Vixen A80SSWT OTA Telescope

Tim · Guest

Hello. I have a couple of questions. First off, how good are the optics in this scope? Is this a good quality scope? Secondly I wanted something that can see the cloud bands on Jupiter and the rings of saturn, but I also wanted to go outside and watch birds and look down a big mountain where I live. Is this a good scope for my applications? Also my final question, using this eyepiece 42mm eyepiece here http://www.telescope.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=5005&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=6&iSubCat=36&iProductID=5005 could you tell me the power and mainly the field of view in feet at a 1000 yrds. Thanks

Tim · Guest

Sorry forgot to add that the main thing I am looking for in a telescope is a big old wide field of view like binoculars. So I am pretty much guessing on this being the right kind. Would a reflector be better?

Tim · Guest

Hi If anyone out there can anwser the questions I asked It would be greatly apperciated. Thanks in advance

opticsplanet.com · Posted: Wed Nov 02, 2005 1:41 pm Post subject:

Hi Tim

Sorry for not responding sooner. When you reply to a post, it flags my computer that an answer has been given, so I assumed you had already received a reply.

Anyway. the Vixen is a nice scope, but it has some quirks. The flip mirror system is convenient, but not great optically. The scope does much better with a good diagonal such as the Televue 2" Everbrite, http://www.opticsplanet.net/televue-90-2-everbrite-diagonal.html or a Meade #930, http://www.opticsplanet.net/meade-930-diagonal-mirror.html

No need to go with 2" eyepieces on a scope like this to get wide angle views. At oly 400mm focal length, standard 1.25" wide angle designs like a 20mm Pentax XW, http://www.opticsplanet.net/pentax-eyepiece-xw-11-16.html will give you fabulous views at 20x. A 24mm Televue Panoptic, http://www.opticsplanet.net/televue-panoptic-epo-24-eyepieces.html will give you 17x.
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