Lidl are doing a Bresser 70mm scope from the 17th for £49.99 :-
http://www.lidl.co.uk/uk/home.nsf/pages/c.o.20071217.p.Refractor_Telescope_with_Tripod.ar1
Might make a good cheap guide scope maybe?
I think I'll pick one up and find out. The FL is a bit shorter that I was planning, but then again, those plans were not based on anything more than a guess. I would like to be able to guide with it imaging at 1200mm, it could be a bit short...
well I got one of them yesterday...
Obviously the clouds think it's not a bad scope, they've all turned up for a looksee. Don't think I'm going to be using the mount much, but I'll give it go, see how it looks with a decent eyepiece.
can someone pick me one up, i'm in Canada at the moment and might not be able to get one before they are out of sock.
Chris
Chris,
Am going past 2 Lidl shops tomorrow so can pick one up for you - if they're not sold out.
Mick
Last year I picked one of these Bresser 70mm `scopes for my brother-in-law and when we all went camping in the warm bit of the summer gave it a try out. Not bad for a starter `scope, even on the mount that came with it. At least you could see some stars through it; then we tried it with an eyepiece. Not too bad. But I don`t know if it would suit as a guide `scope. Still, for that price......
Chris,
Am assuming about 4:30pm your local time, shall I try for a scope or is someone else doing the deed ?
Mick
Did someone delete a post from this thread as I am sure I read someones reply that said it was too long a focal length? Or maybe that was after another drinking session after work again?
Quote from: mickw on Dec 18, 2007, 21:32:31
Chris,
Am assuming about 4:30pm your local time, shall I try for a scope or is someone else doing the deed ?
Mick
Please try if you can.
if no-one has got Chris one of these yet, I can pick one up tomorrow... please post if you're on going to go.
By the way, they also had 10x50 bins for a tenner too.
Ian - I got a pair of the 10X50's last time they were on offer & to be honest the optical quality was crap... Maybe I just got a bad pair but I've never used them....!
John
Yeah i've seen a few of those bins. The optics weren't fantastic, but the focuser was even worse. It was one of those naff ones that wiggles from side to side when you use them so the objects doesn't remain in focus.
Ian,
I am going out shopping now.
Will post again when I get back
Mick
I have got the scope.............
Got 2 actually - Why should you lot have all the toys :)
Mick
I expect a full technical review report on my desk in the morning ! :twisted:
How many have actually invested in this precision instrument and would like to make some use out of the mount ?
I have just made a bush to centre the bolt for the mount onto the tripod - would anybody else like one while I am in the mood ?
I'm sure the bearing/shim can be improved with a piece of a cornflakes box.
Oh dear........................
I think people were buying it jsut for the scope to use as guide scopes. Can someone bring one along to the meeting please? I'd like to see if the optics are any good for a Guide Scope.
I did actually get mine out as there was a brief break in the clouds last night. Using just what came out of the box I was more impressed than I expected to be...
The mount. Well what do you expect. It holds the scope up. Don't touch the OTA if you can help it, the mount isn't particularly rigid, but remarkably it damps down in under a second I estimate.
The finder. Oh dear. Throw it back in the box. But not all is lost, the finder bracket has a hole, which pretty much lines up with the edge of dew shield. There you go, zero power finder.
The eyepieces. Thought the tubes were empty these are so insubstantial. However, they do actually do what it says on the box, and if you're a particular sort of masochist, you can use the 4mm. On cold nights, try not to freeze cornea to eyepiece, it smarts. Eye relief was never the Kelner designs strongest point.
The diagonal. Yes it is. Seems to work, but it's the only one I own (pleasures of being a newt driver normally) so I have nothing to compare it to. It's probably just a bit of mirrored plastic...
The OTA. Now then, the crux. It's Meade blue. It has a 1.25" focusser with the expected molasses style grease on the rack. It seems to track parallel to the axis of the scope. The end is plastic with a couple of setscrews to hold eyepieces and so on, I can see this being an early failure so some sort of replacement would be good to design.
It has a built in dew shield. Not retractable but substantial and it'd protect the objective from some abuse. There don't appear to be any internal field stops in the scope, so it really is 70mm clear aperture. There seem to be a couple of internal baffles to reduce stray reflections.
I had a look at two objects last night, between the clouds. Firstly I looked at the moon. It was low in the sky so swimming about in the eyepiece like astronomers at a December DSC. But, it appeared pretty clear of colour fringes with the 20mm with some crisp views of the terminator. I tried the 4mm and it wasn't bad, but without tracking and a mount the wobbles when you touch it, it was more trouble than it was worth. Just because, I tried my binoview, but there was insufficient in travel for it to focus without the barlow lens, and 10mm eyepieces in the binos didn't make for good viewing. Not to mention that the binos took the scope way beyond the mount capablility. I'll give it another go when the scopes on my Vixen GP.
Finally I took a look at Mars. It was a bright spot with the 20mm, but the 4mm showed a disc. It showed some colour, although this could easily be from the eyepiece as from the objective. I'll put a plossl on it next time to find out. There was a hint of detail in the disc but the scope doesn't have the focal length to show any more.
I'll image with it when I get it on the vixen, that'll answer lots of questions but I think for a guide scope, it'll do as well as any other f10 70mm scope. For 50 notes, why not?
Mick, I don't think I'll be using the mount, so I'll decline your offer of a bush, but thank you. I may try and get a cornflake packet to help. I think I'll put the finder scope in it.
Will bring mine tomorrow.
I agree about the use, but i was thinking it would make a handy lightweight mount just to sling in the back of the car.
mickw, I'll be back in the uk at the weekend, can you pm me your address and telephone no and I'll arrange to pick it up.
Chris, I live in Dulwich, would it be better for you if I take it to the meeting tomorrow for someone to babysit and you can pick up locally ?
Mick
Tony G is probably best, but I can take it. I am but a short hop down the A20...
Hi Mick,
I'll pick it up off you tomorrow if that alright, and pass it onto Chris the weekend. (after I tell the wife that I got her the present she had always wanted, knowing that she'll throw it back at me, that way I can say that at least I got her something, and then pass it onto Chris. Job Done. :lol:)
OK, thanks for that I'll bring it tomorrow.
I dare say Chris will discuss the fee for its use as a pseudo present ;)
Cheers,
Mick
Easy £49 and a free lightbridge