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80mm refractors

Caldwell 14

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FrankieValley

FrankieValley

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If you shop around you can get an Evostar 100ED DS Pro for £599.... which includes £165 of .85 reducer/corrector to bring down the f/ratio a bit. What 'fast scope' would I recommend, well I have a Sky-Watcher 250PDS and I love it. I had a 300P, but that was too cumbersome. The weight and size difference between the two is significant. The reason I love it is that I can get these images from my light polluted location with cameras that cost ~£300. These were taken last night.

https://picasaweb.google.com/103273140532065918082/Astrophotograhy#5678277981733728194

https://picasaweb.google.com/103273140532065918082/Astrophotograhy#5678183916014475986

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hunterknox

hunterknox

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I own a 127mak on a goto and am about to start imaging with an SPC880...

This thread is mouthwatering...

Thinking about getting myself a "fast" scope for DSOs. Which would you recommend?

You'd need a DSLR or some modifications on your webcam too. For deep sky stuff you want long exposures, which isn't do-able with a normal webcam.

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Caldwell 14

Caldwell 14

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Wow, quite a lot of fans out there. I use a 102mm short tube refractor, from all the comments out there I've read I was under the impression it had to be a big Dob or nothing (well sort of) makes me feel a whole lot better about my own little turn out. I live in a tiny cottage and just don't have the room for a big scope.

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Caldwell 14

Caldwell 14

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If you shop around you can get an Evostar 100ED DS Pro for £599.... which includes £165 of .85 reducer/corrector to bring down the f/ratio a bit. What 'fast scope' would I recommend, well I have a Sky-Watcher 250PDS and I love it. I had a 300P, but that was too cumbersome. The weight and size difference between the two is significant. The reason I love it is that I can get these images from my light polluted location with cameras that cost ~£300. These were taken last night.

https://picasaweb.google.com/103273140532065918082/Astrophotograhy#5678277981733728194

https://picasaweb.google.com/103273140532065918082/Astrophotograhy#5678183916014475986

Very nice pictures, very.

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Stu

Stu

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Hi Hex

Don't worry, plenty of refractor fans out here. I suspect many are used mainly for imaging but there's certainly quite a few visual users around.

Don't get me wrong, at some point I would love a big newtonian for better dso views, but am more than happy with what I've got currently. There's plenty more I can get out of it yet by improving my observing techniques and knowledge.

Cheers

Stu

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Chris H

Chris H

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Wow, quite a lot of fans out there. I use a 102mm short tube refractor, from all the comments out there I've read I was under the impression it had to be a big Dob or nothing (well sort of) makes me feel a whole lot better about my own little turn out. I live in a tiny cottage and just don't have the room for a big scope.

We've got fracs and we've got big Dobs too :):D

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Jandy100

Jandy100

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This thread is great, and reassures me that I picked the right scope for my first telescope, the SW Evostar 120 on EQ5.

I have just started in this hobby, and wanted a grab & go without the hassle of collimation etc. I haven't invested in RA/DEC drives for tracking as yet. I just unlock the clutches on the mount, and I am happy wandering around the sky using a Star chart, and a bottle of red wine near by to keep the chill off.

Once that novelty wears off I am sure I will get into the tracking, and imaging side. In my opinion your first scope purchase is always the most difficult.

One thing I have learnt with this hobby is that a lot patience is required.

Andy, Milton Keynes

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Stu

Stu

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I do think that people tend to maybe over analyse for first scopes. There is lots of advice on here about taking your time etc which is very sensible. However, once it gets to the stage of waiting for months or even longer, my view is that in many ways its best to get something and start using it to gain experience and to start actually seeing things which is the point after all!

So long as you stick to known brands, and even better, buy second hand, you are unlikely to lose much money if you sell and have the benefit of starting to observe sooner

Basic frac on an alt az mount, reasonable sized dob, whatever it takes :-). I bought a 6" celestron newt on an eq3 12 years ago, didn't really know much about but it served me very well for about 6 years.

Cheers

Stu

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acey

acey

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I was always under the impression that the smallest suitable refractor must be a least 4" for astro work. Am I missing something?

Most of the Messier objects were discovered using telescopes with apertures less than 4". The Crab nebula was found with a 3" (76mm) telescope; M55 and M83 were found by Lacaille using a half inch (13mm) refractor.

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umadog

umadog

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That's very true, but those guys had darker skies. Also there's a difference between "detecting" an object and seeing detail in it. That's where the aperture makes a difference. Experience and knowing what to look for are very important in this regard, too. O'Meara does most of his observations with a 4" from very dark skies. The stuff he can detect with that little scope is out of this world. Aperture isn't a cure-all but it helps.

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acey

acey

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Yes, and you can take a small refractor to places where you'd never manage to transport a big dob. My main scope is a 12" dob but for travel I have an 80mm refractor. I'll never be able to see Omega Centauri with the dob but I've seen it with the little frac.

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Scosmico

Scosmico

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I could not agree more.

The first step may give us some fears, as we were learning to walk. But you are well rewarded when you do it.

I kind of hesitated a bit when buying my first scope. But I did that after setting up my budget.

You only can develop your own observational skills using A telescope. Try to extract the maximum you can. Try to find its limits. You will learn a lot about focus, eps. f ratios, accessories, optic limitations etc. and the most important. You can do it enjoying the pure light from the stars.

I do think that people tend to maybe over analyse for first scopes. There is lots of advice on here about taking your time etc which is very sensible. However, once it gets to the stage of waiting for months or even longer, my view is that in many ways its best to get something and start using it to gain experience and to start actually seeing things which is the point after all!

So long as you stick to known brands, and even better, buy second hand, you are unlikely to lose much money if you sell and have the benefit of starting to observe sooner

Basic frac on an alt az mount, reasonable sized dob, whatever it takes :-). I bought a 6" celestron newt on an eq3 12 years ago, didn't really know much about but it served me very well for about 6 years.

Cheers

Stu

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Stu

Stu

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Just to prove the point about refractors....... In the time it took me to cook some rice this evening, I put my wo66 out on the giro mount, had a nice quick view

of jupiter and the GRS transiting and then packed away again in time to enjoy the lovely chilli my mrs had cooked for us :-)

Stu

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LukeSkywatcher

LukeSkywatcher

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Just to prove the point about refractors....... In the time it took me to cook some rice this evening, I put my wo66 out on the giro mount, had a nice quick view

of jupiter and the GRS transiting and then packed away again in time to enjoy the lovely chilli my mrs had cooked for us :-)

Stu

That is a huge advantage of refracts............next to no cooling time needed.

BUT

The scope may be ready do go as soon as you set up, but your eyes wont be........having just come out from a brightly lit house.

Having said that.............and being a refrac user (as often as i am a reflec user), i cant help but wonder if there is a happy balance between a scope that needs no cooling to perform at its best (refrac) and eyes that are not dark adapted fully. Does the refrac compensate in its performance somehow to make views with non-dark adapted eyes better?

Not sure i worded this correctly.

Bassically..................

Does a refrac and non-dark adapted eyes equate to the same as a fully cooled reflec and fully dark adapted eyes (assuming both scopes were pretty much equal).

???

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Flea77

Flea77

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Does a refrac and non-dark adapted eyes equate to the same as a fully cooled reflec and fully dark adapted eyes (assuming both scopes were pretty much equal).

???

I honestly do not have an answer to that, although I have enjoyed using my secondary refrac while others were waiting for their scopes to cool down.

What I can tell you is my eyes may not be dark adapted immediately, but my camera is, so I can start imaging on my primary refrac instantly.

Allan

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