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A new 140 mm Dual ED triplet refractor

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#51 Wildetelescope

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Posted 13 January 2020 - 07:31 AM

That's quite unfair. A month after the 140EDF was offered, I wanted to order one. Marj suggested I buy a Tak because I'd be very lucky to ever receive the 140. So I did. Roland & Marj didn't loose a sale - they sell everything they can make at a price that suits them.

Roland has said in print that there is no reason for anyone to have to wait 10 years for one of his scopes with what is available today.  We forget that most of these folks, (Roland, uncle Al, Scott losmandy, etc) are amateurs that started their businesses out of love for the hobby. Having listened and or spoken with all of them, I am pretty sure the WE are a lot more uptight about who buys what than they are!lol.gif

 

Jmd 


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#52 elgol20

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Posted 11 March 2020 - 10:58 AM

Hello I am pretty interested in this new 140 mm triplet. Dual ED 140!!!  Any expert can get some information from this spot diagram?

 

http://www.sharpstar...series/232.html

 

Thanks!

 

Yuexiao

can someone comment on the big spots? when comparing to like FSQ they seem large ...



#53 syxbach

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Posted 11 March 2020 - 01:32 PM

Hi, you can go to this thread to see more details. Currently I do not have this scope.

 

https://www.cloudyni...2#entry10034189

 

can someone comment on the big spots? when comparing to like FSQ they seem large ...

 



#54 sg6

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Posted 11 March 2020 - 03:25 PM

The Dual ED scopes are presently sold by FLO in the UK under their own brand name: Stellamira.

When they appeared FLO said they came from Longperng and I recall seeing them on the LP site a few years ago.

They seem to have finally arrived.

 

Only 2 are 2xED's, the 104mm and the 85mm. The slow 80mm is a standard ED doublet.

 

If I recall FLO said they are FPL53 and FPL51 glass, no idea what the middle bit is:: Lanthanium apparently. Willing to accept the FPL-53 and FPL-51 types.

 

From the FLO Site:

To reduce chromatic aberration to an absolute minimum StellaMira ED2 triplet telescopes feature two Japanese Ohara ED glass elements (FPL53 & FPL51) together with a third element from Lanthanum.

Or read the 104mm Here:

 

FLO only presently sell 2 variants. So will be interesting to see what else is added to the collection, presuming some additions are made.

 

FLO have I expect realised that people want to know the glass and as they are under their own brand name they can give out that information.



#55 Brollen

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Posted 15 December 2020 - 08:37 PM

Bumping this thread.

 

I recently purchased the Sharpstar 140mm EPH from Agena Astro. It was quite a decision as I was looking at a number of pricey scopes, such as the TSA 120, APM LZOS 123mm and 130mm and the APM 140 ED. I was looking for a lot of bang for the buck but I also wanted a fairly fast - f/6 to f/7 - and well corrected scope... with as much aperture as I could get. I also didn’t want an enormously long scope and I did not want to upgrade my mount situation. Further complicating things was that scope inventories are sketchy and I’m very poor at patiently waiting.

 

The LZOS scope looked beautiful but they are in the mid $5K range. The TSA 120 also looked nice, but the price would have approached $5K with rings or clamshell and a matching Tak finder scope. The Tak too was at the bottom end of the size I wanted - I didn’t want to go smaller than 120mm but really the stronger influence was getting something closer to 140mm. Right now I have a wonderful opportunity to make this large APO scope purchase and I didn’t know if I would get the chance again. Besides, I’m not getting any younger either.

 

I finally decided to purchase the Sharpstar as it seemed to tick all the boxes relating to features, size, price, availability, etc. This purchase was made a several weeks back and since it arrived I have had it out a number of times.

 

The only mount I have capable of holding this scope, is my ES Twilight II with upgraded ADM-6 saddles for vixen rails. This is a very competent mount and head combination, but it does require proper balancing - either through another scope or the use of weights. I have a classic orange C8 that came to me as a basket case a while back and I have steadily been rehabilitating it to the point where it is surprisingly good. I have an orange Moonlite focuser on the back and the whole combo with original orange finder scope, heavy vixen rail, focuser and diagonal balances surprisingly well against the Sharpstar 140.

