140mm Stellarvue APO: New “Forever Scope” arrived!

[Sunshine]

12 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

When does the handle arrive?

There seems to be a strange fixation with handles here on SGL, the topic pops up on threads here and there, I’m perplexed 😂 do we like them or not?

[jetstream]

14 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Absolutely stunning, Magnus.

When does the handle arrive?

Would you still talk to me if I found the Tak a new home and bought the SV?

[Sunshine]

34 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Would you still talk to me if I found the Tak a new home and bought the SV?

He may speak to you but you may want to look over your shoulder for those men in black suits with dark glasses.

[Alan White]

1 hour ago, Sunshine said:

There seems to be a strange fixation with handles here on SGL, the topic pops up on threads here and there, I’m perplexed 😂 do we like them or not?

In answer to that question, I just cannot get a handle on that one just yet 😉

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by Alan White

[Deadlake]

Did you get a Stellarvue bag, very good for transporting around?

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Sunshine said:

My wife and I play lottery pretty regularly, If I hit it I'll buy TWO! 140's, one for me and one for you! done deal!

I appreciate it lol

[Captain Scarlet]

3 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Absolutely stunning, Magnus.

When does the handle arrive?

You mean this? Couldn't resist a couple of accessories from SV while they were at it, and this Losmandy/Vixen handle-to-end-all-handles had my name all over it. I now need a suitable Vixen bar to put on top of the rings to allow it to work.

1 hour ago, Deadlake said:

Did you get a Stellarvue bag, very good for transporting around?

Yes indeed, as you say a very good bag. It came as part of the price of the scope, together with the rings.

You can see it here, sitting in front of my 12" Newt, which is itself in front of my 16" Newt hot water tank .

Edited February 17, 2023 by Captain Scarlet
typo

[Sunshine]

1 hour ago, Captain Scarlet said:

You mean this? Couldn't resist a couple of accessories from SV while they were at it, and this Losmandy/Vixen handle-to-end-all-handles had my name all over it. I now need a suitable Vixen bar to put on top of the rings to allow it to work.

Yes indeed, as you say a very good bag. It came as part of the price of the scope, together with the rings.

You can see it here, sitting in front of my 12" Newt, which is itself in front of my 16" Newt hot water tank .

That is a big handle! I assume it’s not meant to be left of the scope while observing, it seems to be a quick release handle.

[Deadlake]

1 hour ago, Captain Scarlet said:

You mean this? Couldn't resist a couple of accessories from SV while they were at it, and this Losmandy/Vixen handle-to-end-all-handles had my name all over it. I now need a suitable Vixen bar to put on top of the rings to allow it to work.

Yes indeed, as you say a very good bag. It came as part of the price of the scope, together with the rings.

You can see it here, sitting in front of my 12" Newt, which is itself in front of my 16" Newt hot water tank .

Yes works very well

Very popular in the states.

 

[900SL]

That's a beauty! Congratulations Cap'n!

[Captain Scarlet]

46 minutes ago, 900SL said:

That's a beauty! Congratulations Cap'n!

Kiitos! Hopefully as much a beauty too when I get a chance to look through it! 🤞

[Captain Scarlet]

7 hours ago, Stu said:

Magnus, can you promise us you won’t end up changing the tube, objective and focuser on this one? 🤣

I can’t promise anything Stu, but my LZOS has so far survived 3-4 years in my charge without any interference.

HOWEVER. The LZOS has a FT focuser, and I would ideally have wanted the SV to have a FT…

No, I won’t do it 😁😁.

[Deadlake]

28 minutes ago, Captain Scarlet said:

HOWEVER. The LZOS has a FT focuser, and I would ideally have wanted the SV to have a FT…

Well if you could buy one this year.

That aside I'd like to know how they compare, the StellarVue and FT focuser's.

 

Edited February 17, 2023 by Deadlake

[JeremyS]

8 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

You mean this? Couldn't resist a couple of accessories from SV while they were at it, and this Losmandy/Vixen handle-to-end-all-handles had my name all over it. I now need a suitable Vixen bar to put on top of the rings to allow it to work.

Yes indeed, as you say a very good bag. It came as part of the price of the scope, together with the rings.

You can see it here, sitting in front of my 12" Newt, which is itself in front of my 16" Newt hot water tank .

Now THAT’S what I call a handle 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I’ll need to lie down in a darkened room now. I hope Dave @F15Rules has taken his meds.

