Skies cleared out Saturday night, finally! I took my new BT out on my OB 5000 head/Orion TTII rig. I used my BST 19mm FF's, the supplied 14mm's, and 6mm Orion Expanses, giving me 20x, 28x, and 65x respectively. I'll have to spread that out a bit next time...anyway....
First impressions:
WOW!
Last impressions:
WOW!
But that makes for a boring report so....
First target was the moon. Crystal clear. It was as if the terminator line was chiseled against the black sky, and that was just with 20x. Contrast was superb--craters and rays stood out starkly against the maria, even in the fully lit side. At 65x, getting a well collimated view was more difficult and I knew it could be--I just wanted to see what "high magnification" looks like with this BT. What surprised me about this view was how much sky there still was around the moon. It is one thing to know that this is more bino than telescope, but seeing it really gave perspective!
I took a peak at Albireo between sucker holes and the color contrast just popped! I mean, it always does with this double, but I dunno...it just made me smile.
Next was Vega and the Double Double at 65x. Here is where merging got tricky, but I tried anyway for funsies. I'm not positive, but I think the DD was close to split at 65x. Maybe that is optimistic, but where the sky was clear, the seeing was good, so maybe? Or maybe it was the water in my eyes? I will try next time with my 9mm orthos. That'll be more in line with the BT's capabilities.
Later, I went out again to visit Orion, Sirius, Puppis (where I got a good look at M93...a new to me cluster!), Cassiopeia and Perseus. Just visiting old friends and having fun. This time I stuck with the 14mm.
Here is the stand out view/observation:
I SAW COLOR IN A FAINTER STAR IN THE DOUBLE CLUSTER!!!!
I have looked at this cluster a lot, but I have never detected color besides white/blue. It was one of the super red giants between the 2 clusters. I think it was FZ Persei, but it could have been AD Persei since they are both about the same magnitude. This is soooo cool! I will have to practice color detection some more.
This BT and I are going to have a lot of fun! It worked very well on the Orion legs. I was pleasantly surprised. A bit shakey when focusing, and I may try with the counterweight to see if that helps. I will point out that the Orion Tritech doesn’t get as tall as the OB 5000 tripod. This is no issue for me as I am 5’4”, but would be an issue for someone taller.
I found the 45 degree angle to be comfortable. I am used to straight through viewing, so any angle is a huge improvement. The fit and finish and mechanics are fabulous. Nothing is too loose or tight.
I am one happy sky watcher! 
