1896 replies to this topic

[25585]

I came across an old thread on Stargazerslounge https://stargazerslo...e-agema-optics/ about a newish US company Agema Optics  

http://www.agemaoptics.com/telescopes/

 

The company was started by a former TEC employee I believe. Does or has anyone own or owned one of their fluoride doubets? How do they compare with other makes?

Edited by 25585, 05 January 2019 - 02:15 PM.

[jay.i]

There's a thread about them in this forum I think and one in the Vendors forum. Dave Collins and Jeff Morgan each have a scope on order from them. Hoping to hear more when they're delivered later this year

[Ken Sturrock]

Cloudy Nights' online search function is poor, but there have been a number of threads.

[starzonesteve]

I have one on order. Looks very promising. 

[Jeff Morgan]

Yes, I have the -150 on order.

 

Lana told me via email they were making a glass buy in November for a run to be completed in March of 2019.

 

Dave Collins provided me with a link on the patent:

 

https://worldwide.es...OC&locale=en_EP

 

I understand about 5% of it .... 

 

No other news.

[vahe]

Yes, I have the -150 on order.

 

Like to hear from you when your SD 150 arrives.

.

The Strehl Ratio Comparison for 435-705nm given on their website shows 130 Agema doublets as better than most quality triplets including the 130APQ, to be honest I do not really understand the technical end of their claim particularly at relatively fast focal ratio of 8 for a doublet, wonder if someone with the knowledge can explain what we are looking at.

.

Vahe

Edited by vahe, 06 January 2019 - 11:10 AM.

[Swanny]

At f8 on the 130 I am thinking these are mostly for visual?

[vahe]

At f8 on the 130 I am thinking these are mostly for visual?

At f/8 both 130 &150 are relatively fast doublets and their main strengths are in visual use.

.

Vahe

[starzonesteve]

I think the 130 and 150 are both f/8 and come with an optional field flattener and so are suitable for visual or photo. The 120 is f/8.7 and does not come with an optional flattener and is thus primarily visual.

[Tyson M]

I am looking forward to hearing more about these once they get out in the wild.

 

If I recall the thread correctly in the vendor forum, the 120mm batch of lens are supposed to be essentially perfect. 

[peleuba]

Like to hear from you when your SD 150 arrives.

 

 

Vahe - Being a fan of TEC, Agema will be somewhat familiar to you.  Back in the day Yuri had two master opticians - Alex and Eduard -  working the lenses for TEC.  Alex passed away a few years back and Ed broke away from TEC and formed Agema.  So, it would appear that Agema has some good DNA in which to work with on these new doublet APO's.

 

At TEC, I believe Yuri's son Sergei Petrunin and another gentleman (named Sergei, also) are now polishing the lenses for the TEC APO's.   

 

OP - Here is an informative link on Agema:

 

https://www.cloudyni...new-refractors/

Edited by peleuba, 07 January 2019 - 11:39 AM.

[25585]

Having looked at the Astroshop.Eu prices, the 120 Flouride doublet is in the TSA 120 kit & TOA 130 OTA only bracket in pre-Brexit Europe.

 

That makes for a hard decision from a visual POV, deciding. 

[peleuba]

I am looking forward to hearing more about these once they get out in the wild.

 

If I recall the thread correctly in the vendor forum, the 120mm batch of lens are supposed to be essentially perfect. 

 

Yes, read that as well.  Apparently the actual "delivered" glass melt properties were better then promised.  Fluorite typically used in optics optics is rather homogeneous and high quality as its a crystal that's grown in a laboratory.  I wonder if this was referring to the mating element?

[jay.i]

Yes, read that as well.  Apparently the actual "delivered" glass melt properties were better then promised.  Fluorite typically used in optics optics is rather homogeneous and high quality as its a crystal that's grown in a laboratory.  I wonder if this was referring to the mating element?

I don't think they specifically said, but I read or heard somewhere that CaF2 doesn't need annealing since it is not melted, but grown. So, the stated perfect annealing must be in reference to the mating element, right?

 

From Wikipedia: "Annealing of glass is a process of slowly cooling hot glass objects after they have been formed, to relieve residual internal stresses introduced during manufacture."

Edited by jay.i, 08 January 2019 - 12:00 AM.

[starzonesteve]

Yes, read that as well.  Apparently the actual "delivered" glass melt properties were better then promised.  Fluorite typically used in optics optics is rather homogeneous and high quality as its a crystal that's grown in a laboratory.  I wonder if this was referring to the mating element?

I believe he was referring to the mating glass. That was what I inferred from the post, anyway.

[Jeff Morgan]

Rereading the post, that sounds spot-on:

 

https://www.cloudyni...tors/?p=8928573

[Gavster]

I saw a 130 agema in the flesh at the London astrofest yesterday. It looked lovely. The lens cell was very sturdy. The European dealer has just received 5 130s and 2 150s.
He had tested them independently and got excellent strehl numbers of 0.98 to 0.99 straight from unpacking without any adjustment of the collimation.
Looks like a great scope for planetary and lunar. But the 130 is basically the same physical length and diameter as my Tec 160fl so I don’t think it’s for me.

Edited by Gavster, 09 February 2019 - 07:53 AM.

[Element79]

The Agema offerings make me want to drool!  Especially that 120mm f/8.7 fluorite doublet!  I prefer longer focal ratios as I am strictly visual and the doublet will cool down faster.  And the Strehl ratios I have heard of their optics have all been excellent.  If I wasn't about a month or so away from delivery on a TEC140FL I would maybe reconsider and go for one of the Agemas...

[Jeff Morgan]

I saw a 130 agema in the flesh at the London astrofest yesterday. It looked lovely. The lens cell was very sturdy. The European dealer has just received 5 130s and 2 150s.
He had tested them independently and got excellent strehl numbers of 0.98 to 0.99 straight from unpacking without any adjustment of the collimation.
Looks like a great scope for planetary and lunar. But the 130 is basically the same physical length and diameter as my Tec 160fl so I don’t think it’s for me.

 

I have seen those test results, very impressive. Hopefully Lana will post them publicly.

[Jeff B]

I have seen those test results, very impressive. Hopefully Lana will post them publicly.

Really? 

 

Can you supply a link perhaps for the test results and who is the European dealer?

 

I'm really glad to see some product out there.

 

Jeff

[Alan French]

Be nice to bump into one in person under the night sky. That's really the only reasonable way to evaluate a telescope.

 

Just of interest, I'm likely done buying telescopes. 

 

Clear skies, Alan

[Gavster]

Really? 

 

Can you supply a link perhaps for the test results and who is the European dealer?

 

I'm really glad to see some product out there.

 

Jeff

Here’s a link for the european dealer

https://www.astrosho...ab_bar_1_select

[Jeff Morgan]

Really? 

 

Can you supply a link perhaps for the test results and who is the European dealer?

 

I'm really glad to see some product out there.

 

Jeff

 

These were sent to me via private email correspondence with Lana.

 

Unfortunately, not mine to post publicly.

[gnowellsct]

Cloudy Nights' online search function is poor, but there have been a number of threads.

Then don't use it.  Search syntax using google is:

 

"your exact phrase in delimiters" site:cloudynights.com

 

This works for any web site, provided of course you put that web site's name after site+colon.   

 

Greg N

[rcg]

Yes, I have the -150 on order.

 

Lana told me via email they were making a glass buy in November for a run to be completed in March of 2019.

 

Dave Collins provided me with a link on the patent:

 

https://worldwide.es...OC&locale=en_EP

 

I understand about 5% of it .... 

 

No other news.

About the same timetable I'll be getting my CCF 165, would sure like to compare ...