Second scope for Twilight II

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helicon United States of America
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Second scope for Twilight II

#1

Post by helicon »


I am currently using my Twilight II as the mount for my AR152. I have been looking for a companion refractor for awhile, think I should consider a 102mm scope? Or an 80mm?
Have not been able to decide yet so any recommendations would be helpful. Thanks.
-Michael
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#2

Post by Gordon »


I have a Explore Scientific ES80ed and I've been really happy with it!
Gordon
Scopes: Explore Scientific ED80CF, Skywatcher 200 Quattro Imaging Newt, SeeStar S50 for EAA.
Mounts: Orion Atlas EQ-g mount & Skywatcher EQ5 Pro.
ZWO mini guider.
Image cameras: ZWO ASI1600 MM Cool, ZWO ASI533mc-Pro, ZWO ASI174mm-C (for use with my Quark chromosphere), ZWO ASI120MC
Filters: LRGB, Ha 7nm, O-III 7nm, S-II 7nm
Eyepieces: a few.
Primary software: Cartes du Ciel, N.I.N.A, StarTools V1.4.

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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#3

Post by JayTee »


Although I don't own one, most folks just love their AR102. FWIW.

Cheers,
JT
∞ Primary Scopes: #1: Celestron CPC1100 #2: 8" f/7.5 Dob #3: CR150HD f/8 6" frac
∞ AP Scopes: #1: TPO 6" f/9 RC #2: ES 102 f/7 APO #3: ES 80mm f/6 APO
∞ G&G Scopes: #1: Meade 102mm f/7.8 #2: Bresser 102mm f/4.5
∞ Guide Scopes: 70 & 80mm fracs -- The El Cheapo Bros.
∞ Mounts: iOptron CEM70AG, SW EQ6, Celestron AVX, SLT & GT (Alt-Az), Meade DS2000
∞ Cameras: #1: ZWO ASI294MC Pro #2: 662MC #3: 120MC, Canon T3i, Orion SSAG, WYZE Cam3
∞ Binos: 10X50,11X70,15X70, 25X100
∞ EPs: ES 2": 21mm 100° & 30mm 82° Pentax XW: 7, 10, 14, & 20mm 70°

Searching the skies since 1966. "I never met a scope I didn't want to keep."

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Lowjiber
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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#4

Post by Lowjiber »


Gordon wrote: Thu May 09, 2019 10:08 pm I have a Explore Scientific ES80ed and I've been really happy with it!
I have two of those... One for solar imaging and the other for visual astronomy.

On the TW2, it doesn't take much work to get both scopes exactly lined up.

When I had an AR152, I used a tricked-out ST-80 as a finder on the TW2. :D
John (Urban Astronomer) Apertura AD10 Dob; XLT 150 Dob; XLT 120EQ; Lunt Solar 60 PT/B1200; ES AR102; SW Pro 100ED; 2 SW Pro 80ED's; 90mm Eq; WO Z-61; SW 90mm Virtuso Mak; 2 Orion ST-80's; Quark-C; Cams: Polemaster, ASI120MM-S, ASI174MM & ASI174MM-C
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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#5

Post by bladekeeper »


Hi Michael!

With my Twilight II, I really enjoy having a faster frac on one side, and a nice long slower one on the other side. To me, it is fun to compare the views of the same object through each. I also find it fun and valuative to compare similar exit pupils between the two.

Fast fracs are fun, but the slower ones are even more fun to me!

A nice APO would be glorious too. :D
Bryan
Scopes: Apertura AD12 f/5; Celestron C6-R f/8; ES AR127 f/6.4; Stellarvue SV102T f/7; iOptron MC90 f/13.3; Orion ST80A f/5; ES ED80 f/6; Celestron Premium 80 f/11.4; Celestron C80 f/11.4; Unitron Model 142 f/16; Meade NG60 f/10
Mounts: Celestron AVX; Bresser EXOS-2; ES Twilight I; ES Twilight II; iOptron Cube-G; AZ3/wood tripod; Vixen Polaris
Binoculars: Pentax PCF WP II 10×50, Bresser Corvette 10×50, Bresser Hunter 16×50 and 8×40, Garrett Gemini 12×60 LW, Gordon 10×50, Apogee 20×100

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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#6

Post by helicon »


