Skywatcher equinox 120 ED APO

[Timebandit]

 Hello, I thought I would give you my thoughts on my skywatcher frac. I have been considering getting a nice frac for sometime , and I was weighing up which to go for. You obviously have the Taks which I suppose are considered the Rolls  Royce of scopes or the possibility of the not so highly appreciated  fracs like skywatcher . I think we all would secretly love a Tak but like all things in life budget is a factor. So it entered my mind would a supposed lower end Chinese make even be in the same league? So nothing ventured nothing gained and I started searching . Looking at various offerings in the refractor scope market. Then I noticed a nice looking scope in which certain models have Scott glass which immediately got my attention, as from my limited knowledge of glass a well known and respected lens. So I thought if  a Chinese scope has Scott glass in it then there is aa very good chance the scope should at least be a crisp view performer. After a few more enquiries which were positive, then the equinox certainly was getting my attention, a Tak on a budget maybe ?

          

After a lot of searching I found the scope I was looking for a skywatcher equinox apo 120 Ed with the all important Scott glass . From what information was given seemed to be in very good nick with little use. So budget in hand I managed to secure the scope. When the scope arrived first of all I was surprised of the size of box it came in. After unwrapping the box a big aluminium flight type case was  infront of me. Nice to see such a quality case I thought. On opening the case a sizable black scope was infront of me, with a metal cap on the lens end and a plastic plug in the focus end. My first impression was positive, no regrets yet I thought. I carefully took the scope from the foam inserts in the box and put it on the settee . My first impression was the weight and feel of the scope it felt solid and well made, the scope rings very well crafted and a nice heavy dove tail fitted. The ota was again well  made with seemingly quality metal tube and a very smooth professional paint finish with a very nice focuser. All looking good . I took the lens cap off and there was a nice big 120mm lens infront of me with a green tint . The front dew shield pulls forward a number of inch to protect the lens in use. I was dying to get it on a mount but unfortunately did not have a suitable one available at that time(I did later acquire a AZ4). So it was put away until a mount was available 

The next time I got the scope out was when I had the AZ 4 available  . The scope was put on the mount using the heavy duty dovetail trying to balance the scope as best as possible to both take the strain off the mount/ clutch assembly for when it came to use(I did mark this position so next time would be more straight forward). The set up really did look the part, very professional and a nice balanced symmetry to it. I do try to set up in day time with new kit as it saves snags or damage to items you are not sure how it will react when being used for the first time. I then  removed the end focuser protective plug and put an 32 mm p!ossl in. The metal end cap was removed at the front of the lens and the dew shield extended. I then looked through the eyepiece and could see a blurry image of white with some tree green showing (the neighbours trees). I moved one of the two focus wheels to get the object in focus. The wheel was moving but no focus?  I looked away from the eyepiece and tried again , the focus wheel was moving but no movement in the focus tube. Firstly I was concerned about a fault in the mechanism, but considering the age and condition of the rest of the scope I felt this was unlikely. My next thought  was I just being a bit of a fool and had missed something that enables the focuser to work.  There were a few screws around the focuser area, and I don't like fiddling with screws that I am not sure what they do. But there was a knurled headed screw by the focuser to which I thought I would try. So I did and then to my relief after turning the focus dial the focus tube started to move, great. I went back to the eyepiece and adjusted the focuser until a image was given. The first focus was a neighbours tree and to a position on to a individual leaf, which the image was sharp ,crisp . To this point pleased with no regrets on the scope so far.

