Another tasty looking scope from WO

[Chris]

WO bring out scopes like a machine gun fires bullets! Just spotted this new 103mm f/6.9 synthetic fluorite scope from WO:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/william-optics/william-optics-zenithstar-103-apo.html

Looks like a beaut! 

 

[SilverAstro]

I think it might suffer some serious diffraction effects. I know 'frac owners are often jealous of the pretty stars that newt owners get, but that is taking things a bit far d'u'think ?

 

 

[mikeDnight]

It looks like a very nice scope at a very nice price. I'd struggle to choose between the three colours though, and if I did choose one, I'd soon regret it and want a different colour. Anodized aluminium lens caps remind me of those little aluminium cups in my 1970's school dining room! 

[ollypenrice]

It looks pretty attractive without the optical design excesses to which WO are prone. F6.9 is a sensible native F ratio for a doublet of this aperture and should be sufficiently tolerant as to be unaffected by predictable production tolerances. Given WO's rapid model turnover I might hesitate to be an early adopter but this one strikes me as being worth watching.

Olly

[Cleetus]

Beauty being in the eye of the beholder and all that I have to say to me it looks hideous! Don't know why WO persist with these daft colour schemes.

[paulastro]

Never mind the colours, I just can't take any telescope seriously which has that oh so un-cool temperature gauge on it - and I won't think any different even if anyone responds and tells me what a really  essential feature this gauge is!! 

I like the spec, and I'm not just saying this because I have an Astro - Tech AT 102ED, 102mm f6.95 (709mm).  Mind you it is a rather venerable telescope, sold to it's first owner (I'm the third) on 21st April 2008 - I feel a birthday party coming on! 

As you can see below, it's rather classy looking compared with these WO  multi-coloured flashy new kids on the block .

 

[Whirlwind]

It looks like there is a 6 inch WO telescope on the way too.  Direct competitor to the Esprit 150?  Also a 61mm as well

https://www.facebook.com/williamoptics/

[mikeDnight]

43 minutes ago, paulastro said:

Never mind the colours, I just can't take any telescope seriously which has that oh so un-cool temperature gauge on it - and I won't think any different even if anyone responds and tells me what a really  essential feature this gauge is!! 

I like the spec, and I'm not just saying this because I have an Astro - Tech AT 102ED, 102mm f6.95 (709mm).  Mind you it is a rather venerable telescope, sold to it's first owner (I'm the third) on 21st April 2008 - I feel a birthday party coming on! 

As you can see below, it's rather classy looking compared with these WO  multi-coloured flashy new kids on the block .

 

I thought the little gauge was an egg timer, which would be a handy addition,  should the observer require a tasty snack when out on a lengthy field trip!  

[Chris]

2 hours ago, Cleetus said:

Beauty being in the eye of the beholder and all that I have to say to me it looks hideous! Don't know why WO persist with these daft colour schemes.

I would see your point if they were yellow with pink spots, but they are mainly white with either red, blue, or gold tube rings and caps. Hideous seems a bit strong, they aren't poo brown. 

[mikeDnight]

Not one to be out done by the latest gimmick, I've made an addition to my G&G set-up. Even paulastro will appreciate my ingenuity! 

 

[Chris]

58 minutes ago, paulastro said:

I just can't take any telescope seriously which has that oh so un-cool temperature gauge on it

Not an imager I take it? With the WO scopes you can read off the dial when taking your dark frames and the idea is that it helps you build up a dark frame library for different temps. It's a practical measure like the built in focus mask. 

[Chris]

4 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Not one to be out done by the latest gimmick, I've made an addition to my G&G set-up. Even paulastro will appreciate my ingenuity! 

 

Ok, that's genius  

 

[paulastro]

I think that improves the look of your scope no end Mike. 

Don't you get the feeling there are a lot of people putting really silly posts on SGL because of boredom brought about by the long period of cloudy weather?! 

[Chris]

42 minutes ago, Whirlwind said:

It looks like there is a 6 inch WO telescope on the way too.  Direct competitor to the Esprit 150?  Also a 61mm as well

https://www.facebook.com/williamoptics/

The WO61 as been out for a while, keeps selling out over and over at FLO so really popular. I knew about the new 132 but not the 150! I'll check it out, cheers  

[paulastro]

9 minutes ago, Lockie said:

Not an imager I take it? With the WO scopes you can read off the dial when taking your dark frames and the idea is that it helps you build up a dark frame library for different temps. It's a practical measure like the built in focus mask. 

