Meade Infinity 102

[Ray of LIght]

I think I have been reading too much. Mak, before I order the WO diagonal, do you think I would have a problem reaching focus with it? I can't see why I would but I wanted to run it by you since you own one. There are no caveats on the Agena website that even mentions that possibility. Thanks for all your guidance Mak 

[Mak the Night]

2 hours ago, Ray1103 said:

Sounds biblical. I taught religion for seven years. So who or what is "Sod"? Is if like Murphy's Law? My wife is Irish, I get a lot of that ?!

I think it's the equivalent of Murphy's Law. It may be regional, it's common in the Midlands/Mercian region and the Black Country, and I have Scouse relatives who are familiar with the expression as well, so it's a known phrase in Liverpool at least. I don't know its etymological origins. Either way, both Murphy and Sod seem to have the last laugh when it comes to the weather.

[Mak the Night]

1 hour ago, Ray1103 said:

I think I have been reading too much. Mak, before I order the WO diagonal, do you think I would have a problem reaching focus with it? I can't see why I would but I wanted to run it by you since you own one. There are no caveats on the Agena website that even mentions that possibility. Thanks for all your guidance Mak 

I can't see it acting any different to any other diagonal. Basically, you set the helical focuser part in a neutral position and reach focus conventionally as with any other diagonal. You just use the helical to make minuscule adjustments as you observe. Remember, you often have to alter focus as an object moves through RA, observing the Moon is particularly prone to this as the OTA has to be regularly moved slightly to keep the object in frame. You don't even have to use the helical if you don't want to, it's just a nice addition.

[Ray of LIght]

36 minutes ago, Mak the Night said:

I can't see it acting any different to any other diagonal. Basically, you set the helical focuser part in a neutral position and reach focus conventionally as with any other diagonal. You just use the helical to make minuscule adjustments as you observe. Remember, you often have to alter focus as an object moves through RA, observing the Moon is particularly prone to this as the OTA has to be regularly moved slightly to keep the object in frame. You don't even have to use the helical if you don't want to, it's just a nice addition.

I knew you would straighten it out! Sounds like I can use it when/if I want. With my vision it is a feature I will no doubt use as often as needed. Actually, it is a great addition the more I think about it. So, forget Sod's Law, this thing is getting ordered now! Maybe by the time I get it the sky will clear and I can get First Light on all my new gear. Thanks again Mak? Will check in later ✨

[Mak the Night]

6 hours ago, Ray1103 said:

I knew you would straighten it out! Sounds like I can use it when/if I want. With my vision it is a feature I will no doubt use as often as needed. Actually, it is a great addition the more I think about it. So, forget Sod's Law, this thing is getting ordered now! Maybe by the time I get it the sky will clear and I can get First Light on all my new gear. Thanks again Mak? Will check in later ✨

Yeah, I just can't see any problems with it. It has a BAK4 prism as well I think. I've just daylight tested the Explorer and I've discovered I can orient it so the slo mo controls are accessible while I'm seated. I had to swap reflex sights for the one I used to use on the Mak. It's exactly the same but the other seems a tad borked. I assembled the 130M so much faster than this time last year. I couldn't move my right arm at all twelve months ago. Now I can rotate the OTA with both hands (more or less). So, weather and Sod's Law aside, I'm more or less ready for the Opposition. Plus, I shouldn't suffer too much from dew with the Explorer. 

EDIT: I should have left the Explorer set up. At around 21:30 the Moon made an appearance and so I took the 90mm Mak out. Anaximander R was really prominent. I had to look it up on VMA later because at first I didn't recognise it.

Schroter's Valley caught the Terminator shadows beautifully and this makes up for the time I tried to catch this phase a few weeks ago. I was quite gobsmacked by this.

Schickard was magnificent as well. Then the clouds came ...

[Ray of LIght]

The Explorer is a very nice reflector. I guess that's the problem when you have a lot of telescopes, I kind of wish I had that problem! I think I will keep the little 70, why not I figure. I am very glad to hear that your equipment is getting easier for you to assemble and transport. And you are correct, the WO does have a BAK4 prism. From what I've read those are good prisms. Plus it is anodized aluminium I believe. So even without the focuser it would be a really good correct image diagonal. My only hope is that once Spring actually comes to LI that I will have many great nights of observing! You have been pretty lucky over there and I am happy that at least one of us is not being subject to Sod's Law, lol ?! Moon must have been fantastic the other night. My turn will come, I hope. Check in soon ✨

[Dave In Vermont]

I don't think I've seen a WO-diagonal with a helical-focuser with it. I just have the WO 2" 90° Dielectric -Diagonals. In fact - I have 4 of them. One new one with the new whiz-bang carbon-fibre side-plates (which is stuff I detest when used on bicycle-frames. Here you have a bicycle that cost $5,000.00.* And it weighs about 8-pounds. And then the Richie Rich goes out for a ride..... Hits a pothole..... And his bicycle-frame turns into a pile of what looks like a shattered glass..... And Richie Rich sweeps it up with a broom and a dustpan to take to a bicycle-mechanic to see if it can repaired..... !!

