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

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, Captain Scarlet said:

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

 

Scope aside, that's a gorgeous view out your windows.

[Deadlake]

4 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

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.

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.

I have a 105 mm and to fit the scope inside a smaller StellarVue case  I use a TS handle (£35). This way no need to take the handle off or on. Just a thought.




 

Edited February 18, 2023 by Deadlake

[Captain Scarlet]

First Light beckons. Out and cooling. Although it’s rather windy, I’ve set up in the lee of a tree and thick hedge where it’s surprisingly sheltered. It’s supposed to be reasonably clear from about 6pm. For comparison, that’s a 88mm Kowa spotter just next to it.

 

[jetstream]

[Paz]

5 hours ago, Louis D said:

Scope aside, that's a gorgeous view out your windows.

You are right about that, I'm not sure which is more epic - the scope or the location!

[IB20]

7 hours ago, Captain Scarlet said:

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

 

What a fantastic looking scope. Congratulations, enjoy it!

[Captain Scarlet]

Well, First Light has happened. I was having to dodge cloud-bands and there was never perfect clarity. The MW normally striking was hardly evident. But there were enough gaps to make it worthwhile. I’ll write it up as an Observing Report tomorrow.

This thread isn’t about what I saw but what I saw it through. And all I can say is WOW.

I’m no expert at star-testing, but I do star-test every time I look through a scope if I can. I have some supposedly exalted scopes: an LZOS, two 1/10-wave newts included. But I’ve almost always had to find excuses as to why the ring-pattern wasn’t identical one side from the other. Always soft and/or spiky one side, sharp the other, or too turbulent to see at all. To be fair, there have always in my opinion been good reasons.

But this scope, tonight, a night of only slightly above average seeing I’d say, I could not tell the difference inside or outside focus (~5 waves). The patterns were identical and both sides totally SHARP sets of well-defined rings. No spikiness or softness either side. Quite unlike any star-test I’ve ever done. And seeing wasn’t great.

[edit: I went to Suiter’s book to see what the patterns should look like. And his images of “perfect unobstructed aperture, polychromatic” were _exactly_ what I was seeing, both sides. Amazing.]

At 160x Trapezium E and F were for moments between passing haze, totally “just there”. The C in Sigma Ori was easily evident. At lower power, 30x with my Nagler 31, open clusters were beyond-description lovely.

I am so happy with this scope 🙂🙂🙂. I cannot wait for the moon to come along, I never thought I’d think that!

Edited February 18, 2023 by Captain Scarlet
Referred to Suiter

[Stu]

Hurrah! Just imagine what it will be like on a top night! Should be amazing 👍👍

[jetstream]

1 hour ago, Captain Scarlet said:

But this scope, tonight, a night of only slightly above average seeing I’d say, I could not tell the difference inside or outside focus (~5 waves). The patterns were identical and both sides totally SHARP sets of well-defined rings. No spikiness or softness either side. Quite unlike any star-test I’ve ever done.

Congrats!!!

I just knew this was going to happen! Chatting with Vic the other day left no doubt in my mind about the quality of the lenses and the scope its sits in. Without any experience, evidence or anything like that I'll say that not only do I think these equal the best fracs out there but most likely will be at the top of the heap. You should see the equipment he has and the optician running it.

 

[Space Hopper]

Congratulations Magnus : its looks mightily impressive.

It actually looks noticeably shorter than my own F7 140, yet its only 40mm or so of difference. I think the dew shield on my scope  makes it look overly long. No bad thing though.

They are big scopes though in reality and they demand a good mount and tripod combo. For me a 140mm refractor is as big a refractor as I'd like to manage. I have to be ultra careful and am constantly worried about bumping it.

You will love Lunar views with it i'm absolutely sure. In fact if I do a session 'sans' Lunar, I often feel i'm missing out a bit.

A couple of my own points :

My own 140 star tests in a similar way, but its not something i've really taken much notice of. Reason...? I'm always hampered by seeing here. Trap star 'E' is difficult at the best of times and the 'F' star is a no show in my experience. Same with Sirius pup.

