Vixen SD103S Unboxing

[osbourne one-nil]

These things might be stupidly expensive compared to Skywatcher, but they're relatively affordable compared to Takahashi. If they were a car, they'd be a Volvo. The finish is perfect, the tube rings nicely lined, the inside of the cap, nicely lined with felt. It's only got a single-speed focuser, but for visual (and at f7.7) I think it'll be fine; it certainly feels silky smooth. It comes with a flip-mirror; I assume these are good, but we shall see. It's also got the handle, which I'm pleased about, and rather nicely, an illuminated 7x50 finder which is actually really great on first inspection!

The dew shield isn't retractable, and the whole lens assembly rotates with the dew shield. The lens looks beautifully coated, as you'd expect, but do those clips interfere with the light path? I guess not. 

Perhaps the most useful thing is the instruction manual for the finder scope. I'll read it carefully. 

The tube, rings and handle weigh in at 4.2kg. I'll load it onto my mount when I get home. 

I like days like this!

 

 

[Stu]

Looking good Piers  

[osbourne one-nil]

Yeah, and I look forward to trying it - according to the BBC, there's a small window a week on Tuesday. 

[Alan White]

50 minutes ago, osbourne one-nil said:

The dew shield isn't retractable, and the whole lens assembly rotates with the dew shield. The lens looks beautifully coated, as you'd expect, but do those clips interfere with the light path? I guess not. 

Looks very nice indeed, actually very, very nice and has me drooling.
The 'clips' may be spacers between the lenses, the spacers are very thin.
As to a window a week on Tuesday, good luck with that one!

[John]

Very nice !

The scope uses foil spacers like many other brands do (including Takahashi). You won't notice them visually but sometimes imagers can detect their influence.

My Vixen ED102SS F/6.5 looks pretty much exactly the same as your SD103S except that it's a bit shorter. Plus I have a Moonlite focuser on it now. The original R&P focuser was pretty good though. Interesting how little Vixen have changed their design since the 1990's era scopes. I guess it just works

[Jforson]

It looks like a lovely scope, what mount do you intend pairing it with? 

Ps I hope you manage first light soon! 

[osbourne one-nil]

Look at this - cheapskates - haven't updated the boxes. 

[osbourne one-nil]

Just now, Jforson said:

It looks like a lovely scope, what mount do you intend pairing it with? 

Ps I hope you manage first light soon! 

It's not going to be tonight by the look of it out there!

I've got a Porta II and a brand new AZ GTi. The Porta II will be fine with it, I'm hoping the AZ GTi will carry it for a bit of fun some nights too. Ultimately, I'm going to get a GEM to mount both it and my recently acquired 6" f8 Newtonian...probably an AZ GT something or other. 

[Timebandit]

1 hour ago, osbourne one-nil said:

Yeah, and I look forward to trying it - according to the BBC, there's a small window a week on Tuesday. 

 

 

I would not believe the weather forecast for a week ahead. They have a job forecasting weather for the next day from me experience?. Keep popping out and looking up at the night sky ,if there are stars a plenty and they don't twinkle, get the scope out ?

 

With the recent Tak threads, it would be interesting to put it up against a Tak 100DC and have a shoot out ?

Hope you enjoy☺

 

 

[osbourne one-nil]

Theirs will win alphabetically. I have had an FC100D in the recent past...and an NA140SS, so I'll see what I can do by way of comparison too!

[Mr niall]

Very nice, great photos

[Chris]

Congratulations, looks really nice! I'm sure it has the optics to match from what I know of Vixen scopes and lenses. 

Just trying to work out your job from the books in the background (time for trees and external works)

[JeremyS]

Certainly looks the part, Piers! let's hope you can try it out soon and report back.

I've got one of those white Vixen illuminated finders on my C11 (which is black!). I rarther like it.

Jeremy

PS: nothing wrong with Volvos. I have a nice V70 

[Alan White]

31 minutes ago, Lockie said:

Just trying to work out your job from the books in the background (time for trees and external works)

Nice observation Mr Lock, got me looking too.

Nice carpet, decent furniture, not local government like me then!

 

[osbourne one-nil]

42 minutes ago, Lockie said:

Congratulations, looks really nice! I'm sure it has the optics to match from what I know of Vixen scopes and lenses. 

Just trying to work out your job from the books in the background (time for trees and external works)

Well, Alan's right....I work for myself, battling local government! I'm a landscape architect and work for the housing developers, helping them get planning permissions which they make millions out of whilst taking six months to pay me. Even had one quibble last summer when I put in my invoice for the agreed amount having not only won a public inquiry for them, but the local authority capitulated on day one....because the inquiry was over quicker than anyone thought. God bless em!

11 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

PS: nothing wrong with Volvos. I have a nice V70 

Me too....the same colour as my hair. 

[Chris]

18 minutes ago, osbourne one-nil said:

I work for myself, battling local government! I'm a landscape architect and work for the housing developers

Well I hope the developers you work for at least provide enough infrastructure for you to landscape! The problem my way is they want to build more and more houses, but no roads, Dr's, shops, schools etc to go with them  

[cotterless45]

Lovely scope, built with care and qc. Vixen optics are really sweet , stars will be like coloured marbles. The non Astro friendly jet stream is just not giving us the weather that we need . Hoping you get clear skies and a first light report ,

old Nick.

[wookie1965]

I have a Tal 100rs but would love a 6" Vixen long achromatic after loooking through Nick,s optics are stunning not putting the Tal down be nice have a bigger scope.

 

[Timebandit]

5 minutes ago, Lockie said:

Well I hope the developers you work for at least provide enough infrastructure for you to landscape! The problem my way is they want to build more and more houses, but no roads, Dr's, shops, schools etc to go with them  

 

 

 

Yep, and more development leads to more and more light pollution?

Moving to Isle Skye for true darkness is looking more and more attractive all the time ?

 

 

 

[mikeDnight]

HAPPY NEW TELESCOPE Piers!!!

The Vixen looks gorgeous, and its made in Japan! I wonder if its a Canon Optron objective? I suspect it will be an absolute gem!! Id be interested what you make of the flip mirror though, as I've heard good and bad reports about them. 

 

[Telescope40]

Very very nice.  !!!! 

[osbourne one-nil]

Thank you! 

I remember with my Tak just being amazed at the colours you can detect with the pinpoint stars a good refractor can give you that I'd never noticed in a Newt so I'm looking forward to that. As for the flip-mirror, I'm a bit sceptical myself but seeing as I didn't expect to get one at all, I'll happily give it a chance. 

Working for developers - well the sales directors want everything to look like a Capability Brown scene whilst the finance directors want change out a tenner. What I design and what actually goes doesn't bear any relationship to each other but I gave up worrying about that years ago!

[Highburymark]

Beautiful scope Piers - congrats. Though maybe more of a Honda or Lexus rather than Volvo due to its Japanese parentage? Classic looks, great build quality, super reliable.

[osbourne one-nil]

That's true - hadn't thought of it those terms. For a telescope to be a Volvo it would have to have been built in Belgium...if my Volvo is anything to go by!

[osbourne one-nil]

I had my first look through the eyepiece last night. There was a clear spell; turns out the clear spell lasted about 45 seconds before it started snowing again, and the quick view of Procyon was.....dreadful. Couldn't focus and the image either side of focus was like through a badly collimated Newtonian. Now, it had come from next to a radiator in a warm house to sub-zero Cumbria, the wind was howling and the atmosphere must have been turbulent. My eyes were watering too so perhaps not the fairest first-light ever! I'll pretend it never happened.