A night or two went by until the weather conditions allowed some vision of sky objects. The moon was out ,but that did not worry me as a good test of the scope set up and quality of image. I took the AZ4 out put the equinox in the balance position and went and got a few televue plossel out. I had no finder or diagonal at that time for the scope so a bit of old fashioned scope use required. I place a 32mm plossel in the focuser, pulled the lens cap off and pulled the dew tube forwards. Got on my knees and adjusted the AZ so scope tube line was pointing towards the full moon. Placed my eye on the plossel and looked through. Could see lots of light but no image. Adjusted the focuser wheel which is very smooth in operation and has two speeds on the focal range moment. There was a fair bit of movement needed in the focal tube and then the image went from a blurry white image to a sharper image to which I noticed I was just clipping the edge of the moon surface. A bit of adjustment with the AZ and a slight more adjusting on the focus wheel and woooow. I was just so impressed, the moon was bright but not to the point it was effecting the image through the eyepiece at all. And the quality of image was outstanding(you see pictures of the moon in books and this was as good) the moon's round outer surface was so sharp. I was so surprised of what quality of image I was seeing with all the pitting from strikes to the lunar surface. I then started to up the magnification and I could not believe what a crisp sharp view I was getting of the lunar surface the crater /mountain objects that are on the lunar surfaces in detail. There is just something about views through a quality frac that you cannot describe fully unless you have seen it yourself (that is not to say reflectors do not produce very good views as they do ,as I own one and would not be without it).  A frac of this sort of quality is a must IMO to any serious amateur as you are missing out on that HD type of experience of walking on the moon with your eyes experience. I was more than happy with my new"used," scope and unfortunately this moon/lunar session had to be cut short as I felt a few drops of rain coming in. So caps back on the scope asap and was put to bed that night. I have had the scope out numerous times since on target like planets, Jupiter and Saturn  ,and have been very pleased with the crisp sharp views and details that is available when seeing conditions allow. And as for items like open star clusters, have put the likes of my nagler 20mm into the frac and you are literally walking in the stars.These types of of  refractors just opens your eyes up to what the amateur can achieve nowerdays with the kit that is available. So as I think you can gather I am overall very pleased with the equinox scope and have no regrets with purchase.

So overall a great refractor IMO, and it may not be a Tak but for the money and bang for buck it takes some beating as a refractor . 

 

 

   

 

[John]

Excellent report on a superb scope

I have the ED120 Pro which has the same optics and it's a really great refractor IMHO. I have had the opporutnity recently to compare the views with Takahashi and TMB LZOS apochromats and optically the ED120 is not outclassed at all.

 

[mikeDnight]

The SW 120 ED is a truly top class scope that will give any other brand a serious run for its money. I've owned three 120 ED's and have loved them all. I've also owned a few Taks and the first time I got to look through a 120 ED, had I not already seen the tube, I would have sworn it was a Tak. It's optics were sharp,  and gave that ice cold  true fluorite view that was on par with the Tak and Vixen fluorites. On that first night observing with my friends SW 120ED  I was using my own TeleVue NP101 along side it. I felt physically sick when my £3,100.00 refractor had its Bottom kicked by a Chinese ED costing less than one third its price. The following day the 101 was up for sale and less than one week later my first 120 ED was delivered. 

The first one I owned had a beautiful black diamond tube but the other two were both Equinox. All were optically superb! 

Mike 

 

 

[laudropb]

A very nice report on a highly respected scope . I really enjoyed the read.

[RobertI]

Great review. I want one of these and it's the next big purchase I plan to make, may not be for some time sadly.

[Timebandit]

Hello. It is a difficult choice with a refractor to get the balance right between quality and price. Especially because inch for inch they are generally so much more than a reflector. You can be talking many ,many thousands of pounds for a quality one so any mistakes can have you banging your head against the wall.  I think everyone agrees Taks are up there with the best so to find a Chinese scope (and I certainly do not mean this in a bad way) that can come very close or even in some observer's eyes as good is very high praise indeed. And because my used 120ed apo was far less also as it was second hand , that means in my eyes it was a double success. To hear some reports as side to side 120 Ed against Taks basically very little optically in them must mean some Tak owners really wondering if the extra thousands was worth the investment. Overall I am really happy that I have a top class performer for not big bucks and in this hobby that is a big benefit 

The thing is when you have a quality frac then it deserves quality eyepieces to get the best out of it. I have just got two Pentax xw(thank Shaun) as a present to it. But clouds everywhere the last couple of days so no night time observing yet. I have had a quick go in the daytime and they look sharp at the moment, so they look like a keeper at present. But I really would like to try these on clear crisp night on Saturn and Jupiter to see the detail they can bring out. Also a bit of lunar as I really do like walking on the moon, with my eyes anyway ?