Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor

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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
I have my ShorTube 80 piggy backed on a Meade 10" LX-200. I use it when I want wide field views, and have been able to view the North American nebula with an O-III filter. It was also fine for photos of Hale-Bopp. At low magnifications with faint objects, the scope works well and provides sharp images. With bright objects, the poor color correction is a problem and it's very poor at magnifications above about 80x... not a good scope for detail on planets. Mechanically, the focus mechanism has lots of play in it, and it's hard to keep it in line when switching eyepieces or diagonals. I find I have to continually re-align it with the 10". A good value for the price, but barely adequate optically and mechanically.

Overall Rating: 6
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
Comments on the Celstron FS80WA f/5 80mm refractor.
This a great scope!

One thing to be careful of though is to make sure that
you don't purchase this telescope with any great
expectations. This scope can't perform any miracles
like parting the Red Sea, or for that matter any close
binaries with faint companions. But it certainly can show
you quite a few wonderous sights. For example this
scope has already shown me Jupiter's moons, Saturn's rings,
and a suprisingly good star test at 100x. Not very high
magnification to be sure, but it's all I'm really
looking for right now. False color is apparent but not
objectionable. In fact I may be alone here, but I
think it's kind of fun. It teaches you a little about
optics and the nature of light. As for that "alien space
craft parked behind the moon," the false color doesn't seem
to even affect the moon's surface - only the limb, and even then
it's a bit fascinating and even amusing to imagine that
the moon is actually burning in a deep violet flame rather
that the color being a mere optical artifact. Think of it
this way:
In an apochromatic scope of similar aperture, the universe
would be filled with subdued hues of tan and white. However
this colorful little scope likes to paint the cosmos in bright
splashes of violet and perhaps even a little green and yellow
- if you defocus properly!
Of course chromatic aberration will make subtle planetary
detail even more subtle, but anyone who buys this scope is
either a newbie who will be astounded by thier first sight
of the moon at 100x, or they are an experienced astronomer
who will know better than to expect low contrast resolution
from such a fast scope with such a simple design.
For the record I must state that my expections were thus:
That I have at my side a ready and portable scope that
would put me in personal contact with the universe in
such a manner as was similar to, if quite a cut above, Galileo's
means and technology - and leave the rest to the HST
and the boys (and girls) at Keck.

A few remarks on Celestron quality control. I have noticed
that there is a great disparity in the quality of some
of these scopes. Out of the three exapmles at the store
at which I purchased mine. One had only a meager single
coating of the optics (appeared as a light blue), the second
which I first puchased and returned, had slightly better
coatings (appeared as green with secondary glint of red).
This second scope also had what appeared to be astigmatism
which was evident even at low power. The third and final
scope had deep green coatings (appearing very similar to
that of a Tele Vue Ranger/Pronto). This one has performed
admirably so far and I am quite proud to be its owner.

Well that is the end my long-winded review. I hope that
this information is helpful to those you who are wary
of spending too much on a telescope. My final advice
is this - if you certain that you want a scope, but are
afraid of spending too much and you are uncertain of what
to expect and are unwilling or unable to attend a public
star party, then the odds are that this is the scope for
you. Aslo, if you can afford it, get another higher power
eyepiece or ar least a barlow lense to compliment this
scope. Otherwise, you will be unable to reconize objects like
planets and Messier object that have sufficiently small
angular diameters.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37776

Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
Have the celestron version of this scope. It is a very portable rugged scope with good optics. I often use it for lunar and planetary viewing. I bought the spotting version since it comes with two eyepieces 10 and 20mm plossl. Bought a 90 deg diagonal and a good tripod to go with it. Total cost about 300.00 from Oceanside Photo and Telescope. If you need a good case for the scope and accys go to Lowes Hardware store. They have an armored aluminum tool case complete with foam padding that can be shaped to your scope for 24.95. Taking the scope out and viewing the moon I get sharp crisp views also jupiter and saturn. This is a great first scope to gain some experience and let apature fever die down if you get it, I did. If you choose to get a larger scope later you will probably keep this scope either as a guide scope or scope to grab on a moments notice. As far as magnifcation I have taken the scope to aprox 150x before I saw degredation in the image. I was really happy to see a scope with good optics and advertized with resonable power. This scope is miles above the department store Tasco's Best of Luck Rich rhmc@austin.rr.com

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37777

Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
I have a TV Ranger and two 90mm spotters in addition to the Orion ST80. Most of my viewing is terrestrial or birds. I can see that the Ranger produces somewhat better images than the ST80, but in most viewing, the differences are not significant. Daytime viewing simply does not present the problems of contrast or light that astronomical viewers have to combat with expensive scopes and eyepieces. I find that GTO and ProOptic plossls, Ultima 2x barlow, and the ST80 give me high quality viewing in the viewing conditions I encounter here on Earth. The Bogen tripod and 3047 head which I bought for my Ranger are, of course, more than adequate with the ST80. I would like to see more reviews of scopes and eyepieces focussed on terrestrial viewing. Ronald

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37778

Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
Rated a 10 for overall quality (B+/A-) and relative value based on price (A++).

