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New Triplet Refractor by Baader

John

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John

John

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Cool-looking instrument. I like the way they have prepared it for binocular use by using a 60mm  extension as well

Thats one thing that has struck me about the Baader stuff I've used - thoughtful design.

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DaveS

DaveS

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Ouch!

But it has a true Fluorite element, not a FPL 51 / 53 glass one, that's going to cost!

Also not sure how the thermal expansion of fluorite will affect cool-down. fluorite is also notoriously fragile, so be careful.

All things considered, I think I'd rather have a FPL 53 triplet.

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perfrej

perfrej

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It's an oil-spaced one and of extremely high quality. I have one in the pipe and will let you know how it flies when I get it. For sure, it should be even better than a TEC as far as I can tell! Just consider the combination Baader and Carl Zeiss, as evident from their eye-pieces ;)

/per

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michael.h.f.wilkinson

michael.h.f.wilkinson

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The law of diminishing returns applies here, of course. At the top end, a tiny increase in performance requires a big outlay in expenses.

All a bit academic as I do not plan to replace my 80mm APM any time soon however. If I get a(nother) travel scope it is probably going to be a suitcase dob. Visually I just crave more aperture, however much I like the superb wide-field performance and image quality of that little APM 80 F/6.

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Peter Drew

Peter Drew

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Despite a "reputation" for being fragile, water soluable and vulnerable to thermal shock, I have never heard of a flourite component objective actually failing due to these circumstances. I have owned a 90mm and 102mm fluorite refractor for many years with no problems.  :smiley:

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John

John

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Despite a "reputation" for being fragile, water soluable and vulnerable to thermal shock, I have never heard of a flourite component objective actually failing due to these circumstances. I have owned a 90mm and 102mm fluorite refractor for many years with no problems.  :smiley:

Thats what I understood too. The Flourite element is the central one in an oil spaced triplet as well here. Should be well protected I'd have thought.

I'd have no hesitation in getting one of the Vixen FL doublets if one came up at the right time / price  :smiley:

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perfrej

perfrej

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Having looked through the slightly bigger sister (Zeiss APQ 100) to the Baader at a very good artificial star, I can tell you that these babies produce something entirely different to the WO scopes (I have owned an FLT-98). The contrast is simply unbelievable and the airy disc is pinpoint with just one small ring. I have never seen anything like it and the Baader 95 Travel Companion is from the same design.

I stumbled across some advise on the net. If you find a used APQ 100 for under $10,000 - get a loan, sell your wife, whatever. They're that good and considered the finest refractors ever made. Read and enjoy:

http://cosmoquest.org/x/365daysofastronomy/2010/10/29/october-29th-a-primer-on-high-end-refractor-telescope-optics-part-3/

After the 95, my next conquest is a TEC-140. Ask Olly Penrice what he thinks of that scope ;)

/per

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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Ouch!

But it has a true Fluorite element, not a FPL 51 / 53 glass one, that's going to cost!

Also not sure how the thermal expansion of fluorite will affect cool-down. fluorite is also notoriously fragile, so be careful.

All things considered, I think I'd rather have a FPL 53 triplet.

Not so sure about this.

My second hand FLuorite FSQ arrived courtesy of Parcel Farce...

BOX%20DAMAGE-L.jpg

And does this...

M31%20Outer%20HaloLHE-L.jpg

The older fluorite FSQs are far less sensitive to cooldown than the later ED versions but I think this has to do with lens element spacing, not that I know for sure.

Olly

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ollypenrice

ollypenrice

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Too costly, I would get the WO FLT 98, and the FLT 132 comes in very close to the Baader in terms of cost and they are not exactly second rate.

WO produce so many models in such quick succession that you can't give them a single blanket rating but I reckon 'second rate' would cover their general output. Sorry, but I'm not wowed by cosmetics and this kind of thing is too naff to put into words; http://www.google.fr/imgres?imgurl=http://www.astroshop.de/Produktbilder/zoom/8735_1.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.astrofiles.net/acheter/astronomie/4247/refracteur-apochromatique-william-optics-ap-66388-zenithstar-66-ferrari-raci&h=800&w=800&tbnid=EI7GZmYvXn3vuM:&zoom=1&tbnh=90&tbnw=90&usg=__Ul1h0niKIDbbjAsmJZPTx6DLTOw=&docid=BgXv3w4BaZSPTM&sa=X&ei=Fv41U7_TF-Sf0QWdiYGoAg&ved=0CDgQ9QEwAQ&dur=21

Baader are substance over cosmetics from beginning to end. I respect that.

