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LewisM
10-09-2012, 04:48 PM
IS the older blue tube 150 x 1200 achromat the same as the more modern one, or does the blue tube signify "lesser", like their low-end blue tube refractors?

Been offered a blue tube 150 x 1200 achromat on an EQ5 for $1150, just wondering if it is worth it.

warpsl
10-09-2012, 05:52 PM
hi.i have a 2002 model,and a 2011 model skywatcher 6 inch f8 refractor.i use them both as big binoculars,and optically they are exactly the same.the same light transmission,contrast and sharpness.:)

brian nordstrom
10-09-2012, 06:09 PM
:) Same here , I have a Saxon branded 150mm f/8 from around 2004 , and a friend has the Sky Blue Skywatcher from 2009 you speak of and there is no difference we could see in the optics , as Warpsl said the sharpness and clarity of these big boys is awsome :thumbsup: , a great scope .
I have since fitted a thing called a ' Chromocor ' made in the Ucraine by an optical manufacturer called " Aries " these components are the bees knees for these refractors , turn them into a world class scope , not to say they aint in their standard form .
Notice I said Big Boys ? these are big scopes , so be aware they are a loy of scope to set up and use , but as said , awsome .:D
Here is mine .
Go for it if you can set it up and use it easily .
Brian.

Blue Skies
10-09-2012, 07:10 PM
Not at all. Synta would do different colours for different small dealers in the early 2000's but then they changed to big bulk orders only and they went all powder blue.

LewisM
10-09-2012, 07:47 PM
Well, done gone secured it :)

Rubbing hands with glee!

Brian, please send me the details on that field flattener/coma corrector - my wife speaks Russian fluently, so might help LOL.

LewisM
10-09-2012, 07:49 PM
BTW, I have become infatuated with crayford focusers (not surprising) - anyone fitted one to these? Problems?

MattT
11-09-2012, 07:09 AM
Great scopes I use my 6" in preference to any other scope I have. If this scope has the adjustable lens cell go for it. The EQ 5 is a OK for it too. As for a new focuser, I upgraded the R+P with a GSO Linear Bearing 2 speed and its terrific.And for bright things in the sky that turn a bit purple use the 4" apateure mask or a baader semi-apo filter and no more purple :D
Cheers Matt

brian nordstrom
11-09-2012, 06:47 PM
:thumbsup: PM'd Lewis , Mathew I mentioned the Istar equilivant of the Chromocor that they are developing at the monent , maybe you can enlighten us a bit ? ;) .
Thanks mate.
Brian.

brian nordstrom
11-09-2012, 06:52 PM
;) good advice Matt , I have a Baader semi apo filter sitting here doing nothing at the moment , so Lewis when you get your scope , PM me and I will send it to you free so you can try it out , see if you like it . And if you do you can have it really cheap , OK mate .:thumbsup: .
Let me know when your scope arrives .
Brian.

AstralTraveller
11-09-2012, 07:12 PM
They're a nice scope and the EQ5 handles them well. I find I often prefer it to the 10" newt, especially for lunar/planetary. For DSOs of course it can't beat the 16". Coming from reflectors I initially found the purple haze to be intrusive but I put a Baader FringeKiller on the front of the diagonal and now it looks great. Mine is a Celestron and the weak point was the focusser. After a couple of years I got a motorised Moonlite and the difference is stunning. I reckon I get a half mag improvement in limiting mag just by being able to get the focus spot on. I've tried a Chromocor (at least I assume that's what it was - a corrector that goes in front of the diagonal) and I don't know that was any better than the Fringekiller, but to be fair I didn't try them side by side.

LewisM
11-09-2012, 08:45 PM
Brian, that is downright gentlemanly of you! Will keep you informed. Hoping tomorrow to collect it face to face.

MattT
12-09-2012, 07:29 AM
Istar will be putting out the Raycorr some time soon is all I know. Its supposed to be around the US $300-4000 area...they are having trouble finding a supplier of the right sort of glass but when they do :eyepop: The only thing I dislike about my 6" is that it's only 6"....want more. Don't we all though.:lol: Click on the Istar Scope Club link to find out the latest.
Cheers Matt

casstony
12-09-2012, 08:47 AM
You just need a 12" dob to keep the 6" refractor company Matt :)
Refractors over 6" get a bit hard to handle.

LewisM
12-09-2012, 12:25 PM
Got it!

It's BIG, it's BEAUTIFUL!

