The mighty Heritage....

[Stu]

This doesn’t really deserve to be in the reports section as I was only messing around outside for half an hour or so, but here it is none the less.

The other night I tried out the Heritage 130P on the Double Double and Izar, and was really impressed with this little scope. It gave surprisingly nice star shapes and despite the somewhat basic helical focuser, is quite easy to reach and hold a good focus. It helps that I have put a few wraps of plumbers tape around the threads.

So, I got to wondering whether it was up to the job of splitting Pi Aquilae, a regular favourite of mine with the Tak. This is a fairly even double with components 5.7 and 6.3 magnitude which makes it easier that some of the uneven targets out there, but still at 1.4” it is relatively tight.

I have no finder on the Heritage at the moment, something I need to sort, but eyeballing with the 24mm Panoptic got me onto Altair and then it was just an easy hop up to Pi. Pop the nag zoom in and focus at the 6mm setting, nothing but a hint of elongation, winding up the power and bingo, at around the 4.5mm setting (x144) I think, there was a tight but clear split. All the way to the 3mm setting (x216) and it was very obvious. Very impressive for something that cost me under £50 from Astroboot.

Aesthetically it was quite a nice view, although the diffraction rings are significantly more extensive than in the Tak say.

A quick run round a few more objects. Alberio, lovely in the 24mm, M13 very impressive at 6mm, averted vision resolving the outer parts nicely. M27 fairly featureless under the LP but M57 showed as a nice smoke ring at x108.

Nice one little Heritage. I can only echo some of the many positive reports about how capable this scope is, despite the basic build quality and helical focuser.

[John]

Certainly does deserve to be in here Stu - nice report of what is clearly a great little scope

I've seen a fair few larger and more expensive scopes stumble over Pi Aquilae.

[dweller25]

Good value for money scope ?

[David Levi]

That's very impressive. I'll have to have a go at splitting Pi Aquilae. I've never tried it.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Stu - A nice report on the little Heritage. I took mine out last night mainly to observe the delights of Scutum and Sagittarius and used various EPs and a Lumicon UHC and Astronomik O-IIII.

I did check out the double double using my TeleVue 8-24 and the Baader barlow 2.25x and had a nice split.

I ended the night using a Revelation 2" 30mm EP and a 2" Castell O-III and had a lovely wide field view of both parts of the Veil.

[Stu]

2 hours ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

I ended the night using a Revelation 2" 30mm EP and a 2" Castell O-III and had a lovely wide field view of both parts of the Veil.

Sounds great Mark, are you saying you used a 2" eyepiece in the Heritage??

[Mark at Beaufort]

4 hours ago, Stu said:

Sounds great Mark, are you saying you used a 2" eyepiece in the Heritage??

Here you are Stu. To be honest I stopped using the Myraid EPs but the Revelation 30mm is quite light and gives a good wide FOV. I bought the 1.25"/2" adapter off eBay.

 

[jetstream]

Wait until you guys (gals) get the H130 on the Pleiades...... its worth taking this portable scope many miles to a dark site to see it.

Great report Stu!

[Stu]

Thanks Mark, I remember it now. I may have some parts to achieve the same, but may be nervous with the ES 30mm, quite heavy. Same for the 20mm APM too really.

I have thought about changing the focuser for a 2". I even bought a spare truss assembly so I could do it without risking the original scope.

[Special K]

Very capable outfit and 130 can achieve an awful lot!  Thanks for sharing!  

[Stu]

15 hours ago, Stu said:

Thanks Mark, I remember it now. I may have some parts to achieve the same, but may be nervous with the ES 30mm, quite heavy. Same for the 20mm APM too really.

I have thought about changing the focuser for a 2". I even bought a spare truss assembly so I could do it without risking the original scope.

I tried this last night with a carefully supported (V heavy!) ES 30mm 82 degree but could not reach focus. Perhaps I should have dropped the truss tubes in a little but I have a light shield fitted and did not want to remove it. Something for another day.

[Mark at Beaufort]

4 minutes ago, Stu said:

I tried this last night with a carefully supported (V heavy!) ES 30mm 82 degree but could not reach focus. Perhaps I should have dropped the truss tubes in a little but I have a light shield fitted and did not want to remove it. Something for another day.

Yes you need to drop the truss tubes a bit. I think from memory when using the 13mm Ethos I need to move the truss tubes inwards about 2". I use a neoprene shroud which I adjust using a velcro strap.

[Nyctimene]

Stu,

I was curious, whether I would be able to repeat your observation of Pi Aquilae with the Heritage 130 P. So I had a look at it this morning at 03.00; some haze and clouds weren't disturbing; the seeing of average, NELM 5.0 mag. At about 150 mag, using the Seben 8-24 zoom, combined with the Baader 2,25x Barlow, I saw a clear split with a dark gap, better with 183x. At 238x mag, achieved with a 6 mm Ortho/Barlow, the seeing set a limit (the scope was not in it's optimal thermal equilibrium) so I returned to 183x, and am glad to confirm your observation  . I had a short glance at the Veil with the 26mmf/62° ES and a Baader UHC, but the contrast suffered noticeably from the haze, and only the eastern part was easily to make out; the western part at the limit of vision. Again, very pleased with this little wonder, like others here as well.

Stephan

[Mark at Beaufort]

Thanks Stephan I must give Pi Aquilae a go as well. As you say this is an excellent, inexpensive great grab and go scope.

[Stu]

Thanks very much @Nyctimene for the confirmation . I was really surprised by the observation and wonder just how tight we could go?!

[jetstream]

I'll confirm Pi Aquilae in the H130 as well, using the capable and made for this scope 3-6 Nagler zoom. These scopes really do work and I'm glad to see members using them and doing reports.

[RobertI]

Great report Stu, the Heritage showing its class once again. I had a great night with my Heritage last night which I will post later. The seeing was amazing and I wish I had seen your post before so I that I could have given Pi Aquilae a bash myself. I keep thinking about getting a 130PDS so I can benefit from a better focusser, but when I get such good results from the Heritage, I do wonder whether it is worth it. 

[Eastman]

On ‎14‎/‎08‎/‎2018 at 00:53, Stu said:

A quick run round a few more objects. Alberio, lovely in the 24mm, M13 very impressive at 6mm, averted vision resolving the outer parts nicely. M27 fairly featureless under the LP but M57 showed as a nice smoke ring at x108.

Nice one little Heritage. I can only echo some of the many positive reports about how capable this scope is, despite the basic build quality and helical focuser.

It's a great little scoop, I agree.

Did you use that white plummers tape and how many windings did you put on?

Sounds like a perfect solution for the wobbling focuser.

[Stu]

18 minutes ago, Eastman said:

It's a great little scoop, I agree.

Did you use that white plummers tape and how many windings did you put on?

Sounds like a perfect solution for the wobbling focuser.

Yes, the white PTFE tape. I honestly can’t remember how many turns, it was a a bit of a trial and error process. I probably put a little too much on but by winding the focuser in and out a few times to overcome any tightness, it has ended up pretty good.