I Just Could Not Resist

[LDW1]

After selling about 6-8 of my scopes while keeping my NP101, Svbony 90mm and several other Classic scopes (5) I vowed at my age (75) to stop buying any more ! Well I just bought a Vixen A62SS in great shape for a price I could not resist, it will arrive next week. Does anyone have any pros, cons, pointers / advice or anything else to give me ? Here I go again, lol !   PS: Will post a couple of pics when I get it.

Edited October 26, 2022 by LDW1

[LDW1]

Here she be.

[Mr Spock]

Very nice!

[LDW1]

I really put it through its paces with DSO's last nite under Bortle 5, average to a bit above skies, using various top line eyepieces and a UHC neb filter. This is a wonderful, crisp, clear, pin point telescope for its size. On the higher power end I even pushed beyond its mathimatical max (31x), around Orion and M36, 37 & 38 Auriga, the Double Cluster and the Andromeda Galaxy, its great performance never paused for a moment. What a steal when I bought this scope for less than $500 C !

[Franklin]

I had an A62SS and used it as a lightweight travel scope, very nice quality scope. Single speed, rotatable crayford style focuser, sliding dewshield and the optics though achromatic were, as you say, very sharp. It had a very flat field which I think was achieved through the optical design. Similar to a Petzval, there is another lens element at the rear of the scope which acts like a barlow/flattener. This optical design means you're getting around F/8 with a focal length over 500mm in a tube that's barely a foot long, very nice. Although labeled Vixen I believe they were manufactured by Long Perng, Taiwan and a similar scope was offered by Orion called the Starblast and was supplied with an amici prism diagonal.

The Vixen A62SS is a fantastic little scope and the only reason I sold mine on was because I ended up with a Vixen FL55SS.

[Karl Perera]

Always best to read actual astronomer's experience with scopes rather than visit those tired pages with top 5 scopes for 2022 etc.

[LDW1]

And I just received a WL solar filter for it from AstroZap for Xmas to myself !

[Franklin]

Just thought I'd mention for any others with this scope, solar WL is fine with a full aperture front fitting filter. But I have read about this scope design not being compatible with wedge WL or even projection because of the secondary element at the rear of the scope. Some have said, even Al Nagler himself that petzval type scopes are fine with a solar wedge and the TeleVue scopes most likely are. However, having got my hands on another Vixen A62SS I had to take it apart for repair and what I discovered inside was the following: Rather than a number of traditional light baffles inside the tube there is a tube baffle that has the shape of a cone. I think William Optics Megrez was first with this baffle design and the little Vixen is the same. This cone shaped baffle screws onto the back of the objective lens cell and at its tapered end has the secondary element fixed with a threaded collar. The whole of the baffle cone and the lens mounting and collar are made of thin plastic and I do not think it would be a good idea to heat this part of the scope up. So I would NOT recommend using this scope for WL solar UNLESS using a full aperture front fitting filter like @LDW1 has above.

[LDW1]

1 hour ago, Franklin said:

Just thought I'd mention for any others with this scope, solar WL is fine with a full aperture front fitting filter. But I have read about this scope design not being compatible with wedge WL or even projection because of the secondary element at the rear of the scope. Some have said, even Al Nagler himself that petzval type scopes are fine with a solar wedge and the TeleVue scopes most likely are. However, having got my hands on another Vixen A62SS I had to take it apart for repair and what I discovered inside was the following: Rather than a number of traditional light baffles inside the tube there is a tube baffle that has the shape of a cone. I think William Optics Megrez was first with this baffle design and the little Vixen is the same. This cone shaped baffle screws onto the back of the objective lens cell and at its tapered end has the secondary element fixed with a threaded collar. The whole of the baffle cone and the lens mounting and collar are made of thin plastic and I do not think it would be a good idea to heat this part of the scope up. So I would NOT recommend using this scope for WL solar UNLESS using a full aperture front fitting filter like @LDW1 has above.

Can you send or post a copy of what you read against using the scope for wl viewing, for everyones info ?  This is pretty important, how long ago did you read it ?

[Franklin]

It was on a thread over on CN but it wasn't a concern over front mounted full aperture solar filters, they're fine. It was a concern with using a solar wedge and/or projection, principally heat build up at the lower element of the petzval type design. A CN member wrote to several manufacturers of petzval type design scopes (TV/WO)and they replied that it is safe. Maybe the lower element is held in a metal cell on these scopes which would make it ok. Years ago I had a William Optics 80mm semi-apo which I took apart to clean and it had a metal, fluted baffle tube inside. The A62SS I took apart had the same fluted baffle tube design but it, along with the rear lens retaining ring, is made of plastic. This is why I thought it may not be a good idea letting heat build up at the lower end of this scope. The rear element in the A62SS just sits in front of the drawtube when it's fully racked in and does not move with the drawtube. The spacing between the objective and the rear element in the A62SS is fixed and determined by the length of the baffle tube, this must be fully screwed into the rear of the objective cell. The A62SS scope I have, I picked up cheap, because it wasn't working properly, but it was the baffle tube that had come loose inside. I've tightened it back up and have just this minute been outside to test it and am pleased to say that it's working as it should. Great little scope IMO. It's just that whilst doing this repair I happened to notice that there is quite a bit of plastic going on inside so thought I'd mention it just in case anyone were to use it for WL without a front mounted filter such as, projection or with a wedge. I'll have a look over on CN and see if I can find the article I read.

http://www.cloudynights.com/topic/664492-any-reasons-not-to-use-a-petzval-refracto…

 

Edited January 16, 2023 by Franklin

[LDW1]

3 hours ago, Franklin said:

Just thought I'd mention for any others with this scope, solar WL is fine with a full aperture front fitting filter. But I have read about this scope design not being compatible with wedge WL or even projection because of the secondary element at the rear of the scope. Some have said, even Al Nagler himself that petzval type scopes are fine with a solar wedge and the TeleVue scopes most likely are. However, having got my hands on another Vixen A62SS I had to take it apart for repair and what I discovered inside was the following: Rather than a number of traditional light baffles inside the tube there is a tube baffle that has the shape of a cone. I think William Optics Megrez was first with this baffle design and the little Vixen is the same. This cone shaped baffle screws onto the back of the objective lens cell and at its tapered end has the secondary element fixed with a threaded collar. The whole of the baffle cone and the lens mounting and collar are made of thin plastic and I do not think it would be a good idea to heat this part of the scope up. So I would NOT recommend using this scope for WL solar UNLESS using a full aperture front fitting filter like @LDW1 has above.

A lot of plastic type materials today are pretty tough / heat resistant. The amount of heat generation in a small 62mm scope, using a 1.25" wl wedge, will probably be pretty small, any issues I have read about have been in over 100mm scopes. I have just ordered a Lunt 1.25" wedge, I will report back if tragedy should strike !

[Franklin]

29 minutes ago, LDW1 said:

I have just ordered a Lunt 1.25" wedge, I will report back if tragedy should strike !

I have a Lunt 1.25" wedge and have used it with the A62SS and thought it worked fine but, I would only take short views and periodically turn the scope away from the Sun just to be on the safe side. No smell of burning plastic! Also the heat sink on the Lunt doesn't get very hot to touch, just warmish really, but like I say, I don't leave the scope tracking the Sun for hours.