2514 replies to this topic

[Airship]

For the past 10+ years I have been slowly gathering the parts to assemble a 6" f/15 Jaegers refractor. Over the holidays I finally began putting it together. I have a quite a bit of work to do yet to finish it, but the basic layout is essentially complete. Initial testing shows the sharpest views of the planets that I have ever seen!

 

 

A 6" f/15 is a big scope!

[AstroApe]

Only once, with my AT80ED, was I able to identify the GRS on Jupiter. I knew it was real when I swung over to M45 for a few minutes and then back to Jupiter, and it was still there. 
Don’t know if it is my local atmospheric conditions or my aging eyes, but, other than the two main equatorial belts, I struggle to see anything else on jupiter, even when I spend 30-40 minutes staring at it. 

I've been surprised to be able to pickup the GRS in my AT70ED using just 8mm (52.5x), but higher power shows better of course and a filter can also help (Baader Contrast Booster). Seeing is a pretty big factor too since the image scale is small below 100x.

[AstroApe]

For the past 10+ years I have been slowly gathering the parts to assemble a 6" f/15 Jaegers refractor. Over the holidays I finally began putting it together. I have a quite a bit of work to do yet to finish it, but the basic layout is essentially complete. Initial testing shows the sharpest views of the planets that I have ever seen!

 

Jaegers (1-4-2025)-2.jpg

 

A 6" f/15 is a big scope!

Definitely not a grab-n-go setup!!

 

Awesome scope and I've been enjoying reading through your threads and posts on it as you piece her together. 

[John R.]

A family photo of my 60mm refractors. 
From the left; 

Unidentified 60mm x 700mm Goodwill basket case find from 35 years ago. 
Spectrum AstroLite 60mm x 500mm, AKA ‘Goldilocks’

Svbony 501P, 60mm x 400mm

A 60mm x 300mm reconstructed from Tasco objective and various stuff. 
 

 

It has been a really bad fall and early winter for observing so plenty of time to tinker with telescopes. 

[photiost]

Estate sale - just bought this a few days ago SW ED100 ... late xmas present !!

.

 

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[CreatorsHand]

1994 AP Traveler, and 2024 AP 110GTX (Traveler II?). The mount is one of the original AP900s; 900HDA #4, from 1995. This is the 110GTX's first time out of the house since I got it in November (clouds)

 

 

 

[mainstreamscott]

My ES ED127 FCD100 on an AM5, and a family photo. 

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[CreatorsHand]

1994 AP Traveler, and 2024 AP 110GTX (Traveler II?). The mount is one of the original AP900s; 900HDA #4, from 1995. This is the 110GTX's first time out of the house since I got it in November (clouds)

 

IMG_0569.jpg

For those that might be interested, this is a better comparison of how the size compares between the two, since they are both on the same focal plane. It is surprising to me how much more challenging and imposing it is to handle the 110GTX than the Traveler. The Traveler is 105mm, f/4.6, 488mm with the 92/105 TCC, with an illuminated image circle of about 40mm (based on the image circle specified for the Stowaway; I haven't found the information for the Traveler with the 92/105 TCC). The 110GTX is 110mm, f/5, 550mm with the 110 TCC, with an illuminated image circle of 50mm. Theoretically, if my calculations are correct, if you crop an image from the Traveler to the same FOV as the 110GTX, you would end up with a 38mm image circle, albeit with a loss off resolution of 11%. It will be interesting to see what results I get if/when I get a chance to do that (I would need two full-frame cameras to tell). I found it interesting how much further the focuser drawtube was extended on the 110GTX, and then I realized that the 110GTX TCC was inserted into the drawtube, and that was not the case with the Traveler.

 

The center of the 110GTX is almost exactly 1/2" further from the bottom of the dovetail bar, so I added two pieces of 1/4" aluminum bar stock under the saddle for the Traveler, but I am still working out the horizontal spacing. The fronts of the two 8" saddles are currently 0.2mm closer than the backs of the saddles, which is close but too much difference, and needs to be adjusted to be less. I am hoping to be able to image with both and combine subs into one resulting image.

 

Paul

 

[Airship]

My 6” f/15 Jaegers refractor is now complete! I took advantage of our one mild day to do a final check of the weight and balance, practice setting the telescope up using a new brace that helps stabilize the scope as I put it together, run it through its paces on the mount, and take a peek at Venus in daylight and then quick peeks at Saturn and Jupiter before the clouds rolled in.

 

 

All in all, an excellent day!

[Scott99]

My 6” f/15 Jaegers refractor is now complete! I took advantage of our one mild day to do a final check of the weight and balance, practice setting the telescope up using a new brace that helps stabilize the scope as I put it together, run it through its paces on the mount, and take a peek at Venus in daylight and then quick peeks at Saturn and Jupiter before the clouds rolled in.

 

Jaegers (1-17-2025)-2.jpg

 

All in all, an excellent day!

Beautiful classic scope!  What's up with the tube paint - are those actually lunar craters on there?  Wow, what a great idea.  How did you pull that off? 

