I'm a visual observer who's just getting into the refractor side of the hobby. I've got one ED doublet and currently saving up for my second, which I'm super stoked for!! I've been a dob & big-binos guy since getting into the hobby, but recently found myself wanting something more portable/spur-of-the-moment than my AD8 8" f/5.9 dob, while also being more capable/versatile than my fixed power Deluxe 15x70 & Tachyon 25x100 binoculars. I started researching and decided to get a 4" mid f/ratio refractor since that seems to pair very well with a 8" Dob. But before I could decide on that scope, I impulsively bought a secondhand Astro-Tech AT70ED from Cloudy Nights as a sort of "grab-n-go" kit. It's a 70mm f/6 ED doublet using a FK-61 ED crown and a very nice 2" R&P focuser. The performance is amazing on this little guy, especially considering one can be purchased new for less than a good quality used eyepiece!! As for grab-n-go, I've got it in a small hardcase that holds a red & green MRF, 2" dielectric diagonal, Baader MkIV 8-24mm w/2.25x Barlow, APM UFF 30mm, 2" DGM NPB, and some Orion planetary filters. The outfitted scope weighs less than 4kg (8.75lb) and gets mounted on either an old Bogen 3040 Pro (Manfrotto 3046 tripod & 3047 head mounted "sidesaddle") or if I want tracking a SkyWatcher AZ-GTi. The 30mm UFF gives me the best views with a 5° TFOV @ 14x that's completely tack sharp across the whole image with hardly any noticable CA, while the MkIV w/Barlow gives me a 100x power range from 17x - 117x. Best of all: everything in this grab-n-go kit (except the hardcase) was purchased second hand from AstroMart & Cloudy Nights. I saved a freaking ton of money buying on the used market!! Loved this little scope so much that it made up my mind on the 4" I want as my primary refractor: the Astro-Tech AT102EDL!! This is a 102mm f/7 ED doublet using a FCD-100 crown with matched lanthanum flint, built around a beautiful 2.5" rotating focuser, with a guaranteed minimum Strehl over 0.95. I'm currently planning to run it on Stellarvue M002C mount. I believe that the 102EDL may be the best refractor available anywhere on earth for the $1200 price (currently on sale for $999.99 or about £804), and it very well could be a lifetime scope for myself. PS: this turned out wayyy longer than I meant, and especially wayyy too long for a RUclips comment, but thanks for reading it. I really appreciate your videos they've helped me out tremendously starting out in this hobby. Clear skies, -AstroApe
Hey AstroApe! Thanks for sharing your refractor journey. If I was only allowed to own one scope it would have to be a 4" f/7 ED doublet refractor. I even made a video about it a few years back. Good choice :)
Guy in my Astronomy Club told me to use either a light yellow #8 or a #11 yellow/green filter to get rid of the blue/purple aberration if you don't mind the yellow color. I tried it with a Celestron Power Seeker 80mm AZ achromat my club uses for public outreach and it worked. I was pleasantly surprised, it was like finding my cheap broadband Optolong Nebula filter showed Jupiter really well and the Moon too. Nothing else though.
Very Informative video there Chris. I was Thinking about buying a Very small and Short focal length refractor to do some DSO imaging, and Wide field Lunar Shots. Skywatcher 80ed is Possibly on my list!
Thanks Avanteesh :) I've had the pleasure of the ED80 and with its fpl53 glass and moderate focal ratio its nicely colour corrected. It does have a very similar focal length to your existing Discovery 150p though, 750mm vs 600mm, but the 2" dual speed focuser will be better for DSO imaging. It will reach focus with DLSR cameras etc. If you remind me which camera you're using I will take a look at what else might be suitable :)
Oh and just my 2 cents, I have the smaller of the scope behind you.......the Skywatcher 102/1000 achromat. I was really unhappy with it for a long while because it didn't give sharp views of the moon and planets at higher power. But then I figured out it had to do with focuser slop, the screws on the bottom of the focuser had to be tightened a little. I also upgraded the diagonal to a dielectric one and now i'm very happy. It's pretty good for the price
This is a good point for folks to check! Focuser sag can put the collimation slightly out effecting the views at high powers. I've found this to be especially a thing with Ritchey Chretien scopes. Thanks for sharing :)
Thanks Tony! When full spectrum colour imaging, the camera sensor is a little bit too sensitive to UV/IR wavelengths. This reduces sharpness and imparts a pink colour cast on your images. I think this is the main reason why UV/IR Cut filters are used for imaging rather than reducing chromatic aberration.
