First light for my new Clave 80/1208 Refractor

[Doc]

Last night was clear but bitterley cold, but I did venture out for a few hours. The first object was of course the moon and the Clave performed very well indeed, there is very little false colour on the limb of the moon, I have never really been bothered by CA and this was hardly none so I well pleased. The contrast is surpurb as is the sharpness. 

I then had a tour of the night sky trying to split some double stars, I tried numerous stars getting tighter and tighter seperation and I eventually got to Gamma Cass which was easy at 2.2" seperation and the B star being 10.9 mag. I tried Eta Gem also known as Propus, this star has a seperation of just 1.8" and with the 4mm Clave inserted giving me x302 I could just glimpse a seperation between them. I looked at some really faint stars that were mag 11.2 and just mangaged to view them. Colour is very good in this scope, yellow and red really popped out.

The Clave being F15 actually splits double stars cleaner then my 120ED Esprit.

Considering a 80mm F15 objective should have a dawes limit of 1.45" and a limiting mag of 12.2 I was quite impressed as my observing site is far from dark and the sky conditions were not perfect.

I defocused a bright star in and out of focus and the rings were concentric on both, I have little experience in this department but by looking at photos on the web the rings looked very good indeed.

Mars looked OK, couldn't see any details but it was a nice shade of red and looked like Mars.

Things I did make a note of is that I need a 2" extention as my 2" 40mm and 55mm eyepieces wouldn't reach focus, 1.25" eyepieces are fine. Also the focuser installed is a bit flimsy and basic, I really need to invest in a Moonlite or Baader focuser.

Overall very happy and impressed with the scope.

 

 

[Tyson M]

Now that is a unique instrument!!  Never seen one for sale ever.  Looks like a keeper

[Doc]

Thanks Tyson but remember it's only the lens that is Clave as they never sold complete telescopes only individual parts of a telescope, you had to build it yourself.

[DirkSteele]

Splitting Propus with an 80mm is a great result.