Cosmetically about 98% (I wouldn't mind it being appliance white anyway, so Bunnings here I come!). MINOR mold on the objective, thankfully it seems NONE between the glass, just on the surface. I got some knocked off because of this. 3 eyepieces (haven't looked WHAT yet, but seems like Plossl's). EQ5 GOTO mount - all working fine etc etc.

All for... $1100

If I sell the EQ5 with my Mak, it just paid for itself :)

Brian, I'll contact you soon - just running to The Big Red Hammer (as my 4 year old daughter calls it) now :)

Bintel gets an order for a Crayford right now... it's a smooth R&P, but I want that micro-adjustment, seeing I am the king of anly-retentive perfection :) :) :)

MattT
12-09-2012, 01:29 PM
Hi Tony....yep too right there. Thinking about that one too, just trying to decide between 10" or 12" dob. The big frac ...well maybe...one day when I'm out of the city.
Matt

LewisM
12-09-2012, 04:10 PM
Just finished cleaning up the lenses (SO simple to remove and clean). No damage, no mold (now) :) crystal clear. Was considering blackening the edges, but might wait till after first light tonight.

Now got to explain the big blue behemoth in the garage to the wife...

Going to go to Super Cheap auto tomorrow and get one of those aluminium tool boxes to keep it in.

Did I mention it was big? :)

Bloody big in fact.

Now that's a scope that suits me!

Linear 10:1 Crayford on the way from the USA, and replacing the awful old SW diagonal with one of the newer ones with the brass clamping rings (borrowing the one from my ED80 for now - or maybe permanently, and keep the old diagonal on the ED80,, seeing that will be the guidescope :D)

Got to move that Mak fast :)

LewisM
12-09-2012, 08:08 PM
OK, only had time for twilight seeing (besides targetting the finder on a distant dead tree I like using).

Yeah, I CAN see some chromatic abberation, but that's only when using the 2x Barlow and the 6.3mm eyepiece! Using the 40mm yields NIL CA. Using the 28 yields NIL, and the 17 shows a very VERY insignificant hint of purple. The 6.3 throws purple, reds, and blues :) But that's with the Barlow pushing it to max potential.

Trained it on Saturn... OMG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even with the 40mm, I could CLEARLY see the ring shadow, banding, etc. Then I threw in the 6.3....my jaw dropped. Seriously, OK, there's CA there at that mag, but I don't care, it doesn't worry me much. The detail I saw more than compensated for the CA.

Tried Mars. Again, a case of WOW! I split Alpha Centauri's double with consumate ease even using the 40mm eyepiece - child's play. The DEPTH of the field is amazing too - typical refractor - velvet dark sumptuousness. Did a collimation star shot, and please to report even after me disassembling the objective cell completely to clean it, it is still SPOT ON collimation. (did I mention that's a metric poop ton of glass up the front?).

Downsides:
1. it's BIG. Zenith observations is going to mean I have an air matress inflated outside on the ground :)
2. It's big, therefore there's a few moments. Focussing becomes a fun experience seeing how much it dances whilst trying to focus. My Crayford inbound will help resolve a LOT of that, but moreso after I counter-balance and tweak the tube as I have received PM's about. I expected this with such a big tube. I am considering trying to find a longer dovetail bar too to spread it a bit more, and maybe tightening the HEQ5 head a little.
3. As expected, and already in the process of remedying, the R&P, whilst GOOD for a R&P still is...an R&P focuser. It has some drawbacks (yes Sherlock :) )
4. The older SW diagonals are not the best. The newer ones are light years ahead, and I have swapped over already with my ED80's.

I threw a blanket over it in the garage after I had finished balancing (EASIER than I anticipated) it in the HEQ5, and put the polystyrene foam objective "cradle" over it to hold the blanket... My 4 year old daughter came out and said "Daddy, it's a dinosaur". So, the scope got the name "Dorothy" after the Wiggle's Dorothy the Dinosaur.

I have shimmed under the pull-off dew shield with more felt, as it did seem a little loose. It's now tight. The blue is growing on me, but still think it'll be white and black before Sunday :)

100%, in every way, this is the BEST bang for the buck possible! Large aperture refractor, with MINIMAL CA (that can be removed almost entirely thanks to a Chromacor - just got to get one!), built pretty darned right out of the box. A few refinements (focusser etc), and she will be a stunner in every way.

Oh, and it's a BIG! I had a neighbour come out when I was sighting it in. She said "Holy SH*T!" I just chuckled.

brian nordstrom
12-09-2012, 09:23 PM
:question: 2x1= yesterday . I am only replying to the way the posts have been ;).
Posted , nice .

