New D&G 5" F15 Refractor

[F15Rules]

Some of you might have seen this scope for sale recently.

For once I was in the right place at the right time, and was able to get in first and buy this scope, which I am hoping will prove to be a dream scope for me.

I love long focus refractors and they don't come much better than D&G American made lenses.  The lens on this scope is pristine as I hope the photos show. The scope came from Osborne Optics in Newcastle, but I'm unsure whether this was a D&G built OTA or a UK built tube around the D&G lens. I suspect the latter is the case but I hope to ascertain for sure by contacting D&G themselves.

This scope has been in storage for most of the past c12-13 years since it was bought by the seller. It has been securely kept in a large, robust shipping tube with the lens and focuser securely sealed. It has a few very minor marks on the tube but is essentially as new. It has a simple, but good quality and very smooth R&P focuser which can accept both 2" and 1.25" eyepieces. It came with a nice black 50mm finder but I have attached my own Stellar Vue  50mm RACI which I think suits the scope well.

My main concern was mounting the scope. My trusty CG-5 is a good mount but this is a very large OTA and really and truly it would be best on an EQ6 - something I can't afford at this time; however, with the upgrades I have added to the CG5, including the ADM puck and saddle upgrade, and a longer counterweight bar, with a heavy duty WO mounting plate, the set up is more rigid than I could have hoped for. The OTA itself weighs only around 20lbs.

I almost sold this mount recently and am so glad I didn't now!

Of course, having bought a new scope the weather is now foul and I'm having to be content for now with close ups of my normal tv aerial some 100 metres away.

I hope you like the pictures and I will post a proper first light once I get one! I have high hopes of this scope for Mars and double stars :-)

Dave

[Marki]

Wow! That's just under 2m long with focusser! Nice one, Dave! Certainly dwarfs that mount (although the tripod looks up to it). Can't wait to read your first light with this!

[oldpink]

love the wooden rings, looks very well constructed

[Dude_with_the_tube]

all i can say is WOW! thats a beautiful scope Dave and i am sure the views will be absolutely cracking!I will be looking forward to your first light mate.

I really like the way how the dew shield is sort of "incorporated" into the OTA and makes it look like one solid piece. And obviously F15.... i bet CA will be minimal to non existing. Mount does look tiny in comparison to the long tube,but hope it holds out the "beast"

If you do think about upgrading your focuser,give Mark from Moonraker telescopes a call.He sells Moonlite focusers in black or same as i got in nice polished chrome+makes custom flanges up to your specs.top chap to deal,superb service and  bargain price.I got mine +custom flange cheaper then you could buy from any astro shop.

All i can say is: ENJOY THE VIEWS AND CLEAR SKIES!!!!!

you made me want one now too.

[nightfisher]

Very nice Dave, did you used to own a D & G some years back, even though the CG5 is working with this tube, i suspect it wont be so long before you need a heavier mount, i had these problems with the Antares f15, to be honest even the HEQ5 did not handle it so well......i really look forward to a good first light with this beast of a scope (nice beast)

[John]

Superb Dave, really superb 

I saw the advert but I'm glad you got in quickly and it's gone to a good home. 

There is a long wait now for one of those to be built I believe. 

I love the wooden tube rings ! 

Hope you get some great views with it - your forum name is accurate again 

[Timbo]

I must say that the tube does look lovely with the wood. I shall have to google D&G to settle my curiosity!

Out of interest, what model is the littler scope stood next to the monster?

Tim

[twotter]

That's a cracker!!!

[Nakedgun]

Congratulations on reaching the 5" step!

20lbs is surprisingly light for such a tube, and should be OK on that mount for visual so long as the air is still. Of course, at f/15 the eyepiece will swing through a rather wide arc as you roam around the sky, which can challenge some seating arrangements.

Good luck.

[Peter Drew]

I have a 5" F15 triplet with a rather heavy guage tube, even on an EQ6 Pro it was unstable in the wind despite adding a "Hargreaves Strut". The best affordable mount I found for it was a Fullerscopes Mk4. 

[Daniel-K]

thats one fine looking frac!!!

[cotterless45]

Lovely, really lovely !

Nick.

[Jim Steele]

Wow thats one long frac! Ceartanly makes the Lyra look small.

A fine looking scope, we'll wait on bated breath for your first light report.

Jim

[Earl]

What a a beast !!! looks amazing, I hope the views are as stunning

[Doley68]

Very nice Dave. I wondered if someone on here had bought it. I must have seen the advert just minutes after you, otherwise I would have had it in an absolute flash! Glad for you though. . The only other scope that would tempt me to sell my mak would be a 6" f12.

I can be patient! 

Chris.

[Stu]

Lovely scope Dave, glad you managed to get it :-)

I agree about the dew shield, looks beautifully integrated, very near, and the optics look pristine.

Hope you sort the mount out ok.

Stu

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[F15Rules]

Hi guys,

Thanks so much for all the kind comments on the new D&G scope. I must say I grin to myself every time I walk into the garage and even make excuses to go out to the garage to see it again..lol.

Tim, the small scope next to the big one to show the scale is my lovely Polarex Unitron 60mm F15 on altaz mount (I will be selling this soon, sadly).

The mount is surprisingly solid. Damp down time is about 4 seconds but I wouldn't try to use it in anything other than a very light breeze. The tube is only about the same weight as my Celestron F8 150mm was, but of course it's twice the length. Even with 2" ep, diagonal and finder it;'s barely 22 lbs. The wooden rings came with the scope and they are actually really nicely made and fit perfectly on the WO plate which in turn is held nicely by the twin ADM handbolts.

I can't wait for a proper first light and of course will share that with you.

Someone else mentioned my having a long big frac before...I did, it was a Peak2Valley 6" F12 but that was much heavier (same length), the lens cell weighed a ton. I had a hernia op shortly after I bought it (seriously) so moved it on to James on this forum from the West Country. I think he still has it.

Since then I've upgraded every part of my CG5 and the home made wooden fixed height tripod is a massive beast (much more so than it looks in the pictures) and that;s one reason I think the mount can take this scope.

Thanks again to everyone and clear skies.

Dave

[Telescope40]

Very nice piece of kit..  Nothing more to say.  Always love looking at SGL'ers new gear - OTA's especially.   Enjoy, Dave.   

[Jim Steele]

Tim, the small scope next to the big one to show the scale is my lovely Polarex Unitron 60mm F15 on altaz mount (I will be selling this soon, sadly).

Serves me right for not looking at the picture properly. Two lovely scopes there! The Unitron is a classic, sooo tempted...

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Lovely looking scope. Hope you get first light soon

[rowan46]

I have always been a fan of D&G design that is one very pretty scope imo the only people who make prettier are chanel

[A McEwan]

Wow! That is HUGE! A 5" f15... awesome. I look forward to reading the First Light report!

Ant

[hunterknox]

Yep, you're a lucky man Dave. And if that mount of yours isn't enough for the scope it would look lovely on mine .

[AndyH]

Nice to see you back to proper F15, Dave.

20lbs. Just under 10kg? Tis but a lightweight My Klev is heavier, though somewhat shorter than 2 metres long.

Looking forward to future updates.

Clear skies,

Andy.

[philj]

An interesting scope Dave, congrats. Unusual in that its not a collimateabke cell. Be good for Mars that