178 replies to this topic

[junomike]

Still having fun, Po’ Boy style… The lunar images presented here were taken last night through my Sky-Watcher Evostar 150ED with a 59 dollar astrocamera (Svbony SV105). The one taken of the Messier craters region shows the Messier craters well but the “trailing craterlett” in the rays appears more as a “contrast feature” than a craterlett in the shot. This trailing craterlett was clearly seen visually as a crater with a very short rim. Both photographed regions visually were very “crisp” at high power revealing a lot more detail at 375X than I could photograph with my inexpensive astrocamera. The Torricelli region has a myriad of small crater pits that didn’t show in the photo. I also noted that there was no false color on the moon, in the shadows or on the limb, seen with these old eyes at any magnification.

 

My zonal measurement tests confirmed my star and ronchi tests. The first set of measurements had an average result of 0.0015”. The second series was 0.001” and the third came in at 0.0015” again. At F/8, that averages out to 1/8th wave (0.0013”) using the Ernie Pfannenschmidt method of spherical aberration measurement. The numbers made me chuckle to myself in the dark.   Excellent spherical correction!

 

I believe I have shared enough here and may have worn out my welcome.  If so, forgive me.   I’m not trying to hijack this thread. I’m just happy having this level of refractor performance without leaving a sink hole in my bank account.

 

So… anyone else having good results using their Evostar 150? Please share!

Very nice, however I'm interested in seeing a similar shot under a 75% - 80% Illuminated Moon.  25% isn't much of a test (for CA) IME.

[tonyt]

So… anyone else having good results using their Evostar 150? Please share!

I've been having fun imaging galaxies and PN with the 150ED. I often have poor seeing and heavy dew to deal with so I enjoy the ease of use of refractors. Here's a couple of pics:

Sombrero:

[tonyt]

Diamond Ring:

 

[ATM57]

Nice images!

[Daniel Mounsey]

Diamond Ring:

diamondring160520_ABE34%.jpg

Beautiful!

[Daniel Mounsey]

I've been having fun imaging galaxies and PN with the 150ED. I often have poor seeing and heavy dew to deal with so I enjoy the ease of use of refractors. Here's a couple of pics:

Sombrero:

sombrero_270420_ABE100%.jpg

You have a great touch to your images. Very nice work!

[tonyt]

Thanks for the kind comments. My images are lights only with a D5600, nothing too flash. Though there's a little false colour, the scope does ok on most objects and I'm very happy with my purchase; my favourite image through the scope so far is the carina nebula:

 

 

 

[Rollo]

The 100ED is also a very mature product. The 150 is quite new, so Jim estimating 1/4 pv isn’t necessarily surprising. There isn’t a consensus yet for the optical quality of these scopes, so if you want to be confident of great figure and and CA control, it can cost an arm and a leg.

I would assume that all the SW refractors are being made in the same factory with the machines using the same tolerances to make all the lens regardless of the size of the lens.   So,, how can you say that the 120ED lens is more mature and is a better product than the newer 150ED lens.   In my mind,, that just doesn't make any sense.   The lens manufacturing are all set up with the same specs,, IMO,, regardless of their size.   So,, the quality should all be pretty much the same in all of them.  Maybe I just don't understand the point your trying to make here.

[tonyt]

A couple more interesting pics through the 150ED: Xmas Tree @ f5.2, only 1 hour of exposures:

 

 

[tonyt]

and some objects inside the LMC:

 

I haven't done any lunar/planetary imaging but fortunately those objects are good visually. 

 

[denis0007dl]

Very good images!

[ATM57]

Evostar 150 ED with GoTo, WiFi, 12" tablet control with SkySafari 6, whats not to like?

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[Heywood]

Evostar 150 ED with GoTo, WiFi, 12" tablet control with SkySafari 6, whats not to like?

 

Is that a compression-ring visual back on the telescope?  If so, where did you get it?

 

Thank you.

[ATM57]

Is that a compression-ring visual back on the telescope?  If so, where did you get it?

 

Thank you.

It is a modified Sky-Watcher visual back I had. I removed the steel thumb screws and retapped the holes to 1/4-20. The thumb screws are "non-marring" nylon. Holds the heavy prism diagonal very well without damage.

[ATM57]

I found a Sky-Watcher refractor 2" compression ring adapter here:

 

http://www.scopestuff.com/ss_fas2.htm

 

Hope this helps.

Edited by ATM57, 21 June 2020 - 03:02 PM.

[John Miele]

Evostar 150 ED with GoTo, WiFi, 12" tablet control with SkySafari 6, whats not to like?

