My scopes
Telescopes I currently own:
* 2008 ASTRO-PHYSICS 140mm f7.5 Starfire EDF – 5.5" aperture with 2.7" Focuser (140EDF27) on Tak EM-200
Guide scope: Orion 90mm fully coated achromatic objective lens of 500mm focal length (f/5.6)
Purchased new in January 2008 ser # 14075-61
"Astro-Physics introduced the prototype of this new triplet apochromatic refractor at the Northeast Astronomy Forum (NEAF) on April 28, 2007. Roland designed this scope with approximately the same focal length as our original 155mm f7 StarFire (as well as the 130 f8 and f8.3 StarFires), so that it can be used with all of the same specialized astrophotography / imaging accessories that were originally designed for these earlier telescopes. Visual astronomers will enjoy the 1050mm focal length, which allows a full range of eyepiece designs from simple to complex to produce extremely sharp planetary images. We are certain that astro-imagers, as well as visual observers, will find this scope a real joy to use."
Picture on EM-200 with guide scipe
A nice coincidence occurred, as I happened to by in Maui the week before Christmas, and Marj and Roland where staying only 2 miles away. They were nice enough to invite me to meet and even buy me a drink. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk to them for about 2 hours, just days before they finished making me 140.
Picture of Marj and Roland that night.
* 2006 William Optics FLT110 110mm F/7 TMB designed air spaced triplet with "best Ohara ED" glass
On a Losmandy GM-8 Equatorial Mount with Losmandy digital encoders and JMI mini-max readout
Guide scope: Celestron NextStar 80mm Achromatic Doublet f/5
Purchased new Nov 3, 2006 ser # 060016
Picture on GM-8 with Guide scope and cameras
Picture on GM-8 with Field Flattener and Guide scope
* 2005 William
Optics ZenithStar 80mm APOgrade (555mm Fluorite (FPL-53) Doublet apochromatic lens, TMB
codesigned , f 6.9, STM coated)
Purchased new Dec 2005 as ZS80 F/6 480mm Cemented Doublet upgraded June 2006 to APOgrade
Picture on Bogen/Manfrotto Tracker Tripod and Bogen/Manfrotto Compact Geared Head #3275
Picture on GM-8 with Flash for balance
Picture on GM-8 with TV 4x Powermate WO24mm CP4500
Pentax PCF WP 16x60 Binoculars
Telescopes I used to own:
* 1992 Astro-Physics 130mm F/8 Starfire EDT on Tak EM-200
Guide scope: Orion 90mm fully coated achromatic objective lens of 500mm focal length (f/5.6)
Purchased used in July 2003 ser # SF58240
* 2006 William Optics ZenithStar 110mm F/7 TMB designed air spaced triplet with "best Ohara ED" glass
On a Losmandy GM-8 Equatorial Mount with Losmandy digital encoders and JMI mini-max readout
Guide scope: Celestron NextStar 80mm Achromatic Doublet f/5
Purchased new May 25 ser # 069915
Picture on GM-8 with Guide scope and cameras
Picture with two 2" extenders, TV 4x Powermate, Canon
* 2004 William Optics Megrez 80mm Triplet Fluorite f/6 480mm
Purchased new in November 2004 ser # 048093
Picture with Canon 70-200/4.0 EF-L lens on Celestron ASGT mount
Picture with Celeston Guide Scope
TMB group message #28321 Mon Oct 3, 2005
The 80mm/600mm (and 480mm) is a TMB design, and used fluorite for the center
element for the first five years in production. It has
been redesigned, using SD glass. There is no loss in color correction. It was
always made by LOMO, no one else. This lens is used in a few different
telescopes, and gives the best images of any 80mm lens on the market. I hope
that clears up any misinformation about the 80mm lenses.
Thomas Back
The LOMO company Thomas refers to:
http://www.lomoplc.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/William-Optics/message/8255
" Megrez 80 F/6 super APO (fluorite triplet by LOMO) are using
OK3 fluorite ( you may call it Russian fluoro-SD/ED)."
William Yang
* Meade ETX-70AT
* 1999 Questar Standard had this for about 2 years, sold Jan 05 to fund WO 80mm and mount.
* ~1990 TV Genesis 100mm f/5 Used this May through July 2003, sold when I got the AP130 f/8
Picture catching photons with iced CP4500
* Orion Optics (U.K.) 5.5" Mak Had this Nov 2002 until July 2003
* TV Renaissance, Early type from TeleVue's Pearl River Days 101mm f/5.5 serial #1104 bought used in 1987
Had this for 15 years, sold in 2002
* Obsession 18" Galaxy #863 Bought new in October 2002 through June 2003
* 6" Astro-Physics Starfire Had this for 13 years, moving company chipped objective,
new in 1989, sold in 2002 fl 1300 ap152 f/8.55
Meade Research Series 12.5" Reflector 1987-89
Bausch & Lomb Criterion 4000 4" x 1200 mm Feb 84
