Whoops Impulse Purchase on Ebay

[SnakeyJ]

I've just done something unusally impulsive and brought a scope on ebay as it looked a very silly price.....

A Bresser telescope Messier AR-152s/760 on an EQ5 mount with a bundle of EPs but no diagonal at £ 360 - seems very cheap for an F5 6" APO and it did look very shiny and gleaming white.

I know very little about the APOs and this seems quite short/fast and looks to suffer a bit from CA - Have I done something very silly?

Now I'm going to have to work out how to smuggle this one in past the misses.

[jnc71106]

that's not an APO its an Achro so will suffer with CA

[SnakeyJ]

Thanks for the correction jnc - still a bit flustered and trying to find reviews/comments. Still seems a lot of apperture for the price.

SON seems to rate it reasonably http://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/review/telescopes/bresser-messier-r152s - though they have it retailing at £ 643.69, so perhaps not such a steal for £ 360.

[JamesF]

I saw that, but remained unimpulsed Do let us know what it's like when you get first light. It looks like a bit of a beast.

James

[JonF]

That review was three years ago, and now you'd have to pay over £600 just for the OTA. I saw that scope on eBay, and was vaguely interested, and attracted by the fact that it is local to me. I thought it looked like a lot for the price.

Good luck with getting it past the Mrs J

[John]

It's not a bad buy for that price. You might find it would benefit from a more sturdy mount though - the one it was pictured on looks a little overwhelmed !

Definitely not an APO though - you would need to add a zero to the price for that, at least.

[starman1969]

They look like nicely built scopes. I saw it too, but having 3 different scopes already I think I've got enough!

Hope it serves you well. Don't forget to update us on how you go.

[russ.will]

Isn't it the same scope as the Explore Scientific AR150 F6.5?

I don't know why, but I keep getting drawn to it's 127mm sibling as a holdiay scope. I guess I've got a frac itch that I just need to get out of my system.

Russell

[SnakeyJ]

I saw that, but remained unimpulsed Do let us know what it's like when you get first light. It looks like a bit of a beast.

Cheers James - glad that you and JonF managed to control the urge or it could have become a bidding war

That review was three years ago, and now you'd have to pay over £600 just for the OTA. I saw that scope on eBay, and was vaguely interested, and attracted by the fact that it is local to me. I thought it looked like a lot for the price.

Good luck with getting it past the Mrs J

Cheers Jon - I need to devise a cunning strategy or perhaps disguise? Then again nothing plausible springs to mind, so think flowers, a bottle of good red wine and an honest acknowledgement of my weakness may be the best course

They look like nicely built scopes. I saw it too, but having 3 different scopes already I think I've got enough!

Hope it serves you well. Don't forget to update us on how you go.

Thanks Starman - it definitely does have disturbingly sleek and sexy lines. Let's hope it produces some good views/images to boot!

Thanks Russel for the link to the ES AR150 - very similar lines and the primary doublet appears identical, though this is slightly longer focal length and has a nicer looking dual speed focuser.

I had been toying with the idea of buying a larger refractor, but had been thinking of getting the TAL 125RS. Though in truth having sold my original SW Explorer 200P, the money was supposed to be spent on a QHY5L-II with Bern @ MA. Oh well after some crazy sleepless nights and clocking over 50hrs overtime already this month I might just be able to justify the two purchases.... Then its bread and water austerity for a few months.

[russ.will]

Thanks Russel for the link to the ES AR150 - very similar lines and the primary doublet appears identical, though this is slightly longer focal length and has a nicer looking dual speed focuser.

The ES may have both of those things, but it's pretty easy to forgive the Bresser for the price you paid!

Mind you, you'll need the money you saved - That's begging for a nice 24-30mm UWA, but they are A LOT easier to sneak past the missus.

By the way, is it on an EQ5 or the Bresser clone?

Russell

[SnakeyJ]

Isn't it the same scope as the Explore Scientific AR150 F6.5?

I don't know why, but I keep getting drawn to it's 127mm sibling as a holdiay scope. I guess I've got a frac itch that I just need to get out of my system.

Russell

Russ,

Think you might be pushing the baggage allowance with the AR127 as a holiday scope - perhaps more something for car based excursions. Definitely not backpacking territory either, though it does look a significant step up in capability from the SW ST120

[russ.will]

Car based was what I had in mind, particularly with respect to camping and weekends away in cottages. The 300p seems to take up the space of either the wife or child, neither of which is popular!

And I do feel the urge to get that frac monkey off my back.

Russell

[SnakeyJ]

just collected my new baby - unboxing report to follow, but forecast not promising for an imminent 1st light

[ollypenrice]

You can add as many zeros to the price as you like but at the present time an F5.6 six inch apo does not exist. At even remotely possible prices it cannot be done. Maybe it cannot be done at any price with present technology. TEC can offer you F7 and Takahashi F7.3. Sell both family cars, add a bit and buy one!!!

However, a very colourful but very convenient six inch achro may well be a nice scope to have. Just don't use it for imaging!

Olly

[russ.will]

But you just know that somebody, somewhere is and somehow, they're getting away with it.

Likewise, there's someone out there with an F5 300mm Newt on an EQ3 getting decent subs. Okay, they happen once every ten years, but by God, he's stacked them.

Russell

[SnakeyJ]

Would it work with narrow band filters? Solar Ha or OIII?

Slightly toungue in cheek as Im really looking for deep wide angle visual (UWA if budget allows).

[russ.will]

Jake, I'm interested to know how you find the Mon 2.

As far as I can see, it's an EQ5, but the goto handset looks to be the Meade job. I've developed a bit of a pathological hate of Skywatcher, due to their shoddy assembly and warranty back up and I'm trying to avoid buying an EQ5.

I was leaning toward a Celestron CG5-GT GOTO and then looking for a suitable OTA (the Messier 127L being favourite), but if the Mon 2 is up to scratch, then I'd be keen to hear.

Russell

[SnakeyJ]

Wow - just unboxed and this baby is immaculate! The only discrepancy I can see is the DEC control knob from the Mon2 (though the mount comes with both flexible controls and I do have a spare from a u/s CG5 mount) and 1 dust cover from the 1.25" diagonal. The OTA and accessories come in the original double box c/w a pristine user manual, the Mon2 mount is unboxed but otherwise appears unblemished. The basic package includes the three possl EPs 10mm, 16mm and 25mm all in bolt cases.

Additionally there were two Meade 3000 series possls (6.7mm and 25mm), a Meade 1.25" basic camera adaptor and a Celestron Nexstar 40mm possl (which will push the exit pupil well beyond my 46 year old eyes).

Both the 10x50 finder and Polarscope have illuminated reticules, which is a very nice feature on the basic package.

The OTA is huge being a good meter+ long (with dew shield), despite the short 760mm focal length - the tube rings, dovetail and fixings generally look very well made/finnished. The rack and pinion 2" focuser looks and feel smooth and solid, though basic and gives a surprising amount of travel. It is fitted with 2"-1.25" adaptor which looks basic but functional. The 1.25" 90 degree diagonal weighs almost nothing and is probably not terribly good, but will save a crick in the neck until I'm able to source a decent 2" diagonal (with perhaps a 32mm panaview for my first upgrade).

I've not looked through the optics yet, but the coatings on the objective look immaculate.

The chap selling is giving up due to bad arthritis in both hips and obviously hasn't had any real use from this scope, though this was not his first scope and the bundled EPs appear to have been used in previous scopes - I still feel guilty as sin taking this at £ 360.

Other than the guilt - I do appear to have bagged a very nice fast frac and I'm certain this will make a great visual scope particularly for deep widefield views (with new diagonal and EPs). It should also prove a lot less bother to transport and setup than the HEQ5/200P with all the associated electronics.

Now all I need to do is save some money for the diag/panoview and keep an eye on the classifieds in case a better UWA or diag appear on the second hand market. First light report to follow when the clouds part.

[SnakeyJ]

Jake, I'm interested to know how you find the Mon 2.

