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Synta 180mm Mak....NICE

Started by pollux , Aug 20 2006 11:53 AM

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53 replies to this topic

#1 pollux

artiste

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Posted 20 August 2006 - 11:53 AM

Got a chance to looked through the Skywatcher verison of 180mm Mak in the last two nights.

Have to say. Image quality is excellent. Of course it takes a while to cool down. On M13 the stars at the core are easily desolved (EDIT! I mean "RESOLVED". I was too tired). The spider like spread also is easily visible. The background was dark which is surprising since the sky wasn't black at all due to pollution.

M31 also was nice. The spread is clear and I can barely see the dust lane (again due to light pollution).

The scope has a special adaptor (3rd party add on) to fit a 2" diagonal and use the 2" EP. Since the focal length of this scope is very long (2700mm FL or F15) A very long focal length EP is needed to view double cluster. Last night we only had the 32mm. So we may have to try the 52mm next time.

Double double was cleanly splited under mid power. And I put a Vixen LV 5mm on this scope just for fun. And what shocked me is that even under this crazy power (say 540X!!!!) the collimation is still BANG ON!

I was with my 6" refractor and 8" Newtonian. During the comparion both my scopes managed to pull off decent images (They both managed to split double double at 66X) but don't know why the background sky just isn't as black as what is shown through that Mak. Anyone knows why?

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#2 zmaugy

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Posted 20 August 2006 - 12:40 PM

Great information - I'm watching for reports on this scope - have you tried to use some standard SC focal reducer with it?

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#3 pollux

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Posted 20 August 2006 - 12:43 PM

Not yet

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#4 zmaugy

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Posted 20 August 2006 - 01:05 PM

This is an interesting link with a photo of Jupiter taken with this ota - it looks very nice.

http://www.myastrosh...s/promak180.asp

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#5 Trever

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Posted 20 August 2006 - 03:48 PM

As far as the dark sky backgound is concerned, are the coatings of a higher quality?

Is there any idea on how much the OTA would cost?

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#6 Gaz O'C

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Posted 20 August 2006 - 04:06 PM

How was the mirror shift when focusing?

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#7 pollux

artiste

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Posted 20 August 2006 - 05:35 PM

The whole package (which includes the scope, 50mm finder, HEQ5 Pro GOTO, EPs, diagonal, etc) I THINK is around $2800 CAD and around $1440 CAD for the OTA....I need to double check as I don't really remember

Yes there's mirror shift when focusing and very obvious under high power.

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#8 Gaz O'C

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Posted 20 August 2006 - 05:44 PM

£800 in the UK. Im just dubious how much better it would e as a planetary/lunar scope than my existing 6" f8 achro.

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#9 Jim7728

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Posted 20 August 2006 - 05:50 PM

On M13 the stars at the core are easily desolved.

Eeek. It's a star killer :lol:

don't know why the background sky just isn't as black as what is shown through that Mak. Anyone knows why?

Hi Pollux. The black back ground was the first thing I noticed in my 7" Mak. I think alot has to do with the baffling inside the ota and or maybe the slower focal ratio. I'am very much a newbie as far as maks are concerned. :shrug:

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#10 pollux

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Posted 20 August 2006 - 06:01 PM

On M13 the stars at the core are easily desolved.
Eeek. It's a star killer

Oops I should say "resolved". I was so tired when I type that.

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#11 HfxObserver

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Posted 21 August 2006 - 07:39 AM

Any idea how much this scope weighs?

I was suprised when their 6" came out appraoching 13 lbs. So I ended up with an Intes MK67 used.

-Chris

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#12 pollux

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Posted 21 August 2006 - 10:32 AM

Around 17 pounds I believe

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#13 tjswood

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Posted 21 August 2006 - 10:57 AM

Hey Pollux - do you work for Orion or Antares?

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#14 pollux

artiste

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Posted 21 August 2006 - 11:46 AM

Good question :grin:

The Mak is from Skywatcher. Even I work for Orion and Antares (which I don't) I still have no "conflict of interest"

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#15 tjswood

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Posted 21 August 2006 - 11:50 AM

I kinda thought so - and half ribbing you... with you they may want to consider dumping so much into advertising each quarter...

Cheers, and thanks for taking it in a light-hearted fashion... always enjoy reading your posts.

Tim

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#16 pollux

artiste

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Posted 21 August 2006 - 11:57 AM

By the way. If Orion gives me a C11 for free I wouldn't mind praising them everywhere :roflmao:

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#17 RonS

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Posted 21 August 2006 - 09:08 PM

Man, you saw the dust lane in M31? I have yet to see that! Even in my dob at a dark site. :bawling:

I've glimpsed the spiral on M51 at that same site, but cannot see anything in m31 :confused:

BTW, that scope sounds cool, that's a big mak! :jump:

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#18 pollux

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Posted 21 August 2006 - 09:31 PM

I didn't know that was a dust lane until the other guy told me

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#19 zmaugy

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Posted 22 August 2006 - 09:36 AM

It would be great if some kind of forced cooling could be incorporated in this OTA (without any drastic measures, which would render the warranty void).

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#20 pollux

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Posted 22 August 2006 - 09:37 AM

Yeah that scope needs an hour to cool down.

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#21 zmaugy

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Posted 22 August 2006 - 09:39 AM

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#22 spencerj

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Posted 22 August 2006 - 09:46 AM

The darker background sky is from the high F ratio and the resulting exit pupil.

--Jason

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#23 Mert

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Posted 22 August 2006 - 12:52 PM

Hi Pollux,

Very interesting what you've seen so far!
Cooling down the OTA on my 6" takes an hour as well!
Even M13 splits up nice in stars on the small one
but with dark adapted eyes, I have to go up to
250X at least to resolve good.
Pitty I already bought the 6" and not waited for the
bigger one!
Congrats with this great scope, hope to see some
images made through it!!!!

Clear skies