业余爱好者的顶级器材Astro-Physics、 髙橋 Takahashi
本帖最后由 Elvis 于 2009-10-6 17:37 编辑大家各有啥偏好？
似乎国内 Astro-Physics 的器材很少听说。一下是 它的相关介绍
aSTRO-PHYSICS has been developing telescopes andaccessories for the advanced amateur since 1975. We now offer anextensive line of precision telescopes and mountings, all withoutstanding performance for a variety of observing needs. If you havedecided that refractors fit your requirements, you will find our lineof Apochromats to have the highest performance of any refractor on themarket. Our telescopes were developed with the active observer in mind.We have concentrated on those things that make observing a joy: sharphigh-resolution optics, rugged vibration-free mountings andeasy-to-use, effective accessories.Historical Perspective
Astro-Physics has been at the forefront of opticaldesign for more than a decade. In the early 1980s, Mr. Roland Christen,founder and president of Astro-Physics, introduced the first highperformance affordable apochromats to the amateur market. These earlyAstro-Physics refractors were quite revolutionary and were a majorinfluence in the rebirth of refractors.
The more common achromats available at that timeshowed significant chromatic aberration even with focal lengths of f15.They were (and still are) very long and awkward, particularly ifportability to a dark sky site is desired. Both 5"f15 or 6"f15 doublettube assemblies (focal lengths of 75 and 90 inches respectively)require a substantial mount on a tall pier or tripod to accommodate thelength of the instrument and counteract the torque reaction that isinevitable when the breezes blow. The chromatic aberration coupled withthe enormous size and weight of these instruments and their mountingsdeterred many amateurs from using refractors larger than 4" inthe 1960s and 70s.
As an avid amateur astronomer, Roland wasdissatisfied with the telescopes that were available in the 1970s. Heknew that even the achromats of the day showed snappier images than his8"SCT, but he wanted a shorter scope which could be used forphotography as well as high-definition planetary images. Over a periodof several years, he designed and built several refractors with shorterfocal lengths using a triplet design. The color correction was verygood even as short as f6.
In the 1980s and 90s, Astro-Physics' opticaldesigns evolved several times and with each new design, new levels ofperformance were achieved. The quality of construction of the tubeassemblies, sophistication of the mounts and range of accessories havealso improved each year.
In 1992, we were very proud to introduce our lineof refractor lenses which incorporated synthetic fluorite ED glass invarious optical designs. This optical material has furtherrevolutionized the modern refractor by all but eliminating the lastvestiges of false color in fast refractors.
Since the early 90s, we have expanded ourproduction facilities with the most modern CNC production equipmentavailable. This includes computer automated lathes and machining centercomplete with a CAD-CAM design center. We have also installed one ofthe most advanced optical production systems in the world. The OpticamSX, a computer automated precision-lens generator, was originallydeveloped to produce high-end military and space optics. In 1999, weadded the OptiPro PX250, a high-tech computer optical polisher.
Astro-Physics Design Philosophy
AtAstro-Physics, we are fully committed to the production and developmentof amateur telescopes and accessories. Our goal is to produce thehighest possible quality components and keep them affordable to theaverage amateur. Amateur telescopes are the only product that weproduce; we do not get sidetracked into commercial or militaryprojects. Many of our technical and production staff are amateurastronomers themselves, so they understand the unique needs of ourcustomers. We strive to build almost every part from scratch at our ownfacility in Rockford, Illinois. This includes not only the individualoptics, but also the critical gears, circuit boards and componentsright down to the knobs and fittings.
Apochromatic Lens Design
Our objectives are APOCHROMATIC, which means thatthe images are essentially free of false color, both visually andphotographically. We have chosen the most advanced synthetic fluoriteE.D. glass to be the heart of our optical designs because of itsexcellent light transmission and superior correction of all themonochromatic and polychromatic aberrations. There are many lessexpensive E.D. (Extra low Dispersion) glasses on the market which canbe used to make refractor lenses. The most commonly used E.D. materialsonly partially correct the secondary spectrum errors, while the leastexpensive versions are little better than traditional crowns used inold-fashioned doublets. Lenses made from these materials can providesatisfactory views for some individuals, but those amateurs who demandthat last bit of contrast and definition will find there is nosatisfaction in using a lens made from less expensive materials.
