sophie
04-07-2013, 12:19 PM
About 10-12 years ago I had a Takahashi FC 60 (the f8 version of today's Tak 60) and I soon regretted letting that one go in a garage sale - we were moving from Townsville and I hadn't used it for a while so when my wife let it go for $75 I wasn't too heartbroken at the time.
But the bug has bitten again and so I picked up a damaged Vixen ED81S a few months ago on Gumtree. Mechanically and cosmetically it is fine. It does have a big chip out of the front element, but given it was only $300 and the guy let me do a night test before buying it (the star test showed perfect collimation, all out of focus circles concentric) did end up getting it.
It performs fine visually on planets (Jupiter being the siren that brought me into this hobby), even Venus showing no flaring or whatever. Some 30s snaps through my 1000D show no false color or any other abberations other than what you'd usually get on a static mount with no flattener at 621mm focal length.
Now I am slowly acquiring enough to get into astrophotography. But to get started with a flattener and a half way decent DSLR (600D) before looking at a replacement lens cell if required. It is quoted at 64000¥ from Japan.
It was taking me a while to save and on impulse , I bought a Zenithstar 71 from the William Optics online shop for $498USD. My deity, this thing is beautiful. I honestly was not prepared for the mechanical quality (Two speed rack and pinion focuser! Sliding dew shield! Integrated dovetail!) or the smooth deep violet of the coatings. For $500 I was not expecting much at all - something along the lines of a synta - but this telescope is just heartbreaking.
Better still, for another $200USD I can get a complementary WO flattener and T-ring and with the shorter f-ratio (4.7 for the WO vs 5.2 for the Vixen) can probably get away with a lower iso so I won't even need a new camera. And 3.5" per pixel should be fairly forgiving on my Sky Patrol until I eventually get enough together for a Losmandy GM8.
So I suppose what I am asking is what to do with the Vixen. I mean, would there be any interest in it as a visual scope, or should I try to sell off the parts - focuser, rings, dovetail etc?
I have attached a picture of it along with a close up of the damaged lens element.
But the bug has bitten again and so I picked up a damaged Vixen ED81S a few months ago on Gumtree. Mechanically and cosmetically it is fine. It does have a big chip out of the front element, but given it was only $300 and the guy let me do a night test before buying it (the star test showed perfect collimation, all out of focus circles concentric) did end up getting it.
It performs fine visually on planets (Jupiter being the siren that brought me into this hobby), even Venus showing no flaring or whatever. Some 30s snaps through my 1000D show no false color or any other abberations other than what you'd usually get on a static mount with no flattener at 621mm focal length.
Now I am slowly acquiring enough to get into astrophotography. But to get started with a flattener and a half way decent DSLR (600D) before looking at a replacement lens cell if required. It is quoted at 64000¥ from Japan.
It was taking me a while to save and on impulse , I bought a Zenithstar 71 from the William Optics online shop for $498USD. My deity, this thing is beautiful. I honestly was not prepared for the mechanical quality (Two speed rack and pinion focuser! Sliding dew shield! Integrated dovetail!) or the smooth deep violet of the coatings. For $500 I was not expecting much at all - something along the lines of a synta - but this telescope is just heartbreaking.
Better still, for another $200USD I can get a complementary WO flattener and T-ring and with the shorter f-ratio (4.7 for the WO vs 5.2 for the Vixen) can probably get away with a lower iso so I won't even need a new camera. And 3.5" per pixel should be fairly forgiving on my Sky Patrol until I eventually get enough together for a Losmandy GM8.
So I suppose what I am asking is what to do with the Vixen. I mean, would there be any interest in it as a visual scope, or should I try to sell off the parts - focuser, rings, dovetail etc?
I have attached a picture of it along with a close up of the damaged lens element.