USER OBSERVATIONS Last updated: 31 August 2007

Subject:	ETX-80AT-BB - Quality seems very good
Sent:	Tuesday, August 28, 2007 20:23:42
From:	Mark (MWLibby@Charter.net)
I have now had my ETX-80AT-BB for about 2 months, and I have spent quite
a bit of time reading your site.  Based on that reading, it seems like
owners of ETX-60's and ETX-70's have had their challenges.  I have to
say though that I have had very good luck with this telescope, and have
not experienced any issues (knock wood).

My only learning experience had to do with the lack of a finder scope on
the ETX-80.  I found that initial alignment without a finderscope was
very dependent on being level and pointed north.  If I was not aligned
well, using the "spiral search" was just not very reliable and I would
have alignment failures.  So I made myself a red dot finder from a BB
gun sight, and fashioned a two piece detachable bracket for it from
aluminum stock.  This has made alignment very quick and simple and much
less dependent on perfect level and north orientation.  I can slew the
scope directly to the alignment star with as few direction changes as
possible and have alignment success every time.

I have good battery life, the Autostar has performed well, and I find
that my GOTO's are very accurate, and the scope seems to be able to
track along with objects without any appreciable drift.  Its light, easy
to carry since it came with a backpack, and I find myself using it all
the time.  I have easily used this scope more in the last two months
than I used my old scope (4.5" Newt) in the last two years.  I have been
very pleased with the quality of this scope.  Am I just really lucky, or
is the quality of the ETX-80 better than the older models?
 
Thanks,
Mark Libby
St. Louis, MO

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