The Long Refractor Thread!

[F15Rules]

3 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

No AZ 75 for you then Dave

🤣

Actually, I did see both the AZ100 and 75 at the recent show in Kettering, and the Rowan guys seem very approachable.. @Saganite (aka Steve) was chatting to them about his AZ100. The build on both mounts looks superb..and made in the UK too!👍👍

I didn't mention the AZ75 on stand, as I wouldn't be likely to buy one anyway (I'm very happy with my Vixen SP in Altaz mode and my Tak mount for EQ mode)..

Much as I like long slow motion cables, they don't of course have to be long - or cables..they can be simple rotary knurled knobs closely affixed to the mount body, and can work very effectively so long as the scope in use isn't too long a tube..so not suitable for many of the scopes in this thread, then!

Dave

[paulastro]

On 30/03/2022 at 19:46, Franklin said:

Great looking scope and the mount is made for carrying such a beast. You've got to get a set of rings with double bolts at the base, I wouldn't be able to sleep at night with the scope not in line with the bar.

 

On 30/03/2022 at 19:29, mikeDnight said:

Here's my contribution to the long refractor thread. It's a 6" F10 achromatic objective, allegedly by Edmund Scientific, though I only have the seller's claim to that. All i can really say about it is that it has remarkable colour correction for a 6" F10 achro. The lens has a small scratch on the rear lens, which was facing forward when I bought it, and although it was said to be coated, I can detect no coatings on the objective. The lens may have some age to it, but I'm only guessing at this point. Hopefully the person who built the tube assembly will see this and shed some light on the mystery of this loveley objective.  The tube assembly itself is a heavy affair, and to carry it well I needed to acquire a substantial mount. The mount, which has zero vibration and glides at the touch of a finger, is a vintage equatorial by H. N. Irving and as solid as a rock - quite literally! My head can attest to that fact!!

It's all still a work in progress, but here are some pic's.

 

Just as I'd posted the above, I received an e-mail from the gentleman who bought the lens and built the tube assembly. The lens is old stock from Edmund Scientific and was bought from the USA, but rather than rewrite what was in the e-mail, I've included the relevant snippet below. I have to say I'm ever pleased!! 

I paid a visit to Mike yesterday and had the pleasure of seeing this scope.  Here's a link to  a post I put on another forum.

 

[stuy]

Here is my contribution 9” f9 apm lzos 

its a beast!

[JeremyS]

3 minutes ago, stuy said:

Here is my contribution 9” f9 apm lzos 

its a beast!

Where? We need to see! 👍🏻

[stuy]

2 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Where? We need to see! 👍🏻

Trying to upload but it ain’t !

[stuy]

[catburglar]

15 minutes ago, stuy said:

I’m not sure that belongs in a “Long refractor” thread- it’s only F/9 after all…that should be in a “Big refractor “ thread- it certainly is a beast

[stuy]

4 minutes ago, catburglar said:

I’m not sure that belongs in a “Long refractor” thread- it’s only F/9 after all…that should be in a “Big refractor “ thread- it certainly is a beast

In this day and age of f5,6,7 etc imaging apos the f9 is a oddity that’s for sure , it is a great imaging platform with reducers etc.. but it is primarily a visual instrument for the solar system  my main  interest 👍

[mikeDnight]

53 minutes ago, stuy said:

That's gorgeous Stuy. I'd be pretty content with that in my observatory. No carry handle? 

[stuy]

1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

That's gorgeous Stuy. I'd be pretty content with that in my observatory. No carry handle? 

No handles as i ain’t taking it off again !!!!😂

[Vroobel]

Hi everyone, 

I began my adventure with longer scopes (and my first refractors) totally accidentally thanks to @Franklin, who sold me his Vixen A80M Japan (F/11.4) in June this year. It is wonderful achromatic refractor allowing me to see even 4 biggest craterlets of the Plato with negligible CA, while the seeing was average. Less than three months later I bought a new Starwave Ascent 102ED F/11, which is just enough for me at this moment. They are only two, but the two make a collection now.

I'm preparing to test of general performance and comparison of both thanks to doubled every eyepiece, as I use binoviewer. This is how I'll do the live comparison:

The 102ED doesn't have extended dew shield, so it looks similar to the Vixen, but it's much longer.

I'll add pictures of single slopes soon. 

[Knighty2112]

17 minutes ago, Vroobel said:

Hi everyone, 

I began my adventure with longer scopes (and my first refractors) totally accidentally thanks to @Franklin, who sold me his Vixen A80M Japan (F/11.4) in June this year. It is wonderful achromatic refractor allowing me to see even 4 biggest craterlets of the Plato with negligible CA, while the seeing was average. Less than three months later I bought a new Starwave Ascent 102ED F/11, which is just enough for me at this moment. They are only two, but the two make a collection now.

I'm preparing to test of general performance and comparison of both thanks to doubled every eyepiece, as I use binoviewer. This is how I'll do the live comparison:

The 102ED doesn't have extended dew shield, so it looks similar to the Vixen, but it's much longer.

I'll add pictures of single slopes soon. 

Not looked through a Vixen A80M, but the views in my AA 102ED are excellent, so you should get great doubles observations and lunar and planetary views too.

[Vroobel]

I already checked what I can see through the 102ED, a BV with x2 OCS and 9mm Abbe Orthos (249x) on Jupiter surface. It was of course more than through the Vixen using the same configuration (202x). Seeing wasn't good then, so I couldn't use Fujiyama Ortho 7mm (321x) for Jupiter, but I did it for the Moon. It was unbelievably sharp view, lot of black darkness and detailed surface, with the same average seeing. And everything with no CA at all! Unfortunately I was sick, so didn't look at the Moon too long.

Edited September 25, 2022 by Vroobel

[DirkSteele]

The APM LZOS 130 f/9.2. One of the finest visual use scopes ever made and certainly the best LZOS makes which says a lot considering the quality of their optics in general.