nightfisher

6 hours ago, 25585 said:

Happy Christmas!

I am confused. Selling a 120, going back to a 100 spyglass. OK for AP I guess but going to be more disappointing for visual. 

I have little interest in getting any more scopes, however as a few members will be aware, i am extremely fond of the TAL100rs, and if the right scope came up for sale at the right price i would more than likely snap it up

On 24/12/2017 at 22:58, John said:

I believe Jules has parted from his ED120 now and returned to the mak-cassegrain desgn which is a firm favourite of his

 

This indeed true on both counts, my 127 skymax is giving Stirling performance as and when the weather slips up and actually plays nice (not often at all) For the record the ED120 i had was optically and mechanically perfect, it just was not the scope for me

On 01/11/2017 at 18:26, John said:

You could still post a pic - it might inspire you to look though it if the sky is clear !

A very quick set up to try and grab a couple of Luna frames

6 minutes ago, Lockie said:

Oh Yeah, looking on the Opticstar site; the ARC range seem to be Bresser clones, but the AR**s range are indeed something different, so Starsky like you say.

They no longer appear to stock the AR90s by the looks of things? I can only see an 80mm f/7.5, and a 90mm f/8.8 in that range. Opticstar's Apo range seem to be re-badged Meade 5000's badged Ascension. They look bonkers good value for a triplet Apo - £850 for a 102mm f/7 Triplet with Strehl >0.9 and optical report! 

I think i got the last AR90s as i went on the site a week or so after buying mine and spotted it was missing, i have used it once with a very poor condition white light filter and it did well, but it was bought more for widefield which it should excel

Just now, Lockie said:

Speaking as a health professional who works in A&E, I appreciate you being well rested behind the wheel, Jules

It seems that every time I have a night shift the sky is crystal clear, otherwise it's usually cloudy...what's with that!?

Thanks Chris, back on topic the AR90s is not a Bresser based scope, it is a revamped Starsky 90, and based on the old Starsky 90 i had many years ago the optics were VERY sharp for a massed produced humble achro, coupled with sliding dew shield and a rather nice single speed metal Crayford 2" focuser, this scope has a quality that comes as a nice surprise at the price, might get some pics of it in action on the star discovery at the weekend, if the local micro climate decides to agree with weather forcast

43 minutes ago, Lockie said:

I wondered how you were getting on with it. go on, get a pic up, like John says it might kick start things. I've been looking at the Opticstar site myself and have to say the scopes and mounts look excellent value for money assuming the optics are reasonable good? I'm pretty much sure it's all Bresser/Meade clones but only even cheaper (that's saying something considering how good value Bresser's are).

 

Dont need a kickstart need clear skies that dont fall on a work night, Sunday eve i waited for the Moon to clear the roof top, but i had to be in bed for 9pm due to getting up at 04.45, so it did not happen, unfortunately i have to give priority to getting a good nights sleep as a day on the road driving a 26 ton truck when your dog tired is not nice and not safe

I would post a pic of my one and only frac, but it has not been out since buying it about 4 months ago, the Opticstar AR90

Nice one, i better up my game and get some data on the camera`s

11 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

My first serious aperture refractor was a 102mm F13 Vixen achromat which I bought from Peter Drew in the mid 1980's. It was a superb scope that gave terrific views of both the moon and planets, and brighter dso's. In my mind the F13 Vixen gave me the finest view of M82 that I've ever had, showing the galaxy as a slender mottled ghost with a dark lane bisecting the ghostly wedge of light. It might sound unimpressive but in reality it was jaw dropping, because it was so sharp and detailed. I can't ever remember noticing CA in that telescope, so it must have been very well controlled. One local astronomer booted his garden gate off its hinges and stormed off into his house after seeing the Vixen outperform his prized 8" Newtonian while looking at Saturn. 

I also bought a Helios 120mm achromat in 1999. First light through that scope revealed CA that was very well controlled, especially after considering the telescope was only F8.3 and as cheap as chips. For the money it was excellent! Looking at the moon on that first light night, the two things that stick in my mind are "where's the CA?" and "that's a very nice view!" The 6" version that i bought some time later was also good but the CA did become quite noticeable, as you might expect.

After owning a couple of fluorite fracs and also a number of ED fracs for a few years, I bought a 105mm Antares F14.3. I wanted to rekindle my love for the long focus refractor. The scope was beautiful and gave textbook star images, but it had a warmth to it that the apo's did not. The CA was essentially non existant but the length of the tube made it very awkward to mount and my comfort was compromised, so i couldnt relax fully while observing. I'd be very happy with the Antares 105 as my only scope but I'd have to mount it on a solid, permanent equatorial with Hargreaves strut to do it justice. Personally I feel a 4" F15 refractor is bordering on being nonportable, mainly because of the mounting issue, but otherwise definitely a great scope.

