dlapoint
sage
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 452
Loc: Moncton NB Canada
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There has been a lot of talk about the perfect apo. But what would all the achromatic refractor users out there consider the best all around achromatic refractor. If you could only own One, or if you were to recommend one to a friend. What would it be? No apo's please.
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Antares 127 F6.5
Skywatcher Pro ED100
Orion 72mm Eon
Orion XT8
C4.5
Naglers 16mm T5, 9mm T6
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Astroguy
super member
Reged: 11/19/04
Posts: 346
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Well... from what I hear the Antares models are hard to beat, but I am 100% satisfied w/my Orion 120mm f8.3 Achro & Skyview mount w/single axis drive. The only thing I bothered to improve was the diagonal.
What can I say... this scope has great versatility for widefield and high power views. The optics are very good and the CA is fairly subtle w/exceptions of venus/jupiter/mars. However, a CA filter led to very nice high power views of Mars and Jupiter w/out distracting levels of CA... on good viewing nights the CA is barely noticable! I've been very happy w/deepsky widefield views.
I include a compilation pic that portrays what I see through the scope on Jupiter and Saturn... in fact the views thru the scope are quite a bit better. The photo is afocal and shows a little drift so the stars aren't as round as they appear thru the scope... nevertheless it represents the wow factor that I experience everytime I look thru my scope  ... 2 great years and counting!  "J"
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Meade EQ/4500 4.5" f/8 Reflector(1995)
Orion EQ-2/Short-Tube 90mm Achro Refractor(2001)
Orion SVP-EQ/120mm f/8.3 Achro Refractor(2006)
Kant: To Be is To Do
Neitzsche: To Do is To Be
Sinatra: Do Be Do Be Do
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bob midiri
super member
Reged: 06/17/04
Posts: 145
Loc: pa 19320
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If you want the best go and get a D&G achro refractor. I used to own the 5"F12 model. If it wasn't so big I would still own it. It was the best refractor I ever owned and I owned a lot incl a Meade 127 ED doublet, and my present Skywatcher PRO ED 120 is right up there with it. Bob Midiri
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Homemade 16"F6.5 dob
Celestron Ultima 9.25
Celestron/Vixen Flourite 102F8.8 w Moonlight focuser
Celestron C6RGT w DS moonlight focuser
Cave 10"F6 Super Chrome deluxe
C80ED F7.5
Skywatcher PRO ED 120 w W.O dual speed rotatable focuser
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doug76
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 2650
Loc: SE Louisiana
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For the money, you cannot beat the Celestron C6R. 6" f/8, gorgeous views, low CA, $499 for OTA at Astronomics. Big sucker, though, requires a fair size mount. My CG-5ASGT is just adequate for it. Really needs an Atlas/EQ6 to do it justice. And a mount extension, to keep the tube from hitting the tripod legs.
Doug
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Doug
The Truckstop Astronomer
Meade 12" Lightbridge/Dob Driver II
Celestron C6 SCT
Celestron C6R/Moonlight focuser
Celestron XLT150
Astro-Tech AT80EDT
TOWA 60/700 (under construction)
Celestron CG5-ASGT, CG-4
Celestron Nexstar SE (large)
Meade SWA 34mm
Televue Panoptic 24mm
Pentax XW 10mm, 7mm
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Astro-Tech AT66ED
Celestron Nexstar SE (small)
Televue Plossl 32mm
Smart Astronomy Solar System 14.5mm
BO/TMB Planetary 9mm, 7mm, 5mm, 4mm, 3.2mm, 2.5mm
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galaxyman
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/04/05
Posts: 1171
Loc: Limerick, Pa
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This one (APM/TMB 8" f/9) has become a personal dream to own.
Karl
E.O.H.
Chesmont Astronomical Society
Telekit (Swayze optics) 22" F/4.5 Dob
Homemade (Parks Optics) 12.5" F/4.8 Dob
TMB 8" F/9 Refractor(The Beast)
Astrozap 6" f/8 Refractor
Orion 4" f/6 Refractor
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So many galaxies, so little time!
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doug76
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 2650
Loc: SE Louisiana
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Suitably impressed, I am! What a scope! But my 6" will have to do, and I am not crying. Really I'm not. 
Doug 
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kroum
super member
Reged: 08/28/08
Posts: 166
Loc: Bay Area, CA
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What do you guys think of the Orion 100mm f6 achro?
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dlapoint
sage
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 452
Loc: Moncton NB Canada
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That APM/TMB 8" f/9 looks great! I'll trade you strait up for my 5" Antares refractor. You pay the shipping of course.