 

Now the Sharpstar is a load. I call it the Guppy - when the dew shield is retracted and the focuser draw tube is in, it has a very compact and dense appearance. Thank god it came with a handle - definitely needed when moving this scope around rather than attempting to cradle it. From the photos, I hope you can see that the scope is truly beautiful in appearance and craftsmanship. Everything has a quality feel and operates in a quality manner. The objective is beautiful - it came to me spotless, nothing between the elements, etc. Nothing rattling around inside the tube, no shavings, etc. The interior of the tube is nicely flocked. The focuser is mammoth and way more than I actually need as I am visual only. But with that much glass in front, a heavy focuser with a heavy 2” diagonal helps with balancing. The case is also very nice - good quality and not feeling cheap. The quality control appeared to be on point.

 

Inside the box, amongst the papers, was an optical report as well. It was produced by Veeco instrumentation as labeled and with my scope’s serial # - having Measurement parameters, Analysis results, Zernike Polynomial Table of 2, 3 and 8 Term Poly Fit related #s, contour diagram and a table of Seidel Aberrations (8 term fit). No Strehl value is given, but as near as I can tell through cross referencing of RMS and 2 PL PV values, it would seem to have a Strehl of approximately .97 to .98.

 

I’ve been able to get out out a few times now - the setup being a bit of a process since I require a second scope, etc. I live in Baltimore - lots of light pollution but my building has a nice rooftop setup with a spectacular 360 degree access to the night sky and views of the inner harbor ... a consolation for the light polluted skies I endure. So far the scope delivers - beautiful pinpoint stars. The other night, even with turbulent seeing conditions and a light rain seemingly out of nowhere, the view I caught of Mars was sharp and detailed using my Orion Binoviewers ... then clouds rolled in. I did manage to get some views of Orion - Rigel and its companion were beautiful and the companion strikingly present - no averted vision. Unfortunately conditions worsened but I did look at the Orion’s nebulae with an Orion sky glow filter - the nebulosity was striking as was a strong dimensional aspect.

 

I have attached some photos from the unboxing. I also have some of it next to my ST120 and my ET80ED for size comparison.

 

Well this was a lot to write but from this thread it seems there was some strong interest in the scope. I’m very happy with it optically and mechanically - the only negative being its overall size and weight. But for now I’ll hope my back holds out and I’ll schlep it around and enjoy it while I can.

 

Clear skies!

Attached Thumbnails

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  • F67C8F62-DB1A-4223-B819-7B417DB93420.jpeg

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#56 Brollen

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Posted 15 December 2020 - 08:41 PM

Some additional pics ... size comparison with ST120 and AT80ED.

It’s a big scope!

Attached Thumbnails

  • B9EED898-925E-4144-9245-AB06AE506DC0.jpeg
  • 7060CFBB-16A2-4070-B00E-61BE89CA1D0B.jpeg
  • FCB90A84-1DC8-4958-B8BF-24F24569703B.jpeg

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#57 SteveG

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Posted 15 December 2020 - 11:35 PM

Some additional pics ... size comparison with ST120 and AT80ED.

It’s a big scope!

Very interesting! I'm looking for something new - different - but I can't afford the big brands. How much was it?

 

I'll be interested in how it performs. My needs are visual only.



#58 Tyson M

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Posted 16 December 2020 - 02:27 AM

Sweet!  A scope you don't hear much about on these forums.  Looking forward to your thoughts.

 

Cheers



#59 Brollen

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Posted 16 December 2020 - 07:50 AM

Very interesting! I'm looking for something new - different - but I can't afford the big brands. How much was it?

 

I'll be interested in how it performs. My needs are visual only.

Purchased from Agena Astro - price was $3990 I believe.