[Airship]

Heh, heh, the tube was structurally fine, but cosmetically challenged. I used an old approach that I use for finishing Sonotubes, wrapping it with vinyl shelf liner. I chose a white marble pattern that gives the tube an interesting smoky look. I like it. 😀

[Bigal1817]

My 6” f/15 Jaegers refractor is now complete! I took advantage of our one mild day to do a final check of the weight and balance, practice setting the telescope up using a new brace that helps stabilize the scope as I put it together, run it through its paces on the mount, and take a peek at Venus in daylight and then quick peeks at Saturn and Jupiter before the clouds rolled in.

Jaegers (1-17-2025)-2.jpg

All in all, an excellent day!

Beautiful setup! And that’s an elite backyard shoveling job. Your Midwest roots are on full display.

[Airship]

Heh, heh. Yeah, I cleared the snow and let the sun do its magic. The downside was a layer of thaw on top of ice resulting in the tripod freezing to the ground. Nice'n solid though. 😀

[mainstreamscott]

I just received the Explore Scientific ED152. I can’t wait to try it out after this storm passes on the east coast. Wild how much bigger an inch makes! 

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[Cryhavoc38]

My AT115edt waiting for darkness tonight.

 

Bortle 3 skies, and a string of 6 clear nights this winter.

The Moonlite CFL focuser i installed removed the sag i was experiencing from the stock focuser.

 

Those landscape lights get turned off before I start to image.

 

The Apertura 60EDR is my new wide field setup that I will be traveling with on two trips later this year.

 

 

Edited by Cryhavoc38, 22 January 2025 - 10:38 PM.

[Julio]

My grab and go setup.

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Edited by Julio, 23 January 2025 - 11:51 AM.

[chvvkumar]

My overly complicated AT60ED with a rotator and USB/power hub

 

 

[John R.]

My grab and go setup.

How do you like the Svbony sv225 AZ mount? How steady is it? 
 

[Julio]

How do you like the Svbony sv225 AZ mount? How steady is it? 
 

I used the SVBony Alt AZ on a Celestron Tabletop DOB mount with an aluminum mini pier adapter plate and bolts of my own creation for more stability. It is okay for visual, 2 to 3 second shake time when the scope is touched. Adding two sand bags to lower mount reduces that to 1.5 seconds. The scope with diagonal 1.25 and Laser sight weighs in at 15lbs, its my grab and go along with the 4", both work well. By the way i did add blue locktight to the bolts on Alt and Az screws to prevent loosening on the SVBony mount.

Edited by Julio, 23 January 2025 - 01:17 PM.

[deemacsee]

IMG_2023-12-22-073524.jpeg

 

My new setup with a new to me GTF81, ZWO filter drawer, 183MC cool and ZWO EAF using a Z61 as the guide scope, asi120MM, ASIAIR+ all mounted on my AM5. 
 

It has been cloudy and in the full moon cycle here so I’m still waiting for my first light with it, but the optics seem very nice.

Hi Desertau.

 

Can I ask you how you mounted the EAF to the GTF81?    I have the GTF81 and recently bought an EAF but when I remove the focus knob, I find the coupling will not fit into the hole fully (it will not go inside the inner smaller diameter (16.2mm) and so will not go far enough for me to be able to reach the lock screw through the access hole.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Damien

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[mainstreamscott]

Hi Desertau.

 

Can I ask you how you mounted the EAF to the GTF81?    I have the GTF81 and recently bought an EAF but when I remove the focus knob, I find the coupling will not fit into the hole fully (it will not go inside the inner smaller diameter (16.2mm) and so will not go far enough for me to be able to reach the lock screw through the access hole.

 

Thanks in advance.

 

Damien

I'm not sure about this particular focuser, but I just encountered the same issue with my Explore Scientific HEX33 focuser, and had to tear it all the way down in order to attach the coupler to the focus shaft. I'm going to be doing it again this weekend to take pics and write up a how-to. 

[deemacsee]

Cheers. The receiving hole on the scope has two diameters. I took the focusing knob off the other side as well, but that's got all kinds of mechanicals inside it. 

On the pic posted by the OP, it seemed like the EAF was on the side of the focuser knob that traditionally has the thermometer on it so hopefully there is some magic tweak I don't know about. 

[Wolfwatcher]

Lots of talk here and there about grab n go scopes. Here's a small refractor rig that I grab just to head out into the backyard on a whim. The Vixen tripod/mount weighs almost nothing, can lift with a finger if I want. Still, it's pretty sturdy so long as the scope matches it well, which this TV 60 does. 

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Edited by Wolfwatcher, 27 January 2025 - 11:34 PM.

[daquad]

I wanted the largest refractor this old Unitron mount could hold with no vibration at all.  The AT 102 f/7 ED fit the bill. Beautiful fit and finish, buttery smooth and robust rotating two-speed focuser with zero backlash and no play between the focuser tube and housing, nice long sliding dew shield, excellent tube baffling.  Has to be the best value in a 4" ED anywhere, especially with the sale price.  Came with a nice foam-fitted soft case.

 

When I checked the collimation with the Cheshire I was not surprised to find it was spot on, just like all my AT/Kunming scopes.

 

Dom Q.

 

[SpikeFalcon]

I really like the last few posts with Alt AZ grab-n-go refractors. Here is my AT102EDL F7 refractor OTA on the Stellarvue M002C mount. Is a quick 2 trip, 2 minute setup. The optics and mechanics on the EDL are great, and the OTA rides effortlessly on the mount. Dampening time is a non issue. I have the AT72EDII and the AT60ED OTAs also. Will not part with any of them. 

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