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Antares 127 F6.5
Skywatcher Pro ED100
Orion 72mm Eon
Orion XT8
C4.5
Naglers 16mm T5, 9mm T6
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doug76
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/05/07
Posts: 2650
Loc: SE Louisiana
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Quote:
What do you guys think of the Orion 100mm f6 achro?
Every report I have read on it says it has sharp optics. A fair amount of CA on bright objects as you might expect, given the design and short f/ratio, but none to be seen on DSO's and it is a fine widefield instrument.
Doug
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galaxyman
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/04/05
Posts: 1171
Loc: Limerick, Pa
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Quote:
Suitably impressed, I am! What a scope! But my 6" will have to do, and I am not crying. Really I'm not.
Doug
Thanks Doug
As you can see I also own a Astrozap 6” f/8 achro (terrific optics for the $).
A 6” achro with a well figured lens is a great all around scope. Enough aperture to reel in impressive DSO views, and being a refractor those views are in HiDef.
In fact I was so impressed by my former Meade 6” f/8, that I used that as my stepping stone or case to my wife that the APM 8” f/9 would be worth it.
Karl
E.O.H.
Chesmont Astronomical Society
Telekit (Swayze optics) 22" F/4.5 Dob
Homemade (Parks Optics) 12.5" F/4.8 Dob
TMB 8" F/9 Refractor(The Beast)
Astrozap 6" f/8 Refractor
Orion 4" f/6 Refractor
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So many galaxies, so little time!
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John Kocijanski
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 08/22/03
Posts: 1488
Loc: Monticello, NY
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Here is a vote for the Celestron C4R/C102 f/10. Sharp views and not so big it is hard to handle. Nice for grab and go.
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John
Deep Space Observer 10 * SPC-8 * C102 HD f/10 * XT 4.5 * AT1010N * PST *
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galaxyman
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/04/05
Posts: 1171
Loc: Limerick, Pa
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Quote:
That APM/TMB 8" f/9 looks great! I'll trade you strait up for my 5" Antares refractor. You pay the shipping of course.
Hmm, let me think about that one for a while 
NO 
But if you can wait for a couple more years, and things do fall together as my wife and I plan, you may have a shot at it.
Our dream or really a goal, is to build a log home in West Virginia with a good size observatory in the back to house a possible D&G 12" f/12 achro, with my 22" dob still lurking around (love that scope). The 6" and 4" refractors also come along.
Anyway these large achros (5"+) are a joy to use.
For instance my 8" f/9 is a serious deep sky scope that can play with the larger dobs. In other words using it for seeing lots of ARP's, as well as mucho amount of galaxies, resolving tight globs, and using high power (500x+) on small planetaries, and so on.
Karl
E.O.H.
Chesmont Astronomical Society
Telekit (Swayze optics) 22" F/4.5 Dob
Homemade (Parks Optics) 12.5" F/4.8 Dob
TMB 8" F/9 Refractor(The Beast)
Astrozap 6" f/8 Refractor
Orion 4" f/6 Refractor
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So many galaxies, so little time!
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galaxyman
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/04/05
Posts: 1171
Loc: Limerick, Pa
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Quote:
Quote:
What do you guys think of the Orion 100mm f6 achro?
Every report I have read on it says it has sharp optics. A fair amount of CA on bright objects as you might expect, given the design and short f/ratio, but none to be seen on DSO's and it is a fine widefield instrument.
Doug
I have one, and love it.
Yes, the optics is very sharp, and power can be pushed if you have a good one, hence a rant I did a while back on my club’s website. A view of Jupiter at 240x one night spurred that on.
I have used mine as a great grab-an-go scope, as well as a side-kick for the large scopes.
A couple months ago I had it up at Cherry Springs with the Beast (8” f/9). This 4” gave remarkable views for us in the Virgo galaxy cluster, and later on “jaw dropping” views through the Milky Way, which included the large nebulas, star clusters, star clouds, and dark nebula.
Last weekend at another very dark Pa. site, I had the 4” set up this time with the 22” dob.
While the 22” dob was looking at 16th mag galaxies and such, the 4” with a Meade 5k 32mm plossl (19x) was here again doing it’s wide-field scanning. Though I must say I have in other nights, pushed this scope with medium to high power on a variety of DSO’s with great results.
This is a fine scope for $200, and I also like that it has an adjustable cell for collimation, which is a strong point to get maximum results out in the field.
Karl
E.O.H.
Chesmont Astronomical Society
Telekit (Swayze optics) 22" F/4.5 Dob
Homemade (Parks Optics) 12.5" F/4.8 Dob
TMB 8" F/9 Refractor(The Beast)
Astrozap 6" f/8 Refractor
Orion 4" f/6 Refractor
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So many galaxies, so little time!
