zjc26138
Loved By All
Reged: 02/24/05
Loc: Mingo Junction, Ohio
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First Light for Edge 8''
#5713378 - 03/04/13 09:12 PM
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This might be my favorite scope I've owned of all time or at least a very close tie with the TMB. I put the scope outside to cool at 5:45 PM EST and started viewing at 8:00 PM. This seemed to be plenty of time to cool down. I had a peak at Jupiter with the 10 Ethos, and wow did Jupiter look great. Going off memory the view through the Edge is better than the view through my TMB, but the actual comparison will have to wait a while. The Orion Nebula looked fantastic. I'm currently imaging it, but I'm limited to really short subs because my polar alignment was not perfect and I'm not guiding. I'm hoping the clouds hold off long enough for me to view Saturn.
So far so good. The Edge series scopes have me hooked. Now its time to buy a 14 and an AP900.  
Edited by zjc26138 (03/04/13 09:21 PM)
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David Pavlich
Transmographied
Reged: 05/18/05
Loc: Mandeville, LA USA
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: zjc26138]
#5713503 - 03/04/13 10:21 PM
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Quote:
So far so good. The Edge series scopes have me hooked. Now its time to buy a 14 and an AP900.
Now you're talking! Glad the scope is good.
David
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rigel123
Postmaster
Reged: 06/29/09
Loc: SW Ohio
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: zjc26138]
#5713506 - 03/04/13 10:22 PM
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Sounds like you are having fun!
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zjc26138
Loved By All
Reged: 02/24/05
Loc: Mingo Junction, Ohio
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: rigel123]
#5713581 - 03/04/13 11:14 PM
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David- It is an excellent scope so far, but the clouds stopped me from waiting for Saturn to rise. The next clear night is looking to be Thursday after this storm blows through. The AP900 is a dream mount of sorts. Once I get working and settled in again there's a good chance one will be purchased.
Warren- I was having a blast until the clouds decided to ruin my party. 
On a side note I could not get the mount to balance in the DEC. Is there some sort of trick to balancing an SCT in the DEC axis. The scope is back heavy as one would expect. Maybe I need to buy weights for the front of the tube?
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bilgebay
Post Laureate
Reged: 11/06/08
Loc: Türkiye - Istanbul and Marmari...
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: zjc26138]
#5713768 - 03/05/13 01:59 AM
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This is great news Zach!
You know, the clouds are part of the deal, don't you?
Edited by bilgebay (03/05/13 04:15 AM)
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zjc26138
Loved By All
Reged: 02/24/05
Loc: Mingo Junction, Ohio
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: bilgebay]
#5713991 - 03/05/13 08:40 AM
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Sedat- Thanks! Not only are clouds on the way, but a snow storm.  It's alright, I should get back under the stars Thursday or Friday evening. Which gives me plenty of time to figure out the balance issue.
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skyjim
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/13/07
Loc: Long Island, NY
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: zjc26138]
#5714040 - 03/05/13 09:34 AM
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That's great new's, after having owned many scope's but not a TMB well maybe the AT111EDT which was a TMB designed triplet and many Russian MCT's plus a bunch of standard SCT's I have settled with the 8HD myself. The images have been some of the best I have seen and finally now just one scope that I use the most. Have never had one observing outing that the did not please me except for seeing conditions which I have no control over. Would love to see your pic threw the new scope.
Enjoy
Jim
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Eddgie
Postmaster
Reged: 02/01/06
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: zjc26138]
#5714045 - 03/05/13 09:38 AM
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The Edge series scopes have me hooked.
I am not surprised to hear this from someone that likes refractors.
The EdgeHD 8" is the only SCT I have owned that matches the off-axis performance of the best refractors I have used.
100% equivilent.
For people that have used refractors and developed an appreciation for pinpoint stars across the field, and believe that it cannot be the same with any other kind of scope, the EdgeHD 8" is a lesson in telescope design that is hard to ignore.
Much of the refractor bragging is due to the fact that off axis, the performance is much better than with most reflectors (not all.. The MNs and Intes f/10 MCTs correct for coma as well, and both offer flat fields).
The EdgeHD 8" design moves the scope into the same catagory.
It is such a pleasure to use the EdgeHD 8".
I was out binoviewing some large clusters a few nights ago in the EdgeHD 8" with some 24mm Hyperions.
What a fantastic view. Brilliant right to the edges.
100% as good as my 6" APO. I rarely use that scope now. Only when I need 2 degrees (Milky Way scanning).
Enjoy your EdgeHD 8" and do share a followup review when you have had more time to enjoy it.
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EFT
Vendor - Deep Space Products
Reged: 05/07/07
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: zjc26138]
#5714133 - 03/05/13 10:30 AM
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Quote:
On a side note I could not get the mount to balance in the DEC. Is there some sort of trick to balancing an SCT in the DEC axis. The scope is back heavy as one would expect. Maybe I need to buy weights for the front of the tube?
We just discussed this in regards to a C8HD on the mounts group here: http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/5708635/page...
It helps to add a little weight to the front of the scope, especially if you add an imaging train on the back and it can be done in a couple different ways.
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REC
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 10/20/10
Loc: NC
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: zjc26138]
#5714173 - 03/05/13 10:48 AM
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Wow, you must have had good Karma to have good skies first out there AND to be able to use 200x on Jupiter. Most nights I can't get pass 160x!
Good luck with your new scope and look forward to more of your posts with it:)
Bob
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zjc26138
Loved By All
Reged: 02/24/05
Loc: Mingo Junction, Ohio
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: REC]
#5714309 - 03/05/13 12:04 PM
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Jim- Thanks! I'll post a link to the picture at the end of the post.
