10 replies to this topic

[Jim Waters]

I am looking for a good 60mm ~f/4 guide scope.  I need more light grasp than my 50mm f/4 SV offers.  Better glass would help too.  Most of the guide scopes on the market have helical focusers that wiggle or have other issues.  I have been told that the Altair 60mm Mini-Guider scope is good and the helical focuser is solid.  Has anybody used this scope?  

 

https://www.landseas...urce=googlebase

 

If I can't find a good 60mm scope I may get the Sky-Watcher 50mm ED f/4.8 scope.  I have been told that the helical focuser doesn't have issues.

 

https://optcorp.com/...de-50ed-doublet

 

 

What scopes what would you recommend?

 

[FarmerDave]

Someone (either on here or on Astromart) recently had a TAK 60mm for sale for about a grand, and said it would make a good guidescope.

 

In all seriousness, I really like my f/4 WO 50mm (sorry, I know you asked for 60mm).  You focus it by rotating the dew shield and then locking it in place.  The WO site says you can also adjust the camera in/out and then lock it into place, but with the (included) extension and a lot of dew shield twisting, my camera is fully seated.  Can't tell if I've had any issues with the camera wiggling, but I don't think so.

[Jim Waters]

Thanks for the info on the WO scope FarmerDave.  I will check it out.

[jerr]

Hi Jim,

 

Small, fast doublet would do but doublets have become pricy lately and most of them are rather f6 than f4.

If f6 was sufficient then this would be my choice:

 

https://www.astronom...ractor-ota.html

 

There is also something new, more tempting but the price tag is elsewhere as well:

 

https://www.primaluc...esto-senso.html

 

Otherwise I would hunt for second hand WO ZS66.

Edited by jerr, 26 January 2021 - 12:08 PM.

[Jim Waters]

Thanks for the info Jerr.

[teashea]

How much quality do you need the optics to have?  If the optics only have to be good, rather than excellent, there are a number of choices.  However if you really need high quality optics, then the question becomes if you are willing to pay the price.

 

If quality optics are important then you are probably going to want to go with a real 60mm telescope instead of scope that is simply designed as a finder.

 

The Skywatcher you list is 50mm.  So if you are looking for a 50, and quality is more important than aperture, how about the Takahashi 50mm finder?

 

[Jim Waters]

I want better optical quality than I have.  My 50mm's have CA and other distortions which makes picking a guide star near the edge difficult.

[bokemon]

I want better optical quality than I have.  My 50mm's have CA and other distortions which makes picking a guide star near the edge difficult.

Well, you can always adjust the direction of your guide scope to center the guide star.

And if you don't like chromatic aberration, you can add a 1.25" UV / IR cut or "fringe killer" filter on your guide camera.

The link for the altair astro scope looks to be almost the same one made by Primalucelab

https://www.primaluc...uide-rings.html

I heard they were made by Long Perng, but anyway, they are all probably singlets.

But I guess the altair astro one is faster at F3.75

Finally, there is one by Stellarvue, also 60mm F3.75 (it's a finder, but can probably be converted to guider)

https://www.stellarv...e-black-f060m3/

I wonder if that is the same as the altair astro one, and made in China (probably).

[Seralyn]

William Optics also makes the 61mm GuideStar, worth investigating if you haven't yet.

[jerr]

William Optics also makes the 61mm GuideStar, worth investigating if you haven't yet.

This is a nice guider. Would be my choice at this price point if not the helical focuser.

[empiredown]

I really like my WO GS61. The glass is great and zero CA. It isn't as fast as you want though. I really like the focus arrangement as it is quite solid and locks up great. If you decide to use for visual, you will be limited to straight through, vice diagonal, in most EPs to get correct back focus. You can easily change the dovetail to a Vixen, add the WO lens cap/mask combo, etc. as needed. Good luck!

 

SS