The StarFire EDF design was originally developedfor our 6" astrograph. We found it to perform superbly as a visualplanetary instrument and therefore converted all of our lenses to thatdesign, including the 105 Traveler. The views are extraordinary. Thesuperb color correction of these EDFs surpasses the fluorite doublets,particularly in the far violet part of the spectrum where Technical Panfilms have their highest sensitivity. Our latest designs have excellentinfrared corrections to 10,000 Angstroms, making them very suitable forCCD imaging. Color curves are available for each current lens design.
The fast focal ratio of the StarFire EDF design isparticularly attractive to amateurs who long to achieve superb, widefield astrophotos. For avid astrophotographers, we offer these EDFrefractors with giant 4" focusers to allow coverage of very large filmformats with minimal vignetting. In the hands of knowledgeableastrophotographers, these instruments can produce superb, professionalastrophotos of all their favorite deep-sky objects. Images are sosharp, it takes 30" x 40" enlargements to resolve the finest details.
We also offer several models with the EDFSdesignation that incorporate the 2.7" focuser. These refractors are forthose amateurs who desire the ultimate portable, versatile refractor,but who do not require the larger focuser.
One of the important advantages of a short focallength is that the mounting can be smaller, lighter and more compact.The result is a highly portable refractor system with superior imagingqualities, ideal for a wide variety of astronomical work fromhigh-power lunar/planetary to deep-sky astrophotography.
Mountings
Astro-Physics mountings are designed for solidstability under a variety of observing conditions. At the same time,the mounts are truly portable so that amateurs can transport them totheir favorite dark-sky site and set them up quickly and accurately.The mountings break down into manageable sizes, but when set up, theyare extremely rugged and steady platforms. We have also developed avery accurate worm gear set to insure smooth, effortless tracking ofcelestial objects for all visual and photographic purposes.
To achieve these performance criteria, we combinedthe latest technology with time-tested design concepts. The basicmounting configuration was engineered with proper vibration andstrength of materials criteria. As in a good building design, all loadsare channeled into massive load-bearing cross sections to their finaldestination - the ground. This is done in a way that minimizes weightand size while maximizing rigidity. To this stability, we have added ago-to servo drive that is accurate and sophisticated enough for themost demanding application. We started with a custom-manufacturedfine-pitch worm gear and added a high-resolution DC servo motor drivewith a hand-held computer go-to keypad controller. The drive systemallows slewing up to 5 degrees per second, yet smooth guiding motionsas well.
Accessories
To these basic telescope components, we have added a whole list of accessories that make our telescopes versatile. From camera adapters to telecompressors, we have carefully designed them for their functionality and compatibility. They are all tested and proven in the field under actual observing conditions.
Astro-Physics Facility and Staff
In September 1990, our dream of moving into a new,specially designed facility came true. Since Astro-Physics is one ofthe few telescope companies that actually make most of the items intheir product line, we needed a building that would allow us to performeach function in the most efficient manner. Over the years, we haveassembled a staff of talented, skilled craftspeople dedicated toproducing very high quality products. They take personal pride in theiraccomplishments and in your satisfaction.
Optical Production
Photos of our optical production facility
We manufacture all of our telescopes in our modernoptical facility, so our telescope optics are 100% AMERICAN-MADE. Weuse only precision "A" grade optical glass, which has high lighttransmission characteristics and is free of striae and imperfection.
All optical surfaces are finish-polished on pitchand hand-corrected. Each lens is tested, polished and retestedrepeatedly throughout the production process. We continue until thedesired performance is achieved.
In 1995, we installed a new Opticam SXcomputerized microgrind system to our optical department. Originallydeveloped at the University of Rochester Optics Laboratory foradvancing optical technology in America, the Opticam system completelyeliminates all traditional tooling and fixturing needed for fabricatingprecision optics. A raw glass blank is loaded into the machine, and afinished, ready to polish lens element results in only 25 minutes. Allthis is accomplished without grinding components or grit. The glasssurfaces are rough and fine-ground, edged and optically centered with aseries of special bound diamond tools. Tool motions are computercontrolled with 100 nanometer resolution. Almost any spherical surfacecan be generated, convex or concave, as well as the most complicatedaspheric that can be described by a mathematical expression. This isall done in a clean, temperature-controlled environment that ensuresthe highest possible accuracy and precision in the final product.
In 1999, the first Optipro PX250 polisher wasinstalled in our facility. This advanced computer polisher is the onlymachine of its kind. Older high-speed polishers relied on carefulcutting of a polishing pad to achieve even action over the opticalsurface. The PX250 gently oscillates the tool across the surface sothat in a typical 20-30 minute cycle, every part of the polisher spendstime on every part of the glass surface. This produces and maintains avery accurate spherical surface on the part being polished.
Common high-speed processes run up to 5000 RPM andcan distort the glass because of the heat generated. While capable ofblasting out parts in just 5-6 minutes, they tend to leave a rough,zony surface that lowers contrast in the final image. Our computerpolisher runs at a mere 200 RPM, and consistently produces 1/10 wavesurfaces from start to finish. Since it runs automatically, it leavesthe optician much more time to do other more critical tasks.
Where the opticians used to spend an inordinateamount of time in the dirty, time-consuming jobs of grinding andpolishing, they can now concentrate much more time on figuring theoptical surfaces which is still done on pitch. The Opticam SX and PX250are examples of the total commitment we have at Astro-Physics to thehobby of amateur astronomy.
As part of our overall Quality Program,Astro-Physics installed a Fitzeau interferometer that allows us tomeasure the wavefront error of a lens during the final figuring phases.The lens is held in a special multi-point flotation cell in a verticalorientation to simulate actual observing conditions. The interferometeruses two wavelengths of light, yellow and green, to fully characterizelens aberrations. The interferometer is used as part of the lens makingprocess, not just as a final quality assurance check. Lenses arefinished one at a time until they meet or exceed our quality standards.A lens is finished when it displays a wavefront accuracy of l/50 RMS(Strehl Ratio of 98.4%). This is well within the diffraction limit, anda lens with this smooth of a wavefront will be a superb planetaryobjective.
Design Engineering
We are fortunate to have a full staff ofengineering talent with decades of experience in mechanical, electronicand software design. What begins as drawings and calculations on thecomputer screen eventually ends up in the hands of our top-grademachinist as a finely-crafted work of art. Our CAD-CAM system is sosophisticated that every surface of a part is fine-machined andde-burred automatically. Even parts that are buried deep inside anassembly and may never be seen by anyone are fully machined, de-burredand finished to a high degree with no rough edges or saw marks to marthe integrity of the final product.
Our in-house electronic assembly uses ruggedizedcomponents and techniques common to aerospace manufacturing. In fact,our electronic design engineers both have many years of aerospacedesign background.
Machining Capabilities
Most of our components are machined in-house onour ultra-modern 3-axis CNC (computerized numerical control) lathes andCNC machining center. Our highly skilled machinists maintain veryaccurate tolerances so that parts fit together precisely with no slop.As a result, our mountings are very rigid and our focusers are smoothwith no wobble.
Tube Assembly
Tube assemblies are now fully machined, completewith machined-in baffles, on our CNC lathe. This insures that allmechanical components from the focuser to the lens cell are accuratelyheld in perfect optical alignment. The tubes are finished with a highquality polyurethane paint on the outside, and a flat-black finish onthe inside.
Mount Assembly
Our mount assembly department is staffed by highlyexperienced professional telescope makers who are also advanced usersand observers. Consequently, they understand how a precision mountingshould feel and be adjusted. This experience is brought to theconstruction of each mounting. The components of our hand controllersare carefully soldered to the circuit boards and tested prior toshipment. Circuit boards and electronic components are purchased to themore rugged industrial specs instead of the cheaper consumer specs socommon in inferior equipment. The components of our telescope driveswill perform properly from the coldest Arctic to the hottest desertconditions that an amateur is likely to experience.
Packing and Shipping
When you receive your order, you will discoverthat a great deal of care was given to the safe packing of each item.It is very rare that any item is damaged during shipment.
Office Personnel
The office staff will be your primary source ofinformation regarding products and prices, estimated delivery dates andthe status of your order. If we can be of assistance to you in any way,please ask.
Telescopes
In the future we plan to upgrade our 130 and 105mm refractors and Maksutov-Cassegrain models. This may include new sizes and configurations. The details on the newer models will be revealed as they are re-introduced. We plan to use the existing notification lists for new products with similar size characteristics. [*]160mm f7.5 StarFire EDF Triplet Apochromatic Refractor with 4" Focuser[*]140mm f7.5 StarFire EDF Triplet Apochromatic Refractor with 2.7" or4" Focuser[*]130mm f6.3 StarFire EDF 'Gran Turismo' Triplet Apochromatic Refractor with 2.7" Focuser -[*]PROTOTYPE - 305mm f12.5 Maksutov Cassegrain with Carbon Fiber Tube[*]PROTOTYPE - 305mm f3.8 Riccardi-Honders Astrograph[*]Astro-Physics Telescope History - information regarding previous models
German Equatorial Mounts [*]Mach1GTO German Equatorial Mount with Servo Motor Drive[*]900GTO German Equatorial Mount with Servo Motor Drive[*]1200GTO German Equatorial Mount with Servo Motor Drive[*]3600GTO German Equatorial Mount with Servo Motor Drive - "el Capitan"[*]GTOCP3 Control Box and Keypad for Servo Drive (included with each mount)[*]Astro-Physics German Equatorial Mount History - information regarding previous models
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髙橋望远镜：
About Takahashi Takahashi beganmanufacturing telescopes in 1967 their 35th year ofbusiness. They beganand remain in the sand casting businesstoday. Theirfirst model was TS-65 a 65mm x 900mm achromat. By 1969 theyproduced their first 65mm triplet semi-apochromat and 100mmf/10 reflector in 1969.
TheTS80 built in April of1972 was the first triplet apochromatTakahashi telescope built. Then in 1973 their first fluoritetriplet telescope was used too photographthe total solareclipse on June 29th of that year in Africa. It was an80mm x1200mm and in the same year they produced their first equatorialmount with a polar telescope.
In1977 Takahashi introduced their second triplet fluoriteapochromat the TS-90 a 90mm x 1000mm and the 90S mount and thefamous JP mount in 1979. The NJP mount as it is called today isstill in production. The JP and NJP mounts can be convertedtoTakahashi’s Temma “go to” system. This is a testamentto itstimeless design. Then followed by the introduction of famous Sky Patrol portable mount in 1981, this mount was a favorite for eclipsechasers. It features a polar alignment telescope in the R.A.shaft and integral40mm guide scope. In that year the fluoriteSeries FC 65, 78, 100, and 125 were introduced. This seriesremained in production until 1994.
Takahashi developed the camera angle adjuster which is a bearing devicethat allows the camera or ocularto be rotated 360° withoutloss of focus. This rotator device is stillused today for allTakahashi focuser from the 2” to 4” focusersand allastrographs.
Fromthis time Takahashi useda compression ring ocular holder toprovide precise centering of the ocular and optics of thetelescope.
In1983 introduced their Epsilon Series of Hyperbolic flat fieldastrographs with the 130, 160, 200, 250 and 300. Takahashi wasable to perfect the process for grinding hyperbolicmirrors andis doing so today for its current Epsilons and corrected RC astrographs. This was also the year they introduced the prototype FCT-150 fluorite triplet apochromat and the revolutionaryEM-2000 mount whichused electric clutches and had a directread out of R.A. and Dec. Thismount could be transported toremote sites because it broke down intothree parts.
In1985 the triplet FCT Series included a 65, 76, 100, 125 and150mm fluorite triplets. The Mewlon Series Dall-KirkhamCassegrain telescopes were the next series in sizes of 180, 210, 250 and 300mm were developed along with the CN-212, aconvertible 212mm classical Cassegrain f/12 and correctedNewtonian convertible telescope.
In1989 Takahashi introduced their famous TSC-225: a 225mmSchmidt-Cassegrain with innovations such as 10 baffles in thebaffle tube and a rear cell fan for cooling of the optics. The225 used white German optical glass for its corrector plate Ever the innovator Takahashi produced the carbon fiber Epsilon-250 in 1992 closely followed by the carbon fiber Epsilon-210 hyperbolicastrographs.
Takahashialso makes observatorytelescopes which include: 350mmhyperbolic astrographs, 300 and 400mmCassegrains, 200, 250 and300mm triplet apochromatic refractors and the large EM-3500mounts to carry them.
Takahashi’s manufactureof refractors, Newtonian reflectors,Cassegrain/Newtonians, classical Cassegrains, hyperbolicastrographs, corrected Baker RC astrographs, mounts and ocularsmakes it one of the most versatile companies of its type in theworld.
The current line of Ortho Apochromatic refractors use a design thatis absolutely color free, will include a 110mm, 130mm, 150mm and a 180mm. Coming also is a line of Ortho Astrographs.