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#60 Brollen

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Posted 16 December 2020 - 07:50 AM

Sweet!  A scope you don't hear much about on these forums.  Looking forward to your thoughts.

 

Cheers

Definitely ... I’ll pass bits and pieces along as they happen.



#61 25585

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Posted 16 December 2020 - 07:42 PM

Same optics, TS have their own branded model.  https://www.teleskop...-Elementen.html



#62 denis0007dl

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Posted 17 December 2020 - 05:17 AM

Bumping this thread.

 

I recently purchased the Sharpstar 140mm EPH from Agena Astro. It was quite a decision as I was looking at a number of pricey scopes, such as the TSA 120, APM LZOS 123mm and 130mm and the APM 140 ED. I was looking for a lot of bang for the buck but I also wanted a fairly fast - f/6 to f/7 - and well corrected scope... with as much aperture as I could get. I also didn’t want an enormously long scope and I did not want to upgrade my mount situation. Further complicating things was that scope inventories are sketchy and I’m very poor at patiently waiting.

 

The LZOS scope looked beautiful but they are in the mid $5K range. The TSA 120 also looked nice, but the price would have approached $5K with rings or clamshell and a matching Tak finder scope. The Tak too was at the bottom end of the size I wanted - I didn’t want to go smaller than 120mm but really the stronger influence was getting something closer to 140mm. Right now I have a wonderful opportunity to make this large APO scope purchase and I didn’t know if I would get the chance again. Besides, I’m not getting any younger either.

 

I finally decided to purchase the Sharpstar as it seemed to tick all the boxes relating to features, size, price, availability, etc. This purchase was made a several weeks back and since it arrived I have had it out a number of times.

 

The only mount I have capable of holding this scope, is my ES Twilight II with upgraded ADM-6 saddles for vixen rails. This is a very competent mount and head combination, but it does require proper balancing - either through another scope or the use of weights. I have a classic orange C8 that came to me as a basket case a while back and I have steadily been rehabilitating it to the point where it is surprisingly good. I have an orange Moonlite focuser on the back and the whole combo with original orange finder scope, heavy vixen rail, focuser and diagonal balances surprisingly well against the Sharpstar 140.

 

Now the Sharpstar is a load. I call it the Guppy - when the dew shield is retracted and the focuser draw tube is in, it has a very compact and dense appearance. Thank god it came with a handle - definitely needed when moving this scope around rather than attempting to cradle it. From the photos, I hope you can see that the scope is truly beautiful in appearance and craftsmanship. Everything has a quality feel and operates in a quality manner. The objective is beautiful - it came to me spotless, nothing between the elements, etc. Nothing rattling around inside the tube, no shavings, etc. The interior of the tube is nicely flocked. The focuser is mammoth and way more than I actually need as I am visual only. But with that much glass in front, a heavy focuser with a heavy 2” diagonal helps with balancing. The case is also very nice - good quality and not feeling cheap. The quality control appeared to be on point.

 

Inside the box, amongst the papers, was an optical report as well. It was produced by Veeco instrumentation as labeled and with my scope’s serial # - having Measurement parameters, Analysis results, Zernike Polynomial Table of 2, 3 and 8 Term Poly Fit related #s, contour diagram and a table of Seidel Aberrations (8 term fit). No Strehl value is given, but as near as I can tell through cross referencing of RMS and 2 PL PV values, it would seem to have a Strehl of approximately .97 to .98.

 

I’ve been able to get out out a few times now - the setup being a bit of a process since I require a second scope, etc. I live in Baltimore - lots of light pollution but my building has a nice rooftop setup with a spectacular 360 degree access to the night sky and views of the inner harbor ... a consolation for the light polluted skies I endure. So far the scope delivers - beautiful pinpoint stars. The other night, even with turbulent seeing conditions and a light rain seemingly out of nowhere, the view I caught of Mars was sharp and detailed using my Orion Binoviewers ... then clouds rolled in. I did manage to get some views of Orion - Rigel and its companion were beautiful and the companion strikingly present - no averted vision. Unfortunately conditions worsened but I did look at the Orion’s nebulae with an Orion sky glow filter - the nebulosity was striking as was a strong dimensional aspect.

