Show us your Frac

[tooth_dr]

Tasco 44TR - picked this up on Tuesday.

Apart from dust it’s nice a tidy.

Have to finish fitting it to the L-Bracket tomorrow, but just popped it up for a quick photo.

 

@Stu Big thanks to Stu. I googled for 60mm scope rings and your SGL threads on this topic popped up. You suggested Munsen Rings which I had never heard off.  In a shop beside my work I picked up 2 x 62mm rings (exact diameter of scope) for £2.40 today. Result ?

 

 

 

[GlenM]

My new Borg. I nearly went for the FL71 for the AP aspect, but I have a Olympus 40-150 Pro lens for that. This scope is for visual. Although it might be nice for lunar AP with the TeleVue 2.5x Powermate.

 

Edited August 6, 2018 by GlenM
Another thought.

[Stub Mandrel]

My new frac .   ?

 

 

 

 

[John]

It looks fresh off the printer Neil

[Stub Mandrel]

35 minutes ago, John said:

It looks fresh off the printer Neil

A couple of days, I had to spray the tube before final assembly. ?

I bought a £15 lens from Astromedia with another finder/guider in mind (I've made three already, two 50mm, one 60mm), this was a fully coated 70 x 280mm Achro. With a 10mm ep for just x28 I could make out Jupiter's bands and Saturn's rings. The crayford is remarkably smooth, its bearings and the spindle run on aluminium extrusions.

It won't win any awards but great fun and I'm 100% sure its better than anything you could find for about £25 and a raid on the bits box ? It will keep me happy until the 66ED project is finished!

[RiponJas]

My new to me baby frac which shall soon be pressed into service mounted with my big frac.. Opticstar AR90S. F5. 5 Quite pleased with the build quality of it.. 

[Knighty2112]

17 minutes ago, RiponJas said:

My new to me baby frac which shall soon be pressed into service mounted with my big frac.. Opticstar AR90S. F5. 5 Quite pleased with the build quality of it.. 

I recognise that beauty!  

[Knighty2112]

And here’s the ‘frac that ousted the Opticstar above!

[RT65CB-SWL]

20 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

My new frac .   ?

 

 

 

 

When are FLO going to start stocking them? ...or you taking orders? ? 

[Knighty2112]

20 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

My new frac .   ?

 

 

 

 

Looks great, just don’t try it on any solar work! Might end up melting!  

[RiponJas]

21 minutes ago, Knighty2112 said:

And here’s the ‘frac that ousted the Opticstar above!

Ooh. ? 

[RiponJas]

And once again here's that little opticstar sitting with its big bro... 

[GavStar]

Here are the little brothers (for travel and widefield NV views) ?

 

[Chris]

Wow, they look great!

[Chris]

On 06/08/2018 at 22:27, Stub Mandrel said:

My new frac .   ?

 

 

 

 

That's so cool, you obviously have some good 3D printing skills!

[alanjgreen]

Here is my new mounting setup for my Borg 89ED:

- skywatcher AZ5 GTI with upgraded tripod, mount extension tube and SynScan handset (additional velcro fastenings on the tripod legs)

 

The Borg's main tube is in two sections (150mm+50mm) plus a 50-100mm drawtube that allows me to use binoviewers (without the need for a GPC) or extend it and use single 2" eyepieces.

This flexibility and ease of changing the tube length "on the fly" is a major plus factor for all Borg scopes.

I have to say that i am really happy with how lightweight this whole setup is to lift outside.

Clear skies,

Alan

Edited August 26, 2018 by alanjgreen

[JeremyS]

Very nice setup @alanjgreen!

[Mark at Beaufort]

1 hour ago, alanjgreen said:

Here is my new mounting setup for my Borg 89ED:

- skywatcher AZ5 GTI with upgraded tripod, mount extension tube and SynScan handset (additional velcro fastenings on the tripod legs)

 

The Borg's main tube is in two sections (150mm+50mm) plus a 50-100mm drawtube that allows me to use binoviewers (without the need for a GPC) or extend it and use single 2" eyepieces.