Theirmanufacturing facilities are located in Urii, Japan with theirheadquarters located in the Itabahsiprefecture of Tokyo. Thefacilities include the main assembly and design facility wherethe instruments and optics designed, are tested and assembled. The second is the sand casting factory. The third is the facilitywherethe observatory mounts the EM-3500 and EM-2500 areassembled along with the machining shop next door to theirwarehouse facility. The fourth is the mirror grinding,polishing and testing building.
Takahashi’sstaff includes:optical, design and mechanical engineers manyof whom are amateur astronomers,who have discovered newasteroids one of which was named Urii in honor of the citywhere the Takahashi manufacturing facilities are located.
http://www.takahashiamerica.com/images/telescopeLineup.jpg
髙橋厂，位于日本本州崎玉县！
http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/00TakahashiFactory-lo.jpg
Takahashi Yorii Factory / Hi Res Imagehttp://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/21SeeYou-lo.jpg
Takahashi Yorii Factory / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/04Casting4-lo.jpg
Casting / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/03Casting3-lo.jpg
Casting / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/05aCasting5-lo.jpg
Casting / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/01Casting1-lo.jpg
Casting / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/01aCasting1-lo.jpg
Casting / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/06Processing-lo.jpg
Processing / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/07MirrorPolishing-lo.jpg
Mirror Polishing / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/09MIrrorTest2-lo.jpg
Mirror Testing / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/11LensCleaning-lo.jpg
Lens Cleaning / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/12aFocusUnit-lo.jpg
Focus Unit / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/12LensInCell-lo.jpg
Lens in the cell / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/13Tube1-lo.jpg
Tube / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/14Tube2-lo.jpg
Tube / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/15mounts-lo.jpg
Mounts / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/16TGSP-lo.jpg
Teegul Sky Patrol / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/18polarScope-lo.jpg
Polar Scope / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/19BuiltinMotor-lo.jpg
Mount Motor / Hi Res Image http://www.takahashiamerica.com/takahashiinfo/20GotoTesting-lo.jpg
GOTO Mount Testing / Hi Res Image 本帖最后由 Elvis 于 2009-9-28 17:53 编辑
原文翻译如下
大家各有啥偏好？
似乎国内 Astro-Physics 的器材很少听说。一下是 它的相关介绍似乎国内天文物理学的器材很少听说。一下是它的相关介绍
STRO-PHYSICS has been developing telescopes andaccessories for the advanced amateur since 1975. STRO -物理学发展望远镜andaccessories的先进自1975年以来的业余爱好者。 We now offer anextensive line of precision telescopes and mountings, all withoutstanding performance for a variety of observing needs.我们现在提供了精密的望远镜，座架，所有的观测各种需求withoutstanding性能anextensive线。 If you havedecided that refractors fit your requirements, you will find our lineof Apochromats to have the highest performance of any refractor on themarket.如果您havedecided的折射适合您的要求，您会发现我们lineof Apochromats有任何有关themarket折射最高的性能。 Our telescopes were developed with the active observer in mind.We have concentrated on those things that make observing a joy: sharphigh-resolution optics, rugged vibration-free mountings andeasy-to-use, effective accessories.Historical Perspective我们的望远镜被开发与mind.We积极观察员对这些事情，使观察一个喜悦：sharphigh高分辨率光学集中，坚固无振动裱褙andeasy使用，有效accessories.Historical透视
Astro-Physics has been at the forefront of opticaldesign for more than a decade.天文物理一直处于前列的opticaldesign超过十年。 In the early 1980s, Mr. Roland Christen,founder and president of Astro-Physics, introduced the first highperformance affordable apochromats to the amateur market.在八十年代初，罗兰先生的创始人和总裁克里森天文物理，推出了第一型高性能负担apochromats的业余市场。 These earlyAstro-Physics refractors were quite revolutionary and were a majorinfluence in the rebirth of refractors.这些earlyAstro物理折射相当革命并在重生majorinfluence的折射。
The more common achromats available at that timeshowed significant chromatic aberration even with focal lengths of f15.They were (and still are) very long and awkward, particularly ifportability to a dark sky site is desired.较常见的消色差透镜甚至与f15.They焦距在该timeshowed可显着色差分别为（现在仍是）很长，尴尬，特别是ifportability一个黑暗的天空网站的理想选择。 Both 5"f15 or 6"f15 doublettube assemblies (focal lengths of 75 and 90 inches respectively)require a substantial mount on a tall pier or tripod to accommodate thelength of the instrument and counteract the torque reaction that isinevitable when the breezes blow.这两个5“架F15或6”架F15 doublettube集会的75九○英寸分别）（焦距需要大量安装在高码头或三脚架，以适应该文书thelength和打击扭矩反应isinevitable当吹东风。 The chromatic aberration coupled withthe enormous size and weight of these instruments and their mountingsdeterred many amateurs from using refractors larger than 4" inthe 1960s and 70s.色差折射，加上使用大于4“inthe 20世纪60年代和70年代withthe巨大的体积和重量的这些文书和mountingsdeterred许多业余爱好者。
As an avid amateur astronomer, Roland wasdissatisfied with the telescopes that were available in the 1970s.作为一个狂热的业余天文学家，罗兰wasdissatisfied的望远镜在20世纪70年代可用。 Heknew that even the achromats of the day showed snappier images than his8"SCT, but he wanted a shorter scope which could be used forphotography as well as high-definition planetary images. Over a periodof several years, he designed and built several refractors with shorterfocal lengths using a triplet design. The color correction was verygood even as short as f6. Heknew，即使在一天消色差透镜的图像显示，迅捷比his8“小班教学，但他希望在较短的范围可用于forphotography以及高清晰度行星的图像。较periodof几年里，他在设计和建立几个折射镜shorterfocal长度采用三重设计。色彩校正是verygood甚至高达F6键短。
In the 1980s and 90s, Astro-Physics' opticaldesigns evolved several times and with each new design, new levels ofperformance were achieved.在80年代和90年代，天文物理学，'opticaldesigns多次演变与每一个新的设计，ofperformance取得了新的水平。 The quality of construction of the tubeassemblies, sophistication of the mounts and range of accessories havealso improved each year.在施工tubeassemblies，在支架和各种复杂的配件质量havealso每年提高。
In 1992, we were very proud to introduce our lineof refractor lenses which incorporated synthetic fluorite ED glass invarious optical designs. 1992年，我们非常自豪地介绍我们lineof折射透镜其中纳入合成萤石ED玻璃由经贸委光学设计。 This optical material has furtherrevolutionized the modern refractor by all but eliminating the lastvestiges of false color in fast refractors.这种光学材料furtherrevolutionized所有现代折射，但消除了在快速折射假彩色的lastvestiges。
Since the early 90s, we have expanded ourproduction facilities with the most modern CNC production equipmentavailable. 90年代初以来，我们扩大了最先进的数控生产equipmentavailable ourproduction设施。 This includes computer automated lathes and machining centercomplete with a CAD-CAM design center.这包括计算机自动车床和加工用的CAD centercomplete - CAM设计中心。 We have also installed one ofthe most advanced optical production systems in the world.我们还安装了一个ofthe最先进的光学生产系统。 The OpticamSX, a computer automated precision-lens generator, was originallydeveloped to produce high-end military and space optics.的，计算机自动精确OpticamSX镜头发电机，是originallydeveloped生产高端军事和空间光学。 In 1999, weadded the OptiPro PX250, a high-tech computer optical polisher. 1999年，weadded的OptiPro PX250，高科技电脑光学抛光。
Astro-Physics Design Philosophy天文物理设计理念
AtAstro-Physics, we are fully committed to the production and developmentof amateur telescopes and accessories. AtAstro物理，我们完全致力于生产和developmentof业余望远镜及配件。 Our goal is to produce thehighest possible quality components and keep them affordable to theaverage amateur.我们的目标是可能的生产thehighest品质的元件和让他们负担得起theaverage业余。 Amateur telescopes are the only product that weproduce; we do not get sidetracked into commercial or militaryprojects.业余望远镜是唯一的产品，weproduce，我们没有得到牵制成商业或militaryprojects。 Many of our technical and production staff are amateurastronomers themselves, so they understand the unique needs of ourcustomers.我们的许多技术和生产人员amateurastronomers自己，所以他们了解ourcustomers的独特需求。 We strive to build almost every part from scratch at our ownfacility in Rockford, Illinois.我们努力建立在我们的罗克福德，伊利诺伊州几乎所有ownfacility从头开始的一部分。 This includes not only the individualoptics, but also the critical gears, circuit boards and componentsright down to the knobs and fittings.这不仅包括individualoptics，而且重要的齿轮，电路板和componentsright下至旋钮和配件。
