WO Game Changing Astrograph?

[Sunshine]

This is interesting, never have I seen a focuser in the middle of an OTA.

William Optics - High-Quality Refractor Telescopes, Telephoto Lens, Binoculars, Eyepieces, Diagonals, and other Optical Accessories. - William Optics

 

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Might be similar to internally focusing camera lenses in design. Not sure why this would be a game changer, until the specs are more clear

[knobby]

That's a lot of strain on a focuser and unless it's very well made is begging for some tilt !

[Ratlet]

I'm more interested in the fact they managed to patent using a dovetail handle.  What was the unique aspect of it?  The ears?

I used to love incredibly specific patents in my R&D days.  Nothing like knee capping a multi national oil company threatening you with getting sued because you have a scan of a typed copy of a patent from the 1960s which shows prior art, provided you very specifically don't claim anything from the new patent.

Its a nice looking scope.  Not quite sure about the benefit of having it in the middle.  Perhaps it allows them to make it more sturdy?

[900SL]

3 hours ago, knobby said:

That's a lot of strain on a focuser and unless it's very well made is begging for some tilt !

I assume it is internally focused, so no tilt. The tube remains fixed?

[knobby]

2 hours ago, 900SL said:

I assume it is internally focused, so no tilt. The tube remains fixed?

Actually, you're probably right, looking at It on a PC  rather than a phone It looks like It has a very long focuser tube inside the ota. So in fact quite the opposite, It's very sturdy ?

[The Lazy Astronomer]

Cool. So... where are the details then, WO? 

It really annoys me when companies do this... There was some sort of teaser on the ZWO Facebook page the other day which seems to have amounted to nothing... 

[ONIKKINEN]

Really stretching the definition of the word game changer here.

Was there an issue with WO focusers, i thought they were good quality already?

[vlaiv]

I can see two benefits with this design:

1. No need for careful spacing

2. Tilt is effectively removed from the equation

 

[FLO]

It is real 🙂 

We are currently playing with testing one here at FLO. 

The central focus position means it needs a riser when used with some astronomy mount saddles. Otherwise, we are impressed. 

We can't post a price or specification without WO's permission but, if they agree, it will be on our stall at Astrofest this Friday & Saturday. 

HTH, 

Steve 

[Alien 13]

2 hours ago, vlaiv said:

I can see two benefits with this design:

1. No need for careful spacing

2. Tilt is effectively removed from the equation

 

It reminded me of your left field design for a focuser.. Good to have new ideas.

Alan

[The Lazy Astronomer]

On 30/01/2023 at 15:33, FLO said:

It is real 🙂 

We are currently playing with testing one here at FLO. 

The central focus position means it needs a riser when used with some astronomy mount saddles. Otherwise, we are impressed. 

We can't post a price or specification without WO's permission but, if they agree, it will be on our stall at Astrofest this Friday & Saturday. 

HTH, 

Steve 

Fancy hinting at the aperture?😁

edit: never mind, just seen WO site: 81mm. Do you know if they have any plans for other sizes? 

Edited January 31, 2023 by The Lazy Astronomer

[Sunshine]

Well, the details are out for imagers to decide on, I love to hear opinions! 

https://williamoptics.com/wifd

Edited February 11, 2023 by Sunshine

[SamAndrew]

I like it, the concept is similar to moving the mirror in an SCT design, which obviously aren't without their own issues, so it will depend how well it is executed, but I can't see why it would be that hard to get right with a small 80mm objective.

[vlaiv]

19 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Well, the details are out for imagers to decide on, I love to hear opinions! 

https://williamoptics.com/wifd

It is much simpler than I thought it would be

Won't help with FF/FR spacing and issues related to that

[SamAndrew]

1900 EUR at Telescope Express. 230 more than the normal GT81

Needs a better name

Edited February 12, 2023 by SamAndrew

[Dark Raven]

There seems to be an entire line of WO WIFD scopes coming.

[Elp]

The blue and black looks rather fetching.

[GalaxyGael]

Yep, a good engineering attempt to remove tilt/sag in a classical focuser. But with the advent of better inbuilt corrected optics being farmed out to various suppliers (Askar, ZWO e.g.), surprised that a focuser design to address imaging isnt more fully imaging ready. Or are there triplet + fixed corrector options?

[Dark Raven]

 

Interesting post from European Astrofest 2023. Scope and THE star in the background. 🤣  

On 04/02/2023 at 18:37, R26 oldtimer said:

Too far away to get a scope or eyepiece signed, but you can make it if you hurry up!

 

 

[The Admiral]

4 hours ago, GalaxyGael said:

isnt more fully imaging ready. Or are there triplet + fixed corrector options?

I'm wondering, with Petzval type arrangements, is it possible to have a focuser between components? Isn't the distance between objective and corrector required to be fixed? Any optics specialists here?

Ian

[GalaxyGael]

In a true petzval with a 2 + 2 arrangement there is a larger gap owing to the focal length of the front doublet. Likely the WO short tube with this new central focuser wont accommodate that design, and come to think of it not the 3 + 1 designs that have the corrector fairly far into the tube like the askar phq approach. curious to know if this WO patent fundamental prevents flatfielded scope designs at all.

[Andyb90]

On 17/04/2023 at 11:58, Dark Raven said:

There seems to be an entire line of WO WIFD scopes coming.

I emailed William Optics to ask about smaller scopes with the WIFD design. They said they will start selling a cat61 WIFD scope in June. I think it might be the scope pictured on the mount. I see that scope has the paw print logo on it that the other cat scopes have.

[Elp]

The blue black one in the front on the table also looks the same size.

[Andyb90]

There is a post on the cloudy nights forum with some pictures of the same scopes.

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/861025-neaf-2023-is-back-live-april-15th-16th-2023/?p=12636109

One of the pictures in the post is labelled ‘William Optics Pleiades Septuplet 71’.

In the pictures you can see the ‘Pleiades’ name on the side of the Blue and Black scopes.