx-Cassegrains,
and primarily as a spotting scope, but I haven't decided on a suitable
mount, that is, whether to get one with the mount already included,
or purchased separately.

(Admittedly, one thing I like about my old C5 is that, with two fork arms,
it is very sturdily mounted.)

Yes, fancy, they used to come that way, that is, the way they should
come still.

I wish Meade would make a 5- or 6-inch version of the LX90.

Ah, but not with that comparatively ENORMOUS secondary obstruction.

I wish fluorite blanks and master opticians were cheap and plentiful...

Well, we all have our dreams.

Alan