The other 3 WO-diagonals have aluminum side-plates. They truly are excellent quality and the craftsmanship is stellar as well. So if you have a link to the diagonal with a helical-focuser, please post it. I have a BORG 2-piece helical-focuser in 1.25" format. It can be placed in the optical-pathway wherever I want. I think I actually used it once or twice, too!

As for the * I put in up there: It's a joke we bicycle-mechanics' have about these carbon-fibre bicycles people are willing to trade for all the money for their kids' college-fund - a carbon-fibre framed bicycle can be described as "A bicycle that weighs less than a fart, and costs more than a divorce!"

I'll get my boots & hat.....

Dave

[Mak the Night]

Well, I only have four telescopes. The Sky-Watcher 130M Explorer is a relatively inexpensive 130mm (5.1") Newtonian reflector with an unfashionable spherical mirror. It's a metre long, but quite light. It's been virtually mothballed for a year. I love its simplicity and fast cool down with few dew problems. It bounces a bit on an EQ 2 but at f/6.9 has a decent FOV. It seems to excel on planetary. It's easier for me to transport than the Big Cat at the moment and has a bigger aperture than my 102mm Mak. I have individual eyepieces worth more than the Explorer but I do love it as a scope. Of course, it's Sod's Law now that I've sussed the Explorer out for the Opposition it'll be cloudy or worse!

[Ray of LIght]

On the Agena website the part number is D-ep90-125. I ordered it earlier. At the rate they ship I may have it in a couple of days! Mak, it's actually raining now, talk about Sod's Law ?. The WO diagonal is black anodized aluminium and has a BAK4 prism. They sell it for 70 US, not too bad. Yeah, carbon fiber is good watch faces ?. Let me know how the explorer works Mak. What is the other telescope? I know about the BC, the Mak and the explorer. Maybe I just don't remember. Still trying to get used to these new glasses so my vision is blurring out. Check back in in a bit.

[Mak the Night]

Yeah, the rain in Spain falls mainly on my parade lol. I have two Mak's:

A Sky-Watcher Skymax 102mm

And an Omegon MightyMak 90mm.

 

[Dave In Vermont]

Thanks for the parts' # out of Agena, Ray. I see this 90° WO 1.25" is a new offering from William Optics. It looks most intriguing - and you'll be pretty much a beta-tester now too! I hope you'll write-up a good review of your findings as I note no one has reviewed it yet. I'll bet Tom would appreciate that. I'm biding my time until Tom figures out we know each other and correspond quite often..... And then he'll find out we're both out of SGL. And we both are now in A-C. And, with a little luck.....

.....He'll think it's a British-Invasion!

And then he'll find MTN also is from SGL! I wonder what meds they'll give poor Tom while he's been committed to Dr. Dippy's Retreat for a little rest.....?

Judging from the pictures of the WO diagonal, I'm convinced that's also a BORG helical-focuser - which means it's top-of-the-line quality. I basically stumbled upon my 2-piece one. Images posted below. You'll love it's super-smooth action. It should equal a 10:1 Crayford easily. And at $70, it's a bargain. My 2-piece one runs at $80 + shipping. Agena doesn't have these. You need to go through Hutech to snag one and they don't have the free-shipping of Agena.

"I'll be back!"

Dave

 

 

[Ray of LIght]

Thanks guys! Yeah Dave, I have no problem doing a review on the new diagonal. You are right, it looks like a high quality piece of equipment. Mak has one and it sounds like it performs as good as it looks. Should be a nice upgrade for my 102 and now I have a pretty decent spare with the GSO Amici diagonal I bought from Agena. But I am going to park my Baader filters on the WO and leave it, I know I will like it and it will help me fine focus, which will help considering my lousey vision ?! Talk in a bit✨

[Mak the Night]

The WO diagonal can't be that new as I've had mine for around a year or so lol!

[Ray of LIght]

I kind of figured, I've been eyeballing it for a couple of months now! Agena is still advertising it as "new from WO". There are no reviews on it yet as Dave mentioned. Maybe that's good because they have some stocking problems, as we know. Every single focal length in the Starguider series is out of stock, for example! Let's see how long it remains "new"!

[Mak the Night]

I used my WO a lot last year, although I couldn't use it with the bino because of the helical. I remember a great lunar session with the WO diagonal last September, I had the 19mm Pan (171x) and 16mm T5 Nagler (203x) combined with the Powermate and had a good hour or so ... then the dew came!  How's the weather on Long Island? Decent or is Sod still messing with it? lol

If you get the chance have a look at Aristarchus, Herodotus and Schroter's Valley while they are still near the Terminator.

