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[david68]

first up, hi everyone.

I did a search of the net and notice that a couple of forum users here have a baytronix 80mm x 400mm refractor as guide scopes. I was just wondering what the optics in this scope is like. I am not interested in the eyepiece that come with it as I have plenty of good ones, just the performance of the rest of the OTA.

I am thinking of getting one for a quick grab and go scope as my dob is a bit too cumbersome to do this with.

all comments welcome, especially from anyone that has used oneof these

many thanks in advance

[jglover]

david68 said:

first up, hi everyone.

I did a search of the net and notice that a couple of forum users here have a baytronix 80mm x 400mm refractor as guide scopes. I was just wondering what the optics in this scope is like. I am not interested in the eyepiece that come with it as I have plenty of good ones, just the performance of the rest of the OTA.

While not a review of the refractor, there is a review of a Baytronics 150mm Newt on cloudynights.com. The reviewer's opinion, avoid the scope at all costs.

There was another thread on the refractor specifically and it was so-so...here's the posters comments:

"80mm f/5 Baytronics refractor. Another Ebay special for $49.00 (I know, I'm a glutton for punishment). Astigmatism and bad color. Image falls to pieces with anything over 40x. Nice to scan around with the supplied 17x eyepiece, and came equipped with a terrestial prism so it spends more time on the shooting range as a spotting scope. "

So it may work ok as a finder but as a guide scope I'd guess you might want to push it beyond 40x, so it seems this should be a pass as well.

[jglover]

david68 said:

I am thinking of getting one for a quick grab and go scope as my dob is a bit too cumbersome to do this with.

Oh yes, and welcome!!

Just FYI, my first scope was a Celestron Nexstar 80GT, which is an 80mm F/5 scope, just like the Baytronics one. The Celestron was a decent scope, could take power up to about 100x, or 120x on a good night, but it did have lots of false color. That's to be expected though, as this is a fast achromat. The Celestron was essentially the same scope as theubiquitious Orion ST80 and all the clone sout there. I'm guessing this Baytronics scope is probably a cheap Chinese knock-off of the ST80 clones (yeah I know, the ST80s are Chinese (Synta) too, but with better QC). For a quick grab and go scope, I'd look for one of the Synta made ST80, they can usually be found used for around $100. Astromart.

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

David,

Welcome to the Chicago Astronomer family and thanks for your first post.

John is correct on all counts. He's got the astronomer sickness bad, and first hand experience with different scopes. I think too, that I would recommend that you keep searching.

What are you using presently for a guide scope on the Dob? For a non-powered finder tool, I can't recommend enough the Rigel Star Finder. Small, light and the concentric circles blink!

Here is a review: astronomer.proboards23.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=Equipment&thread=1110828464&page=1

How I survived decades without it is beyond me...

David, tell us some more about yourself, your equpiment and of you interest in astronomy.

[david68]

hi and thanks for the replies... I am using a standard 8x50 finder on my dob at the moment... but as i said I am wanting a short tube refractor as a light grab n' go scope so i can fit the family in the car too. I have been into astronomy for about a year and a half now.
i started with a cheap 60mm refractor and went to a GSO dob from there. I have a range of eyepieces from GSO plossls to superviews to televue plossls. I do most of my observing from my backyard. I cant for the life of me get either my wife or daughter in to my hobby

[jglover]

david68 said:

GSO dob from there. I have a range of eyepieces from GSO plossls to superviews to televue plossls. I do most of my observing from my backyard.

The GSO scopes are really good quality for the money. I've got a Hardin Dob and the Astrola EPs that come with the scope are really good considering their low price. But be careful with Teleue though.....if you ever get a chance to use a Nagler or Panoptic, you'll be hooked on them. I started out using mid level plossls like the GSO variety but now my most, almost exclusively used EP are my Telelvues: a 5mm Nagler Type 6, a 9mm Nagler T6, a 13mm Nagler T6 and a 24mm Panoptic along with a 2.5x Powermate. I know, as Jow said, my scopes will change over time, but i think this eyepice kit is a keeper.

