Zenith Star 110 F/7 William Optics -your views

[seeker372011]

anyone here have or use one?

now discontinued but the odd one still available in Oz

heard of problems with the focuser...also heard from some that the optics are great..anyone have a view or actual experience ?

also I was told by someone in the WO yahoo group that the ED element is not FPL53..I dont know if this is the case


thanks

narayan

[Astrod00d]

Well, my latest shot in Corona Australis was taken with a Zenithstar 105, the model before the 110. My experience is limited, but the 105 seems to have great resolution and good field flatness, way better than my ED80. The 110 is supposed to be superior to the 105. I've been told the Zenitstar uses a combination of FPL53 and FPL51 elements but I can't verify that.

I still lust after an FLT132. :lol:

Cheers,

Rob

[seeker372011]

yes i saw your fantastic image with the ZS 105..but users say the Zenith Star 110 focuser is a problem..so wanted to hear from anyone who has one to see what they felt

[Astrod00d]

..Having used it for just one night, the focuser on the Zenithstar 105 felt smooth and worked very well visually but it seemed to struggle a bit under the weight of the QHY8 and extension tubes. The focus changed slightly when I tightened the focus lock but I quickly learned the correct 'fudge factor' when focusing. The ZS105 focuser was much better than the GSO focuser on my ED80.

Cheers,

Rob

[Astromelb]

You should check William Optics webpage, it will clearly state that the FLT110 is FPL53 glass

Please check with a specialist WO dealer (you will find a list on WO's webpage) if you have any concerns

[jase]

TMB or TEC optics? A limited batch of WO 110's came out with oil spaced TEC optics. They are not easy to come by as they're prized possessions. A few come up on Astromart now and then. Keep your eye out. Still need a reducer for big chips if you're thinking of imaging.

[MikeyB]

Here's the FLT110 webpage, but I can't see where the glass type is stated: FLT 110 Triplet APO (http://www.williamoptics.com/telescopes/flt110_spec.php)

In any event, I believe Narayan is asking about an earlier model, the full manual for which is here: ZenithStar 110 (http://www.williamoptics.com/support/download/zenithstar110.pdf), but doesn't mention glass types either.

[chris lewis]

According to this site the FLT110 triplet, the Megrez 110 doublet and the ZenithStar 110 triplet all have FPL-51 glass.

http://www.a-p-o.ca/prod01.htm

[seeker372011]

got the reducer already.. :)
yes clearly these(TEC) are the jewels in the crown...this is what Florent uses isnt it-as for theTMB design there was apparently some controversy before TMB passed away and its all a bit up in the air -without buying in to the "he said she said" stuff

if i were a patient person that would clearly be the most sensible thing to do...but i am itching for more aperture..:shrug::shrug::shrug:

[seeker372011]

as for the Zenith Star

this is what Frontier opitics site says


"Zenithstar 110mm uses the exact same ultra high quality objective as the 110mm Flouo-star, but is housed in a Zenithstar tube. "

FPL51-more durable- but not as good in terms of colour correction as the FPL-53

[Geoff45]

I have the ZS110. Optically I can't fault it--tack sharp images with identical diffraction discs inside and outside focus. However, judging by what I've seen on the web, some people occasionally get a lemon, which implies that there may be a quality control problem. There is a minor problem with the focuser. It supports a DSLR quite comfortably, but you need to make sure it's properly adjusted. I'm not sure how it would go with a heavy ccd camera.
Geoff

[seeker372011]

yes one of the guys over at the Yahoo forum said pretty much the same..in his case he is so unhappy with the focuser he is looking to replace it -at considerable expense-with a Moonlite. Optically it gets a very good rap though.

[Stephen65]

That is incorrect, both because the WO webpage does not state what glass the FLT110 uses and because it uses FPL51.

The FLT110 and ZS110 use exactly the same TMB designed triplet airspaced lens, they just have different tubes and focusers. Both use FPL51, as confirmed by WO in this CN discussion about 3/4 of the way down the page:

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/526643/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/7/o/all/fpart/all/vc/1

As for the focuser on the ZS110, as you've noticed already Narayan there is much discussion on the WO yahoogroup about its pros and cons.

[Dave47tuc]

Can you show me on the WO web site where its states what glass is used?

http://www.williamoptics.com/telescopes/flt110_spec.php
This link does not state it.

Nor does this link.
http://www.williamoptics.com/telescopes/megrez110_spec.php

This link does but its the 132mm.
http://www.williamoptics.com/telescopes/flt132_spec.php

This link does but again its the 90mm.
http://www.williamoptics.com/telescopes/megrez90_spec.php

So we are talking the 110mm here. So lets get things right yes:shrug:


Also in the Oceania dealers low and behold there is your buisness funny that:mad2: