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I have been enjoying astronomy for the last 7 years. I had a small scope as a kid but I had no idea how to use it and for over 30 years I was out of astronomy. About 7 years ago I got interested in astronomy again and I decided to get back into the hobby. After using an old pair of binoculars I decided to purchase a telescope. Now I have 4 telescopes and I thought that I would do a short review on each one of them as they all are popular amateur telescopes. I own 2 refractors (80 and 102mm), 1 reflector (8 inch dob) and a 102mm Mak-Cass which I am reviewing now. I am a visual observer only and my main observing site is my backyard which is on the edge of a medium sized mid-west city (60,000 people) Viewing conditions are so so from my backyard but I do have world class skies about one hour drive away. Unfortunately I rarely have time to get out that way and observe. The first telescope I bought was an Orion Starmax 102 which came with the EQ2 mount and a few other accessories. The telescope has been used at one time or another as my only telescope, my main lunar scope and my travel scope. Now I use it mostly as a solar telescope. The Starmax is a Mak-Cass telescope which uses both lenses and mirrors to produce a very compact sized telescope. The focal length is 1300 mm but it is only about 11 inches long. Note the comparisons with a 80mm F7 refractor. The Orion is listed as an F 12.7. The F ratio is simply the focal length (1300 mm) divided by the aperture (102mm). The smaller the F ratio the faster the telescope. There are several advantages to a slow telescope (around F10 or slower). The first is that very basic eyepieces work very well this telescope. I use Orion Plossls and I do not have any problems with them. Compare the prices of basic plossls to Naglers, Panoptics and Ethos and you will see what I mean. You can also get by with plossls in the 12.5 to 17 mm range with a Barlow for high power views so you get decent eye relief. The main disadvantage is a smaller field of view. This problem is enhanced by the scope only being able to use 1 and 1/4 inch eyepieces. I can get about a 1 degree field of view with the included 25 mm plossl. That is OK for most objects but you definitely will not be getting great wide field of views that work well for open clusters. For comparisons the 80mm refractor shown above will give a 2.25 degree field of view with the same 25mm plossl . The Starmax is usable out of the box but it really needs a few accessories to improve it. Please don’t take it wrong as the Starmax kit is a great value at $439.95. For that price you can’t expect a lot. The following items are a must in my opinion. 102 mm Flexishield - $19.95 With a thick front lens a Mak-Cass will fog up quickly without it. Enough you live in a desert you will definitely need this as the scope does not have a dew shield. EQ-2M Drive System - $72.95 With a narrow field of view you will get tired of constantly turning the RA Knob. The motor drive from Orion is adequate for visual use. This mount and motor drive will not be good enough for astrophotography (other then short exposures of the moon and planets). Orion 1 and 1/4 inch enhanced diagonal - $64.95 The very basic included diagonal was not of very good quality. Maybe yours will be better but I had to replace mine right away. Variable Polarizing Filter - $37.95 You will enjoy the moon a lot more by adjusting the brightness to your liking. If you do not have any other eyepieces I would highly recommend an Orion 17mm Highlight Plossl and an Orion Shorty Plus Barlow. Using these with the included 25 mm Plossl will give you the following combinations:   17mm Plossl:  $56.95   Shorty Plus Barlow:  $84.95 25 mm Plossl: 52 power General Viewing and finding objects 17mm Plossl: 76 power Overview of Moon and stepping up power on deep sky 25 mm Plossl with Barlow: 104 power Planet and Lunar viewing 17mm Plossl with Barlow : 152 power Planet and Lunar viewing Orion EZ Finder II - $37.95 The included 6x26 finder scope is not one of my recommendations. I really like a red dot finder and it will make finding things a whole lot easier. This is especially true for beginners We are now at a price of $815.60 but I am not done yet. The following items are recommended but not required. Orion Rock Stable Antivibration Pads - $64.95 The EQ2 mount will not win a lot of awards for sturdiness. It is improved a lot by the pads. After a tap it takes 2 and 1/2 seconds to stop without pads After a tap it takes 1 and 1/2 seconds to stop with pads Orion Telecope Tube Rings 7372 for Orion Starmax - $17.95 The built in mounting block will hook up to the EQ2 mount but it will loosen over time and I had to tighten it up several times during the night. The rings make a much more stable connection. I removed the mounting block on my Starmax after I got my rings. Orion 4.57 inch ID Full Solar Filter - $79.95 This scope makes an excellent solar scope. You can watch sunspots and transits safely with this glass filter over the front of the scope. WARNING NEVER LOOK AT THE SUN WITHOUT A QUALITY SOLAR FILTER. We are now up to $978 which is a far cry from the original $439.95. But this is a complete set including eyepieces and a solar filter. Now let’s set this rascal up. The Starmax is a joy to set up and move around. It weighs 22.4 pounds including the mount, diagonal, counterweight, and finder. It easily passes my gate test as it has no problems getting through the 37 inch opening (with the gate half open). I am 6 feet tall and I can use this without a chair at all elevations. It is 47 ½ inches to the eyepiece looking at the zenith. To use the Equatorial mount you set the latitude on the mount to match your latitude. Then you orient the mount by pointing it North (pointing it at Polaris is plenty adequate for our use) . I like to leave it outside for at least 30 minutes in summer and 60 minutes in winter to cool down before using it. This can be eliminated if you store it outside in an unheated shed or garage. The included case will do a good job of keeping dirt and critters off of your scope. But I store mine inside so I allow time to equalize the mirror and outside temperature. Otherwise you will not get steady views as you will have currents inside of your telescope. Now let’s see what’s out there. The Moon is definately a highlight with this scope. I use a 17mm Plossl and a 2X Barlow for 152 power. You could use a 7 mm eyepiece for 185 power which I think will be maxing things out with this scope. I do not have a 7 mm eyepiece. I have tried a 6 mm eyepiece but the resulting 216 power is a little high for this scope. I would highly recommend a quality moon map such as the Sky and Telescopes Mirror Image Field Map by Rukl. You can spend a lifetime enjoying the moon with this telescope. Jupiter and Saturn are also highlight items with this telescope. You will be pleased with their appearance. A 4 inch scope is not going to be used for hunting faint galaxies but you can see all of the Messier items from a dark site and a lot of them from your backyard. Some items that will impress are the Orion Nebula, Ring Nebula & Globular Clusters like M13. You do not get a wide field of view but you can still enjoy things like the Double Cluster. This scope also works well on double stars. In conclusion I will give it the following grades. My standards are A outstanding the best reasonable amateur telescope available. B very good C average There is nothing wrong with average in my book( a very usable telescope). D a usable telescope that has some problems . F a telescope that has many problems. This will turn a beginner away from astronomy in no time. Portability  A  (You can not get much better then a 22 pound package that does not need a chair) Usability  C- out-of-the-box / C+ with improvements  (You can not get much better then a 22 pound package that does not need a chair) Quality  C  Moon/Planets  C+  Deep Sky/b>  C-  Overall Performance  C  Price/Performance Ratio  B-  Even my final price of $978.00 is reasonable for a complete telescope with eyepieces, case, finder scope, solar filter, and mount.