Bushnell Northstar 90mm Mak

BobY · Guest

Hello,

I just got this telescope from Optics Planet and am really impressed for the price. Image quality is much better than I expected. Documentation is much worse Smile

Since Bushnell doesn't appear to have email for customer service, perhaps you can answer some questions:

1) The manual states that the unit comes with a 20mm eyepiece, but it appears to me that it is a 25mm. Is this correct?

2) The manual states that the unit comes with a Barlow lens, but there doesn't seem to be one included (nor am I sure it makes sense that it would). Is this correct?

3) What is the second jack for on the handheld controller for (the right hand one)?

4) The mount on the side of the scope has two tapped holes that aren't used. Can these be used to attach the scope to a standard tripod?

5) The mount provides three different positions (front-to-back) for attaching the scope. Is there one in particular to use? Is there any reason to use the others?

6) Does Bushnell, or someone else, make a carrying case for this telescope/tripod?

7) Can you recommend a zoom eyepiece that makes sense for this telescope--something that is as optically good as the telescope at a price that makes sense for a scope in this price range?

Thanks!

P.S. For anyone interested in getting one of the Bushnell GoTo telescopes, be forewarned that the clock/calendar used in earth-aligning the NorthStar unit does not actually keep time, it just sets the starting point. Each time you turn it on, you will have to re-enter the time and date (although it will default to the last city selected). That's a bit of a disappointment, but not really hard to deal with.

opticsplanet.com · Posted: Thu May 19, 2005 4:00 pm Post subject:

Hi Boby

Glad you are enjoying your 90 Mak. Yes, I was also surprised at how good the optics were for a scope in this price range. I really think this is the best telescope yet produced by Bushnell.

The manual, as you have discovered, leaves something to be desired. I will try to address each question.

1) The manual states that the unit comes with a 20mm eyepiece, but it appears to me that it is a 25mm. Is this correct?

Answer: No, it comes with a 25mm, which will produce a very nice 48x - a good choice for daytime use or large extended nebulae or clusters.

2) The manual states that the unit comes with a Barlow lens, but there doesn't seem to be one included (nor am I sure it makes sense that it would). Is this correct?

Answer: (We get this question a lot.) No, the 90 does not come with the Barlow. In their rush to get the scope out before Christmas, Bushnell decided to use the same manual it uses for other Northstar models. Other models do include the barlow, but the 90 Mak does not. Sorry.

3) What is the second jack for on the handheld controller for (the right hand one)?

Answer: I honestly don't know. My guess is that Bushnell may be planning to use it for some, as of yet unknown accessory, such as a cable to allow you to control the scope through a PC, but I am only guessing at this point.

4) The mount on the side of the scope has two tapped holes that aren't used. Can these be used to attach the scope to a standard tripod?

Answer: Yes, most definitely. This allows you to mount the 90 Mak on a conventional camera tripod. This gives you great versatility.

5) The mount provides three different positions (front-to-back) for attaching the scope. Is there one in particular to use? Is there any reason to use the others?

Answer: Yes, this gives some flexibility for balancing should you wish to add a heavy accessory such as an SLR camera. By the way, you can add an SLR by simply obtaining the appropriate t-ring for your brand of SLR camera.

6) Does Bushnell, or someone else, make a carrying case for this telescope/tripod?

Answer: No, sorry to say. At this point there is no case specifically designed for this scope/mount, though the scope tube itself could easily be stored in a large, waterproof camera case.

7) Can you recommend a zoom eyepiece that makes sense for this telescope--something that is as optically good as the telescope at a price that makes sense for a scope in this price range?

Answer: A "good" zoom eyepiece is the question. A cheap zoom will be optically inferior in every way to a fixed focal length eyepiece and will definitely prevent you from getting the most out of your 90 Mak. Even a good zoom eyepiece will have a narrower field of view at any focal length than a fixed focal length eyepiece.

On the other hand, a good zoom can take the place of several fixed focal length eyepieces, so the cost is relative. Here are a couple you might want to look at. We will probably be adding more to our website in the future.

Meade 8-24 zoom, http://www.opticsplanet.net/meade-8mm-24mm-zoom-eyepiece-series4000.html

Penatx 70509 ( okay, the price is way out there, but what an eyepiece!), http://www.opticsplanet.net/pentax-zoom-eyepiece.html

Penatx XF (watch the eye relief if you wear glasses), http://www.opticsplanet.net/pentax-xf-zoom-eyepiece.html

Thank-you for such great questions. I am sure that many of our visitors are considering the purchase of this telescope. You've been a big help.
_________________
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Your personal optics expert
Joanie (Jne) K
http://www.OpticsPlanet.com
Phone: (888) 263-0356
Fax: (847) 574-6820

BobY · Guest

Gee, I hardly ever get complimented on my questions Smile

I know zoom eyepieces are looked down upon, but they make it so easy to concentrate on what interests you and I'd rather not carry around a bunch of eyepieces under my typical portable viewing circumstances (like with school groups), even if I do personally end up with a number of different eyepieces for my own specific use.

You have quite a few relatively inexpensive 1.25" zoom eyepieces, but I presume they will dramatically degrade the image quality. I'm a little lost on what the overall range is--some of the lenses are listed as equivalent fixed eyepieces (in mm) while others just list the zoom factor (for example 20x-60x). How do I compare these?

I admit I'm confused. The Pentax eyepieces are pretty rich for me given the cost of the Bushnell scope. but I don't want to degrade the image. Conceptually I understand the Meade the best, I'm not clear as to what result I would see with either Pentax.

jne, it looks like you get to answer all of the questions on the forum, so I'd just like to take the opportunity to thank you for your guidance. I always get the impression you are trying to help people, not sell stuff.