In article . com,
"Gaz" wrote:

hi all,

I'm looking for a small scope to use on the moon and planets, assuming
cool down isn't a problem, has the refractor got anything to offer over
the Mak-Cass?

cheers
gaz

I have both the Orion 80 ED and Orion Mak 127 (as well as a 8" LX-90
SCT). I use the LX-90 only at dark sites, and bought the Mak 127 for
use at home in the city (Portland, OR) for the moon and plants. Later,
when the 80ED came out, I bought it for its flexibility for both wide
fields and planets. I mount either the 80 ED or the Mak 127 on an Orion
AZ-3 alt-az. I use wide field Nagler eyepieces on both: 5 & 7 mm on the
80ED (86x & 120x), and 7 & 11 mm on the Mak (140x & 220x). A wide
field EP makes using an alt-az reasonable, as do slow motion controls.

If I had to choose just one of the two Orion scopes, I would pick the
80ED, since it can also do wide fields at dark sites. It is a great
travel scope, since I am suspicious of the durability of compound scopes
to survive bumps and stay collimated. If I only wanted high mag for
planets at home, I would choose the Mak, because of its extra 47 mm of
aperture.