#21  
Old 26-01-2021, 10:22 PM
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Originally Posted by The_bluester View Post
I am very happy with my SVX80T. I can't see that leaving my collection for a long long time.
Do you use that native, or with a reducer? What focuser are you using and is it computer controlled?
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  #22  
Old 27-01-2021, 09:58 AM
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I am using it with the supplied flattener at the native F6. I have a ZWO EAF focus motor on it and use Voyager robostar to focus. The only thing I need to do is make a slightly different bracket to mount the EAF is it is just not quite long enough to bridge the useable bolt holes on the (3") focuser supplied with the scope. I have a larger washer under one bolt to ensure it holds.

There is a reducer/flattener available for it now but that had not been released when I bought it.
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Old 27-01-2021, 09:57 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by The_bluester View Post
I am using it with the supplied flattener at the native F6. I have a ZWO EAF focus motor on it and use Voyager robostar to focus. The only thing I need to do is make a slightly different bracket to mount the EAF is it is just not quite long enough to bridge the useable bolt holes on the (3") focuser supplied with the scope. I have a larger washer under one bolt to ensure it holds.
I have a ZWO EAF focus motor I could use, so that's good to know.

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Originally Posted by The_bluester View Post
There is a reducer/flattener available for it now but that had not been released when I bought it.
I notice on the website a 0.8 reducer for the scope, although it doesn't quite cover full frame. Wish they would show pics of a raw image taken with a full frame camera.

I also looked at the next size up, thinking that using the 102 with the .74 reducer would get close to what I want - 40 mm image circle.
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Old 28-01-2021, 06:28 AM
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To be honest, having used a few different scopes recently, I have not found the SVX80 to be "Slow" and with it's native flattener it is supposed to cover a full frame sensor, with which I reckon it would give a larger field than my APS-C sensor with the reducer.

I did try it with my wifes full frame DSLR once and it seemed to cover the chip quite well without significant vignetting, but star shapes wise in the corners it was less than conclusive as it is an old Nikon D3, so the pixels are large and forgiving. If it was not such a hassle to set up I would love to give it a try with my astro mates APS-H QSI.
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Old 28-01-2021, 05:57 PM
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Yes, the native flattener does the full frame - I think I've seen some images on astrobin for that. I'm not so worried about native, it's more the new reducer not handling it - I don't know the degree, because I can't find images for it. I suspect it's manageable. Being able to swap between flattener or reducer would give more options - assuming it works well (which is part of the problem I have with the Sharpstar right now - native is fine, but reducers haven't been the greatest).
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  #26  
Old 28-01-2021, 08:06 PM
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I doubt there are many images out there yet, the reducer only hit the market late last year so there may not even be any in the wild on an SVX80.
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  #27  
Old 28-01-2021, 08:35 PM
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The reducer with that scope is the one I’d worry about...bending the light cone again makes it much trickier, so it’s either go ahead and be test bunny or wait and see
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Old 28-01-2021, 10:18 PM
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Yes, that's true. I don't really feel like being a test bunny.

No matter which way I go, I can see a follow on purchase will (probably) be better filters.

Also I've been considering:

* Abandon the "clean" full frame requirement and target smaller camera sizes for this scope setup.

* Find something like the Sharpstar 107PH with functional flattener and reducer, e.g. perhaps SVX102T with its SFFR.74 Focal Reducer? Or this: https://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/tel...cnc-lw-ii.html
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Old 29-01-2021, 06:10 AM
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Given Stellarvue's reputation I would expect it to be pretty good and twelve months ago I would have bought it like a shot if it was available at the time, but I am finding F6 fast enough and the sampling to my liking so I am more likely to invest in a filter wheel (For the progression towards mono imaging, having proven the ASI2600MC works acceptably through at least a HA filter) than a reducer.
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Old 29-01-2021, 08:49 AM
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I’m not bashing Stellarvue, but they don’t make their own scopes, they just get them labelled that way in China. What you pay for is the quality control. The same is true for many scopes and other industries.

That APM looks the ducks nuts, LZOS optics to boot although looking at the spot diagrams, I’d suck it up and just image at f/6

Edit: Stellarvue claim that the lenses for their SVX scopes are hand figured in California, which explains the price. They seem to have diversified...

Last edited by Camelopardalis; 29-01-2021 at 08:57 AM. Reason: Claim correction
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  #31  
Old 29-01-2021, 09:52 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lazjen View Post
Yes, that's true. I don't really feel like being a test bunny.

No matter which way I go, I can see a follow on purchase will (probably) be better filters.

Also I've been considering:

* Abandon the "clean" full frame requirement and target smaller camera sizes for this scope setup.

* Find something like the Sharpstar 107PH with functional flattener and reducer, e.g. perhaps SVX102T with its SFFR.74 Focal Reducer? Or this: https://www.apm-telescopes.de/en/tel...cnc-lw-ii.html
I have the Riccardi M82 reducer and adapters ready for use on my CFF105 F6. I plan to use a Proline 16803 or a QHY600m on it.

