ScopeTech STL-80A Maxi 80mm F15 - First Look

[johninderby]

Think the ScopeTech 80 will be my favourite WL scope. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

In general it will be the case of anything the ScopeTech can do the StellaMira can do better with the possible exception of solar white light. Plus it can do a bit of widefield with the right eyepiece. Is about three times the weight though and built like the proverbial tank and a match for any WO scope in build quality, fit and finish.

The optics in the StellaMira are a step up from the SW and do give noticeably better contrast and sharpness  but not surprising given the price difference.

[johninderby]

A bit of fine tuning the collimation. Very slightly enlarged the screw holes in the focuser flange to allow for a little bit of adjustment. Printed out a bullseye target to fit the objective and used the Hotech laser.

Collimation now looks good enough for me. 🙂 

Edited June 24, 2020 by johninderby

[Pancho61]

Just discover this topic yesterday. I have this scope since one year and half and in the past i have her little sister the 80/1000 who has been already a nice scope and did the review on the french. I am very happy FLO decided to distribute this brand who is produce quality scope and other stuff.

John did a very good review that i can confim all of his thinking has been correct, i will took the idea to replace the focuser. For my side, it is now one of my favourite scope the image was incredible for a standart achromat especially  in lunar and planetary. At the moment, i try to find her right eyepiecebut the better image was with small ortho ( 0.965") and kelnner with big focal and barlowX2. Quality of manufacturing was very good, low weight so you can put it on tiny mount ( be carefull of the lenght), the small finder is clever so very good quality scope for the price.

For story, it spend me a lot time to acquire the MAXI. Scopetech boss do not want sold this scope outside of Japan, and at the beginning i don't know this information so i start by pass an order directly to scopetech website and deliver to a proxy but unfortunately scopetech use an system who is able to determine where your credit card came from so my order was cancel. I decided to ask to the guy of KK which i know if he was interest by buy one and send it to me. With an other astronomer in France we decided to bought somes stuff from this manufacturer one Maxi for me and some Cells ( 80/1000, 80/1200 and 80/900) and stuff for the other. The goal of this was to receive it and send the cell to wellenform to check the quality level of Scopetech product. Scopetech is only an OEM the complete scope is produce by Kubota optical/daichi kogaku who produce in the past some very good product. We received three results ( see in the picture), i will just show the Maxi result, you can find the other on webastro or CN. According to result this scope was design for planetary and lunar result is good for a standart achromat.

 

Edited June 25, 2020 by Pancho61

[johninderby]

Nice to see the test results. 👍🏻

Have you used yours for white light solar observing.?

A very fine lunar / planetary scope and great value for money. Used it on Jupiter and Saturn the other night and really enjoyed the views. 🙄

        John

Edited June 24, 2020 by johninderby

[Pancho61]

Notre yet, it is in plan. I am interest by your focuser, do you have any reference?

I have plan to bought his little sister, "nagatsumi" it is an 60/1200. At the moment it's not possible as scopetech has not enough order to launch a run to kubota, need wait😥😥. I have test the eyepiece which they has been also and really perfect for bino very good quality/price you can find a review from bill Paolini on CN ( also resell by Takahashi America).

And finally company sold a mount since 2 month who seems good too.

[Pancho61]

Sorry misunderstanding you did not replace the focuser, but I know it is possible as the other astronomer did it by a baader steeltrack

http://www.astrosurf.com/topic/137491-changement-porte-oculaire-critères/

 

 

Edited June 24, 2020 by Pancho61

[Guest]

On 11/06/2020 at 22:34, johninderby said:

The patient is out of surgery and the operation was a success. 👍🏻

20mm removed from the tube and will give plenty of infocus with the wedge. Shortening the tube was straight forward but spent quite a bit of time afterwards squaring up the cut end of the tube before refitting the focuser.

 

 

Are you allowed a sawn off refractor?🤔🤣

[johninderby]

Not thinking of changing the focuser at the moment but it would only be a matter of sorting out a suitable mounting flange. However adding the Baader Steeltrack wouldadd weight to the scope.

Edited June 24, 2020 by johninderby

[Pancho61]

You have right for the weight with new focuser. She did this for use the scope in astrophotography, baader will be more precise, she has been already put some Picts of the moon, really nice shots. About the focus this is an problem with this scope reach it can be critical sometimes, it has many InFocus travel, use prism is an obligation.

[johninderby]

Skywatcher tripod arrived. 

[JeremyS]

23 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Skywatcher tripod arrived. 

That OTA looks like it's got a glow around it - probably a halo

🙂

 

[johninderby]

3 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

That OTA looks like it's got a glow around it - probably a halo

🙂

 

Probably the heat from the sun. 🤔

Was going to do a bit of white light solar but thought I would go into meltdown so back inside for a cold drink. 🙂

Edited June 25, 2020 by johninderby

[Chris]

39 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Skywatcher tripod arrived. 

The astronomers light sabre. I'm tempted to Photoshop a Jedi holding it! 

[johninderby]

3 minutes ago, Lockie said:

The astronomers light sabre. I'm tempted to Photoshop a Jedi holding it! 

Yoda levitating up to the eyepiece perhaps? 😁

[JeremyS]

44 minutes ago, johninderby said:

Probably the heat from the sun. 🤔

Was going to do a bit of white light solar but thought I would go into meltdown so back inside for a cold drink. 🙂

Or perhaps you have been polishing the OTA too much

🙂

 

[johninderby]

😁😁

Edited June 25, 2020 by johninderby

[johninderby]

One smartphone shot of tonight's moon before the clouds moved in. 🙁

Edited June 26, 2020 by johninderby

[johninderby]

ZWO micro focuser for the Baader prism. 👍🏻

[johninderby]

The new Berlebach 212 Report tripod arrived today and was able to do a quick test on the sun. Using the Manfrotto 405 geared head found it really performs well. Didn’t notice any shake at all when focusing. Surprisingly was better than a steel tripod with 1.75” legs.

Really lightweight setup that can be carried outside with one hand. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[Chris]

That mount suits the scope well, John. Is the scope that far forward for eyepiece access, or is that the balance point? 

[johninderby]

Both for access to the slo-mo knobs and balance. Keep moving the OTA forward and it gets more stable. 👍🏻

Edited July 24, 2020 by johninderby

[johninderby]

UPDATE

The Scopetech 80 now has a carry handle. 🙂

Bought a StellaMira telescope handle from FLO a few days ago for my new Tecnosky 125/975 F7.8 FPL-53 ED Doublet due to arrive this week and thought the handle would also fit the Scopetech.

The Scopetech rings have a ridge in the middle of the tube rings that would need filing down before the handle could be fitted. As the handle is designed to be bolted down to a tube ring would have to come up with another solution. So drilled a hole in the ring and countersunk the hole on the inside of the ring. As a regular nut wouldn’t work on the top got a threaded round spacer and cut a slot in the top so it could be tightened with a screwdriver. Then simply bolt the handle to the ring and job done.

Looks just right on the scope I think. 👍🏻

[Stu1smartcookie]

I think that looks great ,John . In fact you have almost convinced me to buy this scope ... but FLO only have the F12 in stock at the moment and I’m holding out for the F15 

[Adam J]

1 minute ago, Stu1smartcookie said:

I think that looks great ,John . In fact you have almost convinced me to buy this scope ... but FLO only have the F12 in stock at the moment and I’m holding out for the F15 

Yeah by the time you have a F12 is there really any negative in going a little longer and getting the F15.

[johninderby]

The f15 only weighs just over 2kg so still light and easy to mount. 👍🏻