Some users have rated this scope an excellent value, siting the accessories as a plus. I regard it as an exceptional value because those accessories can be replaced somewhat inexpensively, and to very good effect, improving the quality of this rig by several orders of magnitude.

I wanted a portable alternative to my 8" dob for camping, hiking, and impromptu viewing sessions. I considered Pronto and Ranger, both of which I have used at star parties, but couldn't justify the cost, so I considered a broad range of options and finally settled on the Orion Short Tube 80 as the best alternative.

Having talked to several owners, and having read quite a few reviews, I knew I would want to consider a few upgrades to get the most out of this scope. I already had some nice eyepieces, so I wasn't stuck with the Kellners that came with it.

The main deficiency with Orion's package is the 45 degree prism. Not only is it an image erector (ack!), it's an El Cheapo to boot. I replaced it with Televue's standard 1.25" 90 degree mirror diagonal. At $75, that may seem like an expensive add-on for a $200 scope, but it results in a MAJOR improvement in performance. Well worth the price, in my opinion. I have not experienced any of the chromatic aberrations (purple halos, etc.) reported by other owners. Images are bright, color is great, contrast is nice and crisp. Star test is outstanding. Some folks have wondered if part or all of this OTC might have been sourced from Vixen, and at this point I'm inclined to agree. It's not quite up there with a Ranger/Pronto, of course, but I have to concur with the "80% of Pronto's performance" assessment in the prior review. With the replacement diagonal and better eyepieces it easily performs at that level, if not slightly higher. The optics are not as refined as those of a Ranger/Pronto, but the extra 10mm of aperture seem to make up a bit for the lower quality glass and coatings.

Mounting: I use a cheap camera tripod/head; a $100 model originally purchased for use with a video camera. The scope is only about 4 lbs w/accessories, so this works smoothly except when viewing at or near the zenith, but a little practice goes a long way. I plan to buy a Telepod in the future, which again may seem like a relatively expensive add-on, but hey -- the accessories make the scope.

Final note: Orion has replaced its original 6x30 finder mounting assembly. Where it used to have 3 knurled thumb screws, it now features 2 knurled and one spring-loaded quick-release screw (or peg). Works very nicely.

Oh yes -- and a final, final note: I chose Orion's Short Tube 80 over their 90 because they seem to have cut some serious corners with the 90. (For instance, the rear portion of the 90 assembly is plastic, as opposed to the rugged metal components on the 80.)

Happy viewing!

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
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Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=37779

Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
The Orion 80mm Shorttube is a pleasant wide field scope
Great for sweeps of the milkyway
Rather dissapionting for planetary observations due to low F ratio/optics
Makes a great guide scope for large newtonians

Overall Rating: 7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
This scope on a good mount with better eyepieces will satisfy most travel observing needs.

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
I am using this scope for photo purpose piggybacked to a celestar 8". At low power this scope delivers pretty good image with little chromatic aberration. I also use it as findersope and it performs very well too thanks to the wide field capability.
Photographically the scope is very good, thanks to the low f/ chromatic aberration is kept at a minimum and the stars are pointlike except for the very bright ones.
I suggest this scope to everybody interested in wide field imaging with small budget.
Fabrizio

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
Awesome panoramic views. Mine is the Vista 508E model. It doesn't suffer from the achromatic abberation or edge of field distortion I've read about with older examples. Had it side by side with a 90mm MAK F5.6 and the 80 just plained kicked the crap out of the 90! I guess the 90's huge central obstruction really cuts down on the contrast, because the 80 afforded much bright and detailed views of deep sky objects like M13. Thanks!

Rick Towns
http://www.deepskies.com/

Overall Rating: 10
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
I note that this scope might be suited to mount to my larger one, to add some interesting possibilities. Question to those of you who have tried this: How do you find suitable quick-release (?) brackets for the unit? Please email me at astrodude@earthlink.net. Thanks! Dave

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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
This little scope is probably the best value on the market.
If you put some decent eyepieces on it it will provide
stunning views of the Milky Way and does reasonably well at
showing the planets. If you don't mind a bit of the
"purple haze" on lunar/planetary it manages to show a lot
of detail. The best eyepiece for this scope is a Meade
14mm UWA (note that it costs more thgan the ST80!). This scope
will show the Veil Nebula under a dark sky with a
UHC. Pretty amazing for a $199 scope.
This one is probably the best quick-look scope
out there for a reasonable price.
Just my 2 cents....

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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
This little guy is a gem. I purchased the "tube only" with intent on piggy-backing to a 12"SCT. It has yet to see the SCT as it spends all it's time on a sturdy little camera tripod introducing other folks to the fun of astronomy. To compare this to an "Apo" is like comparing apples and oranges. It can't be done. A solidly constucted unit that easily fits in "carry-on bags". I've taken it on several flights. The included Kellner EP's are fair. I tried a Nagler 7mm on it with great results. Finder scope setup is great. I'm very happy with my purchase. Hey, even my wife likes it!!