I have the Skywatcher Evostar 120/1000 achromat and I must say I'm impressed with the views so far. There is some purple fringing on the Moon and bright stars but it's not objectionable for visual use. I also have two Skywatcher Equinoxes, the 66 and the 80mm apochromats and they're both excellent over a wide range of magnifications, but I'd sell the lot for a 120mm Equinox APO if I can get hold of one.
Like! For visual observations which one would have a better image quality and resolution, a 102/1000 mm F10 achromat or a 70 or 80 mm F7 FPL-51 ED ? Thank you!
Assuming both refractors have the same figure /Strehl, I would choose the 4" f/10 achro and just add a semi apo filter for bright objects; The extra light grasp and focal length will provide a noticeable improvement in resolution and detail on the planets and the Moon, and deep sky objects will reveal themselves more. It's often said that a 4" 102mm refractor is the sweet spot....also a good f/10 crown and flint objective wouldn't be too far behind an f/7 FPL51 objective for colour correction, nothing that a filter can't sort out.
What kind is best? Depends on ones needs. I use Sharp Cap Pro and do not do any post processing work. Too lazy. I like to take deep space celestial photographs. I am too impatient to wait 1 to 5 minutes for updates, so I use 4 to 8 second exposures. I have a small sky, so I have found the optical tube needs to be fast. I have tried several achromats, including a 70/700, a 70/900, a 80/400, a 80/560 ED, a 90/55, a 102/460, a 102/1000 and a 120/600. I want to use my generic x0.8 reducer/corrector which works on f/5 to 5/7 optical tubes with a 2" focuser. Being elderly and feeble, I want to use my Sky Watcher Star Adventurer GTi go to mount, which can only handle 11 pounds. A 100mm+ ED doublet or triplet would weigh too much for me or my mount. My SvBony 80mm ED takes nice photos but with my small sky is not strong enough. I have found I get the best refractor photos using the Sky Watcher Startravel 120/600, with the x0.8 reducer, an Svbony 231 color corrector filter and the color correction function in Sharp Cap Pro. No purple fringing. I do also use a Orion Space Probe 130mm reflector, which takes nice photos, but requires frequent collimation and I can only use it on very calm nights, as the prairie wind blows a whole lot of dust, mosquitos, humming birds, muskrats and the like in to the tube and I have to disassemble it often to clean the mirror. Lots of maintenance and I really am kinda lazy. And, I some times use my Celestron 6" Schmidt Cassegrain for planetary and lunar work or with my Hyperstar 6 v4 Hyperstar for very large and fast photos.
Hi Chris, Just an update on the Evolux 62ed travel rig with Azgti mount and dedicated rather expensive field flattener !!, a 30mm SV guide scope, and Quieter2 PC remoted using Cuivs recent Windows WiFi hotspot solution, a 585mc camera that you had showcased (amazing uncooled camera) the results are very good for this little doublet, although its quite wide and forgiving !! Pin sharp guiding, even on galaxies, Bodes and Cigar are bit small but well resolved .. Out of interest I've just dug out an old C100 EDR FL 900mm that my brother gave me many moons ago (he just wanted the goto mount it came with and thought the scope was useless?? ) , during Covid I swapped out the focuser on it for something more precise and used a modded Cannon to capture Orion, after processing the image with Pixel processor PRO it was very good considering the light pollution here, I later framed the image and hung it in the hall, I think for a long ED refractor it wasn't bad, maybe it's an underestimated long ED scope from Celestron .. So today I've dug it back out and spent time re bracketing the ring tops with a home made flat bar to mount a SV50mm guide scope, Hope to soon get it on my AVX mount and try my new Svbony 405CC, and FF reducer. everything is now on a budget having recently retired !! So re hashing old scopes, cameras mounts etc is my only option, I never did get to build an obsy, but happy with the things I have, my old USA made 9.25 for visual is still my favorite and only SCT, having Just stripped out and cleaned it's optics, so it's now good as new. A bit heavy for me currently especially as ime battling rotator cuff injuries in both my shoulders. Watching a Jupiter moon shadow falling of the edge of this planet in real time is just awesome and will always stay with me, kinda makes it all so real, hope I haven't bored you to much, atb... Regards Tom.
