New scope, first light - Equinox 120ED

[Sirius Bizness]

Thanks to all of the great information on here and answers to my recent threads I have now purchased a used SW Equinox 120ED. Just picked up the scope today.

I bought the scope from a real gentleman and genuine astronomy enthusiat so I had no real conerns about the condition or quality of the scope. Just got back in from first light (which happens to be my first viewing of Saturn and proper viewing of Venus) and I am totally blown away. The views were incredible. The scope seemed to have no limit as I kept increasing maginification. I didn't enjoy Venus using the ED80 but tonight the cresent was amazing.

I am now after a new higher power eyepiece to see what can be achieved (currrent limit is 8mm and 2x barlow).

I am not familiar with telescopes but compared to my ED80 this scope is an engineering masterpiece. I had not read great things about the focuser but I think it is brilliant. It is so silky smooth and doesn't slip at all(to be tested in anger with DSLR attached).

I am really looking forward to more nights like this with the 120ED.

[nightfisher]

very nice, and good to hear you had first light with it so soon

[Chris]

Wow! people usually love the ED80 so the 120 must be something else, it will be interesting to see what you think of it as an imaging scope? I could imagine it would be mindblowing with a flattener/reducer:)

[John]

Congratulations on your new ED120

I have the ED120 Pro which has the same optics and I'm delighted with it. I use 257x (Nagler 3.5mm) regularly on Mars, the Moon, Saturn and binary stars - the scope could take more on really good nights I believe.

They are pretty good deep sky scopes for their aperture too - I managed to glimpse the magnitude 13 supernova (sn2012aw) in the galaxy M95 recently which I felt was great performance for a modest aperture scope.

[Sirius Bizness]

Don't get me wrong, I love the ED80. Problem is I am only using it for visual at the moment so the aperture is limiting. However it was the scope to make me realise I wanted to stick with the SW/Synta doublets. The difference here is the build quality of the 120ED.

I do want to get the SW reducer (scope is a bit too slow at F7.5) but it wasn't designed for the Euinox so need an adaptor. It's all adding up so will probably wait until the end of the year.

Does anyone know how flat (is the effect called coma?) the scope is likely to perform? A stand alone reducer may be more manageable right now. Why don't they build the flattener in to the scope?

[Sirius Bizness]

Thanks for the info on the eyepiece John. I thought it should be able to handle more. Could you 2x Barlow the 3.5 or would that just not work?

Really excited to have a crack at some DSOs. Really surprised you could observe the SN. I have only ever looked at the Orion nebula in the ED80.

I think the Nagler maybe out of my reach so will look at what else is out there.

[John]

You can barlow the 3.5mm Nagler (or any 3.5mm eyepiece for that matter) but how much more than 257x would be really useful (as opposed to just fun !) would depend on the seeing conditions and the object being viewed. Binary stars, the Moon and Mars benefit from ultra high power, Saturn a bit less so and Jupiter is best at 180x - 225x with the ED120 I've found.

You really need to be guided by the seeing conditions when considering very high magnifcations - often it just leads to larger but less defined images, occasionally though everything comes together

A high powered zoom like the Nagler 3mm-6mm is a very useful tool for testing the conditions and able to deliver high contrast images similar to fixed focal length orthoscopics.

I was surprised and pleased that the ED120 picked up the supernova too. I was certain of the observation because I'd been observing the same object with my 10" newtonian for a few nights before and I knew exactly where to look. Supernovae are point sources though - the limit on an extended object such as a galaxy or nebulae would be a magnitude or so less.

[Caldwell 14]

I saw one of these scopes for the first time last weekend, a very nice scope indeed...enjoy!

[dmahon]

The nagler 3-6 zoom works well in it.

[Sirius Bizness]

Thanks for the suggestion dmahon. Certainly seems to be highly rated so keeping my eye out for a used one.

That's your old mount in the pic (recognise your name from the email). Looks like we have similar preferences now I have the Equinox on it. Might be asking your advice over the next few months as I get to grips with it. Do you use the SW FF/FR?

[dmahon]

Small world! Only just used my NEQ6 that I replaced it with for the first time at the weekend (have been waiting a while for my new camera).

Yes, I have the reducer/flattener and the FLO adapter for Equinox. Works fine, but has an M48 fitting not T2 so you'll probably need a DSLR-M48 ring for a camera or an adapter (telescop service make a 3mm one) for a CCD.

