Show us your Frac

[Roy Challen]

Here's my Baby FSQ, almost ready for action.

Almost?.....

[Skyline]

Hi, in which ways would this be better than buying the Moonlite with Moonlite C100ED flange?

http://www.firstlightoptics.com/moonlite-focusers/moonlite-cf-crayford-focuser-for-refractors.html

Wouldn't you have to drill three holes into the threaded section of the tube with the Agena kit?

I know RussWill has recently done similar with his C100ED and TS mono rail.

Some of the threads on the focuser tube section are threaded to a different size. So I am not satisfied that the moonlite will thread perfectly on the tube. No fault to moonlite, just a problem with the scope manufacturing. The agena kit already has the three pre drilled holes in the cnc machined adaptor. The only problem is trying to source one as AA don't sell them no more, looks like a job from Graham at Astrotec based in Suffolk.

[Chris]

I see, so the Moonlite flange might not thread all the way down!  

I'll have to check out Astrotec, I'm in Suffolk  

[Skyline]

Will it sit square On dodgy threads ?, that's another thought as well.

Edited May 31, 2015 by Skyline

[RT65CB-SWL]

I would... but I am using my iPhone at present and I don't have any photos of my TeleVue Ranger (& 'cats') on it.

[strutsinaction]

Almost?.....

Yes, almost, as in lacking the laptop and a cloudless, dark sky 

[Chris]

Will it sit square On dodgy threads ?, that's another thought as well.

Only if it cross threaded I think, but then that would be an added problem! I know the Moonites are collimatable focusers but I don't fancy cross threading the tube to begin with  

[hograt]

Here's my William Optics Zenithstar 105mm APO F7

Martin

[moriniboy]

I recently re-acquired an Equinox 80 and decided to have a try with the short tube currently being sold on Astroboot.

With this scope I now have the following options

Solar Ha with the 60mm Solar max etalon and BF6

Solar white light with the 2" Herschel wedge

Conventional astronomy.

Now when I replace the main tube with the shorter version I get all the above with my binoviewers.

That's why I love fracs.

[Chris]

Hmmm shiny

[Imp_Perfect]

There is something about Frac's isn't there?  For me they bring back many memories of when I started out.  I have a Prinz frac from my youngster days  but it is damaged so not usable...  May get another one day if I can simply because they make me happy.

[Seafury]

Hi here is my poor contribution

[DRT]

My current gaggle of fracs...

Skywatcher ED100 and Lunt LS50THa

Skywatcher StarTravel150 and Tele Vue Pronto

Polarex-Unitron 60mm f/9 (circa 1950s and on its way from Ebay now)

Gone but not forgotten are my Evostar 120mm and StarTravel 102mm

...and I sold my Dob

[damnut]

Thats a great set of Fracs Derek.

@seafury, love those long fracs, the 127 is a particularly good instrument.

[Chris]

@DRT - ah! you won the bidding on the Unitron, I was watching that one but didn't bid because I have the 60mm Skylight, great buy well done

[Stu]

My current gaggle of fracs...

Skywatcher ED100 and Lunt LS50THa

2015-06-01 10.55.05.jpg

Skywatcher StarTravel150 and Tele Vue Pronto

2015-06-01 11.01.41.jpg

Polarex-Unitron 60mm f/9 (circa 1950s and on its way from Ebay now)

Polarex-Unitron-60-F15.JPG

Gone but not forgotten are my Evostar 120mm and StarTravel 102mm

...and I sold my Dob

Lovely!

How do you find the ST150?

EDIT ....and don't say 'it's big enough, I normally trip over it!'

[cotterless45]

By jinks , there's such passion here for refractors. Really inspiring to see these beauties,

Nick.

[DRT]

@DRT - ah! you won the bidding on the Unitron, I was watching that one but didn't bid because I have the 60mm Skylight, great buy well done

I didn't think it was a bad deal to grab a piece of history at £93

I'm not sure the focuser will be too chuffed about holding the Nag31 so I'm going to try it retro with the supplied 0.965mm EPs

Lovely!

How do you find the ST150?

EDIT ....and don't say 'it's big enough, I normally trip over it!'

I haven't had much chance to use if for what it is good for yet due to the weather and some of the more familiar open clusters not being visible from my garden at this time of year. But from what I have seen through it I am very impressed - the FOV is enormous and I can't wait to try it under a dark winter sky.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Even though my main scope is an SCT, I do value the frac, especially for solar and wide field work

Dual H-alpha/white-light set-up

Two Grab and go solutions with the same scopes

Solar Spectrum / APM 80 F/6 0.3Å H=alpha set-up

and a double-barrel frac 

[DRT]

Very nice, Michael.

Is that a third frac hiding on the wooden table in your second picture?

[damnut]

Thatrs a really fine collection Michael, Congrats.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Very nice, Michael.

Is that a third frac hiding on the wooden table in your second picture?

I hadn't noticed that. That is the LS35THa I used to have. I sold it to the Kapteyn Astronomical Institute of our uni, who now use it for outreach. I also have an ST80 somewhere for future use as a guide scope, and then there is the 70mm F/5 frac I use as a 14x70 finder on the SCT

[Jim Steele]

_{Another RS shot, they are simply a joy to use...}

_Ben

[damnut]

Another garden canon, nice one Ben..

[Chris]

Those Tal's do look right don't they