Yes, I do admit I only gave a small nod to these by flashing up an image of a Fluorite Takahashi FC100. However, it can be hard to justify the price when fpl 53 ED glass has an almost identical refractive index at a lower price point.
@@Astrolavista I also think that FPL-53 and FCD-100 are both easier to figure & polish and are both more forgiving to temperature fluctuations than fluorite.
The biggest Achilles Heel for refractors is the huge $ price increase, when you go bigger than 4" (102mm) diameter, ED or Triplet objective and fast f-ratio. Smaller than 4" and you will run out of viewable objects very quickly.
Good duplet (Vixen, Tak) is better for astrophotography than a lot of triplets, especially if imaging was taken with mono camera. Those top duplets have long FL and high f.
I just wish I could get more information on the actual optics. I already made a refractor but it's objective came as a doublet set but I want to be able to individually pick optics to make a triplet. I'm well aware it is a complex topic but I haven't been able to find information that actually explains it.
I've been searching for a "Classic" 4 inch, f/12 or f/15 Refractor. And NO ONE seems to be making or selling these anymore!!! Even with the venerable crown and Flint glass Doublet, these scopes are a great beginners 🔭 telescope! Under good skies they can easily be used at 200x to 240x and give a great view of Saturn, Jupiter, Luna, etc. So....... WHY are they not even being made anymore?????
In Europe you can find 102 mm F10 and even F13 achromats made by Bresser at a very affordable price. A F10 102/1000 mm F10 with EQ3 mount is just 300$ and a 102/1350 mm F13 with EQ4 is 600$.
Hi Chris, Achromatic scopes are not just for beginners, they are still purchased by well-respected stargazers. The CA has never been an issue for me personally in an F10 with the help of baader filter. Achromatic scopes are simply amazing and cost effective.
Did I suggest achromats were only for beginners? I don't remember doing that. I usually have at least one achro in the the house at any one time myself, including the one behind me in the video ;)
lol thanks ziggy, we've all had that dream :D I'd be too scared to use it at those prices in case I dropped it! I agree with Weelie, the refractive index of Fluorite is near identical to the more affordable fpl53. Cheers!
You failed to mention the biggest PRO on Refractors no mater the glass , only people who know about telescopes know about this , only Refractors can be made in to Ritch Field Telescopes no mater what you have , for reflectors they have to be very fast F3 maximum F2,5 and so on that are not in the shops and are made by hand usually . This is due to Focuser , the way they deal with focusing they have 2nd mirror and that limits your view , i had F4 Reflector , and when i put 30mm EP on it i could see the barrel , while in Refractors you can put 50mm EP and you wont see the barrel . This is because most people who review and do these videos are YTrs ,they don't know much , basically not even as much as what they know in good shops . And on low power all glass is good . And if you want to view the moon , then you take Macs .Or dobs but they will have to be big not because of Aperture but because you need at least 1200mm focal length .
I don't think that's biggest pro for refactors, I mean, how wide a field of view do you need? What object are you trying to frame that is so wide? At that kind of AFOV would you not be better off with a binocular? It's not like anywhere near all the light cone will be entering your eye if you are using a 50mm eyepiece with a rich field refractor, your pupil will not dilate wide enough. For example, a Sky-Watcher Startravel 102 f/5 rich field frac with a 50mm eyepiece will create an exit pupil/light cone 10mm wide! (and just 10x magnification so you might as well pick up a pair of binos) Our pupils can dilate to 4-8mm so you are wasting lots of light. There is a reason why most eyepiece ranges stop between 32mm to 40mm at the long end.
@@MrSummitville yes i did , but you didnt . Those can not be used visually . And as far as Cameras go , i used them , but Camera has a lot smaller DR then Human eye , so RFT is calculated by the number of stars you can see with naked eye . Or number of stars in the FOV , if you take in cameras , any scope can be RFT , its just a matter of exposure . Trust me not only do i know abour RASA , NASA and Vatican . Did you know Vatican owns 50% of worlds Telescopes , i guess you didnt , so that is why i put in Vatican they have as many scopes as NASA has . And none of them know the truth about universe . None of them can explain Hexagonal polar storm on Saturn , not to go wider i know of terestrial and space phenomenon they can not explain , can write a book about it . So it matters not how many scopes you have , after all Nikola Tesla had no Scopes still was frist to find Pulsars , with a Radio Antenna later called Radio telescope . For Radio Waves are light as well , we just dont see it .