Overall Rating: 9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
Review of Celestron version.
I was looking for a portable scope that I could use during travel and for a quick view use at home. My 8" dob is just a bit much for those quick viewings in the evenings to blow off stress. Of course, I thought of Televue, but couldn't justify the price. I saw a few on-line reviews of this scope and couldn't pass it up.

Talk about value - You get a scope that retails for about $250 and a mount that retails for $175 in a package that cost only $229 through Astronomics! I've purchased Orions AZ-3 mount, making it even more portable. I'll use the EQ mount with motors and camera attachments for wide angle photography.

The little scope is simply fantastic. Thanks to the short focal length, don't expect high magnification, splitting doubles, globular clusters, or "up close" planetary views. Star tests are mediocre - there appears to be a screw in the light path. (Holding the focuser track) However, the little scope out-performs my expectations in many ways. I've spent many hours simply wondering around through the milky way. You get fantastic views of open clusters, nebulas, and asterisms (like the coat hanger) even when I get poor views through the 8" dob.

When it's all said and done - I've used this little scope more in the month since I got it that I"ve used the dob in the last three months.

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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
This is a nice litte scope with very acceptable optics, good accessories and an unbeatable prica which is also extremely handy to take along on a longer trip when using a plane. The correct-image 6x26 finder is a joy to use because of a very ingenious spring-loaded bolt. For a beginner the correct-image of the finder links logically to the correct-image of the 45° prism. The provided 16x and 40x magnifications are very well suited for scanning the rich star fields of the Milky Way.
The center of the field of view is very sharp and pleasing. Near the edge there is clearly image distortion. Even in the center brighter objects such as Jupiter display chromatic aberration and a very slight purple haze.
The provided Kellner eyepieces and 45° correct-image prism are fine, but should be replaced by a quality astronomical prism. This not only improves the sharpness of the image but clearly also the brightness.
For me this is a very good beginner's scope, a fine 400mm lens for astrophotography, a splendid guide scope when used with a Barlow lens and a handy scope to travel with. The 1,25/20 adaptor plate allows it to be used on a photo tripod.
Not an ideal scope, but a very good one all things considered, including the price.

Overall Rating: 7
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
Great as a guide scope for my 102ed or just used alone stars in ST80 are pinpoint and high contrast.

Overall Rating: 10
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
I bought used two year old ST80 last week. I replaced the standard diagonal with a TeleVue Star diagonal and the results were great. This little scope gives images which rival the Ranger and Pronto. I couldn't justify spending $800 for a grab and go scope so I decided on this great little scope. Stars are pinpoints, crescent moon showed no color, Jupiter and Saturn were better than expected. For the money this winner gets a well deserved 9.

Overall Rating: 9
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
Awesome performance per dollar.

Upgrade eyepieces.

Televue 32mm plossel works very well for rich fields.

Overall Rating: 9
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
If weighted for price the ShortTube 80 would be be a 10+. But let's be realistic, what are you really getting for your $350 (tax and EQ-1 included)?

+ One handed portability on supplied EQ-1 stand.

- Limited declination control range of motion on same stand.

- Overlong slewing cables that lack flexibility and foul the counterweight shaft.

+ Rapid temperature stabilization.

+ Bright contrasty images of deepsky objects (M1, M78, even NGC2071 visible on 5.5 UTM nights).

+ Reasonably flat (50+% of 3 degree fields at 16X).

+ Excellent Rich Field light gulps (NGC1499 - North American Nebula susceptible on 5.5 UTM nights).

+ Good intra/extra focal star test (if you can accept 130X diffraction pattern reads).

- Chromatic abberation inside/outside focus. (An adept hand can just null out chromaticism during focus but the helical focuser makes this very difficult).

- Grease on that same hand if you make contact with the helical threading.

+ OK views of Saturn (Cassini Division, SEB)

- Poor views of Jupiter (only the two equatorial belt's seen so far.)

This is the kind of scope they ought to sell in department stores instead of the usual 60mm 500X plastic eyepiece models. It's also the kind of scope that you buy once and hold onto throughout your astronomical career. Get one of these while there still cheap. If manufactured in the USA, and a few of the above knocks were ironed out, you'd have to shell out 1K to play. Sooner or later the demand for these (and other) Synta refractors is going to exceed the supply - and here in California we know what that means.

For obs reports using this scope see http://www.ihwy.com/~barbour/jeff/astro/mar-01-reports.html#2

Overall Rating: 7
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
Read all the reviews. This and the Rangers and the Prontos. I took the reviews to heart and, last evening, ordered a ST80. Motivated also by the sale price of $179. So I also ordered a better diagonal to go with it. Plan on plopping it onto a tripod and going with it as soon as it gets here and will report back later. Thanks for all the info.

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Orion ShortTube 80mm EQ Refractor
Ok, I got it. Optically, I like it. The 90 deg diagonal I got helps a lot. Seems to be just what I wanted. A portable scope I can haul around with me anywhere. Gotta get it on a better tripod. I am using a cheapo photo tripod from Walmart that just won't work. Any advice here? Can't decide if I need a bogen, a quality Orion, or the Orion GEM? Thanks.

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