david_taurus83

What does it say when you click the recommended settings button? I follow these most of the time. It should be detecting loads of stars in those subs. Theres a setting that needs tweaking somewhere. Have you made sure its using the correct Bayer matrix? Your using a Nikon?

This thread has gone off in a different direction now, I know, but seeing as you've asked Jon @parallaxerr

Managed a first light last night at midnight! The 102ED-R is a keeper! Pin sharp stars, great focuser (the rotatable focuser is really handy for turning the RDF into a comfortable position) and the AZ4 handled it with ease. No vibrations when moving the scope by hand with a 5mm eyepiece. Had a look at Castor which split really nicely. No false colour that I could make out either. Had a quick look at Vega but it was still too low for me at 1am and not pin sharp, but no noticeable CA either! I am very pleased indeed! ?

47 minutes ago, parallaxerr said:

That looks the business David. It's going to be hard to ignore this on Saturday @ PAS as it has some features that stand out above the considerably more expensive Vixen that I'm considering. Notably the twist lock fittings vs the Vixens reportedly poor thumbscrews (without compression rings!) and the dual speed focuser.

I notice you have ser. no. 0006 there and 0001 is up for sale on UKABS apparently a few years old. My point is that it appears AA don't sell many of these at all, probably why it's so hard to find reviews.

I hope it performs under the stars. If there's any chance of first light before the weekend, please do report back ?

Will do Jon. I'm not sure exactly what the serial number relates to. The Ascent I had was 0002 iirc and the plastic bag over the scope had 2 felt tipped on it. The same with this one. The plastic bag had 6 felt tipped on it. I find it hard to believe this is the 6th one made since 2017 when this line was released? Perhaps a batch or revision number?

Well, true to their word, AA pulled it out of the hat!

Double boxed for extra protection..

Most importantly the focuser was nowhere near the sides..

It feels slightly heavier than the Ascent, though I didn't weigh that one, and front end heavy, though I can move it up the tube rings a little if needed.

The focuser.....is silky smooth! The assembly can be rotated 360° by  loosening the locking screw. This one is definitely made with imaging in mind. It has a concentric locking mechanism for both 1.25" and 2" barrels. The 1.25" has what looks like a notched brass ring on the inside and a few twists of the knurled black ring tightens up things centrally. The 2" works the same but it looks like a nylon compression ring instead of brass. This itself is threaded into an adapter, maybe M68/M72 female to M63 male. The bonus of this is I can also use it on my WO GT71. Without checking with a digital caliper the focus knob/pinion assembly looks identical to my WO also so I'm betting my Deep Sky Dad autofocuser is a straight swap.

This one definitely needs a bit more careful consideration when balancing on the AZ4 mount.

With a red dot finder and 2" diagonal its weighing in at 4.6kg. I only have BST 1.25" eyepieces so it should never tip over 5kg. Bare OTA, rings and dovetail are almost Bob on 4kg. The tape measure is positioned correctly despite how the pictures look. With dew shield deployed its around 70cm from shield to closed focuser and with shield retracted its st around 58cm. The focuser has around 94mm travel. The dew shield itself has no locking screw. It simply slides up the tube and back again when needed. It's not loose but it's not overly resistant either. It does have what looks like 3 grub screws on its inner edge. Perhaps they can lock it in place should the need arise? A snug fitting dew strap would probably suffice also.

So far, I'm very happy with it. Looks and feels well put together and the focuser is just how I was expecting. Obviously, it's the views that ultimately matter. Rain tonight so no first light yet. I was pleased with the Ascent's visual performance for the brief 10 minutes gap in the clouds I got. It had a little colour on Sirius and Rigel but that was expected. It didn't put me off that scope at all, it was the focuser issue. This with the FPL53 lens should only improve on those views.

Altairs approach and response to this, for me, has been exemplary. They really deserve a feather in the cap. Many thanks Ian at AA!

Looking at pictures it looks almost identical the the one on my WO GT71 r&p which I think is excellent. It's as smooth as a crayford, really nice. Also, the 102ED-R appears to allow the drawtube to rotate which is handy for AP. Hopefully I will be able to get hands on later.

Glad you've got it sorted now Jon but it's unfortunate for all involved how it's worked out. Seeing as I purchased a similar scope from a different supplier and have had a similar issue with the focuser I think I should add to this as well.

In contrast to the poor reaction time Jon has experienced from TS, Altair Astro have in my opinion, bent over backwards to address my concerns. I will update on things later, but all going well with couriers, i should have a new replacement scope and RDF sat at home for me this evening. I've actually upgraded to the 102ED-R for the better focuser mainly and the FPL53 glass. Ian at AA has even sent it without me paying the balance first until I've had a chance to look over it and make sure I'm happy. The first scope is being sent back without quibble, fuss, ifs or buts. You cant ask for much more than that really.

1 hour ago, John said:

I think these chinese crayford focusers are very sensitive things. When they leave the factory they are well adjusted and work nicely. If you dare to adjust them yourself though, or if they get a bash, they are never quite the same again. Don't know why it is but thats what I've found

 

This one is R&P John. Or "geared" as its advertised. Out of the box it was stiff and notchy and the wheel has a very slight wobble. It seems to have "bedded in" a little but it has bugged me for 2 days. I haven't dared touch it but I have asked AA if it can be adjusted. Not responded yet but it is the weekend. I think this one has also had a knock, hence my decision to return it.

It's the focuser on this that's just bugging me. I wasnt happy when I unboxed to find the same indentation on the cardboard that you found Jon. I feel if I don't return it now I'll be stuck with it and at the price paid, we should be happy from the moment we receive it.

