WO Redcat 51 Test

[casstony]

I've got the new scope out taking some images, but given some bad press on CN I took a few test shots to start with.

Shown are the full image centered on Acrux, and full resolution centre crop and corner crop (worst corner). The top two corners were fine and just a little out of round at the bottom - maybe a little tilt; looks perfectly fine at normal screen size.

Taken with Canon 600D.

[ChrisV (Chris)]

You've got my attention! I'm watching with great interest.
Keep the pictures coming

[RyanJones]

The colour looks great. Nice clean crisp stars.... I’m watching too

[casstony]

This is 11x5 minutes with the L-enhance filter since the moon was rising, cropped a bit.

[ChrisV (Chris)]

Nice, and I like the widefield 6188 ! And I like the filter

So you are finding that it produces a reasonably flat field? Is that what the whinge was about on CN? Its a bit hard to tell with the low res that IIS allows

[casstony]

Some CN members were complaining about comatic stars and the field not being flat enough. There does seem to be some variation in image quality including pac-man stars I saw in one photo.

I'm happy enough with this sample. It's not pixel peeping perfect, but the little bit of tilt might from my T ring. I need another one anyway so I'm going to order the WO copper T ring.

The only minor annoyances I had last night were that the M48 filter isn't all that easy to install/remove and that I have to mount my guidescope on a stalk to allow room for my DSLR. Oh, and the dovetail bar wasn't deep enough to fit the clamp on my vixen saddle.

Otherwise it's a nice little scope - field looks flat across my APSc chip. Focusing was easier than I expected - actually easier than R&P I'm accustomed to. Focus didn't seem to drift over the few hours I was using the scope. Fit and finish is very nice and there's no slop in anything.

The L-enhance filter did a good job of dealing with the nearly full moon.

[Ant0nio (Tony)]

That was a very decent first light wrap of the Redcat Tony .
The image of Eta looks terrific, fabulous field of view & looks like you have
a good quality sample without the issues mentioned on CN. Looking forward to seeing more. Well done & congrats on le chat rouge.
Cheers,
Ant

[casstony]

Thanks Tony. We've got another clear evening so le chat rouge is collecting images again - got to make the most of limited opportunities.

[foc (Ross)]

Although I normally just silently admire DSO imaging, I have to admit I have a softspot for the Redcat 51 and you are producing some very nice images with it!

[casstony]

Thanks Ross, it does seem like a decent little imager.

Before buying the Redcat I had my eye on the Sharpstar 61EDPH for a few months, a more conventional 60mm f/5.5 scope with a reducer bring it to f/4.5. I gave up waiting for the Sharpstar and ordered the Redcat, then two days later the 61EDPH became available, so one of those is turning up on Monday too

I'll post a test of the Sharpstar in the next week or so, weather permitting.