As far as I can see, it's an EQ5, but the goto handset looks to be the Meade job. I've developed a bit of a pathological hate of Skywatcher, due to their shoddy assembly and warranty back up and I'm trying to avoid buying an EQ5.

I was leaning toward a Celestron CG5-GT GOTO and then looking for a suitable OTA (the Messier 127L being favourite), but if the Mon 2 is up to scratch, then I'd be keen to hear.

Russell

Russel - the Mon2 mount looks very close to my previous CG5, though perhaps a little lighter. It certainly looks and feels better made and the polarscope illuminator is a welcome touch. Can't comment on the Goto though as this mount is the manual version - I may get a single axis motor drive, though currently like the idea of using this naked/free from batteries or mains plug in. I can always mount the OTA on my HEQ5 if I need a heavier mount or goto. I'll post more on this once I get first light.

[E621Keith]

Isn't it the same scope as the Explore Scientific AR150 F6.5?

I don't know why, but I keep getting drawn to it's 127mm sibling as a holdiay scope. I guess I've got a frac itch that I just need to get out of my system.

Russell

Bresser and Explore Scientific are both owned by JOC, so the two scope should be nearly identical. The differences would be similar to the differences between Skywatcher Evostar 120 and Celestron Omni XLT 120, both of which are owned by Synta.

By the way, is it on an EQ5 or the Bresser clone?

The altitude adjustment system looks different to an EQ5 or a GP. Actually it looked similar to the one in a Vixen GPDX, but a GPDX weights twice as much as a standard EQ5/GP so this is probably not a clone of that based on what SnakeyJ said about the weight. I would be quite interested to hear how it performs

[russ.will]

From a bit more searching, I'm wondering if the Bresser mounts are Meade clones? The handset for the EXOS 2 has Meade Autostar written all over it, looks wise.

Russell

[E621Keith]

Nope, I think it's a Meade rebadge. Bresser and Meade Europe are both owned by JOC (JOC bought both from Meade USA who was and still is in financial difficulties). May be Meade is using Bresser to sell of their stock of unsold LXD75.

[SnakeyJ]

Nope, I think it's a Meade rebadge. Bresser and Meade Europe are both owned by JOC (JOC bought both from Meade USA who was and still is in financial difficulties). May be Meade is using Bresser to sell of their stock of unsold LXD75.

Think Keith is spot on with this - and the Meade AR6 series look absolutely identical in fittings to this OTA, though not sure if they sold the 760mm focal length/f5 version. The mount does look very close to the LXD75, though is certainly badged as Bresser. I shall post some pictures later to assist identification.

[SnakeyJ]

Finally got this beast assembled and it is huge - how on earth anyone would cope with the F8 version or even one of the bigger 8" refractors without Godzilla Mount I can only guess. However that said, once I had wiped the perspiration of panic from my stressed brow and got this up on the mount and secure I was very impressed with how solid everything felt - though its fair to say that there is significant windage here!

I did find the missing RA axis knob lurking in the packaging

I've taken a number of images of the scope and mount in particular in the following album.

The mount itself has a little play in the RA axis and a very minor amount in the DEC - which should be easilly adjusted out with the worm gear carriers. On balancing the OTA, both axis felt rather stiffer than either my old EQ5 or HEQ5 - but this has been stored in our conservatory and may well be attributable to the infamous black gloup that seems to pass for lubricant - Not overly concerned and no intention to strip and re-lubricate at current.

Looking at the mount closely and web images of the Meade LXD75 this does indeed look like it's simply a re-badged version. The mount itself is definitely a better quality piece of engineering than either the Synta EQ5 or Celestron CG5 I've previously owned, though to me the Synta tripod feels more substantial/sturdy.

I really am a happy bunny with this and look forward to a chance to getting it out in the cold over the next week. The met is currently advertising clear spells tomorrow and Tuesday evenings so fingers crossed.

[starman1969]

Sounds like you got a great deal. When you buy off a seller like that, who is genuine & maybe has to sell due to health issues, that is when you can get a very good deal even if it means feeling sorry you don't think you paid enough for it.