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Mark,

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Can you be more specific ? or are we dealing here with more rumors ?

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What exactly is your suggestion ?

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Thanks for sharing anything you know on this.

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Valery,

What kind of off-axis performance are you expecting? Do you have some spot diagrams that you are willing to share.

Thanks.

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Mark,

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Hello, Lihu. Here're my responses to your questions in reverse order.

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Can you be more specific ? or are we dealing here with more rumors ?

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Having mostly lurked here, I'm just noticing the activity by outfits like APM (Markus Ludes posts) on the ED doublets and Istar on their apochromat and what I'll call super-achromat (the R30 achromats). Depending on what size refractor interests you, they're alternatives to the Aries "H-Bombs" and they appear to be either here now or just on the horizon, judging from the scuttlebutt on Cloudy Nights, some of it from the vendor themselves. I'm have nothing to add, but again point to posts from Markus Ludes, for example, or again, the spokesmen from Istar, on their offerings which have been placed either here on the Vendor Forum or elsewhere on Cloudy Nights.

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What exactly is your suggestion ?

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Just this: Anyone itching for something like the H-Bomb and want it sooner than when Aries can deliver just might want to see if one of these other outfits can assist them and sell them an alternative. As to the H-Bomb, it's been in the works for on the order of 4-5 years and my guess is that Valery is having some legitimate difficulty in rolling it out. If so, then it's going to take whatever time Valery needs to get these Aries refractors in the hands of owners. In the meantime, it looks as if there may be alternatives like APM and Istar for 6" or so refractors out there. Also buying a used apochromatic refractor may be an option. If you're good with 5" or 5.5" and depending on your criteria, there are apos from Explore Scientific, Astronomy Technologies, and TMB, and a Vixen 5.5" "Neo-achromat" out there as well....

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Thanks for sharing anything you know on this.

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You're welcome and best regards....

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Hi Mark,
OK, now I understand what you meant.
the great interest shown here was in getting a good APO type performance from a doublet which will among others result in much faster cooling, lighter weight scope and better balanced OTA and hopefully a significatly less expensive cost per inch of aperture.

Of course I dont expect anything dramatic like a third of the cost of a Triplet of equivalent aperture and optical performance because I realized adding the fresnel patterning on an element qwill make it more expensive compared to a regular doublet.
As a large 6-8" aperture refractor may loom in my future but not immediately (I have too many scopes, as it is right now)- I am in no hurry and therefore still excited by the prospect of seeing the specs Vs. Cost of the H-bomb as compared to other alternatives.
I would also be very much interested to see in what range of focal lengths and F ratios, these new consept scopes will be offered
So I gather, I'll have to wait like everybody else and see how this unfolds.
Thanks for your comments and patience

Lihu

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Valery,

What kind of off-axis performance are you expecting? Do you have some spot diagrams that you are willing to share.

Thanks.

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If the Stage-II will succeeded the spots will be on the level (or better) as in TOA ortho apochromats.
Off-axis performance will be similar too - nothing special.

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Valery,

what does it mean, 'if the stage II succeeded', do you have any doubts? Were are the problems? Do you have a new schedule when the final apos will be available?

good luck for you project and best regards

Thomas

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