I can test this combo out in the near future and let you know how it performs. I did read some negative feedback on Cloudy Nights about the M82 reducer on one APO.

The AstroPhysics Quad Telecompressor may work on this scope. Its expensive at US$1520+ shipping and GST but its the best reducer out there. AP make versions of this for TEC scopes. Its just the adapters to fit it at the right spacing.

I also plan to have another one of these Quad compressors in about 6 weeks. I had one once before on an AP140 I had. Lovely, once setup properly at the right distances and a good adapter.

Greg.
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  #32  
Old 29-01-2021, 12:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Camelopardalis View Post
I’m not bashing Stellarvue, but they don’t make their own scopes

Edit: Stellarvue claim that the lenses for their SVX scopes are hand figured in California, which explains the price. They seem to have diversified...

I was going to say, not the case any longer as they hand figure, assemble and test in house with the SVX series. Where the presumably already rough figured blanks come from I can't say.



By my understanding there was at least proper acceptance testing on the SV series, the SV70 I had borrowed off Andy01 was unequivocally a really nice scope and if he had been interested in selling it I would have bought it without a second thought, just it does not match the SVX80T I ended up buying. First they diversified and then I think they have simplified again. I think the old SV line has been discontinued. The SVX scopes are certainly the only ones on their website now.
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  #33  
Old 29-01-2021, 09:18 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Camelopardalis View Post
That APM looks the ducks nuts, LZOS optics to boot although looking at the spot diagrams, I’d suck it up and just image at f/6
If I understand the diagram with the reducer, it still should be ok at full frame camera?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Camelopardalis View Post
Edit: Stellarvue claim that the lenses for their SVX scopes are hand figured in California, which explains the price. They seem to have diversified...
Maybe with the US China trade war, it became too difficult or costly to use the stuff from China?
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Old 29-01-2021, 09:22 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley View Post
I have the Riccardi M82 reducer and adapters ready for use on my CFF105 F6. I plan to use a Proline 16803 or a QHY600m on it.

I can test this combo out in the near future and let you know how it performs. I did read some negative feedback on Cloudy Nights about the M82 reducer on one APO.
You'd hope if APM are listing it as an option for their scope, it should work.
And sure, I'd be interested in your results.

Quote:
Originally Posted by gregbradley View Post
The AstroPhysics Quad Telecompressor may work on this scope. Its expensive at US$1520+ shipping and GST but its the best reducer out there. AP make versions of this for TEC scopes. Its just the adapters to fit it at the right spacing.

I also plan to have another one of these Quad compressors in about 6 weeks. I had one once before on an AP140 I had. Lovely, once setup properly at the right distances and a good adapter.
That is insanely expensive.
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Old 29-01-2021, 11:03 PM
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If I understand the diagram with the reducer, it still should be ok at full frame camera?
I guess it depends on your definition of OK

With the reducer, the spot size increases from 3.8um in the centre to 8.7um at 21mm off-axis, and they’re not round. You prolly wouldn’t see that with something like a 6D with large(ish) pixels and a CFA. With a mono ASI6200/QHY600 you might. Assuming good conditions when the atmosphere isn’t smearing the shape of the stars anyhow

The 1x flattener keeps the stars tighter, and with almost no vignetting...
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  #36  
Old 30-01-2021, 08:17 AM
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I guess it depends on your definition of OK

With the reducer, the spot size increases from 3.8um in the centre to 8.7um at 21mm off-axis, and they’re not round. You prolly wouldn’t see that with something like a 6D with large(ish) pixels and a CFA. With a mono ASI6200/QHY600 you might. Assuming good conditions when the atmosphere isn’t smearing the shape of the stars anyhow

The 1x flattener keeps the stars tighter, and with almost no vignetting...
In this case "OK" would mean mostly usable in real world conditions (the ones we're likely to get around here).

I agree, the flattener is the most optimal way to go with it, but with the reducer and a full frame camera, you might have to crop a bit, or perhaps binning might work?
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Old 30-01-2021, 08:27 AM
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Maybe with the US China trade war, it became too difficult or costly to use the stuff from China?
A good point, I am not sure on the timeline for the SVX scopes being introduced to start with but the last of the SV series seemed to peter out about a year ago. Perhaps Vic Maris read the tea leaves a couple of years back and decided it was a good time to move further up market than QC checking and hand assembling off the shelf supplies. With the D.T. induced trade war it would seem to have been a pretty good move as the website seems to generally list "We are busy making these" rather than the rest of the astro worlds "Back ordered, no date"
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Old 30-01-2021, 09:57 AM
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In this case "OK" would mean mostly usable in real world conditions (the ones we're likely to get around here).

I agree, the flattener is the most optimal way to go with it, but with the reducer and a full frame camera, you might have to crop a bit, or perhaps binning might work?
Indeed...even with a 6D, you’d be “binning” to fit the image on your screen
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