Are the SW 0.85 FR for the 80, 100 &120 all exactly the same??

[Chris]

Hi,

I have an Equinox 120mm incoming and was wondering if it matters which focal reducer I get as there is a small chance that I could perhaps get the 80mm one second hand? They all look the same, the only difference I can think of is that they 100, and 120 reducer might be optimised for the longer focal length?

Any one clued up with this?

Chris

[Naemeth]

I believe they are all different, otherwise FLO would only stock one and advise that one is suitable for all the other OTAs. Give them an email tomorrow if you still don't have a definitive answer .

[Uranium235]

It matters massively what focal reducer you get.

The reducers for the 0.85x Evostar range are optically matched, and can only be used with their matching telescopes (80, 100, 120). Using it with anything else wont work (tried it!), so you need a reducer thats more of a "one for all". I recall some people getting good results from the Televue 0.8x reducer with the Equinox, though when I had one (the TV) I never could quite get it to flatten properly (and that was with a tiny 285 chip!) despite using many spacing distances (42-60mm). Might work better with the Equinox though.

Just have a trawl for images taken with the Equinox and Televue, there are quite a few knocking about.

[Chris]

Thanks guys, I think I'll take your advice Uranium and buy the Skywatcher 0.85 specifically for the 120mm model, I might just quickly investigate Altairs 0.8 reducer which is 75 quid as I've had surprisingly good results with this and my old ED80 in the past. I'll Google for info on the focal length range for the Altair but I think I'm likely to be placing an order with FLO today for the taylor made 0.85, its the safest option by the sounds of it.

Thanks for the replies

Chris

[Naemeth]

Thanks guys, I think I'll take your advice Uranium and buy the Skywatcher 0.85 specifically for the 120mm model, I might just quickly investigate Altairs 0.8 reducer which is 75 quid as I've had surprisingly good results with this and my old ED80 in the past. I'll Google for info on the focal length range for the Altair but I think I'm likely to be placing an order with FLO today for the taylor made 0.85, its the safest option by the sounds of it.

Thanks for the replies

Chris

I might be inclined to go with the matched reducer myself, up to you of course though and £75 is certainly reasonable .

[Uranium235]

Have I missed something? There is a matched reducer for the Equinox now?

Goes off to investigate...........

Edit: Well, I have found this: "Can also be used with the Equinox 100, 120 and Celestron 80 and 100 APO series when used with a suitable FLO Adapter". So it seems you can, I probably said not becuase its not the case for the 80ED.

[Naemeth]

Have I missed something? There is a matched reducer for the Equinox now?

Goes off to investigate...........

If that was aimed at me, I meant the Skywatcher 0.85 reducer for the 120mm .

[Zakalwe]

Hi,

I have an Equinox 120mm incoming and was wondering if it matters which focal reducer I get as there is a small chance that I could perhaps get the 80mm one second hand? They all look the same, the only difference I can think of is that they 100, and 120 reducer might be optimised for the longer focal length?

Any one clued up with this?

Chris

The 120mm and 200mm are f7.5 and can use the SW FR for the ED80

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/reducersflatteners/skywatcher-focal-reducers.html

The Equinox80 if f6.26. you cannot use the ED80 FR on it. There is a matched field flattener (no focal reduction) that works very, very well (good stars even on a DSLR sized sensor).

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/reducersflatteners/skywatcher-field-flattener.html

Or you can go for the TRF-2008 which reduces the 80mm to f5 and also flattens the field.

It matters massively what focal reducer you get.

The reducers for the 0.85x Evostar range are optically matched, and can only be used with their matching telescopes (80, 100, 120). Using it with anything else wont work (tried it!), so you need a reducer thats more of a "one for all". I recall some people getting good results from the Televue 0.8x reducer with the Equinox, though when I had one (the TV) I never could quite get it to flatten properly (and that was with a tiny 285 chip!) despite using many spacing distances (42-60mm). Might work better with the Equinox though.

Just have a trawl for images taken with the Equinox and Televue, there are quite a few knocking about.

I use one and find that it works well. The flattening wasn't as good on a DSLR-sized sensor as the SW FF, but on mu Atik428 it is fine. I have replaced the stock focuser though with a Moonlite as the stock focuser would shift the draw-tube when it was clamped. That was knocking the camera out-of-square.

Have I missed something? There is a matched reducer for the Equinox now?

Goes off to investigate...........

Edit: Well, I have found this: "Can also be used with the Equinox 100, 120 and Celestron 80 and 100 APO series when used with a suitable FLO Adapter". So it seems you can, I probably said not becuase its not the case for the 80ED.

There is, AFAIK, no matched FR for the Equinox 80.

For the Equinox 100 and 120 use the SW ED80 FR, as above.

This post might also help?

http://stargazerslounge.com/topic/200925-focal-reducer-for-an-equinox-80/?p=2124676

HTH.

[Zakalwe]

Here's a 4 x 15 minute stack of M27, using a Baader 7nm H-a filter on the Atik428. This had the Televue TRF-2008 in the optical train. The scope was an Equinox 80:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/9452520903_ec817b6336_o.jpg

[Naemeth]

Here's a 4 x 15 minute stack of M27, using a Baader 7nm H-a filter on the Atik428. This had the Televue TRF-2008 in the optical train. The scope was an Equinox 80:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/9452520903_ec817b6336_o.jpg

While it may not be a matched reducer / flattener, the TRF really works well in the Equinox .

[Chris]

In the interest of science and for a couple of other reasons I have ordered both the Altair 0.8 and the Altair 0.6 FR's at a total price of 156 pounds shipped. I'm actually fairly confident that the 0.8 will work quite well with a dslr size chip, this is based on my experience with it on a C80ED. I am not confident that the 0.6 will work well with a DSLR size chip but I'm curious about it and think its worth experimenting with. I am however confident that it would work well with the tiny chip of my mono Atik titan and would make my scope f/4.5 @ 500mm FL. I also like that they have a 2" push fit  rather than screw for the reason that I like visual as well and it will be easier to swap between a diagonal and the camera with reducer on it.

I know the Skywatcher 0.85 is the safe option but if this doesn't work then I will sell the Altairs at 60 quid a piece and will take the hit of 30 pounds plus postage.

Chris

[Chris]

I've found my review of the Altair 0.8 when used with the ED80, I will do a similar review with my next 0.8 and the 0.6 with the ED120

http://www.insideastronomy.com/index.php?/topic/530-altair-lightwave-08-reducer-mini-review/

[Chris]

Here's a 4 x 15 minute stack of M27, using a Baader 7nm H-a filter on the Atik428. This had the Televue TRF-2008 in the optical train. The scope was an Equinox 80:

http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/9452520903_ec817b6336_o.jpg

Wow! that is flat! great image

[lensman57]

just be

Have I missed something? There is a matched reducer for the Equinox now?

Goes off to investigate...........

Edit: Well, I have found this: "Can also be used with the Equinox 100, 120 and Celestron 80 and 100 APO series when used with a suitable FLO Adapter". So it seems you can, I probably said not becuase its not the case for the 80ED.

The Equinox is already a relatively fast scope for a doublet@ F6.25, there are no mtached FF/FR from SW for this scope , the TRF 2008 works fine but is almost 40% of the price of the scope. I would be happy with an SW FF at about £60.00.

A.G