I also owned an Antares 105 F15 (spirit of unitron), borderline ZERO CA, a total thing of beauty, BUT even an HEQ5 struggled to handle it to my liking, and it was just way to long...........to be able to own a scope like that again i would want an obsy with a bespoke mount to get the scope up high enough to be happy at the ep

If i were to look at another large scope it would be a Maksutov over a frac, just think how easy a 7" F15 Mak is to mount compared to a 7" F15 frac

I think, and TBH sort of guessing a 150 F15 well corrected achro would MAYBE beat a say, 140 F7 ED APO and one would think the 150 F15 should be cheaper to produce, but it would come back to all the problems previously mentioned like trying to sort a mount for the big achro, a few years back TAL unveiled a 200RS, but it did not seem to go into full production, that would have been a dream scope, maybe i tell a lie re the big TAL, they list a 200 1800mm f/l apo

10 hours ago, Paul M said:

That's a nice, simple "grab and go" permanent pier!

I'm heartened by your enthusiasm for this scope.

A while ago it was my good friend's 60th birthday and his good lady asked me to recommend a nice telescope for him. She told me about how much he enjoys me showing him the night sky up at our rural Cumbrian get-away. Even so, he'd never looked through either of my scopes and I know it can be difficult for a newbie to develop the skills.

So I recommended the SW 127 mak on the alt/az goto mount. Wish I'd recommended a Dob now. We've had a couple of sessions with it and he's really not taking to the setting up procedure. 

I'm hoping that this winter something will finally "click" and he'll be on his way. Either that or he says "here, you have it"!

Im sure your friend will get used to it, they are a cracking good scope when used to their abilities, i dont always use the goto mount, i still have an EQ5 with dual motors for just Lunar or Solar imaging

On 8/18/2017 at 16:50, nightfisher said:

As this is a thread close to my heart, dont we just love the maksutov telescope, here is my 127 on the star discovery

Seeing as this 127 is now my main scope, and will be for the very foreseeable future, i have invested in a Revelation 1.25 dialectric diagonal, though i do wonder if this will out perform the nice Circle T prism. Also i have a rather nice Solar filter en route for the Mak, i dont mind spending a bit on sensible accessories/upgrades as this scope is working very well indeed for me, will post pics when all bits have arrived 

15 hours ago, spaceboy said:

I think someone on the lounge has had a poor first experience with the bresser 102/1000. I think it was poor build quality why they felt the need to return the scope. I'm not sure if they did an optical review or not?

I think it was lockie with a bresser 90.......i have been very tempted to try the Bresser 102 out of curiosity.

In the 4" achro i still say the TAL 100 RS MK1 (purple lens and 2" R anP focuser) is about the best achro but a Carton 4" F13 would beat it but just not available any more

The 127 Skymax is a very capable scope, i have never heard of it being sold with 2" diagonal, though skywatcher do list it on the international website, this scope was designed to work well with 1.25 EP`s

I have had my Blue peter sticky tape and glue out again, i was not happy with the "blue dewshield" for the 127 Maksutov, so here is the MK2, in Carbon fibre

1 minute ago, Alfian said:

I'll drink to that. A word to the brewery would be good, a nice winter ale  and  The Mighty Mak would be a good name.

How about the beer being called "The maksutov cocktail"

As this is a thread close to my heart, dont we just love the maksutov telescope, here is my 127 on the star discovery

I think once i have used the 127 in anger a few times, i might sell the little 102 Mak and put the funds toward a small achro for a bit of widefield viewing

Piero, i am so pleased for you that you have this lovely Tak, i look forward to reading your ongoing reports.........

2 hours ago, Merlin said:

Camping mat is great material for dew shades, especially as there's no weight penalty. Do we take it that you'll be lining your's with some absorbent matt-black material?

I think it might need a flock lining, I have a roll some where

Last job done on the 127 skymax, she is all ready for action and at last the skies are getting darker a bit sooner.

Here is my home made foam dew shield, this is craft foam bought from the Range and its about 2mm thick, this is a laminate of 2 sheets, bonded together with UHU POR (safe on foam)

Looking very good, i have been toying with getting a pier made for my star discovery i contacted a local firm a few years back and he quoted a very reasonable price, think i might have to speak to him again

Piero, i could not help with the questions about the Tak but look forward to hearing how it performs for you

This looks a really neat mount, i can see this tech making its way onto other mounts in time, but for me i will stick with the star discovery mount (unless i find a wad of cash )

Chris, no i dont think it remembers, though i seem to remember if you set it to park it might do but dont quote me on that