[ollypenrice]

The ED80 is mainly admired as an imaging scope. When you hear negative reports of the SW focusers it is usually from heavy CCD/filterwheel users rather than DSLR imagers. DSLRs are nice and light so you should be good to go. SW do make good ED doublets, no doubt about it.

Olly

[Chris]

You can pick up an ED80 pro from TS for 277 pounds now, absolute bargain if you ask me!

[nmoushon]

I have an SQ ED80 equinox and I love it! So I imagine the ED120 is just as great if not better. But I do have 2 quarrels about my ED80.

1. That the coma I get while imagining is a lot more than I expected and its pretty bad tbh. Though it is an easy fix, which is good...but not a cheap one unfortunately.

2. I have slipping issues with my focuser and I only have my DSLR attached to it. It only slips when I try to image targets high in the sky. So I can image most targets without a problem but the higher the target the better so it is a problem. I haven't figured out a way around it without buying a whole new focuser....which I hope I can figure a way that doesnt include buying half of a brand new scope...

But other than those two things its great! Hope you enjoy yours.

[Sirius Bizness]

Yes the SW Reducer/flattener seems essential for imaging.

Does the focuser slip when focused and locked down using the screw? I thought just doing it tight would work although I have heard about the focus shifting on doing this.

[nmoushon]

When its nearly over my head it still slips when the screw is tight. It happens very very slowly so after like 10-15min it will slip out of focus. Maybe I'm not tightening the screw enough but I don't want to over tighten and crack something either. Knowing my luck I would do just that. Like I said I can get most the sky without any problem.

[Earl]

When its nearly over my head it still slips when the screw is tight. It happens very very slowly so after like 10-15min it will slip out of focus. Maybe I'm not tightening the screw enough but I don't want to over tighten and crack something either. Knowing my luck I would do just that. Like I said I can get most the sky without any problem.

tweak the tension bolt in the center of the underside of the focuser a touch

[nmoushon]

tweak the tension bolt in the center of the underside of the focuser a touch

I've already tightened it a bunch so that why I'm afraid if I tighten it more it might crack something....is there even anything that it can crack or am I just being a bit paranoid? lol

[Sirius Bizness]

Sometimes the only way to find out is trial and error.

Crank it up harder and let me know if anything breaks .

Hey if it does break then you have just found an excuse to upgrade to a Feather Touch or Moonlite .

[nmoushon]

Sometimes the only way to find out is trial and error.

Crank it up harder and let me know if anything breaks .

Hey if it does break then you have just found an excuse to upgrade to a Feather Touch or Moonlite .

LOL Ya that not something I'm leaving to trial and error. I wish I had the money to upgrade. But I still need several other things first before I switch to upgrading...plus there is some other things that are currently diverting my income from this hobby. But hopefully one day.

[dmahon]

If tightened up properly you don't need the lock screw. The motor is a worthwhile £50 upgrade.

[F15Rules]

HI Sirius

Glad to you hear you love your new ED120. I have one and although I have it tentatively for sale/trade at the moment I'm really in two minds whether to let it go or not. The ED120 is a great all round scope, and that's actually why I bought it...I hoped that just one scope could meet all my needs (I've previously got into trouble with my other half by cluttering up the garage with up to 6 scopes! ).

If I'm honest, I have concluded that no one scope can do everything really well, but the ED120 comes very close. One of my particular likes is double star observing, and long focus achromats (F11 or slower) tend to be best on these objects, partly due the the extra depth of focus which you get with long refractors. That said, I have had some great double star views with the ED120 - the other night, in a 10 minute peek between clouds I got a ridiculously easy split of Delta Cygni, and the double double in Lyra was clearly split at around x70. I would say that the potential of the ED120 is very high, but that sadly our weather and atmospheric conditions will limit the best performance of the scope to a relatively few nights per year. With a long focus refractor, I think it is easier to split close doubles cleanly, more often, partly due to the depth of focus being more..I think evidence of this is that with the ED120 you need to adjust the fine focus more often - this isn't a problem as the two speed focuser is superb at this - but it can be slightly irritating in less than perfect conditions, to have to keep" twiddling the knob"..