Ed M.- It really is a great scope. I plan on doing a full review of the scope when time permits, as well as side by side review of the Edge against the TMB.
Ed T.- I think this will do the trick. The adm option seems to be cheaper than the scopestuff options. I could always attach a larger magnet, it would not aesthetically pleasing, but should do the trick. Is there is harm in attached a magnetic weight to the end of the tube? The black part and not the nice Celestron paint.
Bob- Yeah I was quite lucky to be use my 10 Ethos for a little while before the clouds rolled in. Plus I think some of the smoke from my neighbors wood burner added to the sky haze towards the end of the night.
Here is a link to the picture: http://www.astrobin.com/34903/#
It's 34, 15s subs and 20 darks at ISO3200 taken through a Canon T1i. My focus looks close which was aided greatly by a Bahtinov mask. I wish I could push unguided subs longer. With a better balance and better polar alignment I probably could.
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EFT
Vendor - Deep Space Products
Reged: 05/07/07
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: zjc26138]
#5714414 - 03/05/13 12:54 PM
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The Edge tubes and front and rear cells are aluminum, so a magnet won't work.
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zjc26138
Loved By All
Reged: 02/24/05
Loc: Mingo Junction, Ohio
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: EFT]
#5714628 - 03/05/13 02:51 PM
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I might be able to make my own counter weight system using a 1/4-20 bolt and some homemade counter weights. I made lead counter weights before and it was difficult.
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Eddgie
Postmaster
Reged: 02/01/06
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: zjc26138]
#5714733 - 03/05/13 03:47 PM
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You may be over-thinking this.
It is not at all essential that the scope be perfectly balanced in Dec. The motors in almost all scopes are geared down and have so much excess torque that they can often drive an extremely out of balance load with on real strain.
If you slew the scope using the hand set and the motors don't sound like they are excessively loaded, then I would not worry about it.
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HowardK
professor emeritus
Reged: 10/20/10
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: Eddgie]
#5714960 - 03/05/13 05:43 PM
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You may be over-thinking this.
It is not at all essential that the scope be perfectly balanced in Dec. The motors in almost all scopes are geared down and have so much excess torque that they can often drive an extremely out of balance load with on
real strain.
If you slew the scope using the hand set and the motors don't sound like they are excessively loaded, then I would not worry about it.
Interesting to read this....It is always a struggle to find perfect balance at all points in the sky ....and then when changing from say an ep weighing 1lb to one of 0.5lb then that perfect balance is lost.....
I have often wondered really how critical perfect balance really is.....
So, Edd as long as the scope doesn't rapidly tip when the Dec clutch is released and the motors are not making any real straining sounds when slewing and tracking/gotos are good should I not worry about finding "perfect balance"
I use the new Skywatcher az eq6 mount in alt/az mode and a CGE PRO Gem.
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zjc26138
Loved By All
Reged: 02/24/05
Loc: Mingo Junction, Ohio
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: HowardK]
#5715059 - 03/05/13 06:38 PM
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Thanks for your input Ed. When I release the dec clutch there is rapid tipping of the scope. Though I don't remember the motors causing to much of a stir last night. None the less I'm going to attempt to make some weights out of lead. I tried 30 2in washers plus 5 oz of stick one weights used for soap box cars and this was not enough weight, though it did help a little.
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Eddgie
Postmaster
Reged: 02/01/06
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: HowardK]
#5715293 - 03/05/13 08:26 PM
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Well, understand that this is just an opinion, but I have run every mount I own out of balance just about all the time.
If the motors are not straining, there really should not be any harm.
Perhaps over several thousand hours, a lot of pressure on the worm might wear it prematurely, but running a few pounds out of balance for an hour or two is sooo not going to hurt anything...
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zjc26138
Loved By All
Reged: 02/24/05
Loc: Mingo Junction, Ohio
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: Eddgie]
#5715347 - 03/05/13 08:58 PM
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Thanks for the info Ed. I had around two lbs. of washers and a magnet at the front the tube. Even then the scope was not balanced. I'm guessing it would take another .5-1.5 lbs. to balancing the scope.
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EFT
Vendor - Deep Space Products
Reged: 05/07/07
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: Eddgie]
#5715356 - 03/05/13 09:03 PM
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It's actually not usually an issue of damage to be done by running out of balance but an issue of impacting performance and it depends largely on the mount and its quality in the first place. Absolute perfect balance is generally not necessary and in DEC is not desireable since perfect balance in DEC will result in the mount head bouncing back and forth in the backlash between the worm and the ring gear. I high capacity, good quality mount will not notice imbalance much. But a lower capacity, lower quality mount may perform poorly when signficantly out of balance. That tends to be a problem in the CGEM/ATlas/EQ6 level mounts and below where the axes are often stiff to start with and very difficult to balance properly. A G11 may or may not fall into this category, but they are usually fairly easy to balance. A CGE will generally run better when well balanced but is not terrible when not, but then the CGE is usually fairly easy to balance in the first place. Once you get above this level of mount, balance may be less critical to good performance, but the mounts are often easier to balance in the first place.
If it is damage you are worried about, then the mounts will metal worms and spur gears will not be a problem. If it is performance you are worried about, then good balance is always a good idea.
In regards to the balance of an SCT in DEC, for me it is mostly a matter of not wanting the scope to be all the way back on the end of the dovetail where it is harder to balance and generally not very convenient. When you add heavy imaging gear on the back, you can simply run out of room to move the scope up in the saddle any futher.
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zjc26138
Loved By All
Reged: 02/24/05
Loc: Mingo Junction, Ohio
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Re: First Light for Edge 8''
[Re: EFT]
#5715381 - 03/05/13 09:15 PM
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Thanks for your input Ed. Currently the dovetail is in the farthest position up in the saddle it can go.
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