StellaLyra RC (Ritchey Chretien) Telescopes - First Look!
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- Опубликовано: 12 янв 2025
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Thanks for a really useful video. Must admit was worrying that the scope was going to fall to your tile floor! Looking forward to seeing more stuff on this scope.
You're welcome Martin and don't worry it's only lino.
Hi Chris. That's a very nice setup for your observatory and I can't wait to see your first image from this telescope. I hope you get years of great images and alot of fun too! With winter coming you'll be photographing the Orion nebula and the horse head nebula. I prefer refractors because you can use them straight away out of the box. What's your plans for photographing deep sky objects etc with this telescope? How will these deep sky objects look with this telescope? Next clear night I'm setting up my little setup. Within a month I'm getting new laptop the final piece to this setup I wanted. I hope you do get some great images this winter and thanks for sharing this video!!!
Hey John, I'm really excited about this setup but also sensibly nervous because of collimation and the challenges of imaging at longer focal lengths. When I checked collimation the primary, secondary, and optical axis where out but I've improved this with the Cheshire collimator at least. I just need to star test the scope and see where I stand with that. I've got the ExploreStars goto software working with the mount indoors so that's looking promising. I like the challenge of imaging at longer focal lengths because I really like smaller targets like galaxies and planetary nebula, and at 1600mm this telescope will hopefully help me frame these smaller objects more tightly whilst keeping decent resolution. I just need to use a camera which will give me around 1 arcsecond per pixel resolution as this is around the best resolution the UK seeing conditions will support :) As always thank you for your kind words john :)
Nice Video. I am currently editing the video review for my new GSO Rc6 telescope, I measured also my secondary mirror looks like 68mm about 45 % obstruction, but there are also the plastic spikes, they look thin though.
Hi Ioan, Thanks! I'll look forward to watching that once you've got it posted up! I got the 8RC setup in the observatory last night. Collimation was out on the star test despite my efforts during the day with a Cheshire collimator, but I've managed to get it a lot better by tweaking whilst looking at a defocused star. I had a quick look around visually and I think the star spikes look quite nice on the RC's. There is something very surgically precise about them, and the very flat field is very nice also. I think I might enjoy this scope for visual as well as DSO imaging :)
@@Astrolavista i Just received a lacerta dewheater that i bought for the 6 inch rc and seems is not large enough i barely manage to attach it on top of the telescope as a dew shield, also the rca cable is not good have to replace it, i do not know why they are making them like this with rca cable
@@GalaxyArtMedia I'd consider sending it back Ioan.
@@Astrolavista Problem is the big one is larger then i need also more expensive, and if i sent back then i have to pay for shipment again and to wait again a couple of weeks, also the other has the same rca cable and still i will have to replace it, so i decided to just improved the one i got
Thank you, this video encouraged me to get the iOptron rc6 for my first astrophotography scope. It also came with one thumb screw and one set screw.
Thanks! I didn't realise it at the time but they all apparently come with just the one screw lol Enjoy you new scope! I think it's quite an ambitious focal length for a first imaging scope but as long as you get guiding going you should be fine : )
Great Vid. I was about to pull the trigger on one but it seemed easier to change the head gasket on a car engine than it was to Collimate an RC or Traditional Cass.
Haha you're not wrong! They really should be shipped with a focuser tilt plate included.
Great video Chris.. I had to swap out the rails on my CC too :D though I have removed the one I don't use to reduce weight. Looks like a great scope, look forward to seeing it in action!
Thanks Vineeth, Fingers crossed that's soon :)
Hi Chris, thinking of getting one of these! Did you do anything on the reducers at all. I see that the 0.75x that FLO stocks is only a 15mm image circle so very restricting. The Astro Physics CCDT67 0.67x looks to be better at 29mm.
Hi, I didn't get round to using a reducer with the RC8 unfortunately. With a bit of regret I moved the RC8 on as it turned out that the EXOS2 mount wasn't really up to the focal length. Now doubt a reducer would have helped, but I opted for a shorter faster Newtonian. Now I've got the use of a better iOptron GEM45 mount I keep giving the RC's a side ways glance again (the flat field free of aberration was very nice!)
Hi, Was that the diameter ratios you quoted regarding obstructions? The light blocking obviously depends on the ratio of the areas so I found the figures quoted a bit high. Glad you are interested in deep sky imaging. Just had a look at the links, that's a very good price for a RC telescope. It will be very interesting to see what you can achieve with it. BobUK.
Hi Robert, yes the diameter percentage for the obstruction. These seem to be the commonly quoted figures over area for some reason? If there's anything out there in space them I'm interested in imaging it but this is my first RC, so fingers crossed :)
Another good video Chris 👍 That's a very impressive scope & it'll be interesting to see how well the new mount can handle it as although I'll only be putting the WO 73 on mine to start with , it'll be good to see it operate near its limit.
