Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27405
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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article
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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Clive Gibbons
Mostly Harmless
Reged: 05/26/05
Posts: 10335
Loc: Oort Cloud
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Thanks, Tom!
Well written and very informative!! 
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A few telescopes of dubious value.
Understanding wife and three curious cats.
"Semper ubi sub ubi"
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Bob Abraham
member
Reged: 05/17/05
Posts: 79
Loc: Toronto, ON, Canada
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Hi Tom,
Thanks again for an interesting review. This looks like a very nice scope. I've got a TV-60 which I bring with me on trips, but wouldn't mind something a little bigger. This looks like a nice option. However, I have one dumb question: since it doesn't use a clamshell, how do you balance it for use with heavy eyepieces? I guess one could attach a longer dovetail to the short vixen "shoe", but this seems a little clunky. Is there a better way?
Cheers,
Bob
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Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27405
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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Hi Clive,
Thanks!
Hi Bob,
Good to hear from you (as always)!
There's a couple of ways. The shoe is removable, allowing you to use rings, or (as you pointed out) you could use an 8" dovetail attached to the shoe and slide it back and forth on that (with these, that's usually what I do in practice).
If you're thinking about carrying this on though, you'll want to check and verify the case meets airline travel on requirements. It's somewhat large and you may actually have to put it in a different case.
T
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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Bob Abraham
member
Reged: 05/17/05
Posts: 79
Loc: Toronto, ON, Canada
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Makes sense. Thanks Tom!
Bob
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Pasquale
Encrypted
Reged: 10/12/05
Posts: 2078
Loc: Olympia, Washington
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Thanks for the wonderful report, Tom... I've been eyeing the carbon fiber version of this one since it's announcement! Since you've looked through both, would you give the nod to this scope's optics over the WO 80FD? I really like the little FD, and only consider this one because of the TMB triplet objective and the carbon fiber/ FT focuser. I'm a real sucker for cf...
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Pasquale
Go Seahawks!!!
NexStar 9.25 GPS / SkyAlign
Stellarvue SV102ED
WO ZS80FD Anniversary
WO ZS66ED Triplet
Vixen Sphinx SXW
Canon EOS XT/350D, Meade DSI, NexImager
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Nicola
member
Reged: 05/23/06
Posts: 56
Loc: Milan, Italy
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That CCD used for the test is not as big as DSLR chip. I wonder how the corners could be with a Canon EOS 350D.
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Nicola
Milan, Italy
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Madsen
super member
Reged: 05/01/07
Posts: 106
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Quote:
That CCD used for the test is not as big as DSLR chip. I wonder how the corners could be with a Canon EOS 350D.
Try looking here:
http://www.stark-labs.com/craig/TMB80SS/TMB80SS.html
For Tom: How do you rate this telescope against the "previous" TMB 80mm lomo triplet?
Søren
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mark47
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/21/07
Posts: 620
Loc: Scotland
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Tom,
Do you know if rhe signature series is available in Europe?
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Celestron C6-NGT.
Equinox 80mmED on a Porta Mount.
William optics 2" Dielectric Diagonal.
Baader Hyperion 24,13 & 8mm EPs
Celestron 1.25" EP Kit.
Antares 25,15,10mm Plossl.
Orion 12.5mm Illuminated Reticule Plossl.
Baader Neodymium, OIII, UHC-S Filters.
Antares ALP Filter.
Canon EOS 350D.
Dark Skies Everyone.
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ned_l
super member
Reged: 03/12/07
Posts: 164
Loc: north carolina
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Nice review, sure looks like a winner.
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8" Orion Newtonian w/ Sky View Pro mount
Feather Touch focuser
Stellarvue 102 ED
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Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27405
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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Quote:
Tom,
Do you know if rhe signature series is available in Europe?
Scopemania imports the 130, I suspect they can get the 80 as well.
http://www.scopemania.fr/achat/index.php?catid=36
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27405
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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Quote:
Quote:
That CCD used for the test is not as big as DSLR chip. I wonder how the corners could be with a Canon EOS 350D.
Try looking here:
http://www.stark-labs.com/craig/TMB80SS/TMB80SS.html
For Tom: How do you rate this telescope against the "previous" TMB 80mm lomo triplet?
