ED or PDS

[Frank the Troll]

Im undecided on wether to go for an ED 80/100 or PDS

not too bother for visual as I have a 10" dob which I will be mounting on an EQ6

Thoughts please

Edited February 13, 2020 by Frank the Troll

[Fieldsy]

27 minutes ago, Frank the Troll said:

Im undecided on wether to go for an ED 80/100 or PDS

not too bother for visual as I have a 10" dob which I will be mounting on an EQ6

Thoughs please

Do u mean 130pds?

[Frank the Troll]

6 minutes ago, Fieldsy said:

Do u mean 130pds?

200mm PDS I have a few unexpected pennies

 

Edited February 13, 2020 by Frank the Troll

[Adam J]

4 minutes ago, Frank the Troll said:

200mm PDS I hava a few unxpected pennies

 

Thats a completely different focal length to a 80/100 ED so what do you want to do with your new scope?

[Frank the Troll]

1 minute ago, Adam J said:

Thats a completely different focal length to a 80/100 ED so what do you want to do with your new scope?

Dipping my toe into astrphotography

[Adam J]

14 minutes ago, Frank the Troll said:

Dipping my toe into astrphotography

If you are just starting then a ED80 / 70 or a 130PDS are your best choices.

[happy-kat]

To spike or not to spike, some aren't bothered some love some dislike, does it boil down to that for you.

[Frank the Troll]

9 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

To spike or not to spike, some aren't bothered some love some dislike, does it boil down to that for you.

In English please

 

[happy-kat]

The reflectors naturally give refraction spikes on bright stars, refractors don't as there's no secondary mirror supports.

Edited February 13, 2020 by happy-kat

[Frank the Troll]

5 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

The reflectors naturally give refraction spikes on bright stars, refractors don't as there's no secondary mirror supports.

Im more inclined  too refractors as a preference

[happy-kat]

Why not look at images on the same target and see what you prefer. Say M45 nice bright object taken using the kit you are thinking of.

[mikeDnight]

28 minutes ago, happy-kat said:

To spike or not to spike, some aren't bothered some love some dislike, does it boil down to that for you.

And some people image using some stunningly sharp refractors, and then for some inexplicable reason, add diffraction spikes to the stars?????  There's nowt as funny as folk!

[vlaiv]

23 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

And some people image using some stunningly sharp refractors, and then for some inexplicable reason, add diffraction spikes to the stars?????  There's nowt as funny as folk!

Not only that - such spikes are unmistakably artificial and out of place!

1 hour ago, Frank the Troll said:

Dipping my toe into astrphotography

 

30 minutes ago, Frank the Troll said:

Im more inclined  too refractors as a preference

There is very tempting offer now with TS, show room samples of 115mm triplet scopes at very good price. Some people frown on these as they are FPL-51 triplets but people that own them say they are very good scopes (at least that is what I've read they say).

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p11871_NEU--TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-115-mm-f-7-Triplet-Apo---2-5--RAP-focuser.html

Pair that with FF/FR and you will get very respectable medium focal length - good for all sorts of imaging. In fact, paired with x0.75 Riccardi FF/FR - that scope gives 600mm which is right there with 80ED and 130PDS in terms of focal length, but aperture wise it is in 130PDS class and it is still refractor - so easy to work with for imaging.

[mikeDnight]

Im not an imager Frank and have no real in depth understanding of the for's and against's from an imagers point of view. All I really know is that ED apo's produce some of the most amazing images. They also make amazing visual instruments too, so that when you can't be bothered lugging a big scope around in the freezing cold of winter, or you just fancy a quick ten minutes visual observing before bed, the ED will give you a great time with very memorable views.

[Adam J]

11 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

Not only that - such spikes are unmistakably artificial and out of place!

 

There is very tempting offer now with TS, show room samples of 115mm triplet scopes at very good price. Some people frown on these as they are FPL-51 triplets but people that own them say they are very good scopes (at least that is what I've read they say).

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p11871_NEU--TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-115-mm-f-7-Triplet-Apo---2-5--RAP-focuser.html

Pair that with FF/FR and you will get very respectable medium focal length - good for all sorts of imaging. In fact, paired with x0.75 Riccardi FF/FR - that scope gives 600mm which is right there with 80ED and 130PDS in terms of focal length, but aperture wise it is in 130PDS class and it is still refractor - so easy to work with for imaging.

