I got me an APO!

[Ags]

It's a humble little battle-scarred Zenithstar 66 SD. It takes the place of a venerable ST80 that has gone adventuring in Ireland.

Red, black, yellow, silver and blue... My setup is more colorful than yours! If I get a purple Vixen SSW eyepiece and a green Skywatcher wedge, I will have all the colors 😀

This pretty little thing is for travel, AP, EEA, solar, grab and go and most specifically for charming views of double stars.

No reason for this thread except to share my happiness at its arrival! First light is tonight hopefully.

[Stu]

Lovely little scope. I used to have one and really enjoyed it. Very small and portable yet capable so I’m sure you will get a lot of fun out of it. I even managed GRS and shadow transits through mine!

[AdeKing]

I'm glad that it's finally arrived safely and that you're pleased with your first impressions Agnes.

I'm hoping that I don't regret letting it go but it's seen very little use over the last year and is such a nice little scope that it really deserves to be used and enjoyed by someone.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Ade

[CraigT82]

I owned this scope previously and reluctantly sold it to Ade, wonderful little pocket rocket... glad to see it living it's best life with a new owner 😀

[Ags]

The scope's been around the forum... it's a pity we haven't all engraved our initials on it 😀

[Louis D]

Sounds like some of the big fracs that work their way around our local club.

[Sunshine]

It looks like a great little scope! and yes it certainly is colourful, enjoy it!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Looks like a lovely little scope. Looking forward to first light report

[Padraic M]

Not jealous at all because I have a new 'venerable' little ST80 that I'm enjoying very much! A bit nervous the neighbours will complain me to the police as I haven't had much opportunity to point it skywards just yet.

Enjoy your APO!

[happy-kat]

I've seen lovely reviews on these, enjoy.

[Ags]

42 minutes ago, Padraic M said:

Not jealous at all because I have a new 'venerable' little ST80 that I'm enjoying very much!

Glad to hear you are enjoying it. I was in two minds about selling but decided to go for a big clear out and change. I wonder if I will miss the aperture of the ST80 now I have just 66 mm. 

It's always nice to get new kit and revisit familiar targets with different eyes.

[Chris]

Ah this brings back memories, my first ED scope was also a WO ZS66SD, although my first one was white, The second one was blue though so I wonder? Anyway congrats and enjoy!  

[Louis D]

3 hours ago, Ags said:

Red, black, yellow, silver and blue... My setup is more colorful than yours! If I get a purple Vixen SSW eyepiece and a green Skywatcher wedge, I will have all the colors 😀

Missing orange.  How about a vintage orange Celestron finder scope? 😉

[RobertI]

Lovely little scope - I have a nice orange one (I think they did a 'Meade Blue' and a 'Celestron Orange') which I have close to hand for dashes into the garden. Very light, well made, excellent optics for visual and imaging - what's not to like? Hope you get on well together.

[Ags]

It cleared, got cloudy, and cleared again. There was some haze dimming things though. Polaris B was barely detectable in the twilight. One double of the Double Double was split, the other was very nearly split. Perhaps with more magnification than a slightly barlowed SLV 6mm. Albireo and 61 Cygni showed nice color. I do find that star color fades and I need to look away to restore the colored view. Moved on to Beta Lyrae and M57. Despite the dim twilight and nagging haze, the Zenithstar showed a definite ring. I tried various eyepieces but settled on an Explore Scientific 6.7mm for most of the session. Tomorrow I  will figure out how to attach a finder.

Edited July 8, 2021 by Ags

[Louis D]

3 hours ago, Ags said:

Tomorrow I  will figure out how to attach a finder.

There should be a black screw for attaching a finder foot to the left of the focuser rotation lock thumbscrew according to these instructions.  I assume you'll need to find an appropriate screw to replace the black screw once it's removed to attach the finder foot if it's similar to my AT72ED.  On it, the black screw equivalent is just a set/grub screw to keep dust out of the threaded hole.

[badhex]

Looks great @Ags. I'm very happy with my newly acquired ZS73 and I imagine the views are quite similar. 

[Rob]

They are great scopes. I had a white & black edition. Really nice views, and often favored the grab n go SD66 than dragging out the big guns!. I then jumped from the 66ED to a Starwave ED70, and now a Revelation ED80. They are incredible performers I have to say. I think I liked the 66SD over my ED80 (FPL53 v FPL51)... But there's always time to maybe change that!

Have fun. And push that thing, you will be surprised!

Rob

[Ags]

@Louis D that's too near the eyepiece end for a great big 50mm RACI. I tried the below  at lunch, but need to go back to the hardware store for longer bolts to mount the RACI on the other side of the dovetail, as this still doesnt give enough clearance around the eyepiece.

[Ags]

3 hours ago, Rob said:

And push that thing

Looking for the right "doubles" eyepiece. Maybe a Nirvana 4mm. I think the ES 6.7 mm I was using last night is ideal for general DSO viewing. Or maybe I give the scope a good push with an SLV 2.5mm.

Edited July 8, 2021 by Ags

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

12 minutes ago, Ags said:

@Louis D that's too near the eyepiece end for a great big 50mm RACI. I tried the below  at lunch, but need to go back to the hardware store for longer bolts to mount the RACI on the other side of the dovetail, as this still doesnt give enough clearance around the eyepiece.

Do you even need a finder scope? I don't have one on my 80mm F/6 triplet. With a really wide EP (and especially when combined with my 2" Amici prism), the scope is its own 15.5x80 RACI finder with a 5.3 deg FOV

 

[Ags]

4 hours ago, michael.h.f.wilkinson said:

Do you even need a finder scope?

I did find lots of stuff last night without a finder scope and a 6.7 mm eyepiece in the focusser, so I don't NEED a finder,  but I do like them. It gives me a 6-7 degree field of view and I don't have to swap eyepieces. I am also adding an RDF to the contraption, so it's going to be findertastic. I agree that aesthetically, I have taken a major hit. Since I started using a RACI I can actually find stuff, so I have grown quite attached to it 😃

To get a measly 5 degrees from the ZS66  I would need 2" eyepieces, a 2" amici prism, and enough backfocus, none of which I have. Also, the ZS66 focusser is only 4 cm not 2". 

For travel I would just use an RDF and a 30 mm Plossl as a finder (4°), and just accept eyepiece swapping and a reversed field of view...

Edited July 8, 2021 by Ags

[Ags]

I won't deny I have dreamed about getting a Baader T2 Amici prism. But there are so many other things I want to get, I just can't see it happening.

[AdeKing]

9 hours ago, Ags said:

To get a measly 5 degrees from the ZS66  I would need 2" eyepieces, a 2" amici prism, and enough backfocus, none of which I have. Also, the ZS66 focusser is only 4 cm not 2". 

If you unscrew the blue collar at the end of the 1.25" compression fitting you have a standard SCT thread. 

The 2" William Optics star diagonal with SCT fitting should then reach focus with 2" eyepieces.

Other SCT diagonals may also work but I can only speak for the W/O one as that was what I used.

SkySafari suggests that an ES 24mm 68 degree AFOV gives you 4.29 degrees FOV, not quite 5 degrees though I know.

Edited July 8, 2021 by AdeKing

[Ags]

I was playing with that thread. I have an inkling of an idea to use that ZS66 SCT thread to connect 0.63 reducer for EEA. I expect the reduction would be less than 0.63 because of limited backfocus and spacing, but every little helps in EEA 😀

I don't really like larger eyepieces, so I stick to 1¼" eyepieces (and not even the larger ones of those).