284 replies to this topic

[Alan French]

Sounds like you have an excellent chance of getting one.  I love my AP 130 GT, but would really love that extra inch of aperture in the 155 CS.  Before I retired, I *thought* I might do a little imaging, but for now at least I'm not feeling it.  Too much work as you say. 

It has certainly gotten easier with time. I remember when folks guided by hand, often with mounts that were designed with no thought to such requirements. It also appears that software does a lot more of the work today, and there are certainly good resources to help folks along.

 

I think I am finally "getting it." Imagine if you had a telescope where you could see deep sky the way they show up in the work of today's imagers. Imaging allows seeing far more than we can see visually. It now has an edge for planetary "observing" too.

 

Many of us who bought some of today's fine telescopes and mounts are well on the road to taking fine images.

 

Clear skies, Alan

[dothead]

I am convinced the club of APQ owners is 0.

Just had a nice phone conversation with APQ's CEO Norbert Strömich.

He will clarify things (in the vendor forum) shortly ...

[Rasfahan]

Just had a nice phone conversation with APQ's CEO Norbert Strömich.

He will clarify things (in the vendor forum) shortly ...

I‘m looking forward to seeing photos of and through an APQ.

[turtle86]

It has certainly gotten easier with time. I remember when folks guided by hand, often with mounts that were designed with no thought to such requirements. It also appears that software does a lot more of the work today, and there are certainly good resources to help folks along.

 

I think I am finally "getting it." Imagine if you had a telescope where you could see deep sky the way they show up in the work of today's imagers. Imaging allows seeing far more than we can see visually. It now has an edge for planetary "observing" too.

 

Many of us who bought some of today's fine telescopes and mounts are well on the road to taking fine images.

 

Clear skies, Alan

 

That's very encouraging to hear!  I last did imaging nearly 25 years ago and definitely found it a bit of a challenge back then, especially with film before switching to CCD. Plus I was using an LX200, which wasn't the best even with PEC training.  I do have much better gear (from AP) now.  If I take another stab at imaging I would probably begin with my Stowaway.

[Scott99]

I think I am finally "getting it." Imagine if you had a telescope where you could see deep sky the way they show up in the work of today's imagers. Imaging allows seeing far more than we can see visually. It now has an edge for planetary "observing" too.

Of course we can see this beauty by looking at the imagers' images, without having to do imaging ourselves, as well.....hello astrobin   For that matter.....hello JWST
 

Edited by Scott99, 08 April 2025 - 11:42 AM.

[Spikey131]

I‘m looking forward to seeing photos of and through an APQ.

I found one…..

Attached Thumbnails

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[Alan French]

Of course we can see this beauty by looking at the imagers' images, without having to do imaging ourselves, as well.....hello astrobin   For that matter.....hello JWST
 

True, but what excuse would we have for owning a telescope?

 

Clear skies, Alan

[turtle86]

True, but what excuse would we have for owning a telescope?

 

Clear skies, Alan

 

And there's something to be said about it being *your* image.  

[Heywood]

I believe someone in these pages stated that the 155CS is now in full production.  Is that right?  When will the notifications begin?

[Spikey131]

I believe someone in these pages stated that the 155CS is now in full production.  Is that right?  When will the notifications begin?

Yes, Karen told me that it is in full production.  I think she said that notifications will start in the summer, but don’t hold me to it.  Heck, they are usually later than they predict anyway.

[121601]

So how much is this OTA? 15k?

Price of 175 f8 (2013) was $21k.  I would estimate 155 will be 24999.99 or a bit less.

Evren a postdoc in Astronomy @ UC Berkeley should be available to afford it.  😃

Edited by 121601, 08 April 2025 - 08:18 PM.

[imtl]

Price of 175 f8 (2013) was $21k. I would estimate 155 will be 24999.99 or a bit less.

Well with the current taarifs imposed it will be cheaper than to buy Askar apos!

[Dean J.]

Price of 175 f8 (2013) was $21k.  I would estimate 155 will be 24999.99 or a bit less.

Evren a postdoc in Astronomy @ UC Berkeley should be available to afford it.  

I think you are too high.  The most recent 130s from last year were $7950.

[Heywood]

What sort of glasses are used in the 155CS?  Did someone write here that they were a proprietary secret?  Maybe some NEW kind of glass specially made for Astro-Physics?  Is that even possible?

 

As for the price, if its around $25,000, I doubt there will be too many takers.  But one never knows.  It's a CS, after all, something new and unique.  And it comes standard with a "flat field corrector."  How much does that add to the cost?

Edited by Heywood, 08 April 2025 - 10:06 PM.

[Refractor6]

 Until I watched the AP video from NEAF I had never heard the term "Superachromat" used before to describe a scope optic and yes they said it was something new for the 155 and the 190 but no details revealed on the glass or glass types used. 

[Phil Jones]

Checked, and I did sign up for the 155 back in 2003.

I didn't sign up for the AP155 because at the time, I could not afford it. Had I known that 20+ years later, being on that list would be beneficial, I would've signed up.

[Refractor6]

  Here's the video from the NEAF booth talking about the 4th level of the highest optics of a superachromat:

 

https://www.youtube....h?v=92oPw6NwlRs

 

 

 

[turtle86]

What sort of glasses are used in the 155CS?  Did someone write here that they were a proprietary secret?  Maybe some NEW kind of glass specially made for Astro-Physics?  Is that even possible?

 

As for the price, if its around $25,000, I doubt there will be too many takers.  But one never knows.  It's a CS, after all, something new and unique.  And it comes standard with a "flat field corrector."  How much does that add to the cost?

 

It'll be very interesting to see what the pricing will be.  A new AP 130 GTX is 8K, a new TEC 160 is 13K, and a new TOA 150 is 15K.  I expect the 155 CS to run more than the TEC or TOA based on those awesome specs, but think anything over 20K will be too much for most folks, well for me anyway. 

[Psion]

Maybe with a price of $25,000, they won't have to finally make a waiting list and AP will be in stock after a while 

[CHASLX200]

Price of 175 f8 (2013) was $21k.  I would estimate 155 will be 24999.99 or a bit less.

Evren a postdoc in Astronomy @ UC Berkeley should be available to afford it.  

I am out as it is since the county is forcing me to fix my flooded home. Gonna need every cent gents.

[quilty]

Sorry for you. Did the swamp flood over?
Here we're drying out. No precipitation at all since Feb. No significant one since Christmas. Usually my backyard is a swamp, too, specially at the end of winter

[eastwd]

The thing is, these days, both the 190 and the 155, being even more compact at F6 and with a superb optical design, will also make excellent visual, imaging, EAA and even night vision (with an intensifier) refractors. My guess is that owners of either scope might do a bit of everything with these refractors or maybe they'll lean heavily in one direction. But the versatility is there in the design to do whatever task "or tasks" the owner's want to undertake. 

I can confirm from experience that this is exactly right. I’ve got an observatory mounted TEC APO200FL f/8 Apo that I use for roughly equal measures of all of those things. Roland‘s new 190 and 155 will be similarly versatile.  For visual, there are plenty of eyepieces that will play nicely with them, even at f/6, and the faster focal ratio will make them great for EAA and all kinds of DSO imaging.  I do think the 190 will be best suited for a permanent setup, though its relatively shorter tube length should make it a bit less scary to wrestle up onto a mount by yourself, which is something I’ve only dared to do a couple of times with the TEC 200.

 

Larry

[Lagrange]

What sort of glasses are used in the 155CS?  Did someone write here that they were a proprietary secret?  Maybe some NEW kind of glass specially made for Astro-Physics?  Is that even possible?

 

As for the price, if its around $25,000, I doubt there will be too many takers.  But one never knows.  It's a CS, after all, something new and unique.  And it comes standard with a "flat field corrector."  How much does that add to the cost?

Glass companies will make custom formulations for customers, but the cost of doing so and the amount they'd need to produce to make it economically worthwhile almost certainly rules out that a small manufacturer like Astro-Physics would go down this route.

 

There aren't that many super-ED glass types on the market and my guess would be that it used FCD100 based on articles and forum posts that Roland has written praising the stuff.

[jragsdale]

There aren't that many super-ED glass types on the market and my guess would be that it used FCD100 based on articles and forum posts that Roland has written praising the stuff.

I think it's a new glass type from Hoya, not FCD100. Not sure what though, Roland is keeping that info close to his chest. (Why wouldn't you in today's IP theft world?)

[Dean J.]

I think it's a new glass type from Hoya, not FCD100. Not sure what though, Roland is keeping that info close to his chest. (Why wouldn't you in today's IP theft world?)

Yes, his designs - including glass types used - are his proprietary intellectual property.  It would be unreasonable to expect him to disclose his designs.