Only way to add spikes to a refractor is to make a mask and do it properly. I personally think it adds something to open clusters, but spikes added in processing do look rubbish.

[Frank the Troll]

the triplets are a bit beyond my pocket

How would these two compare?

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4964_TS-Optics-ED-102-mm-f-7-Refractor-Telescope-with-2-5--R-P-focuser.html

https://www.altairastro.com/starwave-ascent-102ed-f7-refractor-telescope-geared-focuser-468-p.asp

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Frank the Troll

[vlaiv]

38 minutes ago, Frank the Troll said:

the triplets are a bit beyond my pocket

How would these two compare?

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p4964_TS-Optics-ED-102-mm-f-7-Refractor-Telescope-with-2-5--R-P-focuser.html

https://www.altairastro.com/starwave-ascent-102ed-f7-refractor-telescope-geared-focuser-468-p.asp

 

I don't think you want those scopes for imaging - unless you are very tight on budget, really want to get 4" and are OK with some purple fringing.

There is more suited 4" scope for imaging - in both TS and AA branding (It is believed that these are essentially the same scopes with different branding - Stellarvue also has them in their lineup):

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p9868_TS-Optics-Doublet-SD-APO-102mm-f-7---FPL-53---Lanthan-Objective.html

https://www.altairastro.com/starwave-102ed-r-fpl53-refractor-459-p.asp

These have FPL-53 glass matched with lanthanum element (according to TS) - and people have been impressed with them. However they are in same price range as that discounted triplet that I linked to.

What is your budget exactly? With what I'm guessing your budget is (from your reaction to that scope I suggested and price of ones you asked about) - you will be best served with 80mm scope if you really want a refractor scope to image with. Alternatively, fitting with that sort of budget is 130PDS-150PDS type of scope with good coma corrector - but that is newtonian.

[spillage]

The ed80 is going to cost you more but will be maintenance free. If you are thinking at any point to move towards a dedicated camera then I find the ed80 causes some microlensing on my asi1600.

The 130pds is much cheaper but from time to time will need to be collimated and I would say stripped and flocked.

I do not think I would ever want to ever sell either though. Maybe one day a dual mount bar will pop up at tempting price.  

[Frank the Troll]

Ok, think I will settle for an ED 80 to start , so thanks all for your input

This one will let me look around for a PDS at a later stage

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-Apo-Refractor-telescope-80-560-2-25-TSAPO80f7/372887345279?hash=item56d1d1587f:g:3u4AAOSw~XFeAHki

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Frank the Troll

[vlaiv]

9 minutes ago, Frank the Troll said:

Ok, think I will settle for an ED 80 to start , so thanks all for your input

This one will let me look around for a PDS at a later stage

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/TS-Optics-PHOTOLINE-Apo-Refractor-telescope-80-560-2-25-TSAPO80f7/372887345279?hash=item56d1d1587f:g:3u4AAOSw~XFeAHki

 

That is little brother of those 4" scopes we discussed earlier (better, more expensive versions with FPL-53/lanthanum glass) so it should be very good scope.

You might want to factor in FF/FR as well.

[Frank the Troll]

25 minutes ago, spillage said:

The ed80 is going to cost you more but will be maintenance free. If you are thinking at any point to move towards a dedicated camera then I find the ed80 causes some microlensing on my asi1600.

The 130pds is much cheaper but from time to time will need to be collimated and I would say stripped and flocked.

I have no problem with that, the 10" I built from 2nd hand bits and bobs did try to sell it at one point, but no intrest

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Frank the Troll
spelling

[Frank the Troll]

3 minutes ago, vlaiv said:

That is little brother of those 4" scopes we discussed earlier (better, more expensive versions with FPL-53/lanthanum glass) so it should be very good scope.

You might want to factor in FF/FR as well.

FF/FR can wait a little bit. Cheers for your input

[Frank the Troll]

Opps, just hit the button, expect some clouds shortly  

Edited February 14, 2020 by Frank the Troll

[Frank the Troll]

The little 80mm ED F7 frac is due for tomorrow

Edited February 17, 2020 by Frank the Troll

[daemon]

On 13/02/2020 at 22:34, vlaiv said:

Not only that - such spikes are unmistakably artificial and out of place!

Surely that is a matter of taste, as is the case with many imaging techniques.