Apochromatic Lens Design复消色差透镜设计
Our objectives are APOCHROMATIC, which means thatthe images are essentially free of false color, both visually andphotographically.我们的目标是复消色差，这意味着thatthe图像基本上是免费的假彩色，无论外观还是andphotographically。 We have chosen the most advanced synthetic fluoriteE.D.我们选择了最先进的合成fluoriteE.D。 glass to be the heart of our optical designs because of itsexcellent light transmission and superior correction of all themonochromatic and polychromatic aberrations.玻璃是因为itsexcellent透光和所有themonochromatic及五彩的像差校正我们的卓越的光学设计的核心。 There are many lessexpensive ED (Extra low Dispersion) glasses on the market which canbe used to make refractor lenses.有许多lessexpensive署（超低色散）有关该canbe用于制作折射透镜市场眼镜。 The most commonly used ED materialsonly partially correct the secondary spectrum errors, while the leastexpensive versions are little better than traditional crowns used inold-fashioned doublets.最常用的教育materialsonly部分正确的二级光谱的错误，而leastexpensive版本略优于传统的冠用inold老式的双峰。 Lenses made from these materials can providesatisfactory views for some individuals, but those amateurs who demandthat last bit of contrast and definition will find there is nosatisfaction in using a lens made from less expensive materials.从这些材料可以providesatisfactory一些个人的意见作出镜头，但那些业余谁demandthat对比度和定义的最后一位会发现在利用廉价材料制成的镜头nosatisfaction。
The StarFire EDF design was originally developedfor our 6" astrograph. We found it to perform superbly as a visualplanetary instrument and therefore converted all of our lenses to thatdesign, including the 105 Traveler. The views are extraordinary. Thesuperb color correction of these EDFs surpasses the fluorite doublets,particularly in the far violet part of the spectrum where Technical Panfilms have their highest sensitivity. Our latest designs have excellentinfrared corrections to 10,000 Angstroms, making them very suitable forCCD imaging. Color curves are available for each current lens design.星火设计的法国电力公司最初developedfor我们的6“astrograph。我们发现它来执行一个visualplanetary琳琅满目的工具，因此对我们的镜头转换所有thatdesign，包括105个旅客。非凡的意见。Thesuperb这些EDFs颜色校正超过了萤石双峰特别是在远紫外线频谱的一部分，那里有他们的技术Panfilms最高的灵敏度。我们的最新设计须万埃excellentinfrared更正，从而使它们非常适合forCCD成像。 色彩曲线是每个当前镜头设计可用。
The fast focal ratio of the StarFire EDF design isparticularly attractive to amateurs who long to achieve superb, widefield astrophotos.快速的星火法国电力公司设计焦比isparticularly业余谁的吸引力，实现长期精湛，广角astrophotos。 For avid astrophotographers, we offer these EDFrefractors with giant 4" focusers to allow coverage of very large filmformats with minimal vignetting. In the hands of knowledgeableastrophotographers, these instruments can produce superb, professionalastrophotos of all their favorite deep-sky objects. Images are sosharp, it takes 30" x 40" enlargements to resolve the finest details.对于热衷于astrophotographers，我们提供了巨大的4这些EDFrefractors“focusers，以最小的晕了非常大的filmformats报道。knowledgeableastrophotographers在手中，这些手段可以产生卓越的，他们最喜欢的所有深空天体professionalastrophotos。图像被sosharp，需要30“× 40”放大，以解决最细微的细节。
We also offer several models with the EDFSdesignation that incorporate the 2.7" focuser. These refractors are forthose amateurs who desire the ultimate portable, versatile refractor,but who do not require the larger focuser.我们还提供与EDFSdesignation纳入了2.7“调焦几种模式。这些折射望远镜forthose业余谁的愿望最终便携式，多功能的折射，但谁不需要较大的调焦。
One of the important advantages of a short focallength is that the mounting can be smaller, lighter and more compact.The result is a highly portable refractor system with superior imagingqualities, ideal for a wide variety of astronomical work fromhigh-power lunar/planetary to deep-sky astrophotography.对重要的优势之一是短焦距的安装可以更小，更轻，更compact.The结果是一个卓越的imagingqualities，为天文工作fromhigh各种各样的理想高度便携折射系统功率月球/行星深与天空天文摄影。
