New GSO 8"F4 Astrograph?

[DavidU]

Has anyone seen the new GSO 8" F4 Astrograph? The internal baffling looks very good.
Are they available here?
http://www.modernastronomy.com/telescopesGSO.htm

[gbeal]

I have one, had it a week, but have just been smitten by a deal I could not refuse on an apo, so mine is likely to be short-stay only.
Excellent build quality, and an all round user.
Needs, obviously, an MPCC, but all works as advertised.
Collimation on mine needs a tweak, I was more keen to get out and let rip.
Gary

[DavidU]

Nice ! If I may ask how much they are? They seem to be $450US in the states.

[gbeal]

They are, or were, but may be sold out, not sure why, LOL.
If you add it up, US$450, plus post of about $200, plus GST (in NZ anyway), they are "up there".
It will be interesting to see what price they are in Oz.
Gary

[chris lewis]

Hi Gary

Did U bring it in to NZ.? U need an extension on the focuser when using it for visual ? Interested in knowing when U are selling.
I have had 3x of the GSO F/4 for visuals over the last 10 years and attempted to adapt one for A.P. without much success. Exellent quality these GSO's.
Just to clarify - the difference between the Astropgraph and the 'standard 'GSO/F4 is the that 1/ the A.P. has a larger secondary [the standard one is 63mm] 2/ the A.P. has a longer tube - but same F/4 and 3/ the A.P. has a 2x speed low profile focuser? anything else ? Thanks


Chris

[DavidU]

Hi Chris, these new scopes are different than the standard F4's they are longer with special baffling.I will find some pic's

[gbeal]

Hi Chris,
I'll PM you, rather than hijacking the thread.
From the look of this, they have finally adapted and refined the 8" for predominantly imaging.
Gary

[DavidU]

Look down the tube
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/download.php?Number=3177732

[Satchmo]

Ah the Newtonian tube baffle rings. There seems to be a recent trend by Chinese scope makers to incorporate these into Newtonians to apparently increase the baffle quality.

There is absolutely no evidence that baffle rings in a Newtonian achieve anything but to stiffen the tube. Black velvet lining of the tube , particularly immediately above the primary mirror , and behind the diagonal mirror is all that is needed.

Steve Lee , telescope operator at the AAO made a nice post n the ATM list years ago regards this. If you wade your way right to the end of it , you will see the sense in his criticism.

http://astro.umsystem.edu/atm/ARCHIVES/JAN96/msg00552.html

That being said I certainly applaud the supply of larger diagonals and extra long tube end to help with photography, which everyone wants to get into at some satge. I am a bit of a purist though. I think an `astrogragh' is a complete optical system , including matched field flattening and coma correcting lenses if need be . Without that the 'scope it is just a photo optimised fast Newtonian.

[DavidU]

Exellent info Mark ! The good thing about this new astrograph is that the baffles are a press fit moulded plastic item that is easly removed from the OTA.

[netwolf]

David,

This chap on CN has disected one to fine tune it further. there are some pictures of the baffles.
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/3230059/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1/vc/1