We've had unboxings in your kitchen, lounge and bedroom. Please don't do one whilst in the bathroom, or bath for that matter Chris... 🙂 Joking aside, I think it's great that you are doing something at the other end of the scale, as it were - like your SW StarTravel 102 vid as well. Not everyone can afford a smart telescope or some luscious Askar, so massive props for putting this out there. My first view through a scope was about 47 years ago (yikes) when I was a smaller child and it was a cheap, shorter refractor than this and I thought it was the most amazing thing ever. I wouldn't shut up about it for days, apparently. Took me many decades to re-engage with the hobby and I often get the same thrill at seeing something in the eyepiece as I did when I was a 10 year old. Nice one Chris!
Thank you! I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I genuinely enjoy helping people get into the hobby, so I feel like I'm in a privileged position being able explore both budget-friendly and premium options. 😊 Haha, my wife and kids were out today, so it was a nice treat to get an upgrade to the lounge! Clear Skies!
Very interesting Chris, will be interested to see the result of the nighttime viewing session and perhaps a pros and cons comparison with the Heritage 100.
Thanks Tony! Yeah I'm looking forward to seeing how how it performs and compares; I'm sure something can be learnt from it :) P.s would you like me to change your name from Astro Tony to Honitonman for the credits?
I still have my Prinz Astral 500 a 60mm x 900mm long light blue alloy refractor still in its original box, I was fortunate to receive this from my brother at Xmas in late 70s, it's complete with solid wooden tripod, slow motion worm drives, a very good 8X30 metal finder scope with cross hairs, a decent metal GEM, counter weight etc, even a sun projection screen and lamp fitted to the accessory tray.. With a recent eyepiece adapter and a couple of good eyepieces it performs very well indeed, an amazing budget scope of the day I guess, I'm not so sure about today's offerings, with so many sub parr cheap scopes on the market they can be a real hobby killer..
At 60/900 mm f15 should be practically CA free like an APO. That’s what I like about those small achromats, they have no or almost no chromatic aberration. My small 70/700 mm achromat has slightly less chromatic aberration than my 102/714 mm ED and infinitely less than my 102/1000 mm achromat. And the Moon looks very nice at 175x magnification (4 mm eyepiece), the planets at 117x-140x (6 mm / 5 mm eyepiece). But of course with such a small aperture it’s able to show only the brightest DSOs.
Surely this would be soooo much better if it came with one good eyepiece than 3 mediocre ones lol. I totally get that for beginners 'more stuff is better'', but disappointment is worse than less eyepieces.
For the price I guess it's ok-ish the eye pieces definitely need to be replaced though even with some cheap plossls , I remember someone coming up to the darksite with a cheap Bresser scope & it were terrible, just by changing the eyepiece it completely transformed the views but the tripod was still pretty useless. I'll be interested to see how it performs on its first light.
Thanks Tich! Fingers crossed it does a little better than that one. The tripod and mount feel pretty good bearing in mind the cost of course (it stays where you leave it at least, and doesn't droop like the Celestron Skymaster AZ) I'm confident the lens will be good at f/15, but I think they would have been better off including a couple of Kelner's rather than the SR, H eyepieces and that 1.5x erecting eyepiece. Lets see what happens under the stars! :) Take care mate!
Maybe it's common on these to have that altitude locking, fine adjustment bar. It reminds me of my first scope back in 1964! Begged my folks, we were quite poor. Dad found a new broken one. That rod was broke where it's yoke went into the pin that holds it to the scope. He somehow braised it. I still have it😊
No stopped down lenses, but the included eyepieces are inappropriate both in terms of magnification and field of view: ruclips.net/video/LDSAc1HRgys/видео.html
We've had unboxings in your kitchen, lounge and bedroom. Please don't do one whilst in the bathroom, or bath for that matter Chris... 🙂
Joking aside, I think it's great that you are doing something at the other end of the scale, as it were - like your SW StarTravel 102 vid as well. Not everyone can afford a smart telescope or some luscious Askar, so massive props for putting this out there.
