AT 12" RC

[Charles Dunlop]

Anyone think this is a decent optical tube? Compared to planewave DCKs or AG optical, or deep sky instruments that all go for much more money, just over double at the same size, i'm interestd to know why and if this scope doesn't have the manufacturing quality. It's made by Guan Sheng Optical Co., Ltd in Taiwan. Thoughts anyone?

[John O'Neill]

I bought one and I am very happy with it. The quality actually exceeds some of the manufactures you mentioned. I highly recommend this scope. Call me John O'Neill if you want at 727-637-5945 and I will give more info on the scope.

[Charles Dunlop]

Can't afford that scope but it'd be nice. A touch overmounted maybe on the paramount, maybe close to maximum advertised rate. Nice though, could you imagine shooting through that? Be unreal.

[Yoeri]

Yes, I do have a laser collimator for the job. But I also have to say that I'm no hero in collimation. If you have good skills it might be a good instrument for you. One time I lost collimation and was not able to fix it, no mather how many times I tried. I ended up sending the RC back to Teleskop-express in Germany to fix it.

A 127mm APO is nice! I know someone who is willing to sell a 20" Planewave, brand new and never used for something like 25.000 euro (new= 33.000 euro)

[Charles Dunlop]

I've got that 127mm APO triplet from explore scientific with a moonlite autofocuser on it, and a small 72 mm refractor from astrophysics. Like shooting with the refractors, especially at bright nebula that appear in the summer. But for distant galaxies like this time of year a good reflector with long F ratio is my preferred call. RC's I like becuase no mirror flop, but then again I've never had to collimate my little 8 inch RC yet, that does sound tedious. Do you have a laser collimator Yoeri, as I've never used one?

Last night I used an 11 inch SCT kind of like you would an RC, by locking the mirror so it minimizes flop, and then using an automatic crayford to focus, with solid results. Think I'll stick with this for a while until I'm really ready to go big and upgrade to an AG optical, Deep Sky Instruments, or planewave, or if I hit it huge maybe even an RCOS.

[Yoeri]

I have a 8" RC from GSO. Nice instrument, good quality, but collimation has to be perfect. With this instrument it's also very easy to loose the collimation, you have to be very careful with it. I wouldn't recommend it although it makes great images. Buy a good refractor!

[Marc Basti]

Charles, have you considered something like a 130-140 class refrac, w/the wider views. Marc

[Charles Dunlop]

Those are pretty good images, the resolution isn't there like you'd expect in a similar sized RCOS or something, but it's still good. The 12 inch would of course be better.

Just realized my focuser flange wouldn't fit the 12 inch AT RC so I'm going to delay any purchase anyway. Bummer too, last night I had a great image going and dew came. The AT 8 inch doesn't have heater fans, etc... so I was out of luck.

Guess I'll try the 11 inch SCT tonight.

[Charles Dunlop]

Those images are about right. Solid but with 8 inches at F8 it doesn't seem like enough aperture to really knock your socks off you know.