Can't wait to see the first results. I've got a Hyperstar/conversion kit ordered for my C8, just waiting for them to make the correct spacer made for my camera.
How did you go with customs? Any tips for getting it through?
Alex: Only the 14" SCT versions will cover a 35mm frame. More info here:
Can't wait to see the first results. I've got a Hyperstar/conversion kit ordered for my C8, just waiting for them to make the correct spacer made for my camera.
How did you go with customs? Any tips for getting it through?
Alex: Only the 14" SCT versions will cover a 35mm frame. More info here:
There are some pics in that thread here from last night testing. Got loads to process still... Customs will charge you GST on goods value. Couple of forms to fill in but pretty quick. No hassle.
My C8 Hyperstar3 arrived yesterday and I did the conversion as well which was slightly harder than it looks in the instruction video! Getting the baffle tube off took a while as I really had to work at it - apart from that pretty straight forward.
Once I had the corrector plate out it was interesting to see how sturdy a C8 corrector plate actually is - it was thicker than I expected - and I feel a lot more comfortable with the cantilever weight of small camera hanging off the front. It would take a lot of force to break one I reckon.
The Hyperstar itself is very well made but quite light. It uses simple push pull screws to adjust collimation - but a nice feature is the ability to rotate the assembly within the collar. Another plus is provision for a 2" filter inside the camera adapter - even the fat Baader 2" filters will fit. I'm tempted to get some narrowband filters later as this will make a killer combination for wide angle narrowband photography.
Cloud has prevented me doing much with hyperstar. In fact I haven't been able to get enough clear sky to collimate it yet - but a couple of test shots look promising. Stars look quite crisp in comparision to the native C8 (although this has a lot to do with seeing). Vignetting is also quite minimal with 65% illumination at the corners of a 8300 chip which is very acceptable.
I really look forward to using the scope in earnest for comet searching as I will be able to image a large area of sky down to mag 17.5 or better.
Just received my Hyperstar 3 for the C11 today. So it's probably going to rain for the next 2 months at least... Took a little while to clear customs but it's here now all in good order.
Just finished installing the conversion kit on the C11 corrector plate. It's a pretty cool system where you can clip on/off the secondary. The holder is all anodised aluminium too which is a plus compared to the old one that was plastic threads.
The Hyper star itself is fairly light. It's a huge lens. Nearly 100mm diameter on one end and 60mm on the other.
The QHY8 screws directly on it. There's also an internal thread to fit filters. I checked my Baader 2" filters and they all fit perfectly.
I'll collimate the whole thing tomorrow night and hopefully I can do some test shots this week-end. Looking forward to it now.
Holy cow , it's big .... how sure are you it wont flex / distort the corrector (they are pretty thin) ?
Well I know the corrector plates in the Meade 14 are 11mm thick for example. The smaller SCT's will have thinner glass, but this is offset by the smaller diameter. I have seen the calculation done for the Meade 14 corrector plate and to cause a deflection of 11 micron at the end of the hyperstar (~200mm out) requires a force of 25 lbs (or 12 kg!). A more typical camera would cause closer to 1-2 micron deflection - pretty minimal.
To actually break the corrector requires a lot more force, and the person who did the calculation above used 1000psi as the Ultimate tensile strength of glass calculated 140 lbs at the end of the hyperstar. However, the Ultimate tensile strength for glass is >4000 psi, so even factoring in local stress raising factors ( around the secondary hole) it wouldn't suprise me if the corrector couldn't support the weight of a person. Anyone like to test this!
According to Starizona the instances of broken corrector plates have been from people shipping the scopes with the hypestar still attached. But the have also noted broken corrector plates caused by shipping of standard SCT's! As an aside, back in 1997 when I travelled to the US to see Comet Hale-Bopp while I was waiting at the baggage couresel I watched a baggage handle throw a foam wrapped cylindrical package across a room where it bounced end-on-end until it final came to rest against the other baggage. At the time I remember thinking that it looked all the world like a Celestron/Epoch 8" f1.5 schmidt camera wrapped in black foam...anyway the moral is you can never be too careful when shipping a scope!!
Anyway, back to the hyperstar this morning I was able to test under very hazy conditions with lots of high cloud and getting final collimation is going to take a bit of effort. 10-15 minutes of collimation adjustment was initially required to get acceptible images and there is more adjustment to do, but the potential is impressive! Attached is a small crop around the horsehead from a 30 second exposure using a QHY9 unbinned. Stars down to mag 17.5 are visible as expected.
while I was waiting at the baggage couresel I watched a baggage handle throw a foam wrapped cylindrical package across a room where it bounced end-on-end until it final came to rest against the other baggage.
Theres a reason those morons have been referred to as rock-apes
Ive been thinking about a HS conversion for my 12" LX200R (ACF) lately. Until I saw this. Is that right, its not suitable for Meade ACF?, why not?.
They already do them for the aplanatic celestron range wich are coma free but it's because they have a glass corrector inside the baffle tube. Is it the same system on the Meade ACF? What is the f ratio of your primary? I know the hyperstar is not done on the C9 SCT for instance because the primary is not close to F/2 like the rest of the range C8/C11/C14. It's much flatter and the secondary as a lower magnification too.
Thanks Marc, sorry, I just noticed you answered this before, Ill check the faststar group. I dont know what f the primary is...yet. Yes, the ACF has corrector like the C11.
They already do them for the aplanatic celestron range wich are coma free but it's because they have a glass corrector inside the baffle tube. Is it the same system on the Meade ACF? What is the f ratio of your primary? I know the hyperstar is not done on the C9 SCT for instance because the primary is not close to F/2 like the rest of the range C8/C11/C14. It's much flatter and the secondary as a lower magnification too.
It's not a glass plate, its a set of lenses designed to project a flat field. Also the corector plate is a different design, hence for hyperstar to work a spacing ring is required to move further away from the primary mirror. In short they are different to the ACF.
It's not a glass plate, its a set of lenses designed to project a flat field. Also the corector plate is a different design, hence for hyperstar to work a spacing ring is required to move further away from the primary mirror. In short they are different to the ACF.
In the new celestron HD range I believe the primary and secondary are still spherical so there is an ideal spacing which is the same as a stock SCT. The corrector lenses inside the baffle tube give a flat field. I'm pretty sure the hyperstar is the same unless it has changed again. I was told it was at the time by starizona. The Meade ACF secondary is not spherical to correct for abberations.
I have plan to get hyperstar 3 for C8 but i dont have enough money now for new ccd camera because in -starizona- Dan said that DSLR is "incompatible" with hyperstar3 -C8.
Did anyone put DSLR on hyperstar 3-C8 and had nice results and why is so incompatible?
Is focus distance problem or just the aperture (i focused DSLR with just camera in front the primary mirror)?
Maybe with teleextender( or barlow) to extend focus and rise f/ratio number?
I have plan to get hyperstar 3 for C8 but i dont have enough money now for new ccd camera because in -starizona- Dan said that DSLR is "incompatible" with hyperstar3 -C8.
Did anyone put DSLR on hyperstar 3-C8 and had nice results and why is so incompatible?
Is focus distance problem or just the aperture (i focused DSLR with just camera in front the primary mirror)?
Maybe with teleextender( or barlow) to extend focus and rise f/ratio number?
blocks too much of the incoming light - the centre hole is too small - look at the specs, would also get vignetting
Took a little while to clear customs but it's here now all in good order. 
