New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

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DeepSolar64
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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

It was around 800 until last year.


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Fri Mar 18, 2022 12:21 pm It was around 800 until last year.
No wonder why i keep buying so so much gear in short time, 2 main big reasons:

1. Prices increasing suddenly, so whenever i can i buy the item regardless its current price, because i know later it will go higher and then i can't.

2. Discontinuity, God knows how many items/gear i was planning and thinking about buying in the past but i couldn't afford and they are discontinued, so i don't wait my skills and processing to get improved an then i buy, no, i just buy and then i wait by the time to get improved.


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I hate to imagine how much a Takahashi TOA 130 will be a couple of years from now. My alternative scope is the Astro-Tech AT130EDT triplet apo which costs less than 1/3rd of the price of the Tak. And they are highly rated for the money. I have it's baby sister the Astro-Tech AT72EDII and it performs wonderfully!


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by DavidP »

I don’t know anything about the Tech, but the TOA has a reputation for being very well corrected for Ca imaging as well as Ha. Not all apos do as well.
Last edited by DavidP on Sat Mar 19, 2022 1:35 am, edited 1 time in total.


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

DavidP wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 1:31 am I don’t know anything about the Tech, but the TOA has a reputation for being very well corrected for Ca imaging as well as Ha. Not all apos as well.

That doesn't surprise me. Takahashi APO refractors have been at the top of the heap for years and have but a few rivals.

JP


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

And that quality is coming with price, i am happy with the cheaper alternatives so far, one is TS 90 triplet new model and the other is Askar FRA400, i think if done and used properly it will be hard to find differences between them and high end scopes, many were testing some scopes such as Skywatcher Esprit and Stellarvue to Tak scopes mainly FSQ which are quadruplet scopes to conclude they are almost close, that is with quadruplet, didn't see them test against triplet anyway.

From what i see, whenever you go larger in aperture with refractors in APO you gain less differences, sounds going larger is hiding and correcting many issues anyway, even with achromatic refractors, many said they see very less to no evidence of CA with 130-150mm scopes.

What i want to say is, we all and always want to buy premium gear, no doubt, but if someone can't afford premium scopes or say he want to have premium scopes for everything [solar, lunar, planets, DSO,...etc], how much he will pay then if he can't afford much? i have like 8 scopes and i am not done, and none of them as high end.


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 1:34 am
DavidP wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 1:31 am I don’t know anything about the Tech, but the TOA has a reputation for being very well corrected for Ca imaging as well as Ha. Not all apos as well.

That doesn't surprise me. Takahashi APO refractors have been at the top of the heap for years and have but a few rivals.

JP
There is AP scopes too and there is TEC, i saw many moved from Takahashi to either AP or TEC, that alone is telling me something, so going from one premium to another premium, why? Like going from Bentley to Rolls Royce.


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

So, as long it is about a scope choice, i want to know, if one day i can afford something like Lunt CaK module, what is the maximum aperture scope can use? From different sites and also Lunt site they mentioned up to 100mm, so if i buy like 120mm/127mm scope that will be too much?


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I think the Lunt CaK module can use up to a six inch aperture. Pedro Re' uses one on his Lunt LS152 I think. I don't know if an ERF is required for that aperture though. Someone here probably has an answer.

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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by JochenM »

Lunt specifies a limit of 100mm indeed. But if you drop in a sub-aperture ERF (just a blue filter will do), you can safely take that up a notch.

Keep in mind though that CaK is a totally different beast from HA and Continuum/WL imaging. You can pull out amazing details with "just" 100mm of aperture. The downside is that due to the short wavelengths, seeing requirements are much more stringent. I personally very rarely (as in a few times a year tops) get the conditions to attempt higher res CaK imaging.


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

Ah ok, i was saying if i can go up to 120/127 only, not thinking about 150/152 although some did, my mount will scream a bit for that size, and i think 120 or 150 will give same focal ratio with that 120/127 will be much slower then [~F9], which might help for solar imaging, i just don't know if this will require ERF really or not, i still have long time for that until maybe end of this year or later after 4-6 months depends on my financial situations.


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

In time I'll go up to a 130 from my 102. Astro-Tech AD130EDT or Takahashi TOA130. It depends on cash. I would probably need a mount too to add to that!

JP


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

If 130 or 150 weighting less than 6" reflector or 8" Newtonian then i think my mount can handle that, but i doubt they are any less weight, my 90mm i felt like it is almost same weight as my 6" Newt.

