287 replies to this topic

[jgraham]

...and image #2...

 

 

M15 – Globular Cluster in Pegasus
Telescope: Unitron 510 5” f/16 refractor, Atlas EQ-G
Camera: Canon EOS Ra full frame DSLR
Filter: 2” ZWO IR Cut Filter
Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm Guidescope, ASI290MM, PHD
Exposure: 48x60sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW
Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction)
Flats: 32x1/125s tee shirt flats taken at dusk
Average Light Pollution: Bortle 8, very poor transparency, haze, smoke, full moon
Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 17.6 mag/arc-sec^2
Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip
White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic
Software: Backyard EOS, Deepsky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

 

In this example, the field was imaged the night following the evening when the image was taken with the Baader Fringe Killer. The color balance was easier to establish in this image, but the violet fringing is more evident, so the Fringe Killer does what it is supposed to do.

 

The overall conclusion is that the Unitron 510 gives a sharp, high contrast, well corrected field. This shows that the 510 can indeed serve as an excellent imaging platform and should serve very well with high resolution imaging, astrometry, and photometry.

 

Neat stuff.

 

 

 

[starman876]

very nice images.   The tell tale blue around the bright stars show  CCD imager revealing the nature of an achromat.    Now when we used film we did not have this problem.

[jgraham]

Indeed. For now I’m going to leave it alone and tinker with the Fringe Killer a bit more. It’s also fairly easy to fix in Photoshop. I just select the region around the brighter stars and draw down the saturation a bit. Easy peasy.

[RichA]

This photo taken at Ball State University shows the difference between the 4 inch and 6 inch Unitrons.  Quite a difference in size and weight.

 

Dave

Even with the perspective distortion, the six inch is a monster.

[starman876]

Even with the perspective distortion, the six inch is a monster.

the 6" was a monster because of the mount and pier they used.   There were plenty of 6" F15 sopes that were not monsters.  However, the Unitrons are beautiful monsters 

[CHASLX200]

The 6" is way too big to use and is around 880lbs so it would have to have a building for it.  It is still my top dream scope and i would buy one knowing it was too big to use.

[jgraham]

Imaging with the 510 was a lot of fun, but I reach a point where I gotta get some eyepiece time. I'm sitting outside with the 510 right now star-hopping a path across the eastern sky starting at Enif and working my way south across Aquila, Aquarius, and on into Sagittarius. Star-hopping with the 510 is just a delight. It is very comfortable to be seated at the eyepiece on my Starbound chair and the stars are so incredibly sharp in my 26mm QX I can easily split many of the double stars along my path and the colors are just gorgeous. Like I noted the first time that I looked through my 80ED, something special happens when all of the light goes to where it is supposed to go.

Simply wonderful!

[starman876]

Imaging with the 510 was a lot of fun, but I reach a point where I gotta get some eyepiece time. I'm sitting outside with the 510 right now star-hopping a path across the eastern sky starting at Enif and working my way south across Aquila, Aquarius, and on into Sagittarius. Star-hopping with the 510 is just a delight. It is very comfortable to be seated at the eyepiece on my Starbound chair and the stars are so incredibly sharp in my 26mm QX I can easily split many of the double stars along my path and the colors are just gorgeous. Like I noted the first time that I looked through my 80ED, something special happens when all of the light goes to where it is supposed to go.

Simply wonderful!

I love those nights. seems views like this only are obtained from a fine refractor.  

[starman876]

The 6" is way too big to use and is around 880lbs so it would have to have a building for it.  It is still my top dream scope and i would buy one knowing it was too big to use.

You could not even set the mount on the pier in a normal height ceiling.   The scope would always be in pieces and would never get used.   seems like that would take all the joy out of having one.

[jgraham]

Taking a peek at Saturn as the clouds lower the curtain on a wonderful evening if star-hopping...

 

 

I think that I am going to have to wait for the cool, dry evenings of autumn before I can give this scope an honest evaluation on its deepsky performance. Between the smoke and haze we just aren't getting any really transparent evenings. Still, from what I have seen so far, the 510 performs about as good as you are going to get with a 5" refractor. Stars are pinpoints across the field making it very easy to see moderately close doubles at 77x (26mm QX). At 143x (14mm UWA) I can begin to see the first diffraction ring, so splitting doubles becomes easy. Star colors are also very easy to see. Stellar targets are just gorgeous. Globular clusters are either resolved or at least granular. With my poor sky conditions, I haven't tried any diffuse objects yet. Instead, I hope to dedicate an evening to splitting close double stars.

 

Oh, and Saturn was gorgeous! Tack sharp at 227x (8.8mm UWA). I could easily see bands on the planet, the Cassini division (the rings are getting awfully shallow), and the shadow of the planet on the rings and the rings on the planet. A perfect way to end a relaxing evening.

 

Enjoy!

Edited by jgraham, 05 August 2023 - 07:51 AM.

[CHASLX200]

I could have put to the test this AM as the seeing was good.  Had the 826 out and it was doing 450x fine. 

[starman876]

Taking a peek at Saturn as the clouds lower the curtain on a wonderful evening if star-hopping...