Thanks everybody - now I am narrowing it down a bit. I think it would be fun (and useful) to get a slower scope (f/8 or more) for planetary use. The AR 152 is f/6.5 and with a 30mm eyepiece gives about a 1.7 degree field of view. Anyway, I'm looking forward to balancing out the load on the tripod.
-Michael
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#7

Post by Ozman »


I would be tempted just to try something like this beside the 152.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Celestron-Nexs ... Sw7aNcu9hV
AD12, 8" LX200ACF, 120 Skywatcher, ES 102CF APO, AR102, ST100, 90mm Mak, ST80, 60ETX
Oberwerk BT-82XL-ED, 25x100s, 15x70s, 8x56s, Kasai 2.3x40s, Celestron AVX, CG4, SLT, LCM
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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#8

Post by Don Quixote »


Maybe consider the SW100 Evostar at f9.
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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#9

Post by Bigzmey »


SCTs/Maks make great companions to the fast fracs. I have been enjoying this combo for years.
Attachments
Duo.jpg
Scopes: Stellarvue: SV102ED; Celestron: 9.25" EdgeHD, 8" SCT, 150ST, Onyx 80ED; iOptron: Hankmeister 6" Mak; SW: 7" Mak; Meade: 80ST.
Mounts: SW: SkyTee2, AzGTi; iOptron: AZMP; ES: Twilight I; Bresser: EXOS2; UA: MicroStar.
Binos: APM: 100-90 APO; Canon: IS 15x50; Orion: Binoviewer, LG II 15x70, WV 10x50, Nikon: AE 16x50, 10x50, 8x40.
EPs: Pentax: XWs & XFs; TeleVue: Delites, Panoptic & Plossls; ES: 68, 62; Vixen: SLVs; Baader: BCOs, Aspherics, Mark IV.
Diagonals: Baader: BBHS mirror, Zeiss Spec T2 prism, Clicklock dielectric; TeleVue: Evebrite dielectric; AltairAstro: 2" prism.
Filters: Lumicon: DeepSky, UHC, OIII, H-beta; Baader: Moon & SkyGlow, Contrast Booster, UHC-S, 6-color set; Astronomik: UHC.

Observing: DSOs: 3106 (Completed: Messier, Herschel 1, 2, 3. In progress: H2,500: 2180, S110: 77). Doubles: 2382, Comets: 34, Asteroids: 255
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helicon United States of America
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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#10

Post by helicon »


Bigzmey wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 4:49 am SCTs/Maks make great companions to the fast fracs. I have been enjoying this combo for years.
Thanks Andrey - I hadn't considered a Mak but that makes a great deal of sense.
-Michael
Refractors: ES AR152 f/6.5 Achromat on Twilight II, Celestron 102mm XLT f/9.8 on Celestron Heavy Duty Alt Az mount, KOWA 90mm spotting scope
Binoculars: Celestron SkyMaster 15x70, Bushnell 10x50
Eyepieces: Various, GSO Superview, 9mm Plossl, Celestron 25mm Plossl
Camera: ZWO ASI 120
Naked Eye: Two Eyeballs
Latitude: 48.7229° N
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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#11

Post by Ozman »


I don't have a dual mount, but when I take a second scope (the binoculars don't count as they ALWAYS go) the first is commonly a refractor but the second usually is something else. I would definitely have a Mak available to sit beside my refractor if I had a dual mount.
AD12, 8" LX200ACF, 120 Skywatcher, ES 102CF APO, AR102, ST100, 90mm Mak, ST80, 60ETX
Oberwerk BT-82XL-ED, 25x100s, 15x70s, 8x56s, Kasai 2.3x40s, Celestron AVX, CG4, SLT, LCM
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Re: Second scope for Twilight II

#12

Post by Rainmaker »


Bigzmey wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 4:49 am SCTs/Maks make great companions to the fast fracs. I have been enjoying this combo for years.
Nice combination, I too am a fan of a SCT type scope to pair with a refractor or two. With an AR152 I think I would go for an 8" SCT / f/15.">DK.
Matt in Oz
Rainmaker “Excalibur” 18” F3.5 +SIPS @ 1860mm
TMB-LZOS 152mm F7.9 @ 1200mm
Takahashi FOA 60mm F8.8
Takahashi FC76DC F7.5
Skylight AR101.15
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