Pete51

I received my Ascent 102ED yesterday. Last night was clear for the early evening and I gave it its first light on the EQ5 mount & tripod I'd also bought from Harrisons. My other scope is a rather old (but quite good optically) LX10 8" SCT. I have to say I was pleased with my new purchases. I looked at the Pleiades first and there was only a hint of the nebulosity which is easily visible in the 8". But with the lower F ratio the views were brighter and with better contrast give a nicer appearance to the star fields I looked at. I also had a quick look at Jupitor, and while it was rather low in the sky I have to say that the detail in the belts (and the number of belts visible) was better than with the SCT, at 70 and 140x. There was some CA visible, but it by no means interferes with the enjoyment of this scope. Fit and finish, focusser, dew shield etc. are all very good. I'm looking forward to many nights with this great little scope and all for a bargain price.