80mm APO

[RyanParle]

No idea of the price, or getting it here from there or anything else!!!

INTANE 80 APO Refractor, China INTANE 80 APO Refractor, 200880APO

They say they sell to individuals and the price might be good.

That one is a Triplet so I would think that it is well above my budget.

But saying that...

Or.....

ED-80 APO refractor Astro Professional

£375.00

http://www.astro-professional.com/html/ed_80mm-3.html

John

This one is a reasonable price and its also a triplet, maybe i'll contact intane optics and get a price.

thanks for the input guys, it seems that there is a lot more to choose from than i first thought!

to summarize here are the scopes in consideration:

Doublets:

WO Megrez 72: 432mm, f/6, ??FLP-51?? £339 (OTA only)

WO ZS 80 II : 545mm, f/7, FPL-51 £379 (OTA & Case)

SW 80ED DS-Pro : 600mm f/7.5, FLP-53 £325(OTA only)

TS APO 80 : 500mm, f/6.25, FLP-53 ~£425 (OTA & Case?)

Triplets:

INTANE 80 APO : 560mm, f/7, Glass ?, cost? (OTA, Case & Accessories)

Astro Professional ED-80 APO :560mm, f/7, Glass?, £375 (OTA, Case & Accessories)

From the pictures it looks as if the astro professional and the Intane both use the same lens assembly, but there are no specs regarding the glass type on intane site.

Right now the astro professional is looking like a really good buy.

[johninderby]

The Astro-Professional ED80 APO is £375.00 and is a cemented triplet that's the same specs as the Intane and

in fact I expect it's actually made by Intane.

John

[RyanParle]

I think i agree with you there John, the pictures show an identical lens assembly and Intane also sell the lens assy on its own. it seems strange that the manufacturer of the lens "intane" dont mention the glass type but Astro-Professional say that it is FPL-53.

The only difference i can see between the two scopes is the focuser.

[johninderby]

I couldn't see FPL-53 mentioned on Astro-Professional's web page.

John

[RyanParle]

I couldn't see FPL-53 mentioned on Astro-Professional's web page.

John

Sorry, you are correct John! i must have got confused when browsing through the clutter of tabs for several telescope pages in my browser. I'll update my summary.

[MG1]

This does highlight the difficulty is choosing a scope in this range. I'm just starting a similar dilemma myself.... I'm not sure if I want it just fir guiding (so maybe the Orion ST80 is on the cards) or to also dabble in widefield ? (in which case do I break the bank and stretch to the Meade 5000 80mm?)

It's a tough old one....maybe I should just save and in about three years get the baby tak Fsq?

I'll keep my eye on this thread to see what everyone else thinks...

[johninderby]

(in which case do I break the bank and stretch to the Meade 5000 80mm?)

Instead of the Meade 5000 80 Triplet (FPL-51 equivalent) you could get the Telescope Service TS 80/480 FPL-53 Triplet at £550.00. Better optics and a better focuser. I know, I bought one of the new TS80/480s after studying what was available in that price range. Amazing optics that are nearly as good as a TMB....

http://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p3881_TS-Triplet-FPL53-Apo-80-480mm---f-6---no-colour-fringes.html

These new Chinese made triplets with their FPL-53 O'Hara glass that are just starting to arrive from China have just moved the goal posts for what you can expect from this price range. I think they're going to do to the triplet APO market what the ED FPL-53 doublets did to the doublet market a few years ago.

John

[RyanParle]

i've been thinking about the FPL-53 doublet vs the intane / Astro-professional triplet, which for now i will assume has FPl-51 glass

which is more likely to give a better image, the doublet with superior glass or the triplet with the inferior glasss?

[Capricorn]

By rights the triplet should, it should be corrected for 3 wavelengths. If the ED doublet is f/5 then certainly the triplet - I haven't a clue what f number the ED is.

There is nothing wrong with FPL-51, there just happens to be a better glass type called FPL-53 running round. Don't know about your car but there are better ones then mine running round and it causes me no concerns or problems.

The Intane one (AP I will presume) was I think f/7 which should make for easier CA correction if needed. So as a triplet and f/7 I would suspect that you wouldn't see a thing concerning CA.

Problem with asking is that you get every opinion, but never make a choice, I threw in the Intane option more as devilment. As for saving for a Tak, the Chinese will be making Tak equivilants before long. I don't think they are going to stop at the budget end of things. At present I would guess that a big percentage of what we buy is of Chinese manufacture.

Have a look at:

Long Perng Co., Ltd.

China Binoculars and Telescope Manufacture

[A McEwan]

I'd like to compare my Chinese-lensed 90mm triplet against a Tak 90mm. I'd like to see if I could find £1450 worth of 'visual improvement' in the Tak!

[ollypenrice]

I'd like to compare my Chinese-lensed 90mm triplet against a Tak 90mm. I'd like to see if I could find £1450 worth of 'visual improvement' in the Tak!

I don't think it would be a wise spend since, at the risk of excommunication, I don't feel the 90 is one of their best...

Olly

[Ant]

I think I now own the revelation 80 now, and it is a great little scope except for the focuser

I've got the Revelation ED80 - the focuser is great - what wrong with yours?

Ant

[MG1]

I don't think it would be a wise spend since, at the risk of excommunication, I don't feel the 90 is one of their best...

Olly

But I'm guessing you'd be an advocate for saving for the baby Tak.... Funny thing, my wife is very supportive of me changing the 'holiday' fund to the 'baby' fund....do you think I should fess up now or wait until it's full....maybe if I went for a secret snip she'd then let me have one as consolation!

....or is that over stepping the commitment to my hobby!

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

But I'm guessing you'd be an advocate for saving for the baby Tak.... Funny thing, my wife is very supportive of me changing the 'holiday' fund to the 'baby' fund....do you think I should fess up now or wait until it's full....maybe if I went for a secret snip she'd then let me have one as consolation!

....or is that over stepping the commitment to my hobby!

Yes!!

[adam88]

Although it was probably a one in a thousand?? I managed to get a megrez 80 with the LOMO triplet in it for £480 (inc certification 98.3 strehl 1/9 wave PtV) and that is a stunning scope. The focuser is pretty good and you get a nice backpack to carry it in!

Just one other thing to consider incase one comes up?

[MG1]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the vixen 80mms?

[Dangerous-Dave]

Does anyone have any thoughts on the vixen 80mms?

The Vixen 80EDSF is made in China and effectively the same scope as the Skywatcher 80ED. However it costs twice the price, £699 versus £349. I think it was around the £450 mark last year, but Vixen have whacked their prices up.

I own the Megrez 72FD and used to own the ZS80 FD anniversary, and would recommend the latter. You need extension tubes to image with it, which is annoying, but the optics are superb. I am not convinced about the colour correction of the 72FD, although it does make a cracking guide scope which is what I use it for.

[RyanParle]

I own the Megrez 72FD and used to own the ZS80 FD anniversary, and would recommend the latter. You need extension tubes to image with it, which is annoying, but the optics are superb. I am not convinced about the colour correction of the 72FD, although it does make a cracking guide scope which is what I use it for.

Thanks Dave.

I was chatting to a friend who has owned a few WO telescopes, he aslo said that the megrez 72 is not really the best scope for me.

Right now the Astro-Professional is looking like a favorite.