Refractor suggestions …. Upgrade from Evostar 80ED Pro.

[Space Oddities]

What about one of those 115mm triplets? It has quite a good reputation, and a lower price due to the use of FPL51. Mark Carter has some very nice pics taken with this scope.

All the major retailers have their own version I guess:

Teleskop-Express: TS-Optics PHOTOLINE 115 mm f/7 Triplet Apo - 2.5" RAP focuser

Altair Wave Series 115 F7 ED Triplet APO (altairastro.com)

Astro-Tech AT115EDT f/7 ED Triplet Refractor OTA | Astronomics.com

 

I've also seen some wonderful pictures taken with the Explore Scientific 127ED. It's an older scope, compared to other scopes mentioned above, but... the images speak for themselves. Check out Wissam Ayoub's Astrobin, he has a lot of pics taken with this scope. They're really stunning!

[Ouroboros]

On 19/10/2022 at 11:41, Space Oddities said:

What about one of those 115mm triplets? It has quite a good reputation, and a lower price due to the use of FPL51. Mark Carter has some very nice pics taken with this scope.

All the major retailers have their own version I guess:

Teleskop-Express: TS-Optics PHOTOLINE 115 mm f/7 Triplet Apo - 2.5" RAP focuser

Altair Wave Series 115 F7 ED Triplet APO (altairastro.com)

Astro-Tech AT115EDT f/7 ED Triplet Refractor OTA | Astronomics.com

 

I've also seen some wonderful pictures taken with the Explore Scientific 127ED. It's an older scope, compared to other scopes mentioned above, but... the images speak for themselves. Check out Wissam Ayoub's Astrobin, he has a lot of pics taken with this scope. They're really stunning!

Oh dear!  Three more very nice scopes.  I need to study in more detail.  I'm getting a tad worried about the bulk and weight at that aperture.  I lifted some of the 130mm triplets at the IAS last week and decided that was above the limit, especially when all the other stuff would br added to the scope - camera, guider etc.  

[Ouroboros]

I am no further on with deciding. 🤨

I have decided to keep to the 4” limit though, which rules out everything above the ASKAR 600 and similar.

I have heard good things about the SkyWatcher Esprit 100ED.  OK it requires the flattener so not strictly an astrograph.  I had a close, hands on look at one at an Astro show earlier this year. Nice scope but I didn’t like the “captain’s wheel” rotator. It felt very stiff and clumsy to use. How do others find that and how the scope performs generally?