Cheers Steve, I was thinking the same about testing the mount near it's limit, but I like a challenge. Your WO73 is definitely more of a sensible choice :D
@@Astrolavista But if your successful it'll be worth it 😁 The WO is all about making my setup as light as I can get it for pinpoint tracking. I'd always liked the look of the 8" skywatcher Quattro f4 but @ 9kg I'm not keen on taking the risk.......at the moment🤔😂
Really useful review! RC is one of the scopes on my wishlist so great to get some detail - would be great if you can do a video about imaging with it ?
Thanks Ed, yes indeed! there will be many videos about imaging with it. The 8RC is now setup in the observatory I've been building. I've got the collimation close according to star testing now, so it's ready for some test shots if things with the new mount go well :)
Thanks Chris. I've been contemplating an 8" RC.
I'll let you know how it goes :)
Very very nice Chris, wow, she's a beauty. Going to look fantastic in your new observatory. Bet you can't wait :-)
Oh yes! There will be issues to sort out but it will all be worth it :) Cheers Jason!
Don't swap the bars. Just mount the scope on the Vixen and rotate the Crayford.
Just seen thats what you have done
@@michaeltweedy4370 Needed to Michael because of the finder show position. I think the Orion version has holes pre drilled for a shoe on the underside but the Stella Lyra doesn't. No biggy though, it was an easy job to switch them :)
What’s your opinion on the stellalyra ten inch dob as I’ve decided to get that one over the skywatcher mainly because of the angled finder scope and the fan!
I had a good play with the StellaLyra Dobs at the international astronomy show this year, and I've previously owned Sky-Watcher Dobs. Hands down the StellaLyra's are much better built, really smooth bearings on both axis, you can adjust the tension on both axis also. The focuser and supplied eyepieces are also better. Hands down my next Dob will either be Stellalyra or Celestron Starsense if I fancy the star sense feature.
Good going Chris. This looks like a mighty good one for DIY Astro. For beginners (such as me) how about bit more details on how RC differs from CC. Awaiting your results on collimation and startests. How this mount works with 8" inch and possibilities of open source pmc8. It's going to get very interesting ☺️
Hey Sahil, I'm really excited about the telescope and mount, they have a lot of potential I feel. I checked collimation with my Cheshire collimitor and everything was out unfortunately (The primary, secondary mirrors and optical axis) I think I've managed to align the primary and secondary mirrors at least. I may need to buy a tilt plate to help with the optical axis but I think that's only slightly out. I'll do a star test to see where things stand first. I've heard that it's common for these types of telescope to arrive out of collimation but I feel the potential benefits will be worth the hassle of sorting this out in the long run. If I was after a portable setup I'd choose a refractor but for an observatory I feel this is a good choice :) We'll probably run into a lot of problem getting everything up and running for long exposure imaging but I'm sure we'll learn a thing or two! Thanks for your support and clear skies :)
@@Astrolavista more problems = more yt content, rich information. 🙂
I have the GSO version of this scope, and my finder scope shoe only came with one screw... I think that's about as close to confirm that as standard!
Good to know kalon, thanks!
Just curious why you swapped the bars
Finder shoe position Micheal :) There are two sets of tapped holes for a finder shoe but they are both on the top of the OTA. If I didn't switch the bars I would have to hang a finder upside down which might both be a bit un comfortable and a collision hazard. I remember covering this when recording but I think that bit of video landed on the cutting room floor for some reason lol
I have both the ED80 and RC6, thanks for your stacked images, but a more in depth review of both would be appreciated. Your music for the videos was very good. Keep up the good work.
Thanks Peter, I appreciate your input :)
Great video. Looking forward to the next update.
Thanks 👍
If your using a tape measure are you just estimating at that point?
I guess I'm measuring within the limits of accuracy that a tape measure and a very drunk tape measure operator can produce....only joking about the drunk bit :)
@@Astrolavista lol, nice ty
Great video I hope to upgrade to the heritage 130p soon you used the Tagline 😎 Astro-Out your goldfish was extremely interested to see what you were doing. Can’t wait to see it on the pier out in the OB keep up the great videos Chris 😊😊👍👍
lol What can I say, you came up with a great tag line! :) Well spotted about the goldfish, it's quite a character and 24/7 about the food :D Cheers!
Professional - you mean like Hubble? :) That’s one heck of a secondary obstruction though - how do you find the visual planetary contrast?
I can't remember what I said in this video as it's a few years old now, but the large observatories on top of mountains used by professional astronomers, such as the Keck's tend to be RC's. Hubble is some type of Cassegrain telescope.