My first view through a scope was about 47 years ago (yikes) when I was a smaller child and it was a cheap, shorter refractor than this and I thought it was the most amazing thing ever. I wouldn't shut up about it for days, apparently. Took me many decades to re-engage with the hobby and I often get the same thrill at seeing something in the eyepiece as I did when I was a 10 year old.
Nice one Chris!
Thank you! I really appreciate you taking the time to reply. I genuinely enjoy helping people get into the hobby, so I feel like I'm in a privileged position being able explore both budget-friendly and premium options. 😊 Haha, my wife and kids were out today, so it was a nice treat to get an upgrade to the lounge! Clear Skies!
Nice review Chris looking forward to seeing part 2
Thanks Tony! Cheers for watching :)
Very interesting Chris, will be interested to see the result of the nighttime viewing session and perhaps a pros and cons comparison with the Heritage 100.
Thanks Tony! Yeah I'm looking forward to seeing how how it performs and compares; I'm sure something can be learnt from it :) P.s would you like me to change your name from Astro Tony to Honitonman for the credits?
@@Astrolavista Hi Chris, Yes please. Thank you. 👍
Thanks Chris. Looks pretty good for that price.
Thanks Ron! The main parts (OTA and mount) are looking good so far :)
My 1950s 60/900 Tasco with Royal Optics works great with Huygens…because it’s F15 or so!❤
I still have my Prinz Astral 500 a 60mm x 900mm long light blue alloy refractor still in its original box, I was fortunate to receive this from my brother at Xmas in late 70s, it's complete with solid wooden tripod, slow motion worm drives, a very good 8X30 metal finder scope with cross hairs, a decent metal GEM, counter weight etc, even a sun projection screen and lamp fitted to the accessory tray.. With a recent eyepiece adapter and a couple of good eyepieces it performs very well indeed, an amazing budget scope of the day I guess, I'm not so sure about today's offerings, with so many sub parr cheap scopes on the market they can be a real hobby killer..
@astrostufftomtrubridge7915 what a Christmas present and at the right time. Things got a bit plastic I'm the 80s
At 60/900 mm f15 should be practically CA free like an APO. That’s what I like about those small achromats, they have no or almost no chromatic aberration. My small 70/700 mm achromat has slightly less chromatic aberration than my 102/714 mm ED and infinitely less than my 102/1000 mm achromat. And the Moon looks very nice at 175x magnification (4 mm eyepiece), the planets at 117x-140x (6 mm / 5 mm eyepiece). But of course with such a small aperture it’s able to show only the brightest DSOs.
Right on :) I regret the day I sold my Skylight 60mm F16.7 with Carton lens. It's not as if you can just order another. I'm such an idiot lol
Surely this would be soooo much better if it came with one good eyepiece than 3 mediocre ones lol. I totally get that for beginners 'more stuff is better'', but disappointment is worse than less eyepieces.
100%!
For the price I guess it's ok-ish the eye pieces definitely need to be replaced though even with some cheap plossls , I remember someone coming up to the darksite with a cheap Bresser scope & it were terrible, just by changing the eyepiece it completely transformed the views but the tripod was still pretty useless. I'll be interested to see how it performs on its first light.
Thanks Tich! Fingers crossed it does a little better than that one. The tripod and mount feel pretty good bearing in mind the cost of course (it stays where you leave it at least, and doesn't droop like the Celestron Skymaster AZ) I'm confident the lens will be good at f/15, but I think they would have been better off including a couple of Kelner's rather than the SR, H eyepieces and that 1.5x erecting eyepiece. Lets see what happens under the stars! :) Take care mate!
Maybe it's common on these to have that altitude locking, fine adjustment bar. It reminds me of my first scope back in 1964! Begged my folks, we were quite poor. Dad found a new broken one. That rod was broke where it's yoke went into the pin that holds it to the scope. He somehow braised it. I still have it😊
Is the telescope and or the finder stopped down??
No stopped down lenses, but the included eyepieces are inappropriate both in terms of magnification and field of view: ruclips.net/video/LDSAc1HRgys/видео.html
@@Astrolavista I have watched part 2 and enjoyed the AI heavy metal song! That is so cool that we can do that nowadays!