I'd agree with John that this scope can take high power. I have a relatively cheap, but excellent optically, Revelation ED x2 Barlow (2" barrel), and with this I can get up to over x400 with my MK III Baader Zoom (as a separate note I also have the Baader mini barlow which screws into the 1.25" bottom of the Zoom, and I have successfully been able to "barlow the barlow" with the Revelation Barlow as well! Why, I hear you ask? Cos I can! LOL). Using a barlow I got up to around x350 on Saturn a few weeks ago, and the view was amazing - very sharp indeed, with the main belt and Cassini very sharply defined in moments of good seeing. I also use a Barlow on M13 and M92 globulars in Hercules..high power darkens the background and really makes the individual stars begin to pop into view.

The ED120 is of course quite slow at F7.5 so it has a good wide field capability and delivers superb views of clusters such as the Double Cluster in Perseus. I can't wait to see Orion M42 later in the year, assuming I still have the scope then.

Regarding the focuser, you might well be lucky and be happy with the original fitted unit. I have heard of owners finding them somewhat coarse or "screechy", however, when under load, and my scope has the fabulous Moonlite CF two speed crayford upgrade. If and when you can afford it, I'd heartily recommend this upgrade - FLO have them for £355. Not cheap, but a simple screw off the old, screw on the new fitting, and a delight to use. I don't do Astro photography myself, but this scope, with a good focuser will deliver great images.

Thanks for sharing your delight with your scope and enjoy it this autumn/winter - assuming the cloud does actually clear one day

all the best, Dave

[davies07]

Hi Sirius,

I have both the Equinox ED80 and 120 scopes and love them both. Good buy.

I determined that the issue with the focuser slipping is due to the drive track on the focuser drawtube not being flat; all the ones I have seen have the centre of track dished relative to the edges. The consequence is that the drive axle contacts the track only at the edges. This problem is compounded by Skywatcher painting the track with black gloss paint. If you look at the track you might see that the drive axle has bruised the paint at the edges of the track but not in the centre.

I cured my focusers by grinding the track flat using a tool sharpening stone. Use a new stone to ensure it is flat. You will have to dismantle the focuser to do this, but I've found the result to be well worth it. My focusers will hold my DSLR without having to tighten the holding screw.

You should be able to find some posts on the web about doing this.

Good luck.

David

[BPO]

The Equinox 120 is in my opinion easily the most bang-for-buck telescope in its class. You have to pay a lot more before you even begin to equal it. Like, Takahashi more. And although the stock focuser is quite excellent, it's definitely worth spending some more and upgrading it to a Moonlite. Then it becomes an heirloom instrument. :-)

[Sirius Bizness]

Thanks for the info Dave & David.

Really enjoying the scope at the moment - for the one clear night I was actually able to get out! I also use the Revelation 2x ED barlow and with my BSTs it was brilliant. I have recently bought a few additional EPs and Saturn at 260x with the Nagler 3.5mm was excellent for those brief moments where the seeing improved. The focuser feels brilliant to use at the moment although I struggle to use the dual speed fine tuning knob. I guess its just practise but I never know if I am improving or degrading the focus with the fluctuating seeing.

Dave, you are one of many to recomend the moonlite upgrade and it seems that many people have gone down this route for both visual and AP. Whilst I am still getting to terms with visual observing I find the focuser performs well. However with my 2" diagonal and 12mm Nagler (500g) I can see/feel the focuser slip in certain instances. This will be a problem when I hook up my DSLR to have a go at AP. The upgrade to a moonlite sounds very simple but I am sure I remember reading somewhere, perhaps from Sara?, that she had problems with the alignment of the focuser causing some issues. I guess the fix is simple but I don't feel confident in identifying and resolving this if it does occur. I see the moonlite for £295 from FLO - am I looking at the wrong one or missing something else I need. The price isnt that high when you think that you will use the focuser as much as the scope. I have spent more than that on one EP that will get far less use so if it does the job well then sounds worthwhile.

David, I have read the improvement that can be gained from this mod which seems to be widely done. I do have an Orion ED80 on which the focuser is terrible. I will have a go at this on this focuser first to see how well it improves things. The only thing I dont like the sound of doing on the 120ED is the fact that the focuser is painted black. It would need to be all or nothing, done well, so that the track has a consistant finish.

Really looking forward to the darker (and hopefully clearer) nights to come with this scope!