@@AstrolavistaNASA say that Hubble is indeed a RC style of Cassegrain. Makes sense really, the last thing they’d want is refractive elements in there such as a coma corrector.
hi Chris
I am unable to decide between a 10inch rc or 11inch sct.
please let me know your opinion
Hi mate, those are both BIG scopes! The bare C11 optical tube weighs around 13kg and the 10RC weighs even more at 16kg. A good rule of thumb for mounts is to take 2/3rds the stated payload as gospel and the full stated payload with a pinch of salt.
Weight aside, the C11 has produced some of the best amateur planetary and Lunar images out there, whereas something like the 10RC swings more towards deep sky imaging of small targets like distant galaxies.
The C11 will be much easier to collimate than the RC10 - With the C11 there is just 3 screws on the secondary housing to adjust whereas the RC has secondary, primary and focuser tilt adjustments to balance. The flat field low optical aberration optics of RC's is why most professional telescopes at the top of mountains doing serious research are using RC's, however they are a real pain to collimate.
I would also looks at and consider an C8 Edge HD or C9.25 Edge HD because they are relatively easy to collimate and they have the flat optics, aka low optical aberration optics of the RC, so best of both worlds. They are pricey though compared to say an 8" RC.
www.firstlightoptics.com/optical-tube-assemblies/ref/astrolavista/
I've been considering getting another SCT, Classical Cassegrain, or an RC myself although the RC collimation scares me!
also saw you on a flo video.
thanks for the recommendations.
These are really Classical Cassigrain scope and are excellent
The Classical Cassegrain does have a different optical design to the Richey Chretien, but I agree they're excellent :)
Wow was very tempted to order the 8" Ritchey Chretien think I'll be waiting now after seeing the price has gone up by £200 since you created this video, hopefully when life gets back to a bit more normality the price will come back down I hate the thought of overpaying.
I'm the same Sean. I did think £799 was a very good price, but a jump of £200 would put me off too. I don't know if it's supply and demand or if £799 was an introductory price, or if it's a bit of both?
@@Astrolavista probably a bit of both could understand a slight increase but £200 is a bit to much, could have bought a reducer or ha filter with the difference. Think I'll hang on a bit and see how the market goes over the next few months, hopefully prices and stock levels will start to balance out.
Hi, how do you clean the mirrors?
Hi James, I've only ever cleaned a mirror once in the last 25 years of owning telescopes because it's advised to only do this when the mirror is in a really bad way. Normal debri, dust, hair and the odd random dead insect won't make any noticeable difference to the views. I don't think my father in law has ever cleaned his 8" Newtonian mirror and he's had that for 40+ years. However if your mirror is really filthy the prescribed method is as follow 0) gently rinse the mirror under the tap to remove large pieces of debris 1) place the primary mirror in a clean plastic bowl full of luke warm water and add one or two drops of washing detergent 2) swish the mirror around in the water to loosen as much debris as you can 3) drag surgical grade cotton wool over the mirror from one side to the other using the water 4) dispose of each piece after every 'drag' to avoid trapping dirt then scratching the mirror 5) rinse the mirror with distilled water so as to not leave any water marks 6) lean it at an angle so the water drains and it can dry (making sure it's secure and isn't going to fall over of course. I used a tea towel to cushion mine) hope that helps.
Hi, I have question, can your mount handle 8 inch rc telescope
I have heq5 mount and Im planing to buy same telescope.
Hi, I have the 8RC setup in my obsy aboard the PMC8 and it does handle the weight fine but you do need to pay attention to the balance. If the balance is off on either Dec or RA then it can struggle (the mount makes some un healthy sounds) I've owned an HEQ5 Pro and I think it would handle an 8RC slightly better because the PMC8 is basically a belt modded EQ5 with better bearings. The HEQ5 Pro is a step up.
@@Astrolavista Thank you
Ha! Nice Highlander effect 😄
Haha I've been waiting so long for someone to comment on. or notice the Highlander thing :D Thank you Book!
@@Astrolavista I feel the same way with my scope setting it up.
And in a few days, I'll have my new eyepiece set too!
And so we go, collecting equipment.
"There can't be only one!"
@@book3100 Haha! This is the actual truth of it :D
Maybe add a front weight to balance it up.
Should watch the full video before commenting.
@@michaeltweedy4370 We all do it lol
8:51 auditioning for Mr Puniverse? LOL
You know it! ;) Us distance runners aren't known for our upper body strength that for sure :D
"There can be only one" Really? That's a cheat code for Warcraft 2 !!!
I didn't know that, was going for the famous quote from the 1987 film Highlander :D
@@Astrolavista either way nice equipment, I have a Nexstar Evolution 9.25"