Those shoes come as standard equipment with the GSO Crayfords*. So if you buy the Crayford - you've got it.

I'm glad to see you know about ScopeStuff.com - an excellent site for things that fit things on things you never knew had names, or existed in the first place! Jim - who owns it - is a really nice guy, too! He introduced me to one of his suppliers for a bit of information I asked him about.

Back to the 'shoes' - I bought several GSO Crayfords. Hence I have a bunch of those shoes myself. But the GSO 8 X 50mm RACI Finder-Scopes also come with these shoes in the box. Thus my cup runneth over & over! Those being my favorite finder-scopes. The Antares are also excellent and have the added 'bells & whistles' of being able to take standard 1.25" eyepieces - if one wanted to swap-out. But the one that comes-with is just fine as is. It also holds the crosshairs. But you could add an illuminated red-light model if you wanted to play 'guide-scope' or something. Of course - it costs more $£$£$£.

Dave

* - at least I think they come-with these. They do with the RACI Finder-Scopes. Figures you asked now - I just packed & sealed up the extra Crayord Focuser I'm selling! Of course!

 

I can watch the Earth and Venus set from Mars with this software lol.



I'd probably have to get a 5x Barlow to see my house though.



Still can't see Dejah Thoris.

 

Good for you, Ray! I just pulled the trigger, too: A Vixen Porta-2 AltAz mount for my Maksutov. This frees up my AZ-4* for mounting my other ST80 to give away to some young family I'll meet - I'm sure. Ruin their child's mind by warping it on science.....

Off to lower some real-estate values!

Dave

* - The AZ-4 is sold here as the VersaGo II by Orion, but distributed through Orion here in the Untied Snakes. But it's an AZ-4 in the rest of the Earth. So...

 

Speaking of Vixen Porta mounts and Maksutovs, I just field tested the Apex and the Vixen mount. The Apex dovetail is on the right placing the finder shoe in the correct place. I stuck with the reflex sight so kept things around 45-50° elevation. M42 was my main target as I wanted to test a variety of eyepieces and magnifications including the UHC-S.



I mainly used a Baader Neodymium filter. M41 looked good at 39x, 50x & 65.7x. Far better clarity than when I saw it the other night with the 90mm Omegon.



I could make out the Red Giant (HIP 32406) amongst others.



M45 was a nice easy target, always impressive though.

 

Looks like you got a bit of a deal with that case Ray. I've had to buy several for my gear as it's the only way I can carry them. Usually everything I get has to have a carrying strap. My Apex didn't come with a case but I'm using the Omegon's. My ST80 conveniently fits into a flight bag along with the Vixen slo mo controls.

As far as I know #8 Wratten filters were the original fringe killers. It would more or less do the same job. Yellow filters are quite good for lunar viewing. At 171x the Moon looks very realistic with a yellow filter using the ST80. Higher and you tend to notice the yellow colouring more, but anywhere between 150 and 171x and it seems to give a naturalistic very light brown colour. This really does improve the contrast.

This was the first time I've tried the Apex with the Vixen. I didn't spend long as I knew the dew event horizon was coming lol. Unlike the ST80 it has no dew shield of its own. I'll have to get a heated one. I'll only really be looking at the Moon with it anyway. I do now have three scopes for the Vixen though. Kinda justifies all the money I spent on the mount and new tripod lol.

 

To be honest Ray I was shocked how good the Moon looked with the ST80. Refractors are usually very sharp though compared to reflectors. RA is a bit noticeable though at 171x and adjusting altitude every so often is fun lol. I forgot that an EQ mount compensates for the rising and then falling after transit. Still, an alt az simplified a lot of other things for me so it works out eventually.

The #8 (465nm longpass) would be good in the nosepiece IMO. Then you have the choice of using the neodymium on individual eyepieces. Although you could stack them both in the diagonal as well. The Baader 495 longpass is very similar to a Wratten 12 I think (which is 500nm longpass). A Wratten #3 is 440nm longpass and the #15 is 510nm longpass. I think the #8 is the most similar to the Fringe Killer and the Baader 495nm is not dissimilar to the Baader Contrast Booster in effect. I'd definitely try the Baader 495 as it sounds like it could be really useful. You may find that it helps on very bright objects.

Sky-Watcher scope packages that are equivalent to the Orion ones are often a bit cheaper by comparison. Orion often supply cases, decent eyepieces and cool nerdy software and this ups the price I think. Compare the plastic bodied 10 & 25mm MA reversed Kellner EP's supplied with the 102mm Skymax with the Sirius Plossls of the same f/l supplied with the Apex (below). The Sirius Plossls are very probably Synta as they share the same focal lengths as the Sky-Watcher Plossls. In the UK you'd pay nearly £50 for the Sirius Plossls as a pair. The MA's are half that price. The 25mm MA is usable as a wide angle low power EP but it isn't as good as the 25mm Plossl. The 10mm Kellner is hard work and generally loathed. The 10mm Sirius Plossl is as good as any Celestron 8 or 6mm Plossl I've used.



Speaking of geekware have you tried Starry Night 7 yet?

 

I'll be interested in your findings with a #8 Yellow, Ray. Try everything! - That's my motto on filters these days. Everyone's eyes are a bit different.

Good Lord! Now all 3 of us have ST80's! We'll be an insufferable lot! We should qualify for some sort of award...

Off to ponder the mysteries - snowing up here in Podunk. Putting off my errands 'til tomorrow.

Dave

 

Ohhh.....





Raul

 

OK, I can do other colours.

I take it the baseball cap's out then?

 

I was tempted by a pair of 9mm Orion Expanse EP's once. It was only the undercut that put me off.



http://www.telescope.com/catalog/search.cmd?form_state=searchForm&siteCode=US&keyword=expanse

I think you might be OK with the eye relief. The Expanse are marketed under several other names. I'm pretty sure they're Barsta.

http://www.barsta.com/show_hdr.php?xname=MDA8V11&dname=OPFOR71&xpos=11

Both the 9mm and 20mm should be good with the ST80.

 

Yeah, it's great when things go right. Probably best not to mention the chocolate teapot lol.

 

I've heard nothing but good things about the Expanse's, Ray. Sounds like a winner! Please let us know your findings. I might get such myself. With 66° FOV - what's not to love!

Thanks for the tip-off -

Dave