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Vaonis the Stellina Telescope is released on 31st March


Cjg

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Am wondering which UK Astro retailers will be stocking the Stellina Telescope, and how many on here would consider purchasing it?

I think it will be a great outreach tool for many Astro Societies / Clubs, and could draw new people into astronomy, despite the high price.

https://vaonis.com/telescopes

Thoughts anyone?

Chris

 

 

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I think this is just about the worst thing you could use for outreach. It doesn't have an EP port, no options for expansion whatsoever. I can buy a Celestron Nextar Evolution with 6" aperture for less, and an 8" for little more. I can equip these with electronic EPs if desired, but my experience with outreach events is that seeing an object on a screen has less impact than looking through an actual EP on an actual scope. 

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This seems a copycat of another announced fully automated scope plus small CMOS OSC sensor to appeal to the smart phone generation so no EP neaded or even expected.  Probably a five-minute wonder for the rich with no previous interest in astro.  An 80mm ED f/5 frac I find is a toy scope - its smaller than the central obstruction in my SCT - sorry :-)

Nytecam

 

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I think this is quite an interesting subject. Technology augmenting visual astronomy. GOTO and even using apps like SkySafari are pretty well accepted uses of technology within visual astronomy. I personally really enjoy all the images that @GavStar gets using night vision. I think that's a good use of technology. The scopes in the link are quite interesting. I know my kids would be fascinated by them. 

On the flip side, I wouldn't like to see them used for outreach. It mismanages expectations. If this is your introduction to astronomy then the beginner scope you get afterwards will seem pretty disappointing. As it is, most people's expectations are wildly off reality due to all the amazing Hubble images that fly about on social media. I think outreach is best kept to the traditional scopes that people can get a relatively low cost.

I look at these types of scopes as just another branch of astronomy that give a different experience. Much like binoculars give a different experience to a telescope. These scopes aren't designed to replace traditional scopes but gives a different means of enjoying the cosmos. The costs will come down, that's just the norm for technology, and with that we may see more people enjoying astronomy wouldn't have otherwise. That's no bad thing in my opinion. Having said all that, I don't think I'll be getting one ;) 

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All show, no go!

The idea is OK, but it is massively overpriced - over two thousand Euro for a 7 Kg all-in small refractor and mount.  I think the more technically minded astrophotography experts on this very forum could demonstrate a similar system for much less.

Might be OK for the iPhone generation though.

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The lack of flexibility irks me most. What you get is an 80mm frac. Assuming the quality is good, that should give a decent start for wide-field viewing, and for DSO imaging. The question is whether the chip is big enough to make the most of the wide-field option, and for imaging you only have the option of one-shot-colour, and no hope of inserting filters of any kind.  One of my most memorable deep sky views was with the 80mm, with Vixen LVW 42mm, and  UHC filter from a dark location in France (close to Olly's place). I got both NA nebula and Pelican in one FOV. Likewise, the view of M33 through the 22 Nagler, without filters was amazing. I doubt the camera in this scope will be big enough to cover such large FOVs (47mm diameter chip in the case of the LVW 42?).

For planetary and lunar it is a bit small, and for solar it won't work except in white light with a front-mounted filter. A front-mounted etalon won't work because you cannot add a blocking filter at the rear end. My 80mm is my stalwart solar scope, but only because I can add Ca-K and H-alpha filters does it keep me happy. By buying a proper scope, with a proper (goto) mount, I have a far more flexible instrument, for less dosh.

Conclusion: there is a reason that telescopes have (standardised) rear ends! You can swap kit in and out of the optical path, to tune the system to the current needs.

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Thanks everyone for your interesting comments.

I think that this is the way that astronomy will progress technically. I can quite easily envisage a group of cubs / guides / group gathered around an iPad as the scope points to a deep space object. It's true that it's a lot of money for an 80mm frac, but it's more than just an 80mm frac...an 80mm on an eq mount is better value for money, but I don't think that this is aimed at astronomers like those found here.

I'm betting that it won't be too long before SkyWatcher or Celestron have a similar version, and at a lower price point.

Cheers,

Chris

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Technically it looks very interesting. It gives a 1 degree x 0.7 degree field, has auto focus, field rotator, auto dew heater and automatically stacks and processes images. Very expensive of course for what is basically an 80mm scope, but we know that an 80mm scope can be very capable for DSO AP. They are upfront about it not being capable of imaging planets. The DSO and Lunar images posted seem to be quite good for an automated system.

I think a number of the promises are over egged, such as that it will cut through LP with the built in filter. It will still have the same limitations as an other scope but without the flexibility Michael talks about in terms of changing filters and cameras etc. It does mention upgrade kits but this seems to involve returning the scope for the sensor to be changed for one of your choice.

If I had everything else I needed in life, then I might consider this as a very extravagant luxury, but it is somewhere around the bottom of the list, certainly below my Ferrari and TEC200 ;)

I suspect that in future this sort of scope will be very common, and may be how the next generation view the skies. I find that sad, as for me the key point is the engagement with the skies themselves, and getting out under stars to properly experience it.

It’s progress though, innit? :( 

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9 minutes ago, Lockie said:

For that kind of money you'd at least want a dew shield. The glass looks to be right at the front so will dew up pretty quick unless I missed the part about inbuilt dew control?

Apparently there is indeed a built in automatic dew heater. A shield would probably help too though.

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I cant't add much to the pros and cons already posted but as an outreach specialist and provider I can say that visitors, children specially,  overwhelmingly prefer to look through a telescope rather than an object on the screen. The only time we employ a camera and a large screen is when we let the children drive the telescope with the controller whilst they pan up and down the close up image of the Moon. The "new" telescope, interesting though it is, seems to have a lot of components that could go wrong, I wonder how the "smartphoners" would get on with problem solving.    :icon_biggrin:

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This is the second of these 'smart scopes' soon to be on the market and both French I believe. I share the doubts expressed here and it certainly is not for me. I am assuming they have done their market research and I would be very interested to understand what their target market is and who a typical buyer would be. I tend to think that these types of product are stepping stones and the new observing technology which finally 'sticks' will look quite different.

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Overpriced novelty toy for the non informed parents to buy their kids at x-mas

Once unwrapped and used maybe twice, it will sit in the bedroom somewhere gathering dust

Well overpriced, could buy a much better frac and a budget colour  ZWO then mount on a SW Star Adventurer or similar for half the price

 

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