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Willam Optics Star 71 5 element Apo Astrograph

lensman57

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lensman57

lensman57

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Hi,

After a bit of wait the scope arrived this morning from Ian King Imaging and I have to thank Ian for his help and assistance. I have set it up and got it ready for imaging tonight. The forecast is lousy but if the weather permits I will try and get something on IC59 and IC63 with the killer star Gamma Cassiopeia in the field using my Atik 428 EXC to see how well corrected this little wonder is . Will report if I managed to image anything.

A.G

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sloz1664

sloz1664

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Hi A.G.

I'm not that far from you and it's forecast clear tonight. Let's hope it's the same for you. That looks like a cracking scope if the optics are as good as the WO build quality it's a winner.

Let's hope the first light review is very soon.  :smiley:  :smiley:

Steve

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lensman57

lensman57

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Hi A.G.

I'm not that far from you and it's forecast clear tonight. Let's hope it's the same for you. That looks like a cracking scope if the optics are as good as the WO build quality it's a winner.

Let's hope the first light review is very soon.  :smiley:  :smiley:

Steve

If this scope works out I will have to put my ZS 71 and ED 80 up for sale plus the dedicated FF/FRs. The scope promises so much on paper, a triplet with S- FPL 53 and two more for flattener and reducer. Time will tell. The build quality is typical WO, just gorgeous but there are also a couple of idiosyncracies that I am aware of. Will discuss later after the imaging test.

Clear skies,

A.G

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lensman57

lensman57

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Interested in the result, the reports from the US are that it is a beauty.

I hope so, I am away for a few weeks from Sunday and it, is all grey  up  here at moment, but once I get back I really want to put this little beauty to test.

A.G

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  • 2 weeks later...
lensman57

lensman57

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+1....would be my first small imaging scope....

Been away for over two weeks, just come back. The freezer had packed up while I was away so a lo of disinfecting has to be done. It is still cloudy, did anyone manage to image anything in August?

A.G

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JohnC64

JohnC64

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Hi A.G

sounds like you picked a good couple of weeks to be away.  I've not managed to get outside since  6th Aug.  Its looked promising a couple of times but turned to cloud in the evenings. :(  And today it is traditional bank holiday weather. - raining

Roll on the darker nights :-)

John

 

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lensman57

lensman57

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favourable reviews of the Star 71 starting to come in   :D  http://digitalstars.wordpress.com/2014/06/19/review-william-optics-star-71-imaging-refractor/

looks like you have a nice scope there A.G.

John

Thank you John,

The scope is promising a lot. A few idiosyncasies as well such as designing the back focus distance for a DSLR @ 55mm and only allowing 1.5" of extension for the lens hood,  Why? As a whole I am happy with  it so far but more demanding LRGB tests are planned for it, my only problem is that my 314L+ mono is not as a good a match as my 428 OSC. to the scope.

Regards,

A.G

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Uranium235

Uranium235

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Just read the review, all looks good but the corner test is inconclusive. It needs some well guided shots on a big chip to properly evaluate it.

Try popping the DSLR on it for a few test shots before using the CCD, as the CCD wont give you a true picture of how well corrected the field is.

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lensman57

lensman57

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Just read the review, all looks good but the corner test is inconclusive. It needs some well guided shots on a big chip to properly evaluate it.

Try popping the DSLR on it for a few test shots before using the CCD, as the CCD wont give you a true picture of how well corrected the field is.

Thanks, I am waiting for a clear spell to do so. From the few reviews available it seems that it will easily cover a DSLR chip as everything on the scope seems to have been designed with a DSLR in mind rather than CCD which made me a bit angry, TBH but I already knew that  with prior research. . The scope is even packaged with a very high quality Canon Bayo-T adapter but it does work with CCDs also as long as the total back focus does not extend beyond 55mm nominal. It does look like another wasted rainy weekend up here in Manchester so further testing will have to wait.

Regards,

A.G

PS: There are quite a few niggly bits that I will discuss once the initial testing is over.

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Blazar

Blazar

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A kind of side question on this. I assume you will be guiding your 71. I also just picked one up, and it is my first small refractor, and never guided etc before.  What guide scope and fixings are you using with it?  I will need to sort that out before I really try and use it in anger.

Thanks!

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RobertI

RobertI

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Steve,

I recommend the Altair Astro 60mm Mini Guider which I use to guide my Megrez 72. Very lightweight, solidly mounted and comes with a shoe which fixes easily to the tube. The shoe has two thumb screws for added rigidity - it really is very rigid.

Rob

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  • 3 weeks later...
buzz

buzz

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I had first light with mine last night. I fitted it with a QSI683 wsg, with Lodestar (OAG). I fitted a Lakeside focus motor to it and autofocused with SGP

I had it on the Paramount MX. Seriously over mounted!  So far I have done 20 min subs in Ha and the result is extremely good. CCDInspector says the image are perfectly flat with a small amount of tilt. (There is some play in the focus tube which I think I can mostly tune out. If I go too far with the adjusters, the stepper motor stalls)

I had some 20mm spacer blocks made up and sandwiched these inbetween the supplied tube rings and a long Lozmandy plate. Looking at the images at 400%, I have no complaints. A wider aperture would have just caused more severe vignetting on the QSI (it uses 1.25" filters with the KAF8300 sensor)

I can post unprocessed images if anyone is interested.

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buzz

buzz

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Gav - there is no separate reducer - this is the 5-element Astrograph released in 2014, not to be confused with the ZS71 (2013) which has a separate reducer.  One thing to note, with a camera with a standard 55mm flange to sensor distance, the focus tube only needs to move out 5 mm.  The QSI is set up for the standard T-thread distance and I have the 48-T-thread adaptor fitted to the rear 48mm thread of the scope.

The block on the front of the losmandy plate is a steel rod, fastened with velcro to balance the assembly. I need more and will get a machine shop to make me up a proper power-coated weight which I can bolt on. I will also make a black lens shield extension.  I suspect a gutter down pipe may be ideal.

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