Re: Orion Skyview Pro 127, Meade 7" Mak, or ETX 125?

Brad Isley <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote in message news:<[EMAIL PROTECTED]>...
> I hate this...  I can't decide which one to get.
> 
> I want to get something as a "grab-and-go" scope which is fairly
> portable and gives good, not just decent, planetary views.
> 
> The 7" looks like a long wait unless I buy used.
> 
> The 127 is in stock in a couple dealers with a single-axis drive ONLY.
> 
> The 125 has it's host of problems and isn't easy to find, either.
> 

> I'm thinking: Get the Orion 127 and see if it solves the quick look
> problem and perhaps order the 7" if I'm left wanting more.
> Suggestions?
> 
> thanks

Brad, I have the Orion 127 on an EQ-3 mount. It's a nice scope and
isn't  difficult to take in and out of my house fully assembled. Since
I don't own a car, I don't take it anywhere apart from my back yard.
I've never looked through either the Meade 7" or ETX-125. I have heard
good reports of the ETX, but you will pay a lot more money for the
same views as the Orion 127. What you'll get for that money is
motorised movement and GOTO capability (you have to buy an upgraded
controller to get the full GOTO capability for the ETX, the hand
controller that it comes with as standard doesn't have GOTO
capability).

The ETX does have some shortcomings though, such as plastic gears for
the motion control which can wear out quickly, and when the batteries
go flat, you have no GOTO or motor movement. Have a look at
http://www.weasner.com/etx for an excellent site on the Meade ETX
scopes (including used ETX's for sale).

I'm going to muddy the water for you a bit though by pointing out
another scope in the same catagory as the Orion 127 and the Meade ETX.
Actually, there are two of them, from a company called Konus. Both are
Maksutovs, one is 130mm, the other is 150mm (6 inches). These have
been released VERY recently so there aren't any reviews avialable of
them yet and I don't know for certain who makes them, but I think
they're made in China (the Orion Maksutovs are made in China and the
think the optical tubes of the Meade ETX's are made there as well).
They have different specs to the Orion Maks so they're unlikely to be
from the same company making the Orions (Synta). The optical tubes
look very similar to the ETX optical tubes, so they may come from the
same factory as the ETX's, but that's purely a GUESS on my part.

Why am I suggesting them? The Konus 130mm on an EQ-5 mount, with
tripod and DUAL motor drives with a hand controller (but no GOTO
capability) sells for US$559. The Orion 127 with no motor drives and
an EQ-3 mount sells for US$569, ten dollars more. The deluxe version
from Orion has the same scope on a slightly different mount with dual
motor drive for US$698, one hundred and fourty dollars more. The 150mm
Konus Mak on the same EQ-5 mount with dual motor drive and hand
controller (but still no GOTO) sells for US$819. Both Celestron and
Meade use slightly different versions of the EQ-5 mount on some of
their scopes (the Meade LXD55 series and the Celestron "Advanced"
series).

Have a look at http://www.digitecoptical.com/tele-konus.htm for more
info and pictures of the Konus scopes I mentioned. I haven't tried one
so I can't say how good or bad they are, and considering they've only
started appearing on web sites in the last couple of weeks it may be a
little while before any reviews of them become available.