Quick question..buying refractor.

I am in the market for a small refractor. I think I have reduced it to the
TV Pronto package with Telepod mount deal for 1500.00, or the Tak FS60C with
the "Teegle Sky Patrol" mount. On the description
for this deal...
http://www.telescopes.com/products/T...ete_10007.html

....it mentions an included "Takahashi 1-1/4 Inch Compression Ring Diagonal"
I don't see a diagonal in the picture. Are they refering to some other
component
I have yet to learn about? I gotta have a diagonal. I can't imagine being
comfortable without one.

I want this scope for casual observing, and maybe some quick CCD imaging.
Nothing too fancy given these mounts. Any obvious choices here? Thx-Tom

P.S. There is another Tak60 advertised on that same site,
http://www.telescopes.com/products/T...ete_10028.html

The mount here is different, but they still call it the "Teelge Sky Patrol".
What gives?
This setup looks "cooler", but I'm not sure what I'd be getting.
-Tom

"Tom" wrote in
:

I am in the market for a small refractor. I think I have reduced it
to the TV Pronto package with Telepod mount deal for 1500.00, or the
Tak FS60C with the "Teegle Sky Patrol" mount. On the description
for this deal...
http://www.telescopes.com/products/T...em_Complete_10
007.html

...it mentions an included "Takahashi 1-1/4 Inch Compression Ring
Diagonal" I don't see a diagonal in the picture. Are they refering to
some other component
I have yet to learn about? I gotta have a diagonal. I can't imagine
being comfortable without one.

I want this scope for casual observing, and maybe some quick CCD
imaging. Nothing too fancy given these mounts. Any obvious choices
here? Thx-Tom

Just curious as to why you eliminated the Orion ED-80 from consideration?
At $500 for the OTA it's got a considerably lower price point and leaves
you gobs to spend on the mount.

"Paul Lawler" wrote in message
25.205...
"Tom" wrote in
:

I am in the market for a small refractor. I think I have reduced it
to the TV Pronto package with Telepod mount deal for 1500.00, or the
Tak FS60C with the "Teegle Sky Patrol" mount. On the description
for this deal...
http://www.telescopes.com/products/T...em_Complete_10
007.html

...it mentions an included "Takahashi 1-1/4 Inch Compression Ring
Diagonal" I don't see a diagonal in the picture. Are they refering to
some other component
I have yet to learn about? I gotta have a diagonal. I can't imagine
being comfortable without one.

I want this scope for casual observing, and maybe some quick CCD
imaging. Nothing too fancy given these mounts. Any obvious choices
here? Thx-Tom

Just curious as to why you eliminated the Orion ED-80 from consideration?
At $500 for the OTA it's got a considerably lower price point and leaves
you gobs to spend on the mount.

What would it cost to stock the Orion with good accessories? And then
what kind of mount could I expect to get and keep the whole package under
1800? (The Tak deal was pushing it) I really like the TV pkg with Telepod
for 1500. I was thinking in couple of years, once I get more accustomed to
the sky, I could put that TV on a Losmandy.
-Tom

"Tom" wrote in
:
"Paul Lawler" wrote in message

Just curious as to why you eliminated the Orion ED-80 from
consideration? At $500 for the OTA it's got a considerably lower
price point and leaves you gobs to spend on the mount.

What would it cost to stock the Orion with good accessories? And then
what kind of mount could I expect to get and keep the whole package
under 1800? (The Tak deal was pushing it) I really like the TV pkg
with Telepod for 1500. I was thinking in couple of years, once I get
more accustomed to the sky, I could put that TV on a Losmandy.
-Tom

I'm sorry, but you'll have to define "good accessories."

You can buy the entire "Skyview Pro" package, including mount, finder, tube
rings, star diagonal, 25mm and 10mm eyepieces for $868.

OTOH if you really want a Telepod mount you can get one for about $1,100,
which still leaves you with an 80mm APO (instead of 70 on the Pronto), at
your desired price point. But you could get a pretty decent mount for less
than $1,100, leaving lots of change in your pocket for accessories.

I was thinking in couple of years, once I get more accustomed to
the sky, I could put that TV on a Losmandy.
-Tom

Some random thoughts...

