Skywatcher Quattro 8" F/4 - adapters needed for prime focus

[ozboyz1]

Hi all,

Could you please share your experience with this OTA?

I understand that I need T-ring, and T-adapter, would this be enough to bring the image to focus or I need extra spacing/extension adapters (I have Nikon D90)

Many thanks.

[Cornelius Varley]

The Quattro range are designed for imaging so I would suspect that no extension tubes / adapters would be needed. Skywatcher focusers (for the larger newts) have a built in t thread on the focuser so all you will need is the correct t ring for your camera.

From the Sky at Night review (via FLO)

"The Quattro's tube is lined with a set of nine internal baffle rings. Their main purpose is to cut down on stray light entering the telescope tube, helping to improve image contrast, but they also lend a bit of extra stability to the tube structure....The Quattro-8S is fitted with a Crayford-style focuser that performed well. It has tension adjustment, focus-lock and a 10:1 dual-speed fine focusing option, and also comes with a 2-inch fitting that has a T-thread on its external side. This allows a good connection to be made between scope and camera with the right adaptor ring....Visually, the Pleiades looked like diamonds hanging in space, with a hint of nebulosity visible around the brightest star Merope. The stars were generally crisp and sharp, with good colour on show. The scope is superb for imaging too, delivering shots that appeared to have higher contrast than the other scopes on test."

[DrRobin]

Hi,

I have the 8" Quattro and my Canon 600D goes straight on the focuser with just a Canon adapter and T ring to 2" nosepiece, no spacers required.  My current set up uses the F/4 coma corrector, again just in the focuser with no problems.

If I use an eyepiece or camera with a short back focus then I need to use an extension tube as the Quattro only has a short focus travel.

HTH

Robin

[lensman57]

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Hi all,

Could you please share your experience with this OTA?

I understand that I need T-ring, and T-adapter, would this be enough to bring the image to focus or I need extra spacing/extension adapters (I have Nikon D90)

Many thanks.

Let us know if this is your first Newtonian or not and what mount you are using please. Quattro scopes are primarily imaging scopes and you'd have no need of extension tubes spacers with this scope but you may also find that it may not come to focus with a some EPs if you were to dabble in visual. I would also strongly advise against purchasinga fast Newtonian astrograph as your first scope. a read through the posts in the forum and you will discover why.

Regards,

A.G

[laser_jock99]

As per what Lensman says- Quattro's can be great imaging scopes 'in the right hands'. A number of people have brought these and been disappointed- mainly due to incorrect use.

Check out Dion's review on Astromomy Shed http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcvHOHwg1j4

Either way you need to budget for a quality Coma Correcter and a high quality Laser Collimator if you want to get optimal results.  The T-ring is a small ticket item compared to the coma corrector & collimation tools.

[DrRobin]

I should add that I had a Skywatcher 10" F/5 dob prior to the Quattro and I would say that in terms of them drifting out of collimation I didn't notice any difference.  I only used to collimate once every few months and never need to change either scope much.

You will need a laser or Cheshire collimator and also a coma corrector.  Skywatcher sell a F/4 Apalantic coma corrector designed for this scope, it is £189 and how much better it is over the standard one (£99) or the Baader (£139) I couldn't say.  Note you will need these for the Explorer 200 as well, but the Baader or standard Skywatcher will be fine.

The reason I went for the F/4 Quattro was focal length (it gives me a wider field of view) and a shorter tube so it is easier to store and it will fit in my obs, where as the Explorer 200mm F/5 won't.  I was also lucky to find a carbon one on the second hand market at a good price.

I know a lot has been written on here about the Quattros (some of it from actual owners), but I haven't had any problem with mine and it works fine visually as well as with a DSLR connected. 

The steel tube version is £395, a 200P with single speed focuser is £252 or with dual speed £310 and I would say for imaging a dual speed focuser is a must.  In reality you are paying £85 for a shorter tube F/4 scope that will be about the same visually but be slightly better for imaging.