[Deadlake]

12 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

You mean this? Couldn't resist a couple of accessories from SV while they were at it, and this Losmandy/Vixen handle-to-end-all-handles had my name all over it. I now need a suitable Vixen bar to put on top of the rings to allow it to work.

 

Knowing the dimensions of the bag and the LZOS I have is 130 mm will your 140 mm scope plus handle with rail fit in the bag??? Mine just sneaks in the bag with a low profile handle attached, no rail is attached to the 130 mm I have.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Deadlake

[F15Rules]

4 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Now THAT’S what I call a handle 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

I’ll need to lie down in a darkened room now. I hope Dave @F15Rules has taken his meds.

I've come down with the shakes.. I had a weird dream I was being chased by a madman carrying a huge black handle, shouting "Dave, where are you, you've got to see this!!!"..

Just woke up, and am about to have a very strong coffee...🤦😱

[Alan White]

3 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

I've come down with the shakes.. I had a weird dream I was being chased by a madman carrying a huge black handle, shouting "Dave, where are you, you've got to see this!!!"..

Just woke up, and am about to have a very strong coffee...🤦😱

Dave, I am sure you will handle the situation ……. 

[Franklin]

13 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

sitting in front of my 12" Newt, which is itself in front of my 16" Newt hot water tank

I thought you were supposed to cool scopes down?

[RobertI]

18 hours ago, Louis D said:

Just be cautious of overloading your Skytee 2.  The late @johninderby had his snap off under load, but was able to grab his OTA before it hit the ground:

The mount is made of cast pot metal rather than being CNC machined from a solid billet of aluminum.

Yes I would echo the warning about the Skytee. I have a solid ADM clamp on mine which clamps onto the puck with very solid M8 bolts, but the puck is bolted onto the ‘soft’ metal of the mount by three tiny M4 or M5 bolts which seem to only screw in a few millimetres, which looks like a huge weakness to me. I tapped in some longer bolts but still not  happy to load it with more than my C8. Sorry to divert, thought it was worth mentioning for the sake of your beautiful new scope. 

Edited February 18, 2023 by RobertI

[Franklin]

20 minutes ago, RobertI said:

Sorry to divert, thought it was worth mentioning for the sake of your beautiful new scope. 

Overloading mounts can never be underestimated, I'm always banging on about it. Take a leaf out of the imaging guys book, 1/2 the payload specs and you won't regret it!

[dweller25]

12 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

The LZOS has a FT focuser, and I would ideally have wanted the SV to have a FT…

No, I won’t do it 😁😁.

I would 😈

Edited February 18, 2023 by dweller25

[Deadlake]

1 hour ago, dweller25 said:

I would 😈

Apart from the 12 month wait for the part it add quite a lot of wait to the EP end of the scope.

I've thought of going with the manufactures focuser for that reason...

But yes FT's are very smooth...

[Captain Scarlet]

5 hours ago, Deadlake said:

Knowing the dimensions of the bag and the LZOS I have is 130 mm will your 140 mm scope plus handle with rail fit in the bag??? Mine just sneaks in the bag with a low profile handle attached, no rail is attached to the 130 mm I have.

As it is at the moment, with a reduced rail, it fits in the bag quite comfortably. With that handle definitely not, but that handle is designed to be taken on and off in a moment. It’ll be great for transporting my 12” tube outside for instance.

38 minutes ago, Deadlake said:

Apart from the 12 month wait for the part it add quite a lot of wait to the EP end of the scope.

I've thought of going with the manufactures focuser for that reason...

But yes FT's are very smooth...

I’ve just set it up inside (it’s raining again 🙄) and have been looking out across the countryside through some double-glazing. The focuser is very good. I’d say slightly better feel for the fine knob than BD Steeltrack (which adorns my 2 newts and a Mak). So I’m very happy with it.

[Captain Scarlet]

Having set it up, and extended the dew shield out to full length, this is what it looks like. Even I am drooling.

 

[Louis D]

6 hours ago, Franklin said:

I thought you were supposed to cool scopes down?

Not in Texas in the summer.  It is about 75° F in my house thanks to A/C, and it can be 95° F or more outside after sunset.  I often have to let my scope(s) warm up rather than cool down to acclimate.  On some nights, it never gets below about 80° F before sunrise, so it's never as cool outside as inside.  Believe me, warming up causes just as many optical issues as cooling down.