William Optics ZS 66 SD and focal reducers

[SteveL]

Hi all

Has anyone here tried a normal (Meade/Celestron) SCT 6.3 focal reducer on their WO66? I know there is a WO 0.8x Focal Reducer/Field Flattener (MKII) for the WO66, but if the 6.3 does the job, then I might not bother with it (well, at least, not yet ).

Many thanks for any comments or feedback...

[cygnusx1]

Why would you want to reduce the focal from f/6 to f/3.78 with a f6.3?

Just curious, surely the WO is wide field enough.

[MartinB]

I use an AP 0.67 reducer for large targets using my H9. The combination works really well. The H9 chip is a lot smaller than your QHY8 though so no idea how flat your field would be or whether it would vignette.

[SteveL]

The WO 0.8x FR MKII unit is supposed to be a field flattener as well, as my QHY8 on the WO66 has some curvature at the edges. Its just a fair amount of money for something that may or may not help with this issue.

Weather is looking kind of promising for tonight, so I might actually get a chance to try it.

[Helen]

I was wondering about FR with the ZS66 too Steve, so I'd be interested in your results. I've got a meade 3.3 reducer which would give me f2 :shock: as well as a simple atik 0.5. For me the advantage of FR is more light grasp quicker, which is important at the moment because I'm still Alt Az, and it will also be more forgiving while I'm going through the learning curve of running an EQ mount

Helen

[SteveL]

f2 !! Holy Cow!

If its clear tonight (or whenevr it does clear), I`ll give the ZS66 and the 6.3 (and 3.3!) a quick try with the QHY8 and report back

[Helen]

You're a star! About the only one I've had chance to see for ages Scope out to cool last night... cooked tea, went out... :lol: unhappy!! (I knew being a domestic goddess doesn't suit me )

Helen

[CELESCOPE]

the celestron 6.3 should work a treat steve and hopefully giving a pretty good flat field.

Rog

[SteveL]

Me too... went out last week, but high thin hazy clouds ruined the images. Want to do this test, then move onto the Cat Eye Neb, then, if its still clear, M33.

btw, I ordered a Lymax Cat Cooler yesterday... thought I might need it over winter to reduce the cool down time from warm house to freezing garden. Full report on that when it arrives.

[MartinB]

Helen, you shouldn't have any problems with your Atik camera and it will help your FOV. I don't think the Celestron reducer will make any sort of contribution to a flat field with the ZS66 Steve but will be very interested to see the result. Will be amazed (and pleased) if you manage to illuminate the whole chip with the 3.3. Dave - Centroid has used the 3.3 with an ED80 and an H9 and found it very effective. It's a none starter with an SCT

[chrissuddell]

I use an AP 0.67 reducer for large targets using my H9. The combination works really well. The H9 chip is a lot smaller than your QHY8 though so no idea how flat your field would be or whether it would vignette.

Hi Martin,

I also have the AP .67, do you just use a 2" to SCT female on the back of the WS to attach it? Then I assume a filter wheel and SX camera? I also assume there is enough in travel with the focuser with the setup, or did you have any issues?

Chris

[MartinB]

Chris, when I got my reducer I also bought a tapered nose piece from AstroPhysics. The reducer screws into one end of this and the other end screws into my SXV H9 or filter wheel. I've never actually tried to do it any other way. I will check it out for you

[Helen]

Helen, you shouldn't have any problems with your Atik camera and it will help your FOV.

Thanks Martin! just need some clear sky

[SteveL]

Tooks the NS8GPS outside when I got home to let it cool... just gone outside to see the absolutely worst "clear sky" this year... the dew is coing down like a thick fog, everything outside is wet... scope put inside again

[Whippy]

Tooks the NS8GPS outside when I got home to let it cool... just gone outside to see the absolutely worst "clear sky" this year... the dew is coing down like a thick fog, everything outside is wet... scope put inside again

That dew is going to be thick fog later on mate .

Tony..

[iancandler]

I've tried mine on my zs66 with no joy as I cant get enough inward travel with it on. I'm about 10mm short by my calculations.

I decided to leave that FR on the sct and am planning on getting the WO one as Ian thinks it will be a lot easier to connect my dslr with it (you can connect the camera directly to the focal reducer) as its also a dedicated field flattener as well it should improve things all round, as well as shortening exposure times quite markedly, meaning that even with my limited set up I should be able to image objects requiring slightly longer exposures.

I did talk to Ian about the F3.3 reducers but he just said unless you have a ccd camera with a small chip dont bother, as it was such camera's they where designed to work with, and not modern dslr's etc..

*update*

Got the WO .8X reducer/field flattener.. wow!! works a treat, plenty of travel now, sadly not enough still to use regular sct fit filters as well though.

It should be noted that this reducer is not designed to be used visualy and only has M42 threads on the back of it.. so if you want one for visual use look elsewhere.

[riogrande100]

So what is the best FF/FR for the 66 inch scope?

[Stardust]

I know this isn't great but it's just to show what I get with my dslr attached to my ZS66 with the MKII focal reducer.

[riogrande100]

Stardust great pic! only question where do i find a WO MKII, asdiscninued

[Stardust]

Thanks Rio, I have a total of 3 images so far, blooming weather. I did pick this up from astro buy and sell, but I think skywatcher do one for thier 66mm, don't know if that will work.

[riogrande100]

Thanks for the advice will look it up

[Rob]

Whats the latest on using either 3.3 or 6.3 focal reducer on the 66SD?.

Thanks

Rob

[Ransu]

I have tested couple reducers and flatteners with my Astro Professional 66/400

I think it's propably quite same optically?

Celestron 6.3 reducer may work if you use quite small chip camera, for DSRL sensor size it gives bad results near edges.

Sample images, if you want zoom images bigger, try here:

https://picasaweb.google.com/106884738215780458002/Ap66?authkey=Gv1sRgCJ34xfe0t9SZFg#5665791940156988898

AP66/400 without flattener or reducer:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZW9VpZkFROA/TqDvCw-w8-I/AAAAAAAAG3k/kDazQqVeL9k/s576/ap66ilman.JPG

AP 66/400 with SCT6.3 reducer

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7dk619s5SZc/TqDwKsgfZqI/AAAAAAAAG3w/sPOPdiI92mw/s576/ap66c80.63red.JPG

AP66/400 with Draco 0.8Xreducer

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LxO3CC1qP6w/TqDvwDxUHeI/AAAAAAAAG3s/JJHblIWBISk/s576/ap66draco0.8.JPG

AP66/400 with TSFlat:

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9xkSoIaieYQ/TqDvYra9HFI/AAAAAAAAG3o/qBpNpMxPOpM/s576/ap66tsflat.JPG

AP66/400 with TS Coma corrector for Newtonian

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-IMSrYC2xXGU/TqDw_JSHieI/AAAAAAAAG34/sHyZp-3e0x8/s576/ap66%252520tscomacor.JPG

None of these gives perfect result, i'm searching WO typeII reducer, but they seems rare to find. Also i have thinked TeleVue TRF-2008 may work well. Has anyone tried televue with 66/400 telescopes??

Surpricingly Newtonian coma corrector works quite well with these telescopes.

Edited October 21, 2011 by Ransu

[FileraBe]

Hello, sorry to dig up this old subject, I did not want to open a new one. While looking among internet i saw that the original reducer/flattener are discontinued, i catched this new one:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/reducersflatteners/william-optics-adjustable-flat6a-iii-08x-reducer-flattener.html

will it work ? or do you have advices for a suitable one that will also work with my 5" celestron ?