Whats your name at FLO ? I order from there all the time and have found the helpdesk staff extraordinarily helpful. Ive probably spent a few thousand quid there the past year! (Dont tell the misses!!) 😂
@AstroLaVista ha - hi Chris 👋 really enjoy your content, and you personally have been a great help with getting my setup together. I have spoken to you via FLO several times, and as recently as yesterday. Is there a way I can affiliate the link you so you get a small percentage of my purchases? I think I'm an affiliate linked with an astrobiscuit right now but I'd switch it to you if possible. (Although I'm about spent out for now 😀 )
Don't take a shot every time I say chromatic aberration, it wont end well! ;)
Is that a double shot for ED and tripe shot for triplet? 😄
@@steveetches6013 haha yeah, and if you have a triple shot you'll see double :D
If I was younger, I would take that challenge.
I had a beer through the video, but that doesn't count though huh?
Very nice explanation of the various types of refractors. Excellent video. Thanks for sharing. I learned a lot. Keep up the good work.
Much appreciated Ed. Good to hear and I will certainly try!
wow!!! that waS A GREAT VIDEO EXPAINING, i have learned something new today and now i know what after the scope.
Glad it was helpful! Thanks for the comment :)
Very informative, Chris love the way that you explain the different designs of refractors. Clear and to the point great video and clear sky's mate 👍🏻
Hey Ryan mate! Thanks for the lovely comment, glad you enjoyed the video :) clear skies!
I'm a visual observer who's just getting into the refractor side of the hobby. I've got one ED doublet and currently saving up for my second, which I'm super stoked for!!
I've been a dob & big-binos guy since getting into the hobby, but recently found myself wanting something more portable/spur-of-the-moment than my AD8 8" f/5.9 dob, while also being more capable/versatile than my fixed power Deluxe 15x70 & Tachyon 25x100 binoculars.
I started researching and decided to get a 4" mid f/ratio refractor since that seems to pair very well with a 8" Dob. But before I could decide on that scope, I impulsively bought a secondhand Astro-Tech AT70ED from Cloudy Nights as a sort of "grab-n-go" kit.
It's a 70mm f/6 ED doublet using a FK-61 ED crown and a very nice 2" R&P focuser. The performance is amazing on this little guy, especially considering one can be purchased new for less than a good quality used eyepiece!! As for grab-n-go, I've got it in a small hardcase that holds a red & green MRF, 2" dielectric diagonal, Baader MkIV 8-24mm w/2.25x Barlow, APM UFF 30mm, 2" DGM NPB, and some Orion planetary filters. The outfitted scope weighs less than 4kg (8.75lb) and gets mounted on either an old Bogen 3040 Pro (Manfrotto 3046 tripod & 3047 head mounted "sidesaddle") or if I want tracking a SkyWatcher AZ-GTi. The 30mm UFF gives me the best views with a 5° TFOV @ 14x that's completely tack sharp across the whole image with hardly any noticable CA, while the MkIV w/Barlow gives me a 100x power range from 17x - 117x.
Best of all: everything in this grab-n-go kit (except the hardcase) was purchased second hand from AstroMart & Cloudy Nights. I saved a freaking ton of money buying on the used market!!
Loved this little scope so much that it made up my mind on the 4" I want as my primary refractor: the Astro-Tech AT102EDL!! This is a 102mm f/7 ED doublet using a FCD-100 crown with matched lanthanum flint, built around a beautiful 2.5" rotating focuser, with a guaranteed minimum Strehl over 0.95. I'm currently planning to run it on Stellarvue M002C mount. I believe that the 102EDL may be the best refractor available anywhere on earth for the $1200 price (currently on sale for $999.99 or about £804), and it very well could be a lifetime scope for myself.
PS: this turned out wayyy longer than I meant, and especially wayyy too long for a RUclips comment, but thanks for reading it. I really appreciate your videos they've helped me out tremendously starting out in this hobby.