6 inches of refractor , well made , ,,,,:shrug:.
there is an optics god , premo glass , 75mm in radi .,
The chinese were the 1st to acheave this , gotta give them credit .where its due .
nice to look at , pretty to hold ,
Break me and ??? :eyepop:.
Good glass.
Brian

brian nordstrom
12-09-2012, 10:22 PM
:shrug: only ? , my 90mm Apo is really good , :hi: Matt .
but 150mm is awsome .:thumbsup: .
I love living up here in the NT ., dark skies . . when its not the wet season .
Here is 7mm of naked eye , from NZ just before I left 4 yrs ago . . I picked uo my 150mm from storage only 3 weeks ago . used it , was impressed .
Now my Nephew in Hamilton NZ has the total use of her .
Chromocors work . ;)
I have been using my 127mm triplet for a while now , and my 150mm Synta with a chromocor is as good , easily .
Brian.

LewisM
13-09-2012, 09:11 AM
I'll do some pictures today after I put some lead sheet inside the tube at the back... that's too long a moment arm balanced as is, and even touching it and off she goes (dampens quickly though). The HEQ5 handles it JUST fine, though with a camera attached last night, I had to stop the slew otherwise the camera was going to hit the tripod leg near zenith! (note to self - if, as expected I get REALLY serious about this scope, it get's a pier :) )

Photos did not disappoint, except for the expected CA in the bright stars. Hopefully, the Baader filter will kill a lot of that. Have decided WILL grab a ChromaCor, IF I can darned well secure one!

LewisM
13-09-2012, 10:36 AM
Here's the first astrophotograph through it, prior to ANY tube/lens mods etc.

Not too bad - and this image is unedited stack of 12 x 20 sec exposures. Still getting green reflections... 2am and Orion is STILL JUST over a tree for me - if I wait till 0330 it should be better... YAWN...:sadeyes:

brian nordstrom
13-09-2012, 07:22 PM
:lol: Dorothy , cool .
Brian.

brian nordstrom
13-09-2012, 07:28 PM
:question: Hens teeth them things :help: , have you looked on Cloudy Nites ? yet Lewis , there is one for sale there , as of Monday ?
Brian.

brian nordstrom
13-09-2012, 07:30 PM
:thumbsup:Nice 3D image , shows the depth of field well , that these refractors are good at .
Well done Lewis .
Brian.

LewisM
13-09-2012, 10:54 PM
Not happy with the shot actually Brian. Yes, it shows BEAUTIFUL detail (in the original size), but this light pollution is starting to frustrate me no end. Going to HAVE to dump that bazooka in the car and do a road trip one of these nights - maybe as far out as Kingaroy, where a mate has a DARK farm.

LewisM
14-09-2012, 06:09 PM
Today, I folded 1.5kg of plumber's lead sheet into a donut (pictures later when I download them off the phone), covered in in flat black felt, and inserted it into my newly re-blackboard painted (ultra matt black) tube interior - butts up against the final baffle and in front of the focuser cone plate - no interference to movement or the light path. The new CoG is MUCH better - much farther aft (rather than almost at the objective bell!), and this will GREATLY minimise and dampen out vibrations (I HOPE!).

The ring scratches to the sky blue tube are annoying me...so much so I re-felted the rings. Now deciding if I go all out and white and black paint it... I like the classic refractor colour, so I think I will. Already taken the darned label sticker off - I HATE THOSE THINGS! The ones with the diameter, focal length etc on them - IF I reattach it, it'll be on the BOTTOM of the tube, but I think I will have a custom brass plate laser etched with the details, minus the Made in China bit :D

Can't WAIT for the 1:10 linear Crayford to arrive from Agena!

Yeah, I have verbal diarrhoea again, but bear with me - this refractor has really taken a spot in my heart.

DavidU
14-09-2012, 08:09 PM
I loved my 150mm f/8, I had two of them. Great bang for the buck !
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=76890&highlight=luna

LewisM
14-09-2012, 09:34 PM
Indeed. I keep smiling whenever I see that objective, and point it skyward :)

Well, I stripped it tonight, rubbed off the Skywatcher decals and the scratches, and shot it with 3 coats of etch primer. It already looks better in grey primer than that gad-awful skyblue metallic (I REALLY dislike SW's colour schemes - sure, doesn't affect the function, but... I just change it instead of moaning about it). I am leaving my ED80 alone though :) (again, at least my ED80 is not one of the gold painted ones...)

Photos soon. Still walking in circles making funny looks from the acetone fumes from the etch primerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ....