Orion 80mm ED should i buy?

I think a 25% increase in LGP and 12% in resolution IS significant.

What you gain by going from 80mm to 90mm you loose because of the longer focal
length and slower focal ratio required for the color correction. If the goal
is a widefield view, then the shorter FL is better.

Its the
difference between
a complete split and a figure 8 split on some double stars.

This is aperture fever thinking for a scope that is supposed be primarily a
widefield scope. What one loses is that large field of view.

If small is good, then making smaller bigger is not necessarily better.

jon

How do you mount the Pronto, Jon (I assume the 80WA came with a GEM as
mine did -- bought from Eagle a few years back and a great bargain)?

I have it mounted on a Bogen 3040 tripod with a 3047 three-axis head, I flip
the top axis over on its side and this becomes a single sided balanced fork
mount, I call it the "side saddle mount." Works quite nicely, I also use it
with my C-5 with good results. With the Pronto I go over 200X, though I have
some practice making it work. If you want to see a photo of this, do search
the astromart forums for "side saddle."

The other trick is to take the EQ-1 head and set the polar axis to 90 degrees,
this turns the mount into balanced alt-az mount with fine adjustment
capabilities. Works quite nicely, I never bother to use the EQ-1 mount in the
EQ mode any more.

But the big problem with the EQ-1 mount is not the mount but rather the tripod.
You can simply unscrew the mount from the tripod, it uses the same 3/8-16
thread that Bogen Tripod does, and mount the EQ-1 head directly to the Bogen
tripod. This stiffens things up quite nicely, to the point where I have
mounted by BO 102 mm F6 refactor on it with good luck. Currently I am using
the EQ-1 head with a Bogen 3051 tripod.

In keeping with my character (cheap as nails) I found my Celestron ST-80 EQ in
the local paper for $70 complete with a Celestron Shorty Barlow. It was clean,
barely out of the box... I find those bogen tripods at garage sales for $35 or
so.

I think you might be surprised how nicely your AT-1010 would work mounted to
the EQ-1 head set to 90 degrees and mounted to your Bogen.

jon

How do you mount the Pronto, Jon (I assume the 80WA came with a GEM as
mine did -- bought from Eagle a few years back and a great bargain)?

I have it mounted on a Bogen 3040 tripod with a 3047 three-axis head, I flip
the top axis over on its side and this becomes a single sided balanced fork
mount, I call it the "side saddle mount." Works quite nicely, I also use it
with my C-5 with good results. With the Pronto I go over 200X, though I have
some practice making it work. If you want to see a photo of this, do search
the astromart forums for "side saddle."

The other trick is to take the EQ-1 head and set the polar axis to 90 degrees,
this turns the mount into balanced alt-az mount with fine adjustment
capabilities. Works quite nicely, I never bother to use the EQ-1 mount in the
EQ mode any more.

But the big problem with the EQ-1 mount is not the mount but rather the tripod.
You can simply unscrew the mount from the tripod, it uses the same 3/8-16
thread that Bogen Tripod does, and mount the EQ-1 head directly to the Bogen
tripod. This stiffens things up quite nicely, to the point where I have
mounted by BO 102 mm F6 refactor on it with good luck. Currently I am using
the EQ-1 head with a Bogen 3051 tripod.

In keeping with my character (cheap as nails) I found my Celestron ST-80 EQ in
the local paper for $70 complete with a Celestron Shorty Barlow. It was clean,
barely out of the box... I find those bogen tripods at garage sales for $35 or
so.

I think you might be surprised how nicely your AT-1010 would work mounted to
the EQ-1 head set to 90 degrees and mounted to your Bogen.

jon

They are simply responding to market demand, that's what companies do.

The more pertinent question might be, why is there a demand for "fast"
80mm
refractors? My demand for a small refractor had to do with compensating
for
a large scope that was difficult to manage in and out of the house Couple
that to the fact that a fast 80mm provides fields of view that compare
favorably with binoculars, and you have a compelling solution.


Companies also and more often provide what they want to provide making
choice
restricted. I highly doubt the major scope companies do significant market
research
to nail down the 80mm solution

They are simply responding to market demand, that's what companies do.

The more pertinent question might be, why is there a demand for "fast"
80mm
refractors? My demand for a small refractor had to do with compensating
for
a large scope that was difficult to manage in and out of the house Couple
that to the fact that a fast 80mm provides fields of view that compare
favorably with binoculars, and you have a compelling solution.


Companies also and more often provide what they want to provide making
choice
restricted. I highly doubt the major scope companies do significant market
research
to nail down the 80mm solution

Yes, go ahead and buy it, it supposed to be a fine scope and I am sure you
will
enjoy it. Its pretty hard to lose much money on one, new ones seem to go
for
not much less than used ones.


I agree. I own one, and take great pleasure with that "toy".
I look more often the sky with that small scope than with my 16" newtonian
on equatorial mount.
I feel a better contact with sky, especially with deep-sky objects.
Stars give a perfect Airy disc, color free.
Planets are vivid and crisp.
I am dreaming for a second one, and making an APO binocular!

JMB

Yes, go ahead and buy it, it supposed to be a fine scope and I am sure you
will
enjoy it. Its pretty hard to lose much money on one, new ones seem to go
for
not much less than used ones.


I agree. I own one, and take great pleasure with that "toy".
I look more often the sky with that small scope than with my 16" newtonian
on equatorial mount.
I feel a better contact with sky, especially with deep-sky objects.
Stars give a perfect Airy disc, color free.
Planets are vivid and crisp.
I am dreaming for a second one, and making an APO binocular!

JMB