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bluestar
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/06/05
Posts: 774
Loc: Pat Kelly in Maryland
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For the longer focus achromats without a doubt the best out there are the D&G line of craftsman lenses and telescopes, Roland Christen (of Astro-Physics fame) endorsed as well!
http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=410
I've owned AP, Tak and other apos and D&G was the only achromat I'd consider, starting in the 5" size at 5" f/12...
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dlapoint
sage
Reged: 08/18/03
Posts: 452
Loc: Moncton NB Canada
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Does APM/TMB still make achromats? Aside from D&G does any one make larger quality scopes? Aside from Antares and the Planet hunter, I don't know of any smaller, high quality(long focal lenth) refractors being made these days. The short achromatic refractors. F5-8 are more specialized scopes. Made to be compact, wide field scopes. My 5" scope is great on deep sky and is fairly good on the moon, but it falls short as an all purpose scope. The Orion 120 F8.3 scopes seem to have a good rep. I wonder if Antares would ever come out with a line of 5-6 inch scopes in the f10-f12 range? They did have the 127 f9.4, so I'm sure they could do it. But would there be a market for such scopes?
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Antares 127 F6.5
Skywatcher Pro ED100
Orion 72mm Eon
Orion XT8
C4.5
Naglers 16mm T5, 9mm T6
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richardr
member
Reged: 11/07/06
Posts: 47
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I have a 3" f6 and 4" f10 achro. I would say that if you are not getting a 6" or so, go apo. Orions are cheap and f10 is too bulky for a mere 4", f20 or so is required for very correct color in a 4" achro. I just got a 4" 33" long Orion ED for what I paid for my 4" 44" long achro and the length diff is wonderful on a GEM.
If you are interested in DSO's and you want to go achro, go big and just live with the color. I have had achros for 10 years and it just isn't that bad. The only reason I really got convinced to get an ED was that my skies are *BLEEP*(I live just outside the downtown in Seattle )a and I do a lot of planet looking. The size diff was very alluring as well, pushing 50 and my knees were hating the kneeling.  Physical strength is going be an issue as well unless you are permanently mounting it. Big GEMS are very heavy and long tube achros sway in the wind if the GEM is too small, a problem I have had.
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bluestar
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 11/06/05
Posts: 774
Loc: Pat Kelly in Maryland
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APM/TMB made a few 6" f/8's but they seemed short lived before they switched over to the big aperture med fl designs. For the f/10's and above handling is ruled primarily by their mounting requirements, though you can get by quite easily with some imagination and thrift, even with driven equatorials on the used market or going the alt az route. Having a permanent setup is highly conducive to owning a big long focus dream achromat refractor.
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drshr
sage
Reged: 06/09/08
Posts: 207
Loc: Australia
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A vote for the 6" F5. Good light grasp and easy to manage size. Planets are not bad either at 200x with filter. Best thing is its bang for buck. DSO is is sharp and wide fields unsurpassed. Is almost G&G on an AltAZ mount.
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Doc
14" F5 DOB.
6" f5 Achro.
TMB/APM 105mm F6.2 CF APO.
"In order to make an apple pie from scratch, you must first create the universe"
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ironhed
member
Reged: 02/08/08
Posts: 30
Loc: Southwest WA
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I've been very happy with my 6" Antares f6.5. It really excells on wide field views. At the Oregon Star Party last week the views of the Double Cluster, Pleiades, and M31 were stunning!! And, it did surpringly well on Jupiter at 200x with no filters. Also. it is a little easier to handle compared to 6" Meade and Celestron scopes. Price is fairly reasonable, especially used, if you can find one.
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Antares 6" f/6.5 on UA Unistar; GO 28x110 on UA Millenium
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cuzimthedad
Just Be Cuz
Reged: 04/09/06
Posts: 2730
Loc: Sonoma, Northern California
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Here's my vote for the Meade LXD75 AR-6. To me, it's the best bang for the buck. Plenty of apeture, little ca, and pinpoint stars. And it's cool lookin too!
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Dan
20" Obsession (Freedom I...aka cuzimthescope)
TV102 (Star Dagger)
LXD75 AR-6 (Phoenix)
Megrez 80SD
Antares 1529 (Awaiting arrival)
Bushnell 7X50 Binoc
Zhumell 20X80 Astro-binocs
EPs: TV 5,7,9,11 T6s, 17 & 22 T4s, 31T5, 13E.
The Off Fisher Lane Irregulars
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