Ingenious mounting adaptation ! you have just planted seeds in my brain for future projects!

 

Thank you for sharing your ideas!

 

Is that the 8" size go-to mount?

Edited by John Miele, 21 June 2020 - 08:49 PM.

[ATM57]

Thanks!

 

Yes, the GoTo mount is from a Synscan 8.

[fate187]

Evostar 150 ED with GoTo, WiFi, 12" tablet control with SkySafari 6, whats not to like?

Dude, pure genius! I want this for my cff185 

Edited by fate187, 22 June 2020 - 06:10 AM.

[Bomber Bob]

Evostar 150 ED with GoTo, WiFi, 12" tablet control with SkySafari 6, whats not to like?

I don't really care for Go-To tech, but your solution looks so SOLID & stable -- and simple.  I've found simplicity a good thing outdoors, at night, & bleary-eyed.

[ATM57]

Dude, pure genius! I want this for my cff185 

Thanks! The design was more of necessity than genius.  I spent quite a bit of time searching the internet looking for a computer controlled mount for my Evostar 150. Since my scope budget was almost vaporized with my Evostar 150ED purchase, I started looking for a computerized mount that was close to 1000.00 with the capacity to hold my new refractor. There was not much to choose from with such limited funds. My refractor’s weight was pushing the weight limits on all the mounts I found in this price range.

 

As a mostly visual observer, my needs from a mount are few. A high priced astrophotography platform was never on my radar. As most know, properly mounting a large refractor can be a challenge. I tend to push high magnifications when the seeing conditions permit so a mount “with the shakes” working at its operating limit was not something I was willing to spend my limited funds on.

 

I have been using a 12” tablet (w/SkySafari 6 Pro) to control my modded “CPC” C-14 (same Synscan 8 mount) looking for/at interesting targets for almost a year now. The object trekin’ has been fun. At my age, I don’t miss the sometimes difficult work of star hopping to the tough targets I want to see. This computerized alt/az setup was so easy to use that I found myself looking at targets that I wouldn’t normally have given much notice. I wanted to have this same fun and ease of use with my Evostar 150, so my mount search began.

 

Then it hit me... (I can be a bit slow sometimes) Since my mod worked so well with a Sky-Watcher SynScan 8 DOB mount modified to hold my 50lb C14, I thought I would see if I could do the same for my high performing Evostar 150 refractor (26lbs with everything). I realized that the money spent would be within my budget and I would also end up with a fully computer controlled high capacity mount, DOB stability, and full Wi-Fi control just like my C14!

 

Having fun…

Edited by ATM57, 23 June 2020 - 01:14 AM.

[ATM57]

I don't really care for Go-To tech, but your solution looks so SOLID & stable -- and simple.  I've found simplicity a good thing outdoors, at night, & bleary-eyed.

I hear you. I learned to observe and search the night sky old school too but I'm getting lazier the older I get. Having fun has become a primary driving force for me in astronomy. If I'm not having fun why do it? This setup is simple. Roll it out, level, power up, 1 star alignment, and take in the sights.

 

The tripod is an old Celestron locked triangle tripod for a C-14. I know you know this tripod. Solid as a rock. Since the mount and scope are in "Dobson mode," the tripod doesn't work very hard as it would with a wedge mounted 50lb C14. The setup is stable with a damp time of about 1 to 2.5 seconds depending on how hard  I knock it. Precise focusing at 375x is easy.

 

I decided to use the existing rings at the beginning of the design. Since the scope is fairly new, I didn't want to do something that would void the warrantee. I also wanted to keep things simple just in case someone else could benefit from this type of setup. The most difficult part is modifying (making flat) the altitude bearings.

 

For pure visual observation this scope is a blast! I will try some lunar/planetary astrophotography with it in the future.

 

BTW, I do like your unique "astro-toys."

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Edited by ATM57, 23 June 2020 - 11:58 AM.

[ATM57]

Scope painted, detailed out, and ready to go.   I hope to have some high power planet observations to share soon. Let's see what this baby can do!

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[Heywood]

Scope painted, detailed out, and ready to go.   I hope to have some high power planet observations to share soon. Let's see what this baby can do!

 

Looks like a phaser cannon.

[ATM57]

Looks like a phaser cannon.

Romulans, Cardassians, and the Borg, beware! Neighborhood watch in effect

[ji4m]

Looks awesome.

 

Was the width of the OTA rings plus custom cradle a serendipitous fit or is there some special spacers in there to properly span the dob mounting?