Mountings垫铁
Astro-Physics mountings are designed for solidstability under a variety of observing conditions.天文物理裱褙设计solidstability下观察各种条件。 At the same time,the mounts are truly portable so that amateurs can transport them totheir favorite dark-sky site and set them up quickly and accurately.The mountings break down into manageable sizes, but when set up, theyare extremely rugged and steady platforms.在同时，坐骑是真正的便携式，使业余可以运往totheir喜欢暗的天空网站，建立他们起来accurately.The座架分解成易于管理的规模，但成立后，theyare极为坚固和稳定的平台。 We have also developed avery accurate worm gear set to insure smooth, effortless tracking ofcelestial objects for all visual and photographic purposes.我们还开发了埃弗里准确蜗轮设置为确保平稳，轻松跟踪所有视觉和摄影用ofcelestial对象。
To achieve these performance criteria, we combinedthe latest technology with time-tested design concepts.为了实现这些性能标准，随着时间的推移，我们combinedthe最新的技术测试的设计概念。 The basicmounting configuration was engineered with proper vibration andstrength of materials criteria.该basicmounting配置是适当的振动工程材料标准andstrength。 As in a good building design, all loadsare channeled into massive load-bearing cross sections to their finaldestination - the ground.正如一个好的建筑设计，所有loadsare输送到大截面承载他们finaldestination - -地面。 This is done in a way that minimizes weightand size while maximizing rigidity.这样做的方式，尽量减少weightand尺寸，同时最大限度地提高刚度。 To this stability, we have added ago-to servo drive that is accurate and sophisticated enough for themost demanding application.在这方面的稳定，我们增加了以前对伺服驱动器，准确和精确themost苛刻的应用不够。 We started with a custom-manufacturedfine-pitch worm gear and added a high-resolution DC servo motor drivewith a hand-held computer go-to keypad controller.我们有一个自定义开始，manufacturedfine间距齿轮，增加drivewith手高分辨率的直流伺服电机控制的电脑的走向键盘控制器。 The drive systemallows slewing up to 5 degrees per second, yet smooth guiding motionsas well.该驱动器systemallows回转高达5每秒，但平稳的指导motionsas好度。
Accessories配件
To these basic telescope components, we have added a whole list of accessories that make our telescopes versatile.这些基本望远镜组成部分，我们增加了整体的配件清单，使我们的望远镜多才多艺。 From camera adapters to telecompressors, we have carefully designed them for their functionality and compatibility.从相机的适配器telecompressors，我们精心设计了它们的功能和兼容。 They are all tested and proven in the field under actual observing conditions.他们都经过测试，在经过实地验证的情况下，实际观测。
Astro-Physics Facility and Staff天文物理设施和人员
In September 1990, our dream of moving into a new,specially designed facility came true.在1990年9月，我们到一个新的，专门设计的设施，移动梦终于成真。 Since Astro-Physics is one ofthe few telescope companies that actually make most of the items intheir product line, we needed a building that would allow us to performeach function in the most efficient manner.由于天文物理学是一ofthe几个望远镜的公司，实际上使项目intheir产品线最，我们需要一个建设，以使我们能够performeach最有效的方式行使职能。 Over the years, we haveassembled a staff of talented, skilled craftspeople dedicated toproducing very high quality products.多年来，我们haveassembled有才华的，熟练的手工艺者的工作人员专门toproducing非常高品质的产品。 They take personal pride in theiraccomplishments and in your satisfaction.他们采取theiraccomplishments个人在你的自豪和满意。
Optical Production光纤生产
Photos of our optical production facility 我们的光照片生产设施
We manufacture all of our telescopes in our modernoptical facility, so our telescope optics are 100% AMERICAN-MADE.我们在我们modernoptical生产设施所有的望远镜，光学望远镜，使我们的是100％美国制造。 Weuse only precision "A" grade optical glass, which has high lighttransmission characteristics and is free of striae and imperfection. Weuse只有精确的“A”级光学玻璃，它具有较高的lighttransmission特点，是免费的条纹和不完善。
All optical surfaces are finish-polished on pitchand hand-corrected.全光表面的光泽抛光的pitchand手纠正。 Each lens is tested, polished and retestedrepeatedly throughout the production process.每个镜头进行测试，抛光和retestedrepeatedly在整个生产过程。 We continue until thedesired performance is achieved.我们继续下去，直