Clear skies,
-AstroApe
Hey AstroApe! Thanks for sharing your refractor journey. If I was only allowed to own one scope it would have to be a 4" f/7 ED doublet refractor. I even made a video about it a few years back. Good choice :)
Guy in my Astronomy Club told me to use either a light yellow #8 or a #11 yellow/green filter to get rid of the blue/purple aberration if you don't mind the yellow color. I tried it with a Celestron Power Seeker 80mm AZ achromat my club uses for public outreach and it worked.
I was pleasantly surprised, it was like finding my cheap broadband Optolong Nebula filter showed Jupiter really well and the Moon too. Nothing else though.
Very Informative video there Chris. I was Thinking about buying a Very small and Short focal length refractor to do some DSO imaging, and Wide field Lunar Shots. Skywatcher 80ed is Possibly on my list!
Thanks Avanteesh :) I've had the pleasure of the ED80 and with its fpl53 glass and moderate focal ratio its nicely colour corrected. It does have a very similar focal length to your existing Discovery 150p though, 750mm vs 600mm, but the 2" dual speed focuser will be better for DSO imaging. It will reach focus with DLSR cameras etc. If you remind me which camera you're using I will take a look at what else might be suitable :)
@@Astrolavista my Camera is ZWO ASI 224mc! :)
Oh and just my 2 cents, I have the smaller of the scope behind you.......the Skywatcher 102/1000 achromat. I was really unhappy with it for a long while because it didn't give sharp views of the moon and planets at higher power. But then I figured out it had to do with focuser slop, the screws on the bottom of the focuser had to be tightened a little. I also upgraded the diagonal to a dielectric one and now i'm very happy. It's pretty good for the price
This is a good point for folks to check! Focuser sag can put the collimation slightly out effecting the views at high powers. I've found this to be especially a thing with Ritchey Chretien scopes. Thanks for sharing :)
Try a #8 light yellow or a #11 light yellow green for minor aberration with an achromat. Works very well too.
Nice overview Chris ,will an R/I cut filter help with chromatic aberration on an ED scope for imaging
@@Astronurdyes I did mean I/R thanks for the information
Thanks Tony! When full spectrum colour imaging, the camera sensor is a little bit too sensitive to UV/IR wavelengths. This reduces sharpness and imparts a pink colour cast on your images. I think this is the main reason why UV/IR Cut filters are used for imaging rather than reducing chromatic aberration.
I have the Skywatcher Evostar 120/1000 achromat and I must say I'm impressed with the views so far. There is some purple fringing on the Moon and bright stars but it's not objectionable for visual use. I also have two Skywatcher Equinoxes, the 66 and the 80mm apochromats and they're both excellent over a wide range of magnifications, but I'd sell the lot for a 120mm Equinox APO if I can get hold of one.
Nice overview Chris 👍
Hey thanks a lot Ollie :)
Thank You, for not adding background music. Much appreciated.
Like! For visual observations which one would have a better image quality and resolution, a 102/1000 mm F10 achromat or a 70 or 80 mm F7 FPL-51 ED ? Thank you!
Assuming both refractors have the same figure /Strehl, I would choose the 4" f/10 achro and just add a semi apo filter for bright objects; The extra light grasp and focal length will provide a noticeable improvement in resolution and detail on the planets and the Moon, and deep sky objects will reveal themselves more. It's often said that a 4" 102mm refractor is the sweet spot....also a good f/10 crown and flint objective wouldn't be too far behind an f/7 FPL51 objective for colour correction, nothing that a filter can't sort out.
@@Astrolavista Thank you for your answer.
Nice general overview. Steady skies DoctorD
What kind is best? Depends on ones needs. I use Sharp Cap Pro and do not do any post processing work. Too lazy. I like to take deep space celestial photographs. I am too impatient to wait 1 to 5 minutes for updates, so I use 4 to 8 second exposures. I have a small sky, so I have found the optical tube needs to be fast. I have tried several achromats, including a 70/700, a 70/900, a 80/400, a 80/560 ED, a 90/55, a 102/460, a 102/1000 and a 120/600.
I want to use my generic x0.8 reducer/corrector which works on f/5 to 5/7 optical tubes with a 2" focuser.
Being elderly and feeble, I want to use my Sky Watcher Star Adventurer GTi go to mount, which can only handle 11 pounds. A 100mm+ ED doublet or triplet would weigh too much for me or my mount. My SvBony 80mm ED takes nice photos but with my small sky is not strong enough.