I still think i want to stay within 120, for solar, if i go with 130mm then i can use that for DSO too, and i know which 130mm to buy, but i have to know if my Antlia wedge can be fine with this 130 and later in future with Lunt CaK, i believe it will be more than fine with Quark Chromosphere, but in all cases i need an ERF, but i need to learn more about when to use ERF and for which solar band/filter.


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

I still think i want to stay within 120, for solar, if i go with 130mm then i can use that for DSO too..._Tareq

That's probably wise. I have a 102mm achromat and the seeing won't support the aperture at higher magnification more than half of the time in the daytime. I would only be able to use the full aperture of a 130mm scope even less. The 70mm Orion is used in part more for this very reason. 80mm is probably the sweet spot between aperture and seeing in my location. Big enough to reveal decent detail and small enough to do reasonably well in my local seeing conditions. And I don't have an 80mm scope! :(

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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 9:44 pm
I still think i want to stay within 120, for solar, if i go with 130mm then i can use that for DSO too..._Tareq

That's probably wise. I have a 102mm achromat and the seeing won't support the aperture at higher magnification more than half of the time in the daytime. I would only be able to use the full aperture of a 130mm scope even less. The 70mm Orion is used in part more for this very reason. 80mm is probably the sweet spot between aperture and seeing in my location. Big enough to reveal decent detail and small enough to do reasonably well in my local seeing conditions. And I don't have an 80mm scope! :(

James
And the funny thing is that 80mm is my first ever scope i bought in 2017, i started in 2017, and i was using that scope for DSO, but not good results, and many told me to get rid of it or sell it, something in my head told me no, keep it, in future you will use it, sounds i buy so many things i and others don't know how good it is until later, i trust my gear, and for that i will also trust that Antlia wedge even if i will buy a dedicated CaK tool.


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

Tareq,
80mm is a good average aperture, especially for solar use.

Keep me posted on how you do with that Antlia K-line wedge. Try it visually using a monitor and let me know how it looks, especially on faculae visibility. If you image with it beware of oversharpening. Only then can you see how it will really do. I am certainly curious.

Thanks

James


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Sun Mar 20, 2022 12:01 am Tareq,
80mm is a good average aperture, especially for solar use.

Keep me posted on how you do with that Antlia K-line wedge. Try it visually using a monitor and let me know how it looks, especially on faculae visibility. If you image with it beware of oversharpening. Only then can you see how it will really do. I am certainly curious.

Thanks

James
I already and finally ordered few tools or accessories that will help me, i am just waiting them to arrive hopefully on time, then i will let you know, i stopped now as i don't need to waste time with issues and headache i am facing, so once i get the items and put them in use i can see the results for both, Antlia wedge and Quark Ha.


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by vkx86 »

TareqPhoto wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 5:51 am i have like 8 scopes and i am not done, and none of them as high end.
8 scopes and not done yet?!
Seems you have a GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) - you need to manage that condition, start to thin your scopes herd ;)


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

vkx86 wrote: Tue Mar 22, 2022 5:10 am
TareqPhoto wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 5:51 am i have like 8 scopes and i am not done, and none of them as high end.
8 scopes and not done yet?!
Seems you have a GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) - you need to manage that condition, start to thin your scopes herd ;)

I don't think he's alone here. :lol:


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

vkx86 wrote: Tue Mar 22, 2022 5:10 am
TareqPhoto wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 5:51 am i have like 8 scopes and i am not done, and none of them as high end.
8 scopes and not done yet?!
Seems you have a GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) - you need to manage that condition, start to thin your scopes herd ;)
Tell that to others i saw with doubles of what i have, even worse, they have like 4-10 high end scopes and sounds they aren't done too, whether people told them they have GAS or not it sounds didn't work, they keep going :lol:


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

DeepSolar64 wrote: Tue Mar 22, 2022 5:14 am
vkx86 wrote: Tue Mar 22, 2022 5:10 am
TareqPhoto wrote: Sat Mar 19, 2022 5:51 am i have like 8 scopes and i am not done, and none of them as high end.
8 scopes and not done yet?!
Seems you have a GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) - you need to manage that condition, start to thin your scopes herd ;)

I don't think he's alone here. :lol:
Definitely not alone, in fact now i am shopping for my 9th scope as i got a budget yesterday :D


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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by DeepSolar64 »

And I am wanting a CR6, AT130EDT or TOA130!!


Lunt 8x32 SUNoculars
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Re: New scope suggestion, a Mak or a Refr?

Post by TareqPhoto »

And me looking for RC 10", all of them are slightly above my budget i got, so i still keep trying to find one that fit my budget as much i can and the design quality is good.


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