This flexibility and ease of changing the tube length "on the fly" is a major plus factor for all Borg scopes.

I have to say that i am really happy with how lightweight this whole setup is to lift outside.

Clear skies,

Alan

That is a nice set up Alan. Its good to see the new tripod for this set up - I have the AZ5 + Pillar so this tripod is an ideal upgrade

[DirkSteele]

Still have not managed first light yet as real life commitments have gotten in the way, but just testing out balance in my basement the other day for my new APM LZOS 130mm f/9 triplet. 

I hope it will see its first starlight in September. So if we suddenly suffer from monsoons and hurricanes next month, you know why!

[nightfisher]

On 07/08/2018 at 18:52, RiponJas said:

My new to me baby frac which shall soon be pressed into service mounted with my big frac.. Opticstar AR90S. F5. 5 Quite pleased with the build quality of it.. 

I have the same model, they are a good quality scope, just waiting on an AZ4 to get some use from mine

[RiponJas]

1 hour ago, nightfisher said:

I have the same model, they are a good quality scope, just waiting on an AZ4 to get some use from mine

Just bought the 80mm also to use as a guidescope. ? 

[John]

20 hours ago, DirkSteele said:

Still have not managed first light yet as real life commitments have gotten in the way, but just testing out balance in my basement the other day for my new APM LZOS 130mm f/9 triplet. 

I hope it will see its first starlight in September. So if we suddenly suffer from monsoons and hurricanes next month, you know why!

Lovely Matthew

Interesting to see how the design of the 130 F/9.2 has changed from 2006 when mine (snipped photo below) was made until yours in 2018. I believe the objective cell design is just the same from other photos you have posted but the externals have changed more. My scope is the LW version with the Kruppax tube and 2" FT focuser. I can see that you have the 3" (APM ?) focuser and is it an aluminum tube ?.

Production volumes have been low with, according to Markus, 114 being the total run of completed scopes over the life of the model. A few more of the objectives and cells have been made which I guess is why your serial number is in the 120's ? I believe that many more of the 130mm F/6's were made but they appeal to the imagers more I reckon.

Hope you get first light with it ASAP

[DirkSteele]

1 hour ago, John said:

Lovely Matthew

Interesting to see how the design of the 130 F/9.2 has changed from 2006 when mine (snipped photo below) was made until yours in 2018. I believe the objective cell design is just the same from other photos you have posted but the externals have changed more. My scope is the LW version with the Kruppax tube and 2" FT focuser. I can see that you have the 3" (APM ?) focuser and is it an aluminum tube ?.

Production volumes have been low with, according to Markus, 114 being the total run of completed scopes over the life of the model. A few more of the objectives and cells have been made which I guess is why your serial number is in the 120's ? I believe that many more of the 130mm F/6's were made but they appeal to the imagers more I reckon.

Hope you get first light with it ASAP

Lens cell 122 for me, which was pick of the bunch in this last run. The serial numbers ran to 123, so assuming no reset of the numbers after it went from LZOS for TMB to LZOS for APM, then that is about 10 a year since the first hit in 2005. Not many! I think the 130 f/6 serial # go up into the 400s though, which really shows how astrophotographery has taken over our hobby since the advent of chips rather than film and auto-guiders.

 

The focuser is the 3.7” APM model so first scope in my collection without a feathertouch on the back. APM said certainly not needed for visual only.

 

The tube was all part of the deal to offer these scopes slightly cheaper than the old prices so it was made to spec by Long Peng I believe. It is aluminium. I like kruppax as it is really dew resistant. I think on the invoice breakdown the tube and focuser was around £1,600. Lens was close to £4,000.

Edited August 27, 2018 by DirkSteele
Curse iPhone autocorrect!

[dantro]

This is my first frac.  I added the Baader zoom and 2.25x Barlow.  Very early days but so far so good.  The only concern is that I am the THIRD proud owner of this wonderful scope, and in keeping with my melancholic personality, am listening for the other shoe to drop.  

[Stub Mandrel]

7 minutes ago, dantro said:

listening for the other shoe to drop

You've broadened my lexicon!