I have found I get the best refractor photos using the Sky Watcher Startravel 120/600, with the x0.8 reducer, an Svbony 231 color corrector filter and the color correction function in Sharp Cap Pro. No purple fringing.
I do also use a Orion Space Probe 130mm reflector, which takes nice photos, but requires frequent collimation and I can only use it on very calm nights, as the prairie wind blows a whole lot of dust, mosquitos, humming birds, muskrats and the like in to the tube and I have to disassemble it often to clean the mirror. Lots of maintenance and I really am kinda lazy.
And, I some times use my Celestron 6" Schmidt Cassegrain for planetary and lunar work or with my Hyperstar 6 v4 Hyperstar for very large and fast photos.
Hi Chris, Just an update on the Evolux 62ed travel rig with Azgti mount and dedicated rather expensive field flattener !!, a 30mm SV guide scope, and Quieter2 PC remoted using Cuivs recent Windows WiFi hotspot solution, a 585mc camera that you had showcased (amazing uncooled camera) the results are very good for this little doublet, although its quite wide and forgiving !! Pin sharp guiding, even on galaxies, Bodes and Cigar are bit small but well resolved .. Out of interest I've just dug out an old C100 EDR FL 900mm that my brother gave me many moons ago (he just wanted the goto mount it came with and thought the scope was useless?? ) , during Covid I swapped out the focuser on it for something more precise and used a modded Cannon to capture Orion, after processing the image with Pixel processor PRO it was very good considering the light pollution here, I later framed the image and hung it in the hall, I think for a long ED refractor it wasn't bad, maybe it's an underestimated long ED scope from Celestron .. So today I've dug it back out and spent time re bracketing the ring tops with a home made flat bar to mount a SV50mm guide scope, Hope to soon get it on my AVX mount and try my new Svbony 405CC, and FF reducer. everything is now on a budget having recently retired !! So re hashing old scopes, cameras mounts etc is my only option, I never did get to build an obsy, but happy with the things I have, my old USA made 9.25 for visual is still my favorite and only SCT, having Just stripped out and cleaned it's optics, so it's now good as new. A bit heavy for me currently especially as ime battling rotator cuff injuries in both my shoulders. Watching a Jupiter moon shadow falling of the edge of this planet in real time is just awesome and will always stay with me, kinda makes it all so real, hope I haven't bored you to much, atb... Regards Tom.
Not at all Tom, thanks for the update :) I used to own a Celestron 100ED myself; great optics!
there are also fluorite refractors too that remove chromatic aberation
Yes, I do admit I only gave a small nod to these by flashing up an image of a Fluorite Takahashi FC100. However, it can be hard to justify the price when fpl 53 ED glass has an almost identical refractive index at a lower price point.
@@Astrolavista I also think that FPL-53 and FCD-100 are both easier to figure & polish and are both more forgiving to temperature fluctuations than fluorite.
The biggest Achilles Heel for refractors is the huge $ price increase, when you go bigger than 4" (102mm) diameter, ED or Triplet objective and fast f-ratio. Smaller than 4" and you will run out of viewable objects very quickly.
Is it possible to see on the computer what I see from my celestron NexStar 127 SLT telescope, without having a camera?
You will need a camera to generate an image on the screen of your computer.
Good duplet (Vixen, Tak) is better for astrophotography than a lot of triplets, especially if imaging was taken with mono camera. Those top duplets have long FL and high f.
I just wish I could get more information on the actual optics.
I already made a refractor but it's objective came as a doublet set but I want to be able to individually pick optics to make a triplet.
I'm well aware it is a complex topic but I haven't been able to find information that actually explains it.
Ok cool. I wondered about the ED glass.
I've been searching for a "Classic" 4 inch, f/12 or f/15 Refractor. And NO ONE seems to be making or selling these anymore!!! Even with the venerable crown and Flint glass Doublet, these scopes are a great beginners 🔭 telescope! Under good skies they can easily be used at 200x to 240x and give a great view of Saturn, Jupiter, Luna, etc.
So....... WHY are they not even being made anymore?????
In Europe you can find 102 mm F10 and even F13 achromats made by Bresser at a very affordable price. A F10 102/1000 mm F10 with EQ3 mount is just 300$ and a 102/1350 mm F13 with EQ4 is 600$.