You don't really need a huge amount of magnification to see the valley itself and you won't miss Aristarchus as it's the brightest crater on the Moon.

You should see the valley above Herodotus and Aristarchus at around 40x although I prefer a minimum of between 50x and 60x.

I pushed magnification to 125x last night but found with the transparency 52.6x - 66.6x was the most defined.

[Dave In Vermont]

54 minutes ago, Mak the Night said:

The WO diagonal can't be that new as I've had mine for around a year or so lol!

If there are no reviews, it can't be: a.) Around for very long over here. b.) Something with a good amount of sales. So I'd say it's begging for someone to hit some keys and give it a rating.

It looks quite competent for the job. I would probably test-pilot one myself, if I didn't already have a 1.25" di-electric GSO 90° diagonal for tasks needing such when my 2" won't work for holding filters 'up the snout.'

Mañanas,

Dave

[Ray of LIght]

I will give it a review when I use it, not sure it will help sales Dave, but it can't hurt. Mak, weather will be pants and Sod is still messing with it ? Lol. I put next wednesday on my calender for a session, of course I will check every day and pray! Is WO a British company?

[Mak the Night]

28 minutes ago, Dave In Vermont said:

If there are no reviews, it can't be: a.) Around for very long over here. b.) Something with a good amount of sales. So I'd say it's begging for someone to hit some keys and give it a rating.

It looks quite competent for the job. I would probably test-pilot one myself, if I didn't already have a 1.25" di-electric GSO 90° diagonal for tasks needing such when my 2" won't work for holding filters 'up the snout.'

Mañanas,

Dave

It's been reviewed on SGL.

[Mak the Night]

5 minutes ago, Ray1103 said:

I will give it a review when I use it, not sure it will help sales Dave, but it can't hurt. Mak, weather will be pants and Sod is still messing with it ? Lol. I put next wednesday on my calender for a session, of course I will check every day and pray! Is WO a British company?

I'm pretty sure WO is American, although virtually all of their stuff is manufactured in Kunming, Yunnan. There has been some speculation that their quality control has varied concerning some of their eyepieces, but the two 20mm SWAN's supplied with my WO binoviewer are OK. I don't use them, but that's only because I've upgraded to TV's, Hutech ortho's and Baader BCO's. It's bloody cloudy here! I wish Sod would sod off! lol

Maybe it will clear later ...

[Ray of LIght]

Let's hope so. Never seen a Spring as Soddy as this, lol!

[Mak the Night]

It's spring? lol

[Ray of LIght]

Yep, unless my calendar is way off, lol! Question Mak: does the WO diagonal work the same with the TV 3x Barlow as far as the helical focuser is concerned? Once again, I can't see why not but the thought popped into my Italian mind ?! I guess what I'm saying is does the introduction of a Barlow have any affect on the focuser or does it need to kept "neutral"? Thanks Mak!

[Ray of LIght]

By the way, pretty stellar (forgive the pun!) on the SGL link you sent! Very happy I took your advice on this WO diagonal, thanks for all Mak!

[Mak the Night]

1 hour ago, Ray1103 said:

Yep, unless my calendar is way off, lol! Question Mak: does the WO diagonal work the same with the TV 3x Barlow as far as the helical focuser is concerned? Once again, I can't see why not but the thought popped into my Italian mind ?! I guess what I'm saying is does the introduction of a Barlow have any affect on the focuser or does it need to kept "neutral"? Thanks Mak!

I've used all of these in the WO diagonal at some time. The Powermate (extreme right) mostly, it is slightly longer than the 2x Barlow. The 3x is in the centre. The helical can be set in a neutral position. By neutral I meant that it had the same amount to turn clockwise as anti-clockwise when you begin a session. It just seemed logical as you have to turn it one way or another if you want to adjust fine focus. The Barlow/Powermate just sits in the holder as in a conventional diagonal. The EP sits in the Barlow/Powermate, of course. Effectively, using a Barlow combined with the eyepiece is just like placing a long eyepiece into it.

[Ray of LIght]

22 minutes ago, Mak the Night said:

I've used all of these in the WO diagonal at some time. The Powermate (extreme right) mostly, it is slightly longer than the 2x Barlow. The 3x is in the centre. The helical can be set in a neutral position. By neutral I meant that it had the same amount to turn clockwise as anti-clockwise when you begin a session. It just seemed logical as you have to turn it one way or another if you want to adjust fine focus. The Barlow/Powermate just sits in the holder as in a conventional diagonal. The EP sits in the Barlow/Powermate, of course. Effectively, using a Barlow combined with the eyepiece is just like placing a long eyepiece into it.

So basically it doesn't matter what goes in the WO disgonal. I am assuming it does not have any marked metered lines so neutral is a acheived by feel, more or less. I am sure this will make more sense once I am actually using it! Long eyepiece is a good way to put it. I'm kind of glad I got the Baader adaptor to add strength to the entire assembly (the Meade is a big eyepiece).