Review: 8" f/6 Portaball

[iceman (Mike)]

Mohammed Baddah (mbaddah) has written an excellent, thorough review of the 8" f/6 Portaball.

You can read the review at the Equipment Reviews page, or directly by clicking on the link below:

8" f/6 Portaball

Thanks to Mohammed for writing the review. If you would like to submit an article or review for inclusion on IceInSpace, please read Write for IceInSpace.

[iceman (Mike)]

Review uploaded.

[multiweb (Marc)]

That's excellent. What a clever and practical system. Folds into nothing too. Thanks for the article Mohammed. Very cool.

[mbaddah (Mo)]

Thanks guys

One thing I noticed after I had submitted the review was the collimation shift issue (thread over here http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=59804). I've been liasing with other portaball owners on the yahoo forums and its been narrowed down to either play in the focuser or primary mirror shifting. The brief tests I've done lend me to believe its more the focuser rather than the primary mirror moving. It doesn't seem to effect performance out in the field. I am currently in discussion with Mag 1 to help eliminate this issue.

I managed to do more observing with the portaball last weekend with a Nagler 13mm T6. For the first time I saw the "dark band" across the Sombrero Galaxy Omega Centauri looked stunning with it's pinpoint sharp stars across the whole field and lovely contrast

[wavelandscott (Scott)]

Nice to read about your experiences so far.

Good scope with a great mirror!

[Waxing_Gibbous (Peter)]

It just makes me sick!
This is the only scope I get "scope envy" over.
I had the opportunity a few years back, to use one for the weekend at the Texas Star Party. Nearly perfect optics and a fantastic, user-friendly set-up.
Great telescope.
Thanks for rubbing it in!!!!!

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

Anyone at QLD Astrofest this year, don't forget to say hi to the Lismore boys who bring one every year.

That fantastic mirror punches way above it's aperture!

Great review.

[Satchmo]

Originally Posted by AstroJunk

That fantastic mirror punches way above it's aperture!

Actually, a really good mirror performs closest to what its aperture is theoretically capable of for its diameter , and the rest that perform below that. No telescope can perform better than its theoretical aperture but its a nice catch phrase that invokes the idea that fine optics have some kind of magical property.

[AstroRudi]

Hi mbaddah,
I have my Portaball for 8 years now. here are my comments:
Quote:
Cons:

• Expensive
• Can’t use heavy eyepieces.
• Can’t use DSC’s
• Some eyepieces won’t come into focus

1st bullet point: YES (so what, quality has it's price)
2nd bullet point: TRUE (I have sticked a 10 inch diameter steel plate - from the bottom of an old floor lamp - behind the mirror. When you remove the mirror, you have enough space to stick the - 25 mm thick - plate with double sided tape. It makes the balance better.
3rd bullet point: don't understand DSC
4th bullet point: when my Portaball was new, I had the same problem. I went to a starparty and someone told me, to cross the poles, instead of setting them in parallel .-°

Clear skies

Rudi

[Hans Tucker (Hans)]

Originally Posted by AstroRudi

Hi mbaddah,
I have my Portaball for 8 years now. here are my comments:
Quote:
Cons:

• Expensive
• Can’t use heavy eyepieces.
• Can’t use DSC’s
• Some eyepieces won’t come into focus

1st bullet point: YES (so what, quality has it's price)
2nd bullet point: TRUE (I have sticked a 10 inch diameter steel plate - from the bottom of an old floor lamp - behind the mirror. When you remove the mirror, you have enough space to stick the - 25 mm thick - plate with double sided tape. It makes the balance better.
3rd bullet point: don't understand DSC
4th bullet point: when my Portaball was new, I had the same problem. I went to a starparty and someone told me, to cross the poles, instead of setting them in parallel .-°

Clear skies

Rudi

DCS - Digital Computer System or Digital Telescope Computer (DTC)

The spherical ball base does not allow the fitment of encoders so you can't use a Digital Computer System like Argo Navis like you can with a Dobsonian.

[AstroJunk (Jonathan)]

And this fine scope is 15 years old next month

I'm the proud owner now and have been for a few years now. I gave the mirror its annual bath yesterday and I've just given it a star test and at the beginning of the Qld season am reminded just how beautiful an ultra-high quality mirror performs.

And the curved spider makes the image so much nicer. It's just a shame about my local seeing, but even at 200x I was getting lovely tight stars and occasional fine detail on Jupiter.

Happy nights