Excellent explanations! Why the hat and coat though?
My garage gets fairly cold during the winter.
Ah! I didn't know you were in a garage or that this was filmed in winter. @@Astrolavista
astrolab here
Hi Chris, Achromatic scopes are not just for beginners, they are still purchased by well-respected stargazers. The CA has never been an issue for me personally in an F10 with the help of baader filter. Achromatic scopes are simply amazing and cost effective.
Did I suggest achromats were only for beginners? I don't remember doing that. I usually have at least one achro in the the house at any one time myself, including the one behind me in the video ;)
OR......hear me out here....sell everything you own and get a Takahashi fluorite refractor :D
JK tho.....great video Chris as always :)
lol thanks ziggy, we've all had that dream :D I'd be too scared to use it at those prices in case I dropped it! I agree with Weelie, the refractive index of Fluorite is near identical to the more affordable fpl53. Cheers!
You failed to mention the biggest PRO on Refractors no mater the glass , only people who know about telescopes know about this , only Refractors can be made in to Ritch Field Telescopes no mater what you have , for reflectors they have to be very fast F3 maximum F2,5 and so on that are not in the shops and are made by hand usually . This is due to Focuser , the way they deal with focusing they have 2nd mirror and that limits your view , i had F4 Reflector , and when i put 30mm EP on it i could see the barrel , while in Refractors you can put 50mm EP and you wont see the barrel . This is because most people who review and do these videos are YTrs ,they don't know much , basically not even as much as what they know in good shops .
And on low power all glass is good . And if you want to view the moon , then you take Macs .Or dobs but they will have to be big not because of Aperture but because you need at least 1200mm focal length .
I don't think that's biggest pro for refactors, I mean, how wide a field of view do you need? What object are you trying to frame that is so wide? At that kind of AFOV would you not be better off with a binocular? It's not like anywhere near all the light cone will be entering your eye if you are using a 50mm eyepiece with a rich field refractor, your pupil will not dilate wide enough. For example, a Sky-Watcher Startravel 102 f/5 rich field frac with a 50mm eyepiece will create an exit pupil/light cone 10mm wide! (and just 10x magnification so you might as well pick up a pair of binos) Our pupils can dilate to 4-8mm so you are wasting lots of light. There is a reason why most eyepiece ranges stop between 32mm to 40mm at the long end.
@@Astrolavista Its a Ritch Field telescope , what is it used for is widely known , the fact is every refractor can be RFT , but others can not .
@@dedskin1 Have you heard of the 6" f/2.2 Wide Field RASA? Or the Wide Field 6" Newtonian at f/3.5?
@@MrSummitville yes i did , but you didnt . Those can not be used visually .
And as far as Cameras go , i used them , but Camera has a lot smaller DR then Human eye , so RFT is calculated by the number of stars you can see with naked eye . Or number of stars in the FOV , if you take in cameras , any scope can be RFT , its just a matter of exposure .
Trust me not only do i know abour RASA , NASA and Vatican . Did you know Vatican owns 50% of worlds Telescopes , i guess you didnt , so that is why i put in Vatican they have as many scopes as NASA has .
And none of them know the truth about universe .
None of them can explain Hexagonal polar storm on Saturn , not to go wider i know of terestrial and space phenomenon they can not explain , can write a book about it .
So it matters not how many scopes you have , after all Nikola Tesla had no Scopes still was frist to find Pulsars , with a Radio Antenna later called Radio telescope . For Radio Waves are light as well , we just dont see it .
Whats your name at FLO ? I order from there all the time and have found the helpdesk staff extraordinarily helpful. Ive probably spent a few thousand quid there the past year! (Dont tell the misses!!) 😂
I won't tell your misses if you don't tell mine :D I've spent more than my fair share at FLO over the last 12 years lol I'm Chris :)
@AstroLaVista ha - hi Chris 👋 really enjoy your content, and you personally have been a great help with getting my setup together. I have spoken to you via FLO several times, and as recently as yesterday. Is there a way I can affiliate the link you so you get a small percentage of my purchases? I think I'm an affiliate linked with an astrobiscuit right now but I'd switch it to you if possible. (Although I'm about spent out for now 😀 )
What.is.mrp