Well, I've changed my mind with this. It's going back! I just cant find anything about how to adjust the focuser. It's simply not smooth enough and I cant help but feel its had a similar knock in transit that Jon's TS version has had. The wheel has got a slight wobble and even though it has smoothed out a bit it's still bugging me. Also, I feel this particular model has too much baggage attached now with regards to the glass quality. It may struggle to sell on should I need to. So it's going back within the 14 day return period. What to replace with?? The 102ED-R as mentioned by Jon looks mighty tempting. FPL53 glass in a collimatable cell, so no arguments there. Retractable dew shield. Better focuser, in fact it looks exactly the same as the one on my William Optics so should it ever find a camera shoved into it I can swap over my auto focuser. The focuser is also fully rotatable.

But it's more expensive. What to do, what to do!?

For the brief 10 minutes I had this evening with this scope I was pleasantly surprised with its performance. Yes there is some colour but I was looking at Sirius and Rigel! I'm definitely not one to give an expert opinion but if the slight bit of colour seen tonight is the worst this scope offers then I'm not too bothered as i expected as much. If it was promised clear later in the morning I might even set an alarm to get an early bird view of Jupiter and the moon. I'm convinced this is exactly the same scope that Jon bought but branded differently. TS advertise it as having FPL51 glass. That's good enough for me. Why AA cant just throw that out there even if they weren't sure, I don't know! Side by side to the TS I bet they perform the same!

28 minutes ago, omo said:

So Altair are buying scopes and having them branded for there own make as far as i can tell. Yet they do not know the specifications of what they are buying and then selling themselves.

Some strong smelling excrement here i think.

The more i read in this thread the more i am put off either Altair or TS

FWIW William Optics, TS, AA to name but a few, all use the same OTAs on a variety of scopes. Their all made in China as far as I know. Some have slight differences like focusers etc. WO like to add "bling" to their line.

11 minutes ago, Joe G said:

Hi All

I bought & received an Ascent 102 f/11 on 22/1/19 and returned it on 13/2/19. It was supposely a direct comparison to a SkyWatcher ED100 ( which I previously owned) & the longer focal ratio which suited me best. Unfortunely my particular sample doesn't favourably compare. The supplier still has the scope & has forwarded it to AA for further testing a week ago. I have still not had the AA response. I had agreed not to discuss the issues until the AA report came back. That's no longer valid as I just started a PayPay Resolution procedure today. I may need/ appreciate some reviews from someone who either owns one or is going to Kettering & interested in buying this paticular scope.

Joe

What were the issues Joe?

First light tonight! Well, I'm battling between clouds but first target was Sirius! Purple galore! Seriously though, its surprised me how well its controlled even with a 5mm BST. My WO GT71 shows a bit of purple on Sirius and that's an FPL53 triplet. After using the focuser for a bit it has loosened up a bit and is a bit smoother though still notchy. Still waiting for a response from AA as to how to adjust. I may have to tinker and perhaps add a little grease to the rack. So far, the views have impressed though I am still a frac novice! Splitting Rigel is a piece of cake and views of Orion are very pleasing. Its surprisingly light as well. The AZ4 handles it with ease with hardly any vibrations.

^^^ Yes! I've just left it on so it doesn't get lost!

Well apart from the questionable focus action, which I'm hoping can be adjusted out, and the lack of RDF to go on top of the RDF stalk, this scope sits very well on the AZ4 mount.

Sods Law, Article 1, however, decrees that there shall be cloud and rain upon receipt of new telescopes, so no first light this evening.

Let's see how Altair Astro deal with a customer complaint. I ordered an RDF with this. Got sent:

One of the stalks was in the box with the Allen keys, the other was wrapped in bubble wrap and packed alongside the scope.

Also, I'm looking at the action of this focuser and I'm not entirely convinced its shaft is true ?

It turns and then it momentarily gets stiffer then it turns again and it momentarily gets stiffer again...

10 minutes ago, parallaxerr said:

Argh....Thats the exact same box and tape that the TS came in! Fingers crossed it's OK....

Have you tried the focuser?

It's got the same cap yours had one the focuser. It's not damaged but the focus action is not what I'd call smooth. By comparison, the WO GT71 r&p is buttery smooth. But then again, I've not experienced any other r&p focusers. This is only my second frac.

Hmmm?

Let's see if this is packaged better!

1 minute ago, parallaxerr said:

FINALLY -An offer of refund, postage paid!

Off to the Post Office!!!

Glad it's been sorted Jon. Though its took too long imo. Then again if they are dealing with staff issues then its maybe understandable but their first contact with you should have been the offer of refund or replacement. The question is what are you going to buy now?!

Have you pointed TS towards this forum? Their not doing themselves any favours!

Under EU law I believe, you have 14 days to return the goods for a refund.

2 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

I feel for you Jon, I really do! A new scope should be an exciting and enjoyable time, but this has left a nasty aftertaste I'd imagine. I'd also imagine TS will lose some sales from this, and not just with this refractor, as their trustworthiness has been brought into question.

They have lost a sale to me for starters. At the very least, they could have explained their ultimate intent to Jon. Are they going to issue a return ticket for Jon to send it back free of charge? Are they offering to replace promptly and throw in a sweetener to smooth things over? It's the lack of information on their behalf that I'd find the most frustrating.

2 minutes ago, parallaxerr said:

Wish I had done now. Still no response from TS, tried a dozen times on the phone.

It'll probably get sorted without issues but it still leaves you out of pocket in the short term. Youd think with the weight of a large astronomy forum in your corner they would be quick to sort this out to spare at least some of their reputation.

I've stopped dithering and ordered the AA Starwave 102ED F7. Ive managed to scrimp together enough funds from recent sales. Oh, and an AZ4!