Søren
In what regards? And which one in particular? 80/600 or 80/480?
Are you looking for a quick percentage or a point by point analysis?
Mechanics? Optics? Visually? Photographically?
Or just in general?
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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Jeff Morgan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/28/03
Posts: 1531
Loc: Prescott, AZ
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Quote:
I'm a real sucker for cf...
You might want to check out a current thread over in the Yahoo Refractor group concerning white paint on refractors. Roland Christen commented that cf seems to cause tube currents.
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Jeff Morgan
Prescott, AZ
Wile E. Coyote School of Telescope Making
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Clive Gibbons
Mostly Harmless
Reged: 05/26/05
Posts: 10335
Loc: Oort Cloud
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Carbon fibre is more heat insulating than aluminum, so a big refractor with a c.f. tube won't cool down very fast.
OTOH, a small c.f. tubed scope probably wouldn't be affected so much. 
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A few telescopes of dubious value.
Understanding wife and three curious cats.
"Semper ubi sub ubi"
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Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27405
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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Thanks for the comments guys.
T
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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NewAstronomer
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 09/03/04
Posts: 2690
Loc: Scranton, PA U.S.A
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Good review, I concur. I've been using my TMB 80mm SS for DSLR imaging the past few months.
I can add one thing, using the rotating focuser does shift the image a tad forcing a re-center but the object still shows up on my chip. Also, this may be a result of the tightness of the focuser rotator and the fact that my mount might budge a bit (Sky View Pro) as I turn the mechanism. It also may be a result of the sag you mention. I get some flex when tightening the focuser but not much at all.
All in all a great scope, I will not be parting with it. I imagine one would always need an 80mm scope for one reason or another, this one is a "keeper".
It was a tough decision on buying this for an imaging platform, or getting an ED80 with upgraded focuser, or one of the many other 80mm variants. You can't go wrong with one of these IMHO.
I plan on trying the new WO flattener later this month. I'll let you know if it works out, and how.
EDIT: As for cooldown in the CF model, for an 80mm scope, I'd be more interested in a FeatherTouch than CarbonFiber.
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Chris
AT66ED f/6
C80ED f/7.5
10" GSO Dob f/5
SVP w/ autoguide mod
Oly E-500 DSLR, DSI-P, DSI-C, NexImage
Edited by NewAstronomer (11/13/07 12:51 PM)
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Tom Trusock
Reged: 02/26/02
Posts: 27405
Loc: Alternate Reality (TM)
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Chris, please do. If you think about it, it would be helpful if you could post the results in this thread.
Thanks!
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There are two theories to arguing with my wife. Neither one works.
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mark47
professor emeritus
Reged: 02/21/07
Posts: 620
Loc: Scotland
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Thanks, Tom
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Celestron C6-NGT.
Equinox 80mmED on a Porta Mount.
William optics 2" Dielectric Diagonal.
Baader Hyperion 24,13 & 8mm EPs
Celestron 1.25" EP Kit.
Antares 25,15,10mm Plossl.
Orion 12.5mm Illuminated Reticule Plossl.
Baader Neodymium, OIII, UHC-S Filters.
Antares ALP Filter.
Canon EOS 350D.
Dark Skies Everyone.
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imjeffp
Senior Space Cadet
Reged: 09/30/03
Posts: 4427
Loc: Cedar Park, Texas
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This focuser & tube is getting pretty popular (AT80EDT, Sky-Watcher Equinox). Seems like we ought to be able to class all these scopes as a family, with mainly the glass as the difference.
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Blog
ST80 • AT80EDT/LXD650
ETX-90/DS-2000 • 10" LX200 Classic ("The Quarter-Meter Telescope at the Heritage Park Observatory")
SPC900NC • DMK21AF04 • Digital Rebel XT
  
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Moggi1964
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 11/07/05
Posts: 2512
Loc: Madison. NJ. USA
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I am interested in how it would compare to the now discontinued WO 80mm Megrez ED Triplet which retailed for about the same price if you include the focusser upgrade from WO?
I'm not sure of you got to test one of those Tom when they came out?
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Morris
WO Megrez 80 ED F/7
WO 8x42 binoculars
Seymor Rosin F/4.5 Astrograph in the making
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