The scopes length when viewing Alt-Az can make viewing high up stuff rather difficult. Just the way it is.

Good to see you have a Planet tripod. I upgraded to one a couple of years ago and they make a big difference in stability terms.

 

Really looking forward to reading your observation report. 

And you have a stunning location i'm just a tad jealous of.......I get to look at trees, houses, and a Bortle 7 lightshow. Hay-ho.

 

 

 

 

 

[Alan White]

Magnus, so pleased on First LIght and such a pleasant test in not perfect conditions.
Wonderful and I look forward to reading your future exploits.

 

[markse68]

Not jealous. Not jealous. Sounds truly wonderful  Have you got a phone holder Magnus? Would be great to see a perfect startest, and the ones from your top tier newts

Mark

[Captain Scarlet]

13 minutes ago, markse68 said:

Not jealous. Not jealous. Sounds truly wonderful  Have you got a phone holder Magnus? Would be great to see a perfect startest, and the ones from your top tier newts

Mark

I don't have a phone holder, I do need to get one. I keep trying to learn @Stu's hand-holding skills but for a photo and comparison of a pair of star-tests I fear a phone holder would be needed. I do have a DSLR bayonet to 2" adapter though and lots and lots of in-travel available. I'll do it that way.

By the way, in one or two of the images earlier I laid a trap especially for you and those of your mind: I was sure you'd notice but so far nobody has .

[markse68]

I’m intrigued 🤔 and feeling very dense and unobservant 🤣 and trying to analyse my mind haha Don’t tell me though- I think i may need to look again on a bigger screen than my phone unless it’s hiding in plain sight. I did notice something odd in one of your images- are you using 2 diagonals to get un-mirrored view?

Mark

Edited February 19, 2023 by markse68

[Captain Scarlet]

1 minute ago, markse68 said:

I’m intrigued 🤔 and feeling very dense and unobservant 🤣 and trying to analyse my mind haha Don’t tell me though- I think i may need to look again on a bigger screen than my phone unless it’s hiding in plain sight. I did notice something odd in one of your images- are you using 2 diagonals to get un-mirrored view?

Mark

YES! Well done … my proprietary Porro setup. It works! And as far as I could tell, no vignetting with 18.2 DeLite inserted. 😁😁

[markse68]

That’s a great idea Magnus- longer light path than an amici prism but if you have the focuser in-travel like you do it’s got to be better- larger aperture like you say and no diffraction from the prism roof 👍 Excellent  

Mark

[JeremyS]

1 minute ago, Captain Scarlet said:

YES! Well done … my proprietary Porro setup. It works! And as far as I could tell, no vignetting with 18.2 DeLite inserted. 😁😁

Neat 👍🏻

Now instead of mirror vs prism debates we can have mirror + prism vs prism + mirror vs prism + prism vs mirror + mirror debates 😊

[Louis D]

1 hour ago, Captain Scarlet said:

YES! Well done … my proprietary Porro setup. It works! And as far as I could tell, no vignetting with 18.2 DeLite inserted. 😁😁

I remember trying that with a pair of surplus prisms cemented at 90 degrees in a home brew finder scope in the late 90s.  IIRC, it does work, but you have to stand at 90 degrees to the OTA, facing the hypotenuse side of the eyepiece holding diagonal to get the image in the right orientation.  Otherwise, it's rotated 90 degrees if you stand behind your OTA.

[Captain Scarlet]

10 minutes ago, Louis D said:

I remember trying that with a pair of surplus prisms cemented at 90 degrees in a home brew finder scope in the late 90s.  IIRC, it does work, but you have to stand at 90 degrees to the OTA, facing the hypotenuse side of the eyepiece holding diagonal to get the image in the right orientation.  Otherwise, it's rotated 90 degrees if you stand behind your OTA.

Yes indeed, just as you say. I'm not sure I'm going to use it in the field (I may) but I was curious. Using T-2 fit diagonals might save some in-travel by screwing the one directly to the other, perhaps requiring a small spacer to get it to bind in the right position.