experiment (1 Viewer)

woodhornbirder · May 21, 2011

COuldnt help myself.....

http://www.williamoptics.com/telescopes/zenithstar66sd_spec.php

Saw this at 200 quid and decided to try it out. SHould arrive in a weeks time.

Apart from the problem of getting decent erecting prism. I think it should be pretty decent image.

SHould give me something to fiddle with for a week or 2!

anyone tried something similar for terrestrial use?

mooreorless · May 22, 2011

Sky&Telescope reviewed this and found it an excellent scope. Here is a review from CN. Sorry if you already saw it. BTW I have a Celestron 80ED astro/sold as birding scope and a Orion 100ED I use during the day and night. I also have a Nikon 20-60x60mm ED Fieldscope.

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1620

woodhornbirder · May 23, 2011

I dont have decent erecting prism atmo, just cheapy meade one. Can you suggest one for 40/50 quid? WIll try and find one 2nd hand.....know anyone who might have one?

will save up for quallity one latter on.

mooreorless · May 23, 2011

I don't use an erecting prism, I am used to reversed right to left. Only time I wish I was using the erecting prism trying to read something.

Baader is the only good erecting prism, expensive. Here is some info.

http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbarchive/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/1722091/page/49/view/co

woodhornbirder · May 23, 2011

`I don't use an erecting prism, `

thats no good for seawatching, imposible to follow a flying bird without correct image. 50% of my birding is along the shore.

NWBirder · May 23, 2011

how about dangling yourself upside down when using this telescope? Got to think outside the box.

dogbreath · May 23, 2011

Might be worth having a chat with these folk.

http://www.scopesnskies.com/

DRodrigues · May 23, 2011

The Vixen erecting lens is good but has a 1,5x increasing factor - have a look at http://www.pt-ducks.com/cr-telescopes.htm#Test of image erectors

woodhornbirder · May 24, 2011

Vixen erecting lens

cant see any info on the part number in that guide?

John Russell · May 24, 2011

woodhornbirder said:
Vixen erecting lens

cant see any info on the part number in that guide?

Vixen Part No. is 3847.
See here: http://www.vixenoptics.com/acc/teleacc_details.html

John

JBT · May 24, 2011

DRodrigues said:
The Vixen erecting lens is good but has a 1,5x increasing factor - have a look at http://www.pt-ducks.com/cr-telescopes.htm#Test of image erectors

Great info David! In your opinion how does the Nikon FSA-L2's image compare to the image from a mirror diagonal or even the Baader 90 degree erecting prism diagonal?

woodhornbirder · May 26, 2011

I missed a trick here...should have bought this, soi can see more yanky birds

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130519402052&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

btw, friend linked me this review....

http://www.birdforum.net/reviews/showproduct.php/product/260/cat/12/limit/recent/date/1067111957

DRodrigues · May 26, 2011

JBT,
I don't know since don't have those - 90º wouldn't work for me and I even don't like the 45º. I must retest it with an eyepiece since I've been using it with the binoviewer.
I was expecting to try it with a TV Ethos 21mm but the friend who had it sold it before I could test... :-C
Meanwhile I noticed that the TV Nagler Type 4 have good eyerelief and will try to test a 22mm but don't know when. My 2" 30mm WWF has a curved field with fast telescopes, so will test again the 1.25" eyepieces WF I have - I remembered to test the FSA-L2 with a Panoptic 2" 35mm and the image quality was great!

JBT · May 26, 2011

Thanks for the info David. Reason why I ask is I've been looking for a way to use one wide field EP(over 70 degrees) with the capabilities of increasing the magnification without having to remove the EP from the focuser.

Woodhornbirder I've only used that WO refractor you bought once and if memory serves me correctly it had some very nice views to it. It seemed to be a very nice scope. I've been looking for the perfect birding refractor for a few years now because it's the only way I can use the 2" widefield astro eyepieces for low power widefield views. So far I've tried a TeleVue 76 which was great but too heavy for my liking. Then I tried a Vixen 80ss which worked awesome at low powers but I couldn't get the high powers that I was looking for out of it. Currently I'm using a Tak FS60 which I'm liking so far. I'm using a WO 45 deg angle 2" prism which works great as long as I stay below 40x-50x. I've heard great things about Baader 90 degree prisms but I haven't tried one personally. Have fun with your new experimentally scope.

woodhornbirder · Jun 19, 2011

Am being bit blonde here....amnot clear how i get a 2" focuser to attach to the scope.

it coems with 1.25", but i would like to be able to use both. Can anyone spell it out for me...?

thanks)

John Russell · Jun 19, 2011

woodhornbirder said:
Am being bit blonde here....amnot clear how i get a 2" focuser to attach to the scope.

Why would you want a 2" focusser on a scope of such short focal length?

A 24 mm Televue Panoptic, for example, still has a 1 1/4" barrel and would give you a mere 16x mag. and 69° AFOV. With shorter focal lengths (and higher mags.) there would be little risk of the erecting prism vignetting.

John

mooreorless · Jun 19, 2011

Here is the adapter you need. I see now it is discontinued item. You just need a SCT 2" adapter. I would of thought they would include this with this scope. Something like this second item.

http://www.williamoptics.com/accessories/SCTadapter66_features.php#

http://www.adorama.com/ONVBSCT2.html

John Russell · Jun 19, 2011

mooreorless said:
Here is the adapter you need. I see now it is discontinued item. You just need a SCT 2" adapter. I would of thought they would include this with this scope. Something like this second item.

http://www.williamoptics.com/accessories/SCTadapter66_features.php#

http://www.adorama.com/ONVBSCT2.html

Steve,

The link on the OP shows the scope with a 1,6" focusser, so wouldn't adapting to 2" cause vignetting with 2" eyepieces? There might also be insufficient in-focus - or did I misunderstand something?

Regards,
John

mooreorless · Jun 20, 2011

John Russell said:
Steve,

The link on the OP shows the scope with a 1,6" focusser, so wouldn't adapting to 2" cause vignetting with 2" eyepieces? There might also be insufficient in-focus - or did I misunderstand something?

Regards,
John

I am the one that missed something!

You are right John.:t: Must of been too early in the morning for me.

woodhornbirder · Jun 20, 2011

`Here is the adapter you need. I see now it is discontinued item. You just need a SCT 2" adapter.`

which of those 2 links do you mean? DO you mean i need BOTH items or one of them, plz be more clear.

`Why would you want a 2" focusser on a scope` (perhaps focusser was the wrong word)

I want to attach 2" eyepieces. ALot of good eps sold on 2nd hand market are 2", however i suppose the problem is finding a 2" erecting prism.? They seem to be rare or very expensive.

Are you suggesting i would see no differnce in image qualityby `upgrading` to 2" over 1.25 ? I thought 2" eps gathered more light....

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