Sharpstar 94EDPH for visual?

[Ags]

I have been thinking about getting a frac for some time, but getting one with low focal length, good aperture and affordable at the same time is not easy!

I have been thinking of getting a ED70 but that is probably on the small side... Now the 94EDPH has caught my fancy - 94mm aperture, 517mm focal length. It is pricey, but not impossibly so. Frankly the specs look too good - I am doubtful about any larger refractor with an F ratio below 6. My only use for the scope would be for visual use, mainly grab-and-go and travel. Has anyone used one of these extensively for visual observation of the moon, double stars, and planets?

Edited April 16, 2021 by Ags

[KP82]

Wouldn't an 102mm doublet be a better choice for visual on the Moon, planets and double stars?

Being a triplet with dual EDs and designed more for imaging I'm pretty sure the CA is well controlled. But at native f/5.5 the field curvature is probably on the high side impacting wide field views. Also you will need to work with very short focal eyepieces for high mag.

At 4.2kg it weighs about the same as most 102mm f/7 doublets. And in terms of OTA length it's only about 10cm shorter (468mm compared to 580mm of my APM 107 which is also manufactured by sharpstar). So it seems there isn't much gain for the portability.

[Ags]

Well, I am thinking in terms of airline-friendliness, so those 10cm make a big difference.

But you are right the 102mm doublet is a good option. The reason I think in terms of very fast scopes is because I don't want to invest in 2 inch eyepieces - I can do without the expense and I know I dislike heavy eyepieces.

In practice, I can't spend all that money in one go on a telescope. So what I will actually do is get the 70mm doublet second-hand, then trade it up for a budget 102mm doublet second hand, and then see if I really need to upgrade again...

[Louis D]

5 hours ago, Ags said:

The reason I think in terms of very fast scopes is because I don't want to invest in 2 inch eyepieces - I can do without the expense and I know I dislike heavy eyepieces.

Seems like a huge waste to use 1.25" eyepieces in a 3" focuser.  All that extra weight and bulk for nothing.

[tooth_dr]

8 hours ago, Ags said:

Frankly the specs look too good - I am doubtful about any larger refractor with an F ratio below 6.

It does look good on paper.  Visually there is a fair amount of curvature.  I don’t think this scope is particularly well suited to visual?