New GSO 8"F4 Astrograph?

[DavidU (Dave)]

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 (Dave)]

Originally Posted by 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

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 (Dave)]

Originally Posted by 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 and attemted to adapt on for A.P. without much success. Exellent quality these GSO's.

Chris

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 (Dave)]

Look down the tube
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthrea...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/ARCHIV.../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 (Dave)]

Originally Posted by Satchmo

http://astro.umsystem.edu/atm/ARCHIV.../msg00552.html

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/ubbthrea...l/fpart/1/vc/1