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Message: <blockquote data-quote="OPTIC_NUT" data-source="post: 3206327" data-attributes="member: 121951">I have a 70mm x 600mm Meade strapped onto a Manfrotto fluid-style tripod that I am using constantly at 35x and 70x.  At those powers,I can't see any chromatics and the view is awesome for birds and turtles at 50-200 yds, eagles and hawks flying at ~300 yds,planes coming into Logan 15 miles away.  I use salvaged bino eyepieces taped out to 1.25"  and the view is great.  Needs a 1.25"image corrector (a 45-deg corrector will have one one part of the usual roof set....a great thing).  Fun at night as well.   Unfortunately, this is a rare f-ratio (8.5). Your view might be slightlyclipped at f/10 (more common), but if you toss the springy tripodfor a nice stout cam tripod and strap in, and black-line the barrelswhere they aren't, the view is wonderful.   If you don't have salvagedEPs, buying a nice 1.25 Plossl to achieve around 30-50x will make for a satisfying, crisp view.I actually gotr some suprisingly nice views putting a 50mm x 350mm on the Manfrotto with a 1.25 Plossl, but the focusers on those little'portascopes' are too clunky.  A shame.  Converting a 70mmx700mm can be satisfying, esp. if it comes with OK EPsand an erector and you line and remount.   35x would be a little clipped,but 50x and 75x are no problem with the afov.My mounting is:---a piece of 3/8" plywood with a 1/4-20 "T-Nut" in it (for tripod)    some squishy camping mat foam (to damp  vibrations)    2 hose clamps to hold the scope onto the foam and plywood...I was out with it yesterday....it's fun.Bigger but actually lighter than my  Swift 839 spotter, and the contrast is higher when the tubes are lined right.  (keyword is:  flocking, for astro forums) Going to 80mm astro makes the scope way long and clunky.60mm or 70mm, and at or over over  1.21 * Diam * Diam is the best (60mm, 440mm or more,  70mm, 60mm or more).Like I say....50mm scopes work other than the focuser, but that's usually bad.</blockquote>

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