Joe make a good point about the Rigel finder, i've got one and finder very useful, more so under darker skies though than we get here in suburban Chicago. I've found the 8x50mm finders to be more useful to me from my backyard, but I upgrade my Dob to an Orion 9x50 right angle finder....saves a lot of wear and tear on the neck and back, especially as I get older! ;D

How much money are you looking to spend on a grab and go scope? If you can stretch the budget a bit, Stellarvue makes some very nice scopes in the 80mm short tube class and you can even get into a first class apochromatic scope, the Orion ED80 for right around $400....compare that to a Televue TV85 for about 4 times the money. Another option, depending on your interests, would be a used Mak, like the ETX90. You'll get a higher power from the Mak and it is much better for planetary and lunar work. In any event, we'll be glad to help out here.....and we love to spend other people's money!! LOL

[david68]

lol, not much money to spend i am afraid... I was looking at a orion st80 on astromart and thinking "would she who must be obeyed allow me to stretch that far?"

budget very limited. thats why i was asking bout the baytronix. if the objective lens was ok then my EPs would make up for the ones they supply... but if the objective is crappy i probably wouldnt bother.

[david68]

btw, heres an alternative to the rigel and telrad
www.telescope-warehouse.com/....aspx?itmID=171

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Dave,

The link didn't work, so I tracked it down...

www.telescope-warehouse.com/product.aspx?itmID=171

I have never seen this one before, it looks good, but at 2.5 pounds...a bit heavy!

This is a BRAND NEW Galileo electronic circle finder. This finder projects 3 red circles on a glass plate that you look through at night. put the star or object in the middle circle and you will see it in the telescope after proper alignment. This is similar to the much bigger and more expensive circle finder. This one is only 5" long by 1.5" wide. It comes with a base that has double sided tape to attach to any telescope tube. You can take the finder on and off with two thumbscrews from the base. The brightness is variable and there are two adjustment thumbscrews to line up the finder with the telescope. Batteries ARE INCLUDED with this one too. Don't pay $50 or more for a finder like this, get it here for only $19.95!

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Price: $19.95 - US Dollars
Shipping: $4.00 - US Dollars
Category: Filters, Finders and Guide Scopes
Condition: New
Shipping Weight: 2.5 Pounds

The price is great and I would like to take a peek at one....but I think I still prefer the Rigel over the other two and red dots, but it is always good to have a choice...

[jglover]

david68 said:

lol, not much money to spend i am afraid... I was looking at a orion st80 on astromart and thinking "would she who must be obeyed allow me to stretch that far?"

I understand where you are coming from here. But you can do like I do sometimes, it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission! ;D

If it were me, I'd skip the Baytronics altogether. As a grab and go scope, if you have image breakdown problems as one reviewer indicated, it will generally not be of much use. The Orion ST80's are the way to go. You could also search for an older Celestron Nexstar 80OTA, as this is the same scope, as are the Celestron Wide Scan 80mm scopes. Apogee, Inc., out in Union, IL, also sells 80mm wide field scopes of the same type. you can check them out at www.apogeeinc.com. Good luck and I think you'll be much happier with a decent ST80 type scope. I liked mine but had aperture fever and traded off the ST80 for a 102mm Skywatcher refractor. I still wish I had that little scope back though.

[Kalvis]

David:

In the category of cheap achromatic short tube refractors I would heartily recommend the Hardin Optical StarHoc 80mm, f6. A few of weeks ago I saw someone selling the OTA alone on AstroMart for around $125, so if you've got e.p.'s and a good mount, then that's the way to go. It is made by Guan Shen Optical (a.k.a. GSO) of Taiwan. From the research I conducted it is better built than the equivalently or lower priced short tube refractors sold by Apogee, Celestron and Orion. Of course I've salivated over more expensive ones made by Stellarvue and Williams Optics as well as the high-end apo's, but those will have to wait for a future splurge purchase.

My trustworthy additions have been a used TeleVue 2x barlow and a Rigel QuickFinder. Can't agree more with Joe on his praises of this excellent accessory. I understand you've already got a mount and e.p.'s , but for others who don't I still recommend all of which is included in this $249 package: a nice EQ-3 mount and two decent Astrola Plossels eyepieces of FL 9mm and 25mm. Last October I bought the Star Hoc 80-6 for $299, but now Hardin appears to be clearing their inventories and selling off remaining ones at $50 less. Check out their website at hardinoptical.com/starhoc80.html.

If you want to take a peek through mine you are welcome to. Drop me an e-mail and we can coordinate schedules and locations.

Kalvis