1. Pronto, I do own one and use a great deal and like it. Most often I use it
as a companion to a significantly larger scope. The Pronto is not an APO or
that nebulous catagory "semi APO", its an Achromat, 70mm F6.8, probably about
as good an Achromat as one can find but still...

2. That Orion ED-80 seems to be the best deal in a small refractor, 80mm F7.5,
its an APO, I don't seem anything except possibly the Celestron ED-80 that
might be a similar value and the Celestron is too new to be a know quantity...

3. Do you have other scopes, have you looked and used enough other scopes to
be confident that a small refractor is what you want. The views in a Pronto
are nice but one has to be somewhat experienced to appreciate the faint view of
a DSO or Planet that would be bright and sharp in an 8 inch scope.

For what its worth...

jon isaacs

"Jon Isaacs" wrote in message
...
I was thinking in couple of years, once I get more accustomed to
the sky, I could put that TV on a Losmandy.
-Tom

Some random thoughts...

Snipped thoughts...

Wow, the power of suggestion. The only scope I have ever looked through
was my "Celestron" Powerseeker 114. The oculars are useless. You made
an interesting point about not being able to appreciate the views of a small
refractor before first using the big scopes. Perhaps a Schmitt or Maksutov
is in
order? I also have my eye on that US made 10" DHQ Dob from Discovery, but
they are hard to find. At 1000 dollars, All I would need is a couple of
good eyepieces and I am set. I wonder if that tube would fit in the front
seat of a small
pickup?:-)
-Tom

The Meade ETX-125AT looks interesting, and less than $1000.00,
plus, made in Irvine Ca. according to the ad. 1900mm focal length.
If this can't bring Jupiter into view, nothing can. I could probably use
excess money to buy a case and an extra eyepiece. I like the LX200
8" too, but that line is very expensive. Thoughts? -Tom

The Meade ETX-125AT looks interesting, and less than $1000.00,
plus, made in Irvine Ca. according to the ad. 1900mm focal length.
If this can't bring Jupiter into view, nothing can.

It can bring Jupiter into view alright, but it will be much more interesting to
look at in a 10 inch DOB.

If you want it to fit in the front seat, better get one that is faster than
F6.. If you want to buy US, consider Discovery. If you are comfortable buying
Taiwanese, consider Hardin Optical, the new ones have a Crayford focuser and
are considerably more compact than the Discovery DOBs..

jon

"Tom" wrote in message ...



The Meade ETX-125AT looks interesting, and less than $1000.00,

wow, the 125 is 1600 euro in europe!

plus, made in Irvine Ca. according to the ad. 1900mm focal length.
If this can't bring Jupiter into view, nothing can. I could probably use
excess money to buy a case and an extra eyepiece. I like the LX200
8" too, but that line is very expensive. Thoughts? -Tom

I am wanting a LX200 8" (or 10") for some time now, but they are extremely expensive here (over
3500 euro)....
--
md

"Paul Lawler" wrote in message
25.205...
"Tom" wrote in
:

I am in the market for a small refractor. I think I have reduced it
to the TV Pronto package with Telepod mount deal for 1500.00, or the
Tak FS60C with the "Teegle Sky Patrol" mount. On the description
for this deal...
http://www.telescopes.com/products/T...em_Complete_10
007.html

...it mentions an included "Takahashi 1-1/4 Inch Compression Ring
Diagonal" I don't see a diagonal in the picture. Are they refering to
some other component
I have yet to learn about? I gotta have a diagonal. I can't imagine
being comfortable without one.

I want this scope for casual observing, and maybe some quick CCD
imaging. Nothing too fancy given these mounts. Any obvious choices
here? Thx-Tom

Just curious as to why you eliminated the Orion ED-80 from consideration?
At $500 for the OTA it's got a considerably lower price point and leaves
you gobs to spend on the mount.

I just drove down to Tucson to check out some scopes, and they had the
80ED. You really have to see it to appreciate it. Your suggestion is
sounding
better all the time. They had a Vixen GM mount for 800, minus the 400
dollar drive to make it tick. It might make sense to put the 80ED on a
mount that can have photographic possibilities. I could also plop down
an OTA 8" Scmitt-Cass on that mount in the future. I haven't researched
that mount yet, so I don't know the capabilities. I do know that I don't
want
the supplied Sky-View mount. I'm sure it is great for observing though.
Thanks for the tip. -Tom