Would I recommend one, yes, I have had no problems with mine.  Would I recommend one as a first/only scope?  Hmm, I think I might be tempted to go for something more mainstream at first until you have decided what you want to do.  But if your mind is made up for a fast imaging scope then you could do a lot worse.

You might find a Quattro easier to sell if you decide to upgrade to something more exotic in the future.

Robin

[FLO]

I know a lot has been written on here about the Quattros (some of it from actual owners), but I haven't had any problem with mine and it works fine visually as well as with a DSLR connected. 

Unfortunately there was a batch fitted with a lower quality focuser than normal. This is behind the criticism posted on some forums, otherwise all is well. 

(If your Quattro was bought from us it has the better focuser). 

HTH, 

Steve 

[laser_jock99]

I might just point out that I have four F4 Newtonian 'astrographs' (none of which are from the Skywatcher stable (other makes are available!)) and I am generally pleased with the results I have achieved.  They seem to work well with DSLR cameras due to the fast F4 ratio (it is said that DSLR's image better with fast optics).

Here's the sort of thing I'm getting from my GSO 8" F4- Pleiades 500s single sub at ISO800, Baader MPCC III coma corrector.

[ozboyz1]

Thank you all again for the prompt response.

I initially ordered the SW 200 PDS, but they sent me the single focuser version; however, the store owner was kind to give me a free upgrade to the Quattro, since he could not source the PDS anywhere else in Australia. Yes it is my first scope   and unfortunately, it's been cloudy here since I got it (now I can see the pain and patience that you have to bear with UK weather).

I tested it with couple Plossl EP's, the focus was ok. The CC is on my to-buy list as I've seen many positive feedback from this forum.

While I'm here, I'm going to bother you with another question ... an unmodded Philips SPC900nc should be ok for guiding right? or I need to mod it?

Btw my mount is HEQ5 Pro, total weight with DSLR is about 9.2kg and I could balance it with 7.5kg counter weights (I used 12cm M12 steel bolt to extend the shaft and 5kg + 2.5kg CW). At this weight, it should be good for AP right?

Thanks heaps

[laser_jock99]

800mm focal length should be okay on HEQ5 Pro- you'll need to get some form of guiding sorted though.

[lensman57]

computer

Thank you all again for the prompt response.

I initially ordered the SW 200 PDS, but they sent me the single focuser version; however, the store owner was kind to give me a free upgrade to the Quattro, since he could not source the PDS anywhere else in Australia. Yes it is my first scope   and unfortunately, it's been cloudy here since I got it (now I can see the pain and patience that you have to bear with UK weather).

I tested it with couple Plossl EP's, the focus was ok. The CC is on my to-buy list as I've seen many positive feedback from this forum.

While I'm here, I'm going to bother you with another question ... an unmodded Philips SPC900nc should be ok for guiding right? or I need to mod it?

Btw my mount is HEQ5 Pro, total weight with DSLR is about 9.2kg and I could balance it with 7.5kg counter weights (I used 12cm M12 steel bolt to extend the shaft and 5kg + 2.5kg CW). At this weight, it should be good for AP right?

Thanks heaps

 Hi,

Further to my previous post and to make matters clear, I do have a Quattro 8s and a 150 PDS as well as five other Apos . My mount is also an HEQ5 Pro. The Quattro should be just fine on the HEQ5 pro so long as you get the balance of the scope and the imaging gear spot on. You maybe in luck and your Quattro may have kept collimation well out of the factory and be usable out of the box. I had no such luck with either the Quattro and even less so with the 150 PDS. At F4 you have to nail the focus right on the head as there is no margin of error so please do not use the screen and the live view for focusing. At the very least you need to use a Bahtinov mask or use software and computer to get the focus right. My focuser is the upgraded version and it is just fine with the CC, Filter wheel and the CCD camera. The back focus of the CC is also a pain to get right at F4. Good luck and clear skies.

A.G