 

Unitron 510 (8-5-2023)-1.jpg

 

I think that I am going to have to wait for the cool, dry evenings of autumn before I can give this scope an honest evaluation on its deepsky performance. Between the smoke and haze we just aren't getting any really transparent evenings. Still, from what I have seen so far, the 510 performs about as good as you are going to get with a 5" refractor. Stars are pinpoints across the field making it very easy to see moderately close doubles at 77x (26mm QX). At 143x (14mm UWA) I can begin to see the first diffraction ring, so splitting doubles becomes easy. Star colors are also very easy to see. Stellar targets are just gorgeous. Globular clusters are either resolved or at least granular. With my poor sky conditions, I haven't tried any diffuse objects yet. Instead, I hope to dedicate an evening to splitting close double stars.

 

Oh, and Saturn was gorgeous! Tack sharp at 227x (8.8mm UWA). I could easily see bands on the planet, the Cassini division (the rings are getting awfully shallow), and the shadow of the planet on the rings and the rings on the planet. A perfect way to end a relaing evening.

 

Enjoy!

Really enjoy all the reports of you using this wonderful scope. Thanks again

[combatdad]

You could not even set the mount on the pier in a normal height ceiling.   The scope would always be in pieces and would never get used.   seems like that would take all the joy out of having one.

You are absolutely right.  I've had the opportunity to experience first hand the size and beauty of the 6 inch...and "imagine myself behind the controls of one of these beauties".  This photo was taken at Rafes Urban Astronomy Center, Denton Texas when several of us rented the scope for the night.  This is one of three 6 inch Unitrons I've been able to experience!

 

Dave

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[starman876]

You are absolutely right.  I've had the opportunity to experience first hand the size and beauty of the 6 inch...and "imagine myself behind the controls of one of these beauties".  This photo was taken at Rafes Urban Astronomy Center, Denton Texas when several of us rented the scope for the night.  This is one of three 6 inch Unitrons I've been able to experience!

 

Dave

Wow and Wow.  That is impressive.  Looks like the 5"but such a  greater scale, Thanks for sharing,  This is a wonderful thread.

Edited by starman876, 05 August 2023 - 10:10 AM.

[jgraham]

I'd love to see one of the 6" Unitrons. I always thought that they were a perfect telescope for a school or small University.

 

Wonderful!

[jgraham]

The second image pair comparing the performance of the 510 with and without the Baader Fringe Killer (minus violet) filter...

 

M57 – The Ring Nebula in Lyra
Telescope: Unitron 510 5” f/16 refractor, Atlas EQ-G
Camera: Canon EOS Ra full frame DSLR
Filter: 2” Baader Fringe Killer (Minus Violet)
Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm Guidescope, ASI290MM, PHD
Exposure: 18x120sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW
Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction)
Flats: 32x1/125s tee shirt flats taken at dusk
Average Light Pollution: Bortle 8, very poor transparency, haze, smoke, full moon
Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.0 mag/arc-sec^2
Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip
White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic
Software: Backyard EOS, Deepsky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

 

 

This is the second of two images taken to evaluate the performance of Unitron 510 for imaging and the Baader Fringe Killer Filter. (See the companion image in the next post.) I also have the option of using a Baader Semi-Apo Filter, but this filter removes swaths of light in the red end of the spectrum to balance the loss of blue from the Fringe Killer. This is reasonably effective for visual, but not necessary for images where the color balance can be corrected in processing.

 

[starman876]

The second image pair comparing the performance of the 510 with and without the Baader Fringe Killer (minus violet) filter...

 

M57 – The Ring Nebula in Lyra
Telescope: Unitron 510 5” f/16 refractor, Atlas EQ-G
Camera: Canon EOS Ra full frame DSLR
Filter: 2” Baader Fringe Killer (Minus Violet)
Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm Guidescope, ASI290MM, PHD
Exposure: 18x120sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW
Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction)
Flats: 32x1/125s tee shirt flats taken at dusk
Average Light Pollution: Bortle 8, very poor transparency, haze, smoke, full moon
Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 18.0 mag/arc-sec^2
Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip
White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic
Software: Backyard EOS, Deepsky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

 

M57 (7-30-2023)-2j.jpg

 

This is the second of two images taken to evaluate the performance of Unitron 510 for imaging and the Baader Fringe Killer Filter. (See the companion image in the next post.) I also have the option of using a Baader Semi-Apo Filter, but this filter removes swaths of light in the red end of the spectrum to balance the loss of blue from the Fringe Killer. This is reasonably effective for visual, but not necessary for images where the color balance can be corrected in processing.

Just lovely.  Great images.  Who needs an APO.

[combatdad]

I'd love to see one of the 6" Unitrons. I always thought that they were a perfect telescope for a school or small University.

 

Wonderful!

There are two just up the street from you: Ferris State University, Michigan, and Indiana State University!

 

Dave

[jgraham]

...and without the Fringe Killer...