Olly

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JamesF

JamesF

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Oh, now that is really tacky.  I have no real issue with something that looks like a bag of workshop scrap if it does the job well, but I do also take pleasure in a thing beautifully made.  That, however, is genuinely nasty :(

James

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lensman57

lensman57

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This has been posted on the Baader website:

http://www.baader-planetarium.de/baader-apo-travel-companion/index.htm#english

German made, 95mm F/5.9 with a Calcium Flourite element. Not cheap though - 3,850 Euros.

Only a triplet yet even more costly than a ( 3850 euros )  TAK 85 with a Petzval  design, well over priced as most Baader stuff are, the chances are that the lenses and the cell are probably sourced from China as most of the Baader stuff are. 

A.G

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John

John

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Only a triplet yet even more costly than a ( 3850 euros )  TAK 85 with a Petzval  design, well over priced as most Baader stuff are, the chances are that the lenses and the cell are probably sourced from China as most of the Baader stuff are. 

A.G

I'm not trying to sell this scope - just pointing it out  :smiley:

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perfrej

perfrej

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Only a triplet yet even more costly than a ( 3850 euros )  TAK 85 with a Petzval  design, well over priced as most Baader stuff are, the chances are that the lenses and the cell are probably sourced from China as most of the Baader stuff are. 

A.G

Mr AG,

I think you are, as we say in Sweden, "out bicycling" in this matter. No offense intended! Let me explain...

When I bought my mount I picked it up at Baader Planetarium in person on my way to Olly Penrice's Les Grange, and as a visitor I was given a tour of the of family business. I also drove by when I was on business in Munich and got to look at the scopes and the production facilities. There were tons of Chinese stuff visible in that place, all in one place and all with the word "Celestron" on the boxes (Baader is a large European re-seller of Celestron).

The Travel Companion, along with focusers, extensions, mechanical stuff in general, eyepieces and even the laser collimator, is made right there. The scope is made with glass sourced locally to the same specification as the stuff that came out of Jena (glass composition, separation liquid and general design) with Baader's mechanical knowledge applied. Why do you think I jumped the wagon there and then? €3,850 for that scope is a steal! Yes, actually I think it is! Although I don't do visual, I do on occasion glance through my scopes in order to assess them in star tests. I have also looked through other people's scopes on many occasions and I always make note of optical behaviour. This was way above anything I ever look through, and couple that with a good flattener and you have something that is a total dream scope.

As for expensive... On this forum the rant about UK prices being absurd compared to US and Asian ones is constantly on-going. Well, if you try to manufacture something in Germany - which Baader obviously does - you are exposed to German labour laws, taxation and general conditions. Let me tell you, the UK situation is nowhere near the German, nor is the Swedish (which is also considered high cost). The Germans get 13 monthly salaries a year but negotiate their salary based on monthly numbers (some, with good deals, get 13.5). Like in France, it is difficult to lay off people so you have to make sure you "invest" in the right person. All this costs money. What I am trying to say is that if it is expensive to produce stuff in the UK, it is even more so in Sweden, and still more in Germany.

Please do not take this as defence of Baader. I am sure they have their bad moments as most companies do. I am also sure that they do not have 100 per cent good and likable products - few companies do. I will soon own one of their scopes and I have one of their focus motors, a cliklock and some mechanical stuff. They are all top notch and not made in China.

All the best,

Per

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Luke

Luke

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Interesting scope!

re: Baader being overpriced, I've bought quite a few Baader bits over the years, nothing in the league of this frac, and they strike me generally as making good quality products for a reasonable price, I don't think I have been disappointed with anything I've had from Baader. As already said above, they give thought to their designs, such as their Maxbright binoviewer can be collimated, and the various adapters you can get for it play well with other Baader items like their diagonals and Herschel wedge. The Hyperions being eyepiece-projection friendly, etc.

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