 

I have attached some photos from the unboxing. I also have some of it next to my ST120 and my ET80ED for size comparison.

 

Well this was a lot to write but from this thread it seems there was some strong interest in the scope. I’m very happy with it optically and mechanically - the only negative being its overall size and weight. But for now I’ll hope my back holds out and I’ll schlep it around and enjoy it while I can.

 

Clear skies!

Beautifull telescope!

Congrats for buying it!

 

I was looking and thinking to buy it, but didnt pull trigger becasue its weight.

 

I like its short tube and aperture, and beleive picture quality is excellent.

 

Kind regards

CS
Denis



#63 Jon_Doh

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Posted 17 December 2020 - 11:30 AM

Very nice!  Do give us a report once you've had it out some more.



#64 robonrome

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Posted 29 January 2021 - 06:46 PM

Bump :-) its been a while... any news?

#65 Brollen

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Posted 30 January 2021 - 02:14 PM

Nothing to report. The weather in Baltimore and in general this season has not been conducive to lugging it up to the rooftop. Come spring I’ll be getting it out more. For an f/6.5 its a beast — at least to me. I can’t even imagine having a larger aperture slower scope - i.e., longer & heavier - and lugging it around... permanently mounted is another thing entirely.

 

Clear skies!


Edited by Brollen, 30 January 2021 - 02:16 PM.

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#66 Brollen

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Posted 12 May 2021 - 11:22 PM

Bumping this topic ... As a follow-up, I have had the Sharpstar 140mm out a few times since last writing, including earlier tonight. This evening was a bit of a treat here in Baltimore - crisp evening, few clouds or smokestack emissions, the winds have finally calmed down as well and no O's game ... those lights are too much for night time viewer.

 

My balcony has a due north view - with NW and NE views possible. Tonight I brought out my Mewlon 180c and the Sharpstar paired with my classic C8 on ES T2 mount. The Sharpstar is a beast to me, but once mounted and balanced with the C8, all is forgotten and the T2 mount is very steady and smooth.

 

Even on a nice night, the light pollution in Baltimore is fierce. And with a northern view most of my viewing is of star clusters, binaries and occasional moon or planetary viewing.

 

I started by looking at Polaris and its companion. My C8 is old, no special coatings I don't think, but it is pretty darn good and sharp using an original style prism diagonal and alternating between  the ES 68* 24mm and 20mm EPs. Polaris and its companion stood out clearly. The same with the 180c, only sharper/cleaner. And with the Sharpstar the view really was superb - the white dwarf companion was nicely defined and very apparent.

 

And so it went as I scanned the sky looking at doubles and clusters. I tried to find M57 in Lyrae but could not find it - must have been washed out. But open cluster Stephenson 1 was mesmerizing in the Sharpstar - the collection of stars and Delta 1 and Delta 2 Lyrae were beautiful in color/clarity and all nicely framed with my Baader Morpheus 9mm EP. I was using an AP MaxBright 2" diagonal in the Sharpstar for reference. In the 180c, it also looked lovely - much contrast as the background was very dark. Here I was using my Morpheus 17.5mm EP with a Baader T2 1.25" prism diagonal. Very nice view, but for clarity and all, bested by the Sharpstar.

 

Before shutting down for the night, I was able to track down M13 in Hercules rising up in the east/north-east. Interestingly, the C8 gave a very good presentation, where I could see individual star points with averted vision. The 180c also gave a similar presentation as the C8 - but again the contrast was better as was the resolution - but averted vision needed. Lastly the Sharpstar seemed to provide the poorest view of M13 - it was very good just not able to see star points even with averted vision. Probably aperture ruled on this object on this night.

