Show us your Frac

[mikeDnight]

On 12/12/2017 at 15:07, tuckstar said:

Any excuse to show off the old girl.

 

She might be an "old girl," but she's still got the ability to turn heads and win hearts! I think I can feel a crush coming on!! ?

[D Wright]

Here's my Esprit 100 triplet APO in action on Sunday night.

[jjosefsen]

Here is my Evostar 80ED ds-Pro and my semi DIY powerbox.

Might not be terribly fancy, but I love it!

 

 

[25585]

Mini frac, Altair 80mm super finder. Lighter & longer than the Lumicon I also have. 

Comes with a cross hair eyepiece, 1.25 diagonal, tube mounting rings & chrome fixings. Smooth but not loose helical focusing but no focusing lock. 

[MattJenko]

No matter what I do, things look messy, but this now all works. Altair Astro Wave 115. Trusty ST80. ZWO cameras, ASI120 and ASI1600. Just the one power cable to plug in when setting up. Anything for an easy life...

[F15Rules]

On 11/12/2017 at 14:11, 25585 said:

120 Equinox with Vixen eps

Mmm...A full set of LVWs, nice!!

Dave

[JeremyS]

I once had a Pentax 75 SDHF refractor, which I regret selling. The most robustly built telescope I have ever owned!

If you are wondering about the angle of the RA axis, it's because I was living pretty much on the equator when these shots were taken.

Jeremy

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

I once had a Pentax 75 SDHF refractor, which I regret selling. The most robustly built telescope I have ever owned!

If you are wondering about the angle of the RA axis, it's because I was living pretty much on the equator when these shots were taken.

Jeremy

From my perspective, Cheshire is on the equator! ???

 

Edited January 14, 2018 by mikeDnight

[GavStar]

Now this is a refractor I won’t be buying but it would be nice to have a look through...?

[osbourne one-nil]

He's either very strong or that is a helium purged system. 

 

[GavStar]

9 minutes ago, osbourne one-nil said:

He's either very strong or that is a helium purged system. 

 

I think there is a definite possibility it is only the tube and doesn’t have the lens cell in it - I think it would be very front heavy normally so don’t think he could carry it that way ?

Edited January 22, 2018 by GavStar

[osbourne one-nil]

That's got to affect the image quality. 

[Stub Mandrel]

His left hand is at the balance point, looking at the rings...

How heavy is a 250mm frac?

[DaveS]

50 Kg according to this:

http://astrograph.net/epages/www_astrograph_net.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/www_astrograph_net/Products/AGTEC250-35

And please don't drop it, it's £50k .

[GavStar]

59 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

His left hand is at the balance point, looking at the rings...

How heavy is a 250mm frac?

I’ve just found out that there is an internal counterweight installed towards the focuser end of the scope to keep the balance point broadly central.

So yes it looks like this is a fully finished scope - I guess he didn’t drop it since his boss posted the picture on facebook ?

[Ags]

One pound per gram!

[paulastro]

Having to sell, part-ex  my Tak 100 DL for financial reasons starting some months ago started a chain of events ending in my acquiring an Astro Tech 102ED 102mm f6.95 (709mm) from a fellow SGL member which I took in part exchange for a 120mm Equinox.  I took it really to sell on, but it's so good I have decided to keep it.  I even sold my 80mm Equinox to make way for it - and I'd had this scope for over five years.

It was new in 2007 and I am the third owner, all of us SGL members.  Astro Tech is the brand name for scopes made by Astronomics in the USA, and this one is fitted with a Feathertouch micro focuser fitted from new at the factory and made especially for this scope.

The scope has excellent sharpness (not stretched at all at x200 in appropriate seeing, and used at x360 on one occasion - though this was pushing it in poor seeing) and though having a little more colour than the Equinox 80 it's not at all bothersome to me. You have to look for the colour, great in day and night time and a joy to use.  The FT is fabulous, necessary in such a short focal length.  It's also only 24 inch with the dew shield in the closed position, about 22 inches without the diagonal.

My thanks to the two SGL members who were the custodians of this fine scope before me and who looked after it so well.

The pics show it in my observatory, the last one with the scope with the dew shield folded in.  The mount is a Vixen GP converted to Altaz by Peter Drew.

 

 

 

 

 

[25585]

Paulastro very nice indeed! I like the black and white balance. Refractors are addictive. ?

Sad to read you had to sell your DL, I am on the cusp of buying one, I think.

It's nice to know/assume that cherished equipment will be in the hands of others who will appreciate it. I feel that when selling eps, binoculars and photographic kit.

[paulastro]

Many thanks, 25585 - sorry don't know your name.  The DL is a fine scope, I can't imagine a better four inch refractor for planetary and the Moon.  I'm sure you'll be thrilled with it if you go ahead with the purchase.

[Tyson M]

I ordered one new, one preowned refractors of what I consider to be close to top tier for the 80mm class. It will be interesting in comparing them, as one is considerably more expensive, and being a bit more portable. 

 

 

 

[Tyson M]

Here is m TS72 F5.5 apo, for imaging or future night vision use. So far, it is ultra portable grab and go scope. 

 

 

Edited January 29, 2018 by Tyson M

[RT65CB-SWL]

The TeleVue TV85 maybe an old design, but still is a sexy looking refractor... though I prefer it in the green finish.

[25585]

8 hours ago, Philip R said:

The TeleVue TV85 maybe an old design, but still is a sexy looking refractor... though I prefer it in the green finish.

Definitely better for nature observation. They & the 76s could do with a stay-on cover with openable ends as are made for spotting scopes. I suppose a neoprene tube bag could be converted. 

[25585]

On 22 January 2018 at 09:41, GavStar said:

Now this is a refractor I won’t be buying but it would be nice to have a look through...?

I can hear his joints creaking!

[25585]

On 14 January 2018 at 13:44, JeremyS said:

I once had a Pentax 75 SDHF refractor, which I regret selling. The most robustly built telescope I have ever owned!

If you are wondering about the angle of the RA axis, it's because I was living pretty much on the equator when these shots were taken.

Jeremy

Pentax spotting scopes are excellent. They also take 1.25 inch eps, hence the XF/L/W eps.