Williams Optics Megrez 72 FD APO

[Brinders]

Hi, off on my hols to Cyprus Friday and after much searching by 'phone and internet managed to track down an William Optics Megrez 72 APO to take with me as a travel scope from Simon Bennett at the Widescreen Centre. These scopes seem to be as rare as hens teeth at the mo.

Anyway, scope was sent by Simon Monday and was with me Tuesday. Because of our foul weather, first light will have to wait for Cyprus and then it will have to be on a photo tripod (the EQ6 Pro is just too heavy).

First impressions though are favourable - everything you hear about the quality of WO is true. Comparing WO to Celestron is like comparing a Ford to a Rolls Royce. Everything about the WO speaks quality - it is a thing of beauty.

I thought I'd like to use the Megrez as a grab and go if I could find the right mount. Came across the Celestron Nexstar 60 SLT with the well regarded 3 star align GOTO Alt Az mount for under £90 brand new from a UK Celestron dealer on Ebay. Won the auction Monday, mount arrived Wednesday.

After removing the plastic shroud from the top of the single fork arm to avoid fouling the Megrez (just two screws to undo), I found the combo worked a treat in my lounge (weather too bad to take it outside in the dark) . The mount is standard vixen (thanks for that tip Ade Ashford).

Glad I didn't buy the Nexstar 60 SLT as a serious scope/mount purchase though. The mount was okay, but the scope required disassembling to retrieve the focuser. If I had been a humble purchaser after a first computerized astro set up I would have been very upset. See what I mean about Ford and Rolls-Royce? One is near perfect from a quality point of view and built up to a price, the other quite the opposite, but still does what you want it to do (eventually).

As soon as I get back from my hols, I'll let you know how first light went with the scope in Cyprus (hoping to find good dark skies in the Troodos mountains) and later how the Nexstar mount and Megrez work as a combo here in the UK (the mount is reasonably light but still to heavy to take away with me).

Anyway be back in 3 weeks or so. Here comes the sun, little baby, here comes the sun... :sunny:

And some good black skies.

See ya!

[dogfish]

I await your report with interest as I recently picked up one of these myself and one of my plans for it is to take it abroad as a travel scope. Not had first light with mine either, despite having it for 2 weeks

Have a great holiday, Martin

[gost]

I also picked up one of there scopes a couple of weeks ago. Since I'm on high lat. I still have to bright nights for viewing. Have just ordered a Baader Hyperion 8-24 Zoom EP for viewing. Otherwise main purpose is imaging with my Nikon D300.

[FLO]

... after much searching by 'phone and internet managed to track down an William Optics Megrez 72 APO to take with me as a travel scope from Simon Bennett at the Widescreen Centre. These scopes seem to be as rare as hens teeth at the mo.

I'm not aware of any problems, certainly plenty HERE :mrgreen:

[Brinders]

Odd, you were the first person I called, Steve, last Friday afternoon at about 4.30. Anyway, as you suggested I tried Ian King who told me that most dealers had little if any stock left but that a shippment from Taiwan was due in 7-10 days, which meant I wouldn't have got it in time for my hols. I also tried Ace Cameras and Venturescope. Ace Cameras told me they had no stock either and I only got a voicemail message at Venturescope (retunred the next day, but I ordered from the Widescreen Centre by then).

Got to say everyone I spoke to were very pleasant and did try to be very helpful. When I told Simon last Friday how much trouble I had getting one, he said he had plenty of stock and would hold over sending the scope until Monday so it wouldn't be rattling around in transit over the weekend. It duly arrived Tuesday (my eldest daughter took delivery) andnow I can't wait to use it.

This is my last post until after my hols.

Brinders

[FLO]

Ah, that was you

WO have plenty, thats what I meant about not being aware of any problems, and the shipment arrived early so they are back in stock.

It is a beautiful scope! I'm sure you will like it.

[gost]

Yesterday I noticed some dust on the inside of the front lens of my Megrez 72. I started to turn the dew shield and then I noticed that the front lens was unscrewing. I unscrewed the front lens and cleaned it from all the dust and then I put the lens back on.

Is the front lens supposed to be loosened by turning the dew shield?

Do I need to colimate the telescope after this, and if that's the case, how do I colimate a refractor?

[Doc]

I would love one of these as finderscope.

With a llow mag eyepiece the Fov would be brilliant.

Have fun with it, I've heard it's a great scope.

Doc