Perka
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Reged: 04/13/07
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Orion Optics Ultra Grade
#2342372 - 04/21/08 02:07 PM
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Hello all
I am considering OO's Ultra grade mirrors for my 10" scope project. Does anyone have experience of those better than 1/10PV mirrors. They claim to have strehl over 0.99 which is unbelievable. But they are tested with ZYGO so that must mean something.
Im also very interested of how those mirrors stratests and handle high power? Like 50x/inch or more. Coatings would be theirs HILUX 97% reflective.
Please share your opinions, experiences or any input you have.
Thank you
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Don W
demi-god
Reged: 05/19/03
Loc: Wisconsin, USA
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: Perka]
#2342663 - 04/21/08 04:27 PM
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Do you mean Orion Optics of England?
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F.Meiresonne
Post Laureate
Reged: 12/22/03
Loc: Eeklo,Belgium
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: Don W]
#2342807 - 04/21/08 05:30 PM
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Well i have an what they call an 1/8 PV mirror with a Strehl over .98 . Seems like a real nice mirror giving very sharp pinpoints of stars.
I have a fast F4.5 mirror yet still goes over 300x on the moon.
There 1/10 pv should be even better but i really wonder if you could see the difference especially understanding that the seeing over here is never about good enough to fully exploite the possibilities of such a mirror...
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F.Meiresonne
Post Laureate
Reged: 12/22/03
Loc: Eeklo,Belgium
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: Don W]
#2342811 - 04/21/08 05:33 PM
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Quote:
Do you mean Orion Optics of England?
Yep, Don, he does.
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Perka
member
Reged: 04/13/07
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: F.Meiresonne]
#2343852 - 04/22/08 05:30 AM
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Have you ever startested your OO's mirror? Doest it hold up to its promises of over 0.98 strehl?
And how are they compared to other high quality mirrors like Zambutos, your Obsession or like Terry Ostahowski's mirrors who also tests his optics with interferometer?
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F.Meiresonne
Post Laureate
Reged: 12/22/03
Loc: Eeklo,Belgium
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: Perka]
#2343872 - 04/22/08 06:26 AM
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I have no real expertise in optics nor startesting nor do i have knowledge to adequate compare my OMI mirror (strehl 0.94) against my OO mirror.
Both gave good images, meaning pinpoint stars when cooled down, better then my skywatcher at the time
I can see the diffraction rings in my OO rather good (compared to my now sold skywachter) meaning it has probably a much better surface and when i turned it out focus there is not much difference (if any) on either side of the focal plane.
What i do notice in my OO are tube currents but that's no real mirror issue, is it....it takes sometimes one hore before they are completely gone
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johninderby
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Reged: 11/10/06
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: F.Meiresonne]
#2347288 - 04/23/08 05:12 PM
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Hi
I had an 8" Orion Optics UK dob with their Ultra Grade Optics (now saving up for their 16" Carbon Tube Dob with Ultra Grade Optics, similar price to an Obsession but better optics).
Their optics ratings are actually very, very conservative which is what I like about them. When they say 1/10 PV mirrors they actualy mean better than 1/10 with the average somewhere around 1/13th and a minimum 99 Strehl. From the results I saw with the 8" their claims are totaly valid. Also anyone that I have spoken to that has used their Ultra Grade Optics backs up that opinion.
They do a full inferometer test a couple of times while grinding their mirrors to make sure they're accurate. Zygo wouldn't buy optics from them if they didn't know what they're doing would they?
You should realise that they aren't a mass market manufacturer and they do build everthing from dobs to Dal-Kirkhams etc. They started out many years ago as purely an optics manufacturer and only recently have started to manufacture complete telescopes.
Anyway while their mirrors aren't cheap they would be my first choise if I was building my own scope.
John
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Perka
member
Reged: 04/13/07
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: johninderby]
#2348517 - 04/24/08 06:14 AM
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Good to know! I think I made my mind about this matter and it will be the UG.
BTW have you startested your 8" and if you have does it back up the 0.99 strehl?
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johninderby
member
Reged: 11/10/06
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: Perka]
#2348880 - 04/24/08 11:18 AM
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Hi
Star tests were as close to perfect as I've ever seen in a dob and gave me no reason to doubt the Strehl ratio. On DSO's where high contrast isn't quite as important the quality difference isn't as noticeable. On lunar / planetary however where maximum contrast is all important, that's where the Ultra Grade optics really come into their own.
Performace wise on lunar / planetary it would utterly blow away something like an Orion (USA) XT 12" Intelliscope dob so I can only imagine what the 10" version would do. I guess the old saying you get what you pay for still applies today.
John
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Perka
member
Reged: 04/13/07
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: johninderby]
#2349159 - 04/24/08 01:28 PM
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I have two of their <1/10PV secondaries and they certainly seems to be good.
Their 50mm <1/10PV secondary will pair with that 10" UltraGrade so it may be good planetary scope as well. Both primary and secondary are coated with hilux 97% reflective coatings. Dunno if that helps or not..
Next time my 18" needs recoating I'll send it to OO to be tested with interferometry and possibly refig to Ultra Grade too before they put coatings on. Then I'll see if they can improve already exellent mirror 
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sabir
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/23/07
Loc: Pune (India)
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: Perka]
#2350757 - 04/25/08 07:13 AM
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Do they provide refiguring services??... that would be really interesting 
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Perka
member
Reged: 04/13/07
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: sabir]
#2351179 - 04/25/08 11:40 AM
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Yes they do, actually that 10" is old Skywatcher skyliner mirror. It is on it way to be refigured to ultragrade and recoated as we speak
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F.Meiresonne
Post Laureate
Reged: 12/22/03
Loc: Eeklo,Belgium
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: Perka]
#2351232 - 04/25/08 12:07 PM
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Quote:
I have two of their <1/10PV secondaries and they certainly seems to be good.
Actually i believe that is not enough. For a 1/10 mirror the secs should be around 1/20 pv to maintain quality, theoretically...
I don't know the exact specs of my sec OO mirror.
However i do know it of my Obsession. The sec comes from United lens and s 1/13 pv
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Perka
member
Reged: 04/13/07
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: F.Meiresonne]
#2351448 - 04/25/08 01:44 PM
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I had to make special order for "better than 1/10PV" secondaries, because their "normal" ones are not that good.
That secondary and my 18" mirror will give perfect(as I can tell) startest at over 800x so it is good optical system and good secondary as well
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gordon
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 07/15/03
Loc: England
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: F.Meiresonne]
#2353623 - 04/26/08 06:21 PM
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I am awaiting delivery of the Orion SPX 10 inch f6.3 with the 1/10 upgrade.I am sure that I will get their optics report supplied with it so I will have a good idea of the mirror quality.
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Perka
member
Reged: 04/13/07
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: gordon]
#2563802 - 08/06/08 12:13 PM
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I just got back two primary mirrors from Orion Optics which they Re-figured from ~1/3PV to Better than 1/10PV(their ultra grade)
I have done few extensive startests and quick ronchieyepiece tests on them and they test at least 99% perfect! Actually, I have not found any difference between Intra/extra images. 10" mirror held 400x quite easily after mirror was cooled, but atmosphere did not allow more. I have to say that I'm More than pleased with them and OO did not charge very much of the whole thing!
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sabir
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 06/23/07
Loc: Pune (India)
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Re: Orion Optics Ultra Grade
[Re: Perka]
#2563980 - 08/06/08 01:20 PM
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Great to hear that Perka!!
Look forward to your further evaluation, especially regarding the differences/improvement you see in the views before and after the refiguring.
Sabir
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