RT65CB-SWL

Hi @RFaber / Rasmus (plus son) and welcome to SGL. 

In my opinion a ‘Dobsonian’ would be the best value. With larger ‘Newtonian’ you would need a very stable mount and that may cost the same as or more than the OTA. Another point worth mentioning is the finder and focusser may get to some awkward angles, if mounted on an EQ mount and/or have the physique of a well known female and former Romanian 🇷🇴 gymnast that got the perfect 10.0 during the 1076 Olympic Games and five gold medals🥇

2 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

I’ve only had a couple of night sessions with the zoom so far, both with average seeing (on Moon and double stars), so still too early to form detailed impressions. Ergonomically no problems at all - mine is pretty easy to operate, not too stiff at all. The zoom action doesn’t feel quite as smooth and robust as the Nagler 3-6, but that’s a minor quibble. The optics are - as others have suggested - right up there with far more expensive eyepieces. I feel it’s at the two extremes of the range where other (I used Delite 3mm, XW 5mm and Baader zoom at 8mm for comparisons) eyepieces are marginally crisper. But I need to do more testing before making any definitive impression, particularly on planets. It’s bright and has good contrast. The biggest issue for me is lack of eye relief at 3-4mm. I can’t comfortably see the field stop at high magnifications without eyelash/lens contact. This might seem irrelevant when I have a Pentax XO 5.1 in my arsenal, which has even less ER (a ‘sporty’ 3mm, compared with around 6-7mm for the SV Bony), but with that eyepiece, I know I have to hang back, and therefore use it for short, critical detail views only. I couldn’t use the SV 3-8 at 3mm for long observations. But otherwise it’s clearly a really excellent little eyepiece. I don’t think it will beat existing class leaders, but for 95% of astronomers who don’t have problems with eye relief, it’s a single solution for planets, the Moon and double stars. Mine even came with a free T-shirt. 

If you have about a six inch square missing from the body of your T-shirt, then that will be my free lens cloth! 😉

Nice! 

6 hours ago, Chaz2b said:

Can’t help myself, I just love Televue products😍

Tell me, you have both the Tv zoom and a SvBONY zoom, what is the difference in viewing please? It looks very much like SvBONY has copied the nagler zoom, in style anyway.

chaz

 

I don’t regret buying either. I have not done an in depth comparison or a non-biased opinion between the two. Some of the things that I have noted so far are:

• the SV is a little bit taller than the TV.
• the ‘extra’ lengths… ie 7 and 8mm.
• wider FOV… 56deg. [SV] v 50deg. [TV]
• the twist-grip for changing focal lengths on the SV is about twice the height of the TV - the diameter is about the same.
• the SV twist-grip is ‘smoother’ when changing to other focal lengths than that of the TV.
• build quality… the TV is solid. I can hear slight rattle if I shake the SV. I think other SGL’ers [and astro-forums] have commentated on this issue, but I don’t think it’s going to disintegrate or come apart that easily… unless I do something drastic or stupid to it.
• both are optically very good. I find the relief isn’t to bad either. I wear glasses/spectacles, but not when observing. Some have said the SV & TV planetary zoom e/p’s are a bit tight in that department.
• the SV is about two-thirds the price [or less] than the TV.

Hi @jp1977 and welcome to SGL. 

Congratulations on bagging a freebie ‘scope! 

As per what @bosun21 suggests, post an image of the manufacturers label and SGL’ers can advise what you may need next.

For aligning the finder with the OTA, do it during the daytime on a distant object, (ie a TV or FM radio aerial/antenna), and preferably outside in the garden, as setting up inside the house and looking through a pane of glass my cause unnecessary artefacts and reflections, etc.

Wishing you and family clear skies & 73’s.

I have owned my TeleVue Ranger since mid/late 1998. I would drool over the TeleVue adverts in S&T and say to myself: “One of these days, I am going to get one!” - Twenty plus years later, it is still in regular use for astronomical and terrestrial viewing. 🔭

What is your budget? There are a couple of TeleVue Radian’s in the for sale section.

I have and use the 6 & 8mm and they are very good.

11 hours ago, vlaiv said:

Just went to check it - and sure enough:

What do you think is scope / mount combination in the image?

It looks like a ‘Heath-Robinson’ refractor… with the performance of a ‘Bird-Jones’ reflector.

I have a ‘cheap’ Tamron 70-300mm [Nikon mount] and I am getting reflection when shooting the Moon. I have a feeling it maybe due to my UV filter. I have not tried it without the filter in place. If not that, then it maybe from an internal lens element. It does not happen when I use the lens on terrestrial/daytime/aircraft photo-shoots.

BTW… the lens is the Tamron AF 70-300mm F/4-5.6 Di LD macro and I use it with my Nikon D80 and/or D40x.

I have an old Photax/Paragon 400mm telephoto lens [with M42 thread and ‘slim’ Nikon type T-ring… note: it does not focus with a conventional T-ring] and will give that a try too.

Though I do not own a ‘Newtonian’ or ‘Dobosnian’ reflector telescope, (I have two catadioptrics and two refractors), at the time of writing/posting, I have and use the following collimating tools in my accessories case/tool box.

• Baader mk. lll
• Hotech SCA
• Hubble Optics 5-star artificial star
• two 1.25” collimatation eyepiece caps
• a 2” Concenter
• Tectron collimation set [comprises of: 1x sight tube, 1x ‘Cheshire’ eyepiece, 1x collimatation eyepiece cap

I have used ‘cheap’ laser collimators. Some do need collimating before use, where as the two I now own did not.

Of all the tools listed above, a collimation eyepiece cap is the cheapest. Alternatively you can make one from a milk bottle top. You just need to drill a small hole of about 1-1.5mm in the centre of it.

Sorry to read/hear this.

I only subscribed to his YouTube channel on Saturday [30/04/2024]. I do hope it will remain [and his website] for future generations.

R.I.P. Alyn Wallace.

Hi @krallspace29 / Bradley and welcome to SGL. 

I don’t know what a telescope can do for the environment, but I know this hobby can help deplete one’s finances/wallet when shopping for eyepieces, mounts, tripods, other accessories, etc. 

Have fun and enjoy the view. 

I use either of these… 

when viewing the Sun in white-light, ie refractor and solar wedge.

54 minutes ago, Nakedgun said:

Always liked the white Ranger better than green.

 

.

I am the opposite… I prefer the green!

Hi @fintwin2 and welcome to SGL. 

I have a C6/SCT and up until a few years ago, I would mount it upon a Vixen GP. I never used to like EQ mounts until then. Something about owning a Vixen mount just ticked the boxes in the right places. I later sold it to fund one of my ‘T’ alt-az mounts as shown in my signature, as I enjoy a dual mounted setup and the Vixen GP was unable to cope with the extended payload. I do regret selling it. Anyway, the mount is the solid foundation of any ‘scope and for imaging, the sturdier it is, the better.

H-alpha ‘scopes are expensive, maybe US$2500+ for a 60mm aperture. Nothing as far as I know exists for the average amateur consumer in larger apertures. 

Is your Thousand Oaks solar filter a solar film or glass one? - reason I as is that I prefer the view from the glass ones. Even if it is glass, it still needs to be checked thoroughly before each and every use. I have one and it is has a few minute pinpricks which become noticeable when held up to the Sun [and not on the ‘scope] but not under a light bulb. I don’t use it now. Admittedly Thousand Oaks glass solar filters do include a ten year guarantee and mine expired just after its tenth anniversary. For my ‘white-light’ solar viewing I use a Herschel Wedge and a refractor. DO NOT USE a Herschel Wedge with any type of reflecting telescope or Petzval type ‘scope or lens.

Hi @capeworks and welcome to SGL. 

Assuming your dovetail bar is the same width as ‘generic’ Vixen dovetail bars, you should be ok.

According to Sky-Watcher USA, it says that the ‘hybrid’ saddle is Losmandy and Vixen compatible.

Ed Ting released a video on his YouTube channel on Sunday. I will leave it at that! 

I have not tried my SV215 3-8mm zoom or Nagler 3-6mm Zoom with my Lunt solar wedge. I tend use my Plossls or 6mm UWA 'goldline' or 'redline'.

Perhaps I should give it a go and see what I am missing! 

Hi @Lung

First off, my condolences on the passing of your friend. 🙏

I hardly bother with a Barlow lens with my C6/SCT or ‘re-modded’ ETX-105.

With regards to a star diagonal, I personally would opt for a 2” one with an SCT thread. Not sure whether your Mak has an SCT thread already. If not FLO and other dealers sell adapter rings to make the conversion. Also handy if you wish to add a ‘Crayford’ focusser at a later date. I have added an ETX to SCT adapter ring to my ETX-105 as per the images below. 

The ETX to SCT adapter ring and 1.25” visual back…

…and fitted to the backplate of my ETX-105……and with my 2” SCT star diagonal.

I also have a 2" SCT extension tube that gives me an 'extra' bit of focal length too, as shown below, and is also close/near enough to the same length of the ETX-105 specs, with the plastic rear end/flip mirror housing. Mine got damaged following a fall from mount and damaged two of three mounting points. The aluminium backplate is not a ‘Wegat’ one or other commercially available brand.
 

The aluminium backplate I designed/planned myself. After some rough sketches and plans on sheets of A4 paper, searching and enquiries of local engineering workshops close to my home, I found one that was prepared to make it. I left them the original backend as a template for the mounting holes, a hole for the focus shaft, and the threaded port, as per the original.

On 16/03/2024 at 21:27, Clive Elliott said:

Barry watts of beaconhill telescopes made a nice Ras thread to 1.25” eyepiece adapter for my fullerscope 4 inch refractor a couple of years ago

He also made one for me, but from aluminium. Nice to have ‘something old’ and be able to use it with ‘something new’.

Maybe the views are ‘mushy’ because it has not had long enough to acclimatise. I have a C6 and give it a minimum of thirty minutes before I start observing.

The other thing I don’t get, why are Bob’s Knobs so damn expensive?

Another +1 for the https://www.firstlightoptics.com/other-collimation-tools/hubble-optics-5-star-artificial-star.html

Useful tip!… So I don’t loose the small magnetic metal strip, I put a 1.25” vinyl end cap over the end of it when not in use/storage. It will also protect the mask from damage… and do remember to remove the batteries. 

I think there was a similar topic started a few years ago. For that topic I chose my TeleVue Ranger.

For this topic it will be the same. Simply because it can be used for astronomical and terrestrial viewing.

Problem arises when deciding on which mount, eyepieces and accessories, etc., to keep as well.

Happy with what I have so far. The Meade DS-2102 is the cheapest at £20.00GBP. The views are ok… [not complaining at that price]. 🔭 

Four… as per my signature.

Five… if I/you include a brass WW1 sighting telescope.

Six… if I/you include a 400mm Photax/Paragon telephoto camera lens when coupled with a M42 helical focusser and/or star diagonal and an eyepiece.

🔭