Right in your firs assumption Chris. Though I did know the reason for it, I still think it looks rather daft!  I remember when this 'feature' first appeared on WO scopes wondering if it is accurate enough to actually be useful or if it was just a gimmick.  If it's actually useful then I'm pleasantly surprised - still wouldn't have one on a telescope of mine even if I was an imager though .

And anyway Chris, what have you got against poo  brown anyway, it may be an improvement on some of the colours WO use .

[Cleetus]

10 minutes ago, Lockie said:

I would see your point if they were yellow with pink spots, but they are mainly white with either red, blue, or gold tube rings and caps. Hideous seems a bit strong, they aren't poo brown. 

"Hideous" is a word I use to describe something I consider ugly. To me these are ugly.  If you think these look great than that's fine with me but I disagree. Like I said, eye of the beholder.

[Chris]

1 minute ago, paulastro said:

And anyway Chris, what have you got against brown anyway, it may be an improvement on some of the colours WO use .

Eww! Yep definitely each to their own I think  

[Chris]

17 minutes ago, Cleetus said:

"Hideous" is a word I use to describe something I consider ugly. To me these are ugly.  If you think these look great than that's fine with me but I disagree. Like I said, eye of the beholder.

I think they look fine. I like white scopes, and these are still mainly white. I thought hideous and ugly seemed a bit strong, but you're right, each to their own   

Thinking about it, one of my scopes is metallic Celestron orange, and the other is metallic red, so I guess I'm acclimatised to such things 

[mikeDnight]

I like the look of them too, and in the dark they all look alike anyway! If the optics are good, then there's another great 4" apo to play with. Much more thrilling than those reflector thingy's that blot the star party landscape. 

[Chris]

36 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

I like the look of them too, and in the dark they all look alike anyway! If the optics are good, then there's another great 4" apo to play with. Much more thrilling than those reflector thingy's that blot the star party landscape. 

I've often wondered if a 4" f/7 Apo would be the perfect all round urban scope. This one has synthetic fluorite and is robustly built if WO's other scopes are to go by. All for £1100 which is £550 cheaper than the Vixen 103 ED, and probably a grand cheaper than the Tak doublet. 

Fracs vs reflectors, I'm a cheap skate so don't mind the odd mirror   

 

[Whirlwind]

1 hour ago, Lockie said:

The WO61 as been out for a while, keeps selling out over and over at FLO so really popular. I knew about the new 132 but not the 150! I'll check it out, cheers  

Ah, OK, read 2018 and thought it was new.  Don't keep up to date with the small bits of glass.

[Stub Mandrel]

2 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

I thought the little gauge was an egg timer, which would be a handy addition,  should the observer require a tasty snack when out on a lengthy field trip!  

Ha. For the scope I'm making I have already bought in the gold anodising dye plus a combined digital hygrometer/thermometer just for 1-upmanship over WO owners

[mikeDnight]

10 minutes ago, Lockie said:

I've often wondered if a 4" f/7 Apo would be the perfect all round urban scope. This one has synthetic fluorite and is robustly built if WO's other scopes are to go by. All for £1100 which is £550 cheaper than the Vixen 103 ED, and probably a grand cheaper than the Tak doublet. 

Fracs vs reflectors, I'm a cheap skate so don't mind the odd mirror   

 

If the optics are anything like paulastro's AstroTech, they'll be great! I can tolerate a small amount of CA if SA is well controlled, and I'd love to try this new WO 103 alongside my FC100. I imagine it will be a pretty nice scope! You should buy one Chris; just think of the money you'll save compared to a Vixen or a Tak!! 

[Chris]

34 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

If the optics are anything like paulastro's AstroTech, they'll be great! I can tolerate a small amount of CA if SA is well controlled, and I'd love to try this new WO 103 alongside my FC100. I imagine it will be a pretty nice scope! You should buy one Chris; just think of the money you'll save compared to a Vixen or a Tak!! 

I've owned a couple of WO66SD's and a Meg72, and was always impressed with the optics, so I think that bodes well  

Tempted, but I'm saving for the perfect house  (do a upper with big astro friendly garden), then the big astro spending can begin 

p.s. having said this, it does feel wrong not owning a Frac, and I do have £140 quid in FLO vouchers!   

[SpaceBass]

12 hours ago, Lockie said:

I've often wondered if a 4" f/7 Apo would be the perfect all round urban scope.

That size and focal ratio will probably be my next scope .

The mask, extra rings, handle and dial of the Zenithstar are nice, but is it any better than the cheaper Photoline 4" f7/ apo doublet?   It's the TS version from the same Chinese source as the Stellarvue SV102-Access. 

TS Photoline TSAPO102F7