 

M57 – The Ring Nebula in Lyra
Telescope: Unitron 510 5” f/16 refractor, Atlas EQ-G
Camera: Canon EOS Ra full frame DSLR
Filter: 2” ZWO IR Cut Filter
Guide scope: Williams Optics 50mm Guidescope, ASI290MM, PHD
Exposure: 22x120sec, ISO 1600, saved as RAW
Darks: Internal (Long Exposure Noise Reduction)
Flats: 32x1/125s tee shirt flats taken at dusk
Average Light Pollution: Bortle 8, very poor transparency, haze, smoke, full moon
Lensed Sky Quality Meter: 17.6 mag/arc-sec^2
Stacking: Mean with a 1-sigma clip
White Balance: Nebulosity Automatic
Software: Backyard EOS, Deepsky Stacker, Nebulosity, Photoshop

 

 

This is the second of two images taken to evaluate the performance of Unitron 510 for imaging and the Baader Fringe Killer Filter. In this example, the field was imaged the night following the evening when the image was taken with the Baader Fringe Killer. (See the companion image in the previous post.) The color balance was easier to establish in this image, but the violet fringing is more evident, so the Fringe Killer does what it is supposed to do.

 

I need to spend some more time with this if we ever get some genuinely clear weather. However, I'm kinda leaning towards using the Fringe Killer when imaging with the 510.

 

Speaking of imaging with the 510...

 

This isn't just about taking pretty pictures. The field of the 510 is just gorgeous! It's not easy getting such beautiful star shapes across a full frame sensor with almost no vignetting. This can be _very_ useful for doing precision work with both astrometry and photometry. I had a similar experience with the 155, and the 510 just takes it to a new level. Now I'm curious about the 142.

 

So much to do, so few clear nights.

 

Next up... a few more pictures in the que to close out this set.

 

 

[combatdad]

John, you are doing grand and wondrous things with the 5 inch!  I'm loving the planetaries...and globs...ah heck, everything 

 

Dave

[jgraham]

"There are two just up the street from you: Ferris State University, Michigan, and Indiana State University!"

 

Heh, heh, I see a road trip in my future! Back in the 70's a group of us traveled around Ohio visiting various small club conventions with our cars packed with gear. My '65 Chevy Bel Air had my homebuilt 10" f/6.7 tucked in over the seats with the mount in the trunk.

 

That's my old 10" on the left and my homebuilt 16.5" f/6.7 on the right. The 10" was built in 1976, so it qualifies as a classic. The 16.5" was built in 1998 right before I entered graduate school for the second time. Lifting 45 pounds of glass on and off of the grinding barrel was a lot of fun!

 

 

 

 

[CHASLX200]

You are absolutely right.  I've had the opportunity to experience first hand the size and beauty of the 6 inch...and "imagine myself behind the controls of one of these beauties".  This photo was taken at Rafes Urban Astronomy Center, Denton Texas when several of us rented the scope for the night.  This is one of three 6 inch Unitrons I've been able to experience!

 

Dave

The 5" could not be set up in my house without hitting the ceiling. Forget the 6" as no one could lift the pier or mount.  Still my top dream scope, but i could never use it or set it up.

Edited by CHASLX200, 05 August 2023 - 11:43 AM.

[jgraham]

Thanks for the kind words. What sooo exciting and rewarding about a scope like this is that it checks sooo many boxes! I have several boxes to explore yet. Spoiler alert... I have a Plan on how to make it grab'n go. The Thought is to build a Berry-like altaz mount that will fit on top of the 510's tripod; set out the tripod, add the altaz head, add the 510 OTA, and enjoy! It would work perfectly with my Starbound chair, and I really enjoy star-hopping with an altaz mount.

 

Having fun!

[starman876]

Thanks for the kind words. What sooo exciting and rewarding about a scope like this is that it checks sooo many boxes! I have several boxes to explore yet. Spoiler alert... I have a Plan on how to make it grab'n go. The Thought is to build a Berry-like altaz mount that will fit on top of the 510's tripod; set out the tripod, add the altaz head, add the 510 OTA, and enjoy! It would work perfectly with my Starbound chair, and I really enjoy star-hopping with an altaz mount.

 

Having fun!

You are having fun and with a wonderful scope.  Hope you enjoy it for many years to come. Great images

[C8 Ronald]

Thanks for the kind words. What sooo exciting and rewarding about a scope like this is that it checks sooo many boxes! I have several boxes to explore yet. Spoiler alert... I have a Plan on how to make it grab'n go. The Thought is to build a Berry-like altaz mount that will fit on top of the 510's tripod; set out the tripod, add the altaz head, add the 510 OTA, and enjoy! It would work perfectly with my Starbound chair, and I really enjoy star-hopping with an altaz mount.

 

Having fun!

Greetings from the Netherlands! I'm enjoying all your reports and read them with great interest, as I'm also a big fan of the Unitron/Polarex scopes, owning 5 at the moment. Although my largest is the 4 Inch.  All of them are used - and enjoyed - regularly.

 

They are such a pleasure to use, provide great views, mechanicals are bomb proof and beautifully engineered.

And it has something "extra", observing with a classic telescope!

 

Enjoy your fantastic 5 Inch! And keep the report and pics coming So nice to see that a big scope like this gets regular and pleasant use!