TheSkySearchers

My plan as of 3 years ago was to have a pair of quality refractors that are ED doublets. I like to be able to DIY optical maintenance so triplets are not a particularly desirable option that way since my crude optical bench is not reliable for optimizing a triplet. I've done doublet optimization quite happily. In any case I originally had in mind the Stellarvue SV 80ED Access f7 and the SV 125ED Access f7. I successfully acquired the 80 but my sudden (forced) retirement had me cancelling the 125 with regret. The 80 proved to be an excellent choice and I have been looking for a larger refractor since.

As my eyes get older, monocular vision becomes more problematic. So a slower scope becomes a better choice. There are are two alternative suppliers for a 102mm ED f11 scope (possibly manufactured by Long Perng?) that have detachable tube sections to facilitate binoviewing.

One supplier is Altair Astro which in the US sells through Land, Sea, and Sky. The website listed it as "in stock" but follow up emails indicated supply chain problems of some months duration. The price is $775 plus free shipping and you can complain in English if need be.

https://www.landseaskyco.com/altair-asc ... cuser.html

On the other hand Teleskop Service in Germany has what appears to be the same optical tube

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/pr ... cuser.html

NOT including shipping costs and my German is really really rusty to the point of falling apart if there is any need to "speak Dutch".

Since the TS tube was in stock I chose to go that route. Including shipping charges my total was $661.94. So I saved a little over $100.

The transaction was smooth and the telescope arrived on time with no delay.

I'm going to follow up with a report of "bench" (such as it is having downsized) acceptance testing with some photos.

The first light was intriguing viewtopic.php?f=6&t=9501

The scope of the bench testing will be as described in https://www.amazon.com/Choosing-Refract ... 1441964029

It's well within the capabilities of anyone with kindergarten skills. That means it will be a challenge for me since I skipped kindergarten.

Good luck with the testing, I look forward to reading your thoughts on the results.

notFritzArgelander wrote: ↑Sun May 03, 2020 8:57 pm ...
It's well within the capabilities of anyone with kindergarten skills. That means it will be a challenge for me since I skipped kindergarten.

Looking forward to reading your report nFA. I did kindergarten once but probably should have gone through twice so I appreciate your keeping it at my level!

Seriously, some day when I grow up, I'd like to upgrade my 102AZ so have at it with testing.

So first we have the unboxing. Due to the coronavirus pandemic UPS dropped it off, signed for me and sent a message alerting its delivery. The terms of delivery from TS are that the outer box has to show physical damage for delivery to be rejected. The outer box was in perfect conditions so this was fine in practice.
First thing you see on opening is the above ocean of plastic peanuts. Once excavated the box for the scope is revealed.
First think I noticed on placing the scope on the bench was that the TS logo was whimsically placed, but dewshields are subject to Noether's Theorem and are rotationally invariant except for logos.

Naturally I shine a flashlight on the objective.
What you see here is a bit of a mix. Mostly it is easily removable fine dust. There are a few tiny coating defects that I think are too small to worry about. They clean up nicely and shifting the orientation of the flashlight a lovely set of knife edge baffles appears.
Using a red (where is my green?) laser to look at the coatings the light just sinks into the glass! Nice. You can see a red dot from the laser inside the objective at about 1 o'clock. No visible scatter from the objective presents itself. This ws done before removing the dust BTW. So the motes are out of focus. These are not coatings defects.
And here it is ready to go.
The focuser has a very nice action and graduated markings. Maybe I'll post a pic later if there is interest in that detail.

A fine looking refractor nFA!
I see the new Vixen is trying to get into the picture as well

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Sun May 03, 2020 11:35 pm A fine looking refractor nFA!
I see the new Vixen is trying to get into the picture as well

Yes it is. I'll be posting a similar discussion in a separate thread. So much new glass to digest at once!

Congratulations on your new scope acquisition nFA!

Quite a beauty! Very nice unboxing and photos.

I know that you are excited. Enjoy!

That is a looong and handsome f11. Hope you can share a picture of your set up outdoors and mounted soon.

Carpe noctem!

I'm trying to get ready for a second light with the scope. I want to use a binoviewer with it and there is this attractive feature in the listing on the TS site:

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/pr ... nfo/p11262

♦ Binocular observation:
When you remove the rear end of the tube, the working distance increases from 150 mm to 270 mm when the extension tube is retracted. You can also combine binoviewer approaches and a 2" star diagonal and observe without path compensation.

So the section of the OTA that is referred to here is right in front of the focuser, 120mm long. But I cannot figure out how to remove it or retract it. There is no documentation supplied with the scope.

I've sent an email to TS asking for help. If any of you know anything (e.g. Gabby, does the non ED version have this feature?) please let me know.

The achromat version does not have this feature.
On most telescopes I have seen with this it is unscrew focuser adapter plate, unscrew/ remove extension piece then screw focuser and adapter to tube.

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 11:12 pm The achromat version does not have this feature.
On most telescopes I have seen with this it is unscrew focuser adapter plate, unscrew/ remove extension piece then screw focuser and adapter to tube.

So far so good, I'm just not seeing how the extension removes and replaces.... Anyway TS has acknowledged my email.

It does not unscrew from the main tube?

It is a fine instrument nFA, congrats! Does the black spacer between the scope body and the extension has 3 small hex screws 120 deg apart? If so you need to loosen them up and slide extension into the body. If not then the extension likely has threads as Gabby suggested.

According to this small paragraph it just unscrews (click image on the right)
https://cloudbreakoptics.com/products/s ... ed-focuser

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 11:54 pm It does not unscrew from the main tube?

Bigzmey wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 11:56 pm It is a fine instrument nFA, congrats! Does the black spacer between the scope body and the extension has 3 small hex screws 120 deg apart? If so you need to loosen them up and slide extension into the body. If not then the extension likely has threads as Gabby suggested.

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2020 12:08 am According to this small paragraph it just unscrews (click image on the right)
https://cloudbreakoptics.com/products/s ... ed-focuser

Thanks for your replies. I see no screws, hence my puzzlement. The section in question is solid unlike the photo in Gabby's link.

It does have a 2.5" R&P focuser and not a 2" crayford?
Are there not 3 silver dots/ rivets in the tube?
You have tried unscrewing the tube, not undoing screws but turning the entire tube?

Lady Fraktor wrote: ↑Fri May 08, 2020 3:19 am It does have a 2.5" R&P focuser and not a 2" crayford?
Are there not 3 silver dots/ rivets in the tube?
You have tried unscrewing the tube, not undoing screws but turning the entire tube?

The focuser /draw tube look as in the link you posted.
The draw tube on the focuser is 2.5" bit the back is only 2"
I note note three small screws around the rim of the 2"back.

I have tried unscrewing the tube but so far it resists my efforts.

Does your tube not have this separation line (circled)
The ones I have used before you unscrew the adapter (arrow) to remove it and the focuser, then unscrew that first section of tube and then screw the focuser back into the tube.

If you look in front of the front tube clamp there is a separation line, I just unscrew the focuser from the extension tube, unscrew the extension from the main tube/ lens cell and screw the focuser back onto the main tube leaving out the 120mm section.