Starwave 102mm F11 - First (White) Light

[John]

Two updates:

1. This week I bought a Moonlight focuser for the ED100 - it is not only beautiful, it has also shortened the light path by 10mm so I can now use all of my EPs with the Baader Wedge in this scope

2. I spent an hour or so doing a side-by-side comparison of the Starwave and ED100 on the Moon. Both were fitted with 2" TV Everbright diagonals and Baader Semi-APO filters. I could not identify any difference in the sharpness or contrast of the detail I was viewing on the Moon's disk or terminator. Both scopes gave fabulous views and allowed the same magnification (x150) before the seeing started to make them struggle. The only perceptible difference I could see was a very thin greenish/yellow band of CA around the edge of the Moon through the Starwave. Based on that alone, the ED100 won tonight's head to head by a whisker.

The Moon was too bright and casting a milky glow across too much of the sky to make it worthwhile pointing them at anything else.

Great report Derek

I've not got Moonlite's on my 12" dob, 102mm ED Vixen and ED120 Skywatcher and they are superb. I've neglected focusers a bit in the past but I can see what the fuss is about now

I was observing the Moon myself last night, and it was excellent but not much else was visible !

[Stu]

Great report Derek

I've not got Moonlite's on my 12" dob, 102mm ED Vixen and ED120 Skywatcher and they are superb. I've neglected focusers a bit in the past but I can see what the fuss is about now

I was observing the Moon myself last night, and it was excellent but not much else was visible !

John, I assume you meant 'now' not 'not'

I think I first got the taster for decent quality dual speed focusers as a result of solar observing. Focus is highly critical for this so I upgraded one of my refractors, and it snowballed from there. I now have a collection of Feathertouch, Moonlite and Baader SteelTrack focusers, all very nice. The FTs are just that bit smoother, very lovely.

I have the SteelDrive powered units on the Steeltracks and that makes a big difference in terms of cutting vibration whilst fine tuning the focus.

[DRT]

I upgraded one of my refractors, and it snowballed from there.

I bought a FeatherTouch Crayford for my CPC1100 a while ago and was converted from that point. I now also have three MoonLite's on my ED100, Bresser 127L and Explorer 200P. They really do make a big difference.

[John]

John, I assume you meant 'now' not 'not'

Indeed - "oops !"

[F15Rules]

Hi Derek,

I envy you all those sumptious focusers!  . I have just the one, a Moonlite on my D&G refractor and it's just a superb unit. I have some heavy old eps, eg Meade 4000 56mm and ES 34mm 68 and it just eats them for breakfast.

I was really interested in your nighttime comparison with the Starwave and the ED100. I've owned both (the Lyra version of the Starwave which I prefer cosmetically to look at, but identical optics), and I thought the Lyra was optically the best corrected modern achromat I've looked through at F12 or less. Only at F15/F16 have I seen better correction in an achro (which you would expect of course).

The ED100s I had were both optically excellent, housed in low rent tubes/cells. But I can imagine the equinox verison of the ED100 would give you the best of both worlds.

I'd be interested in a shoot out between your Starwave, the Bresser AR127L and the ED 100. Not an equal test in aperture, I know, but might be useful for people weighing up the colour correction of the Starwave and ED100 versus the greater light grasp of the AR127?

Great review, thanks for posting

Dave

[Chris]

Hi Derek,

I'd be interested in a shoot out between your Starwave, the Bresser AR127L and the ED 100. Not an equal test in aperture, I know, but might be useful for people weighing up the colour correction of the Starwave and ED100 versus the greater light grasp of the AR127?

Great review, thanks for posting

Dave

Me too! I may get the chance to do the same between my C100ED and Bresser AR127L, although I'm already biased towards the Bresser with its extra aperture. The C100ED is already up for sale.

I wouldn't mind a couple of good comparison sessions before it sells though!

One thing I will say from memory, M13 is a reasonably bright fuzzy ball with the ED100, which is as good as you'd expect. However, in the 5" Bresser there is definate granulation as stars start to resolve and pop out at you!

[F15Rules]

Me too! I may get the chance to do the same between my C100ED and Bresser AR127L, although I'm already biased towards the Bresser with its extra aperture. The C100ED is already up for sale.

I wouldn't mind a couple of good comparison sessions before it sells though!

That's my feeling too Chris, but I know that any CA for some observers is a deal breaker, hence my suggestion to Derek. Looking at the Double Cluster last week (before the moon wrecked things like that!  ) through the Bresser was just superb, I think partly because the 5" shows that many more faint stars at the edge of visiblity, which just adds to the overall aesthetic of the view?

Dave

[nightfisher]

Me too! I may get the chance to do the same between my C100ED and Bresser AR127L, although I'm already biased towards the Bresser with its extra aperture. The C100ED is already up for sale.

I wouldn't mind a couple of good comparison sessions before it sells though!

One thing I will say from memory, M13 is a reasonably bright fuzzy ball with the ED100, which is as good as you'd expect. However, in the 5" Bresser there is definate granulation as stars start to resolve and pop out at you!

M13 with my Tal is very nice, it shows many individual stars rather than  a bright fuzzy ball

[DRT]

I will try to do an objective review of the various refractors I have (currently 6!) but what I can tell you now is that each time I have gone to set-up in the past two weeks I have been instinctively reaching for the Bresser 127L

I think I have already decided that the Helios 150 will go as I don't seem to get anything from it that the Bresser can't deliver but I am torn between the Starwave 102 and the ED100. The TV Pronto and Polarex-Unitron F16 are staying put and are not really in this race as they serve different purposes.

Decisions, decisions!!

[Chris]

M13 with my Tal is very nice, it shows many individual stars rather than  a bright fuzzy ball

I'm impressed! I thought it was the limitations of 4" aperture, but maybe I've been using the wrong mag/EP's, or maybe it's the wrong eyes 

[F15Rules]

I'm impressed! I thought it was the limitations of 4" aperture, but maybe I've been using the wrong mag/EP's, or maybe it's the wrong eyes 

Yes, that is impressive. Correct me if I'm wrong but I think the brightest individual stars in M13 are mag 11 or 12? That being the case I have no chance of resolving many of them from my location with a 4" scope, but can do so with my 5"  at higher powers which darken the sky background - maybe 2 or 3 dozen stars on a good night.

I can imagine that dark skies could make this much more doable with a 4" too, but Jules you are doing well with your Tal! - no wonder you love it so much

And of course our eyes do vary - my left eye is noticeably more acute than my right, but I find right eyed viewing more comfortable as I am right handed so am used to a right hand bias..

Dave