I've been assimilated again...

[Ben Ritchie]

Here's the new toy, with an eyepiece for comparison

Very cool little 'scope, although in typical Borg fashion there's a maze of adapters to navigate and i'm not quite there yet. Works at 230mm focal length, f/3.8 and i'm going to add a Kodak KAF8300 CCD to it (probably QSI 583) for widefield narrowband work. The field of view with a DSLR is enough to fit both the Horsehead and the whole of M42 on the chip at once, so should work out nicely...

[SteveL]

Welcome to the collective, imaging unit 16 of 48

[barkis]

Beautiful, and think of the pleasure you will get working it all out.

I'm convinced these toys are introduced to encourage Avarice.

Ron.

[Ben Ritchie]

Beautiful, and think of the pleasure you will get working it all out.

"Borg, for those times when figuring out the Telegraph crossword isn't hard enough"

[barkis]

"Borg, for those times when figuring out the Telegraph crossword isn't hard enough"

Oh! That one's Easy Peasy.

[SteveL]

Isnt the helical focuser just a thing of beauty...

[barkis]

Isnt the helical focuser just a thing of beauty...

Is that the graduated ring in the centre?

[barkis]

Any chance one of these Borgs will be set up for observational purposes at Kelling. Even for a few minutes maybe?

Ron.

[SteveL]

Unless you have tried one, you dont know how nice they are... when you say "observational", do you man "to look at" or "to look through" ?

[Ben Ritchie]

The Helical focuser is excellent - and with the 60ED it's mounted behind the objective lens so the whole setup from the tube rings back is solid, no possibility of the focuser slipping from a heavy CCD and should be very rigid too.

"Looking through" might be an issue, would need a whole new set of adapters ... very much a dedicated imaging 'scope as it stands.

[barkis]

Sure thing, I know you are on the whole, if not full blown Imagers, but as Ben included that gorgeous Ethos in the picture, I hopefully thought I might get a Peek Through it Kelling.

I shan't die with disappointment if No, it was merely a, "Well, I've seen what a Borg and a quality eyepiece can deliver.

Ron.

[Ben Ritchie]

They're good visual 'scopes, the 77ED I had (and should never have sold) was a lovely widefield refractor. The main benefit there is that they're ultra-portable, it only takes a couple of minutes to split it back into the components and takes up no space - compare the attached picture side-by-side with an 80ED. Even the 5" ones are an easy carry-on item for air travel. If you don't need that portability they're pricey for visual use though, the real benefit comes with the f/4 reducers for imaging.

With this one I'd need to revisit the lengthy list of parts and work out how the hell I attach a diagonal to it

[moocher]

Ya won`t be wanting the 77ED back now then eh mate? The QSI and 60ed will be a formidable combination i reckon!!!

Alan:)

[Ben Ritchie]

I've wanted the 77ED back pretty much since I sold it, and even more once I saw what you were doing with it

[barkis]

Is it a £1K Pus Scope then, or is it rude to ask.

Ron.

[Ben Ritchie]

You don't get much change, but that's largely due to the imaging accessories - the 0.66x reducer, camera rotator and filter drawer all add substantially to the cost. In visual form as a 60mm f/5.8 ED refractor it's a bit under £500 if you buy it new in the UK (or quite a bit less if you import it, even after tax/shipping - the UK Borg dealer is not cheap)

[albedo0.39]

Looking at it next to the (Ethos ?) EP, it's hard to tell which is the scope ! - very nice set up...I'll bet your pleased eh ?

[callump]

I expect I will have my old Borg 76ED at kelling, sorry I don't have a nagler to go with it, though.

Nice little scope - recommended.

When I got my 76ED the price vs. exchange rate was very good.

/callump

[Aza]

COOL!

The HH and Orion on the same chip, now that would be something I would like to do.

I soooo want a Borg....one day

[TakMan]

although in typical Borg fashion there's a maze of adapters to navigate and i'm not quite there yet.

Can't be any worse than Takahashi... surely!!!!

Nice scope by the way....!

Regards

Damian

[Ben Ritchie]

Can't be any worse than Takahashi... surely!!!!:icon_confused

Believe me, i've got my Tak adapter-hell badge and the Borg is a whole new ballgame. You take this:

Hutech Astronomical Products - Borg Telescopes and Accessories

and try and make a telescope out of it (with correct spacing if you have the reducer/flattener in there). The list goes on for a long time!

You get to read through lots of stuff like

1. 13mm extension may be replaced with camera rotating ring (#7352).

2. Back focus (without two extension tubes): 75mm

3. Sample configurations for CCD cameras (remove both extension tubes):

* SBIG ST series:

7866 - 7352 - 7522 - CFW8A/ST series

* Starlight Express SX series (One shot color camera):

7866 - 7352 - 7603 - 7522 - SX series

4. Sample configurations for DSLR cameras:

* 7866 - 5001 to 5010 (with two extension tubes)

* 7866 - 7352 - 5001 to 5010 (13mm extension tube replaced with 7352)

and try and figure out what all that means if you want to include a 7259 as well as a 7352, which doesn't match the size of anything else and needs another adapter, or what it means if you want a filter wheel in there...

[barkis]

Believe me, i've got my Tak adapter-hell badge and the Borg is a whole new ballgame. You take this:

Hutech Astronomical Products - Borg Telescopes and Accessories

and try and make a telescope out of it (with correct spacing if you have the reducer/flattener in there). The list goes on for a long time!

You get to read through lots of stuff like

and try and figure out what all that means if you want to include a 7259 as well as a 7352, which doesn't match the size of anything else and needs another adapter, or what it means if you want a filter wheel in there...

Sure brings to mind the Krypton Factor Ben.

Ron.

[Ben Ritchie]

It's like a weird form of Sudoku

[Aza]

Is the support any good from Hutech?

Will they tell you everything you need to know, without too much trouble?

[SteveL]

Yes, I have found support from Hutech is really good. Email them with what you want, and the camera you will be using, and they will mail you back the list of jigsaw pieces you will need.