 

So I'm really enjoying the Sharpstar when I get it out. I am considering a different alt-az mount, something that can carry it alone without the need of the C8 for ballast.  

 

Clear skies!


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#67 jeremiah2229

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Posted 13 May 2021 - 12:10 AM

The Baltimore lights were hurting your M13 with the 140. I live in the country and used a 127mm achro tonight and and had stars proper. At 80x I needed averted vision to make them really stand out but at 137x they were there no problem. Not a ton of them but the view was quite nice. I had the 127mm with a 150mm Mak and they were pretty nearly the same with the Mak giving a darker shy that allowed the stars to be seen easier with my old right eye. Maybe you can get the 140 to a better sky.  waytogo.gif

 

 

Peace...



#68 UKalwayscloudy

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Posted 20 November 2021 - 03:35 AM

Does anyone know the typical Strehl of the Sharpstar 140? I’m looking at it in comparison with the usual suspects.

#69 earlyriser

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Posted 20 November 2021 - 10:21 AM

With permission, here is what Roland Christen says about this...

 

"There is zero advantage to using 2 ED elements with mate in middle versus 2 mates with ED in middle. ZERO!"

 

Roland pointed out that a triplet is simply two doublets combined. With the middle elements of the same glass, they can just be merged into a single element, creating a triplet.

 

So you can have a Crown-ED + ED-Crown becoming a Crown-EDED-Crown and thus Crown-ED-Crown (Steinheil + Fraunhofer).

 

Or an ED-Crown + Crown-ED becoming an ED-CrownCrown-ED and thus ED-Crown-ED (Fraunhofer + Steinheil).

 

Two f/15 doublets, with the same glasses adjoining and allowed to fuse together, form an f/7.5 triplet.

 

Whether you create an Crown-ED-Crown triplet or a ED-Crown-ED triplet. "the result is almost exactly the same - no change in color correction or any of the Seidel aberrations." - Roland Christen

 

Clear skies, Alan

It seems like the loss of two glass-to-air surfaces by consolidating the ED elements would reduce the lens designers options for reducing aberrations. Maybe the four element objective wouldn’t have significantly better color correction than a three element objective optimized for color, but it seems like some compromises might be necessary with other aberrations. 


Edited by earlyriser, 20 November 2021 - 10:21 AM.


#70 Moon-Watcher

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Posted 27 November 2022 - 11:35 PM

Does anyone know the typical Strehl of the Sharpstar 140? I’m looking at it in comparison with the usual suspects.



#71 Moon-Watcher

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Posted 27 November 2022 - 11:36 PM

I would be very interested in knowing the typical Strehl of the SharpStar 140 as well

#72 OrionSword

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Posted 01 December 2022 - 06:49 AM

If I was also considering a scope in the 140mm class, I kept this model in mind after reading an excellent review on CN from a TEC 140 owner.  A few hundred more than the Sharpstar but worth considering:

 

https://starizona.co...tom-fcl-140-6-5

 

Tested and reviewed by Josef Ladra:

 

https://www.cloudyni...65-review-r3330

 

"Next, I observed Jupiter and Saturn, attaching Zeiss Mark V binoviewer without power-mate and Nagler 5 mm eyepieces. The image quality was excellent with great level of contrast. When observing stars, globular clusters and DSOs with the Panoptic 24 mm eyepiece, the stars retained perfect image quality all the way to the very edge of the field of view. Absolutely comparable image quality with my TEC 140."

 

"Conclusion:

From what I was able to see, I conclude that the optics belongs to a Super APO class, which is highly suitable for both visual observing and astrophotography. Unfortunately, I have to state that the TEC 140 lost in the direct side-by-side chromatic aberration comparison test, otherwise the TEC is practically perfect from the optical point of view. The Phantom FCL 140-6.5 is, therefore, a great all-round refractor, and the manufacturer has promised to remedy the minor mechanical issue with the amount of “grip” of the rotary lock. Therefore, iStar Optical can be congratulated on a very well made optical instrument."




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