Re: Beginner - ETX 90AT vs. EC
- From: "Larry Curcio" <lcurcio@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 12 Jun 2005 01:28:51 GMT
Well, GoTo's are controversial here abouts. Have to say that the
ETX90 AT was my first half decent scope since childhood. Picked
it up at a going-out-of-business sale, and wasn't particularly interested
in the GoTo at the time. (~4 years ago). I didn't really like the '90 very
much
until the last year. I've come back to it because it's fun to play with. I
get a
thrill when a familiar object slews into view, and I don't have to haul
around a
lot of hardware. The views are not very wide, but they are crisp.
In those days, the finder scope was absolutely inadequate, and the forks
were giggly. Without the GoTo, it was very hard to use indeed. The GoTo
covered for these inadequacies, and therefore proved valuable. The
new finders have diagonals on them, and will be easier to use at odd angles.
They are still tiny... Thus, the GoTo is recommended on the ETX90, not so
much for its added benefits, as for its nullification of deficits.
For a newbie, the GoTo may not be easy to get the hang of. The mechanism
takes a lot of befriending, and the narrow field of view works against you,
because many objects land out of field at first. Also, in those days, there
was a bug such that the thing would not find the moon or inferior planets -
even when the latitude was set by GPS and the time by the US observatory.
Don't know if it's fixed, but the omitted objects are bright enough to find
unaided.
After you get the hang of it, almost everything clicks right into view.
Some tips:
1) Train the motor, and do it under *high power*
2) Use two-star alignment. One of the stars can be Polaris, if you are
in the Northern hemisphere and using ALT/AZ..
3) Refrain from realigning on objects that you find and center. Doing
so reverts the thing to one-star alignment.
4) Teflon tape in the ALT truncheons reduces giggle.
5) Accuracy of orientation toward celestial North is unimportant, but
leveling
is very important. Point the thing at Polaris by eye and bubble-level
scrupulously.
6) If you don't mind a big scope, a large dob is a much better buy. You see
*a lot* more, and you learn the sky instead of the GoTo mechanism. Price
is comparable.
Regards,
-Larry Curcio
"NYxtr" <NYRose@xxxxxxxxx> wrote in message
news:1118535919.321466.108250@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> I apologize for the beginner question. I can't help it, but I am a
> beginner.
>
> I am considering buying my first telescope. I have zoomed in on Meade
> ETX series but found two type for the ETX90, and EC and an AT version.
> I searched previous messages and found a few that compare the two,
> those messages claimed that the EC package is the same as the AT
> package, but it lacks the Autostar and Tripod.
> I found in Amazon the EC package that actually includes the
> abovementioned Autostar and the tripod. That package is offered for
> $499 while the AT package is offered in other stores at $570 and higher
> (both are with the special UHTC coating).
>
> I am therefore a little puzzled; What is the difference?
>
> I would appreciate also an opinion on my choices - ETX 90. I live
> in a big city, star watching here is the moon and maybe a dozen more
> objects. My main interest is to watch when I travel out of the city.
> Therefore, portability is a major factor. Also, the computer is an
> issue, since, I will watch infrequently, and experience buildup will be
> difficult. My budget is in the $500 $700 range.
>
> Thank you all,
>
> MR.
>
.
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- Beginner - ETX 90AT vs. EC
- From: NYxtr
- Beginner - ETX 90AT vs. EC
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