5 replies to this topic

[Florent]

Hi guys,

In July, I've ordered, at OPT, my first APO refractor in my astronomer life to complete my setup with my new Meade 12" UHTC SCT OTA.

I've compared a lot of APO refractors. My choice was for a Triplet APO refractor with a diameter between 4" & 4.8" with a short focal.

After several days of reflexion, I've decided to purchase the famous William Optics FLT-110 (4.3") Triplet APO refractor.

A diameter of 4.3", good to me, f/6.5 for the focal ratio, perfect, Triplet SD oil spaced optics made by TEC, Colorado.

I use this refractor for my wide field CCD pictures with my SBIG ST-10XME CCD camera.

With my first CCD images I can say the optics are outstanding. The tube is very solid. The 4" focuser is really big and the focusing is very soft. A Great feature of this focuser, the rotation, very soft, on 360°, very nice to find a guide star on the TC-237 guide chip. The FLT-110 has a large backfocus, more that the Takahashi FSQ-106.

The FLT-110 is delivered with 2 rings I've adapted on my Losmandy TITAN mount with the Losmandy Universal Dovetail plate. The dew cap is enough long to protect the optics but I add a Kendrick dew heater.

I've received my WO FLT-110 in a beatiful aluminum case. This APO is solid as a rock. It is a real pleasure to use it to take Great nebulas.

I think now, on the market, the FLT-110 is the best APO for this diameter, this quality at that price $2995.

If you want a very good triplet for a nice price I think the FLT-110 is the best choice.

I just ordered the WO FLT-110 Field Flattener to use it with my ST-10XME. With the large CCD chip of my CCD camera I am out of the flat field. That will be the same thing for the 35mm & 6x7 format.

This is my page about my FLT-110 :

http://www.astrosurf...o/WOFLT110.html


You can see too my first pictures taken with this APO (NGC-6992 and NGC-6888) :

http://www.astrosurf...ao/immonth.html

You can see my FLT-110 on my TITAN mount at the end of this page :

http://www.astrosurf...zao/titan3.html


Regards,

Florent

[IDONTSEEIT]

Florent,

Congradulations on your new telescope, and best of luck with it.

That scope is currently only a dream for me, but if and when I can ever afford it, I think that's the "apo of my eye". If this scope is built anything like their 2" diagonal, or the dcl-4337 eyepiece/camera adapter, two items I was able to afford...lol, then I can't wait until the lotto gods smile upon me

[Mike Sandy]

Great shots of your new scope! I think youy'll like the APO for widefield imaging, and your SCT for those smaller galaxies. A very good combination!

[Florent]

Hi Joe, Hi Mike,

Thanks for your messages. I love this APO for the CCD imaging. An APO of this diameter, with this quality at this price It is GREAT !!!!!

I wait a clear night in France to take Orion nebula with it. I obtained an excellent CCD result with NGC-6992 & NGC-6888 and I think It will give me an outstanding image of M-42.

I keep you posted.

Regards,

Florent

[Echo]

Florent,
Great pictures! I look forward to seeing M-42. Wow!

[Florent]

Hi Echo,

Thank you very much for your message !!!!
All the material you have seen on my web is really new. I have only received it since July.

3 of my new pictures (NGC-6992, NGC-6888, NGC-891) are now exposed at OPT, on their Wall of Fame.

About my future shot of Orion nebula, I will use my FLT-110 APO refractor of course, my SBIG ST-10XME CCD camera with its CFW-8A filter wheel. To avoid the Orion's heart burnt, I will use my Astronomik 13nm H-Alpha CCD nebular filter with short exposures and small long exposures (1-2 minutes). And after that the RGB information.

I think the WO FLT-110 can give me a lot of details in the Orion's clouds.

I have a project too for the HorseHead nebula. One color widefield image with my FLT-110, and one color image with my new Meade 12" UHTC SCT OTA that will be used at f/10 (3048mm) with my ST-10XME + my SBIG AO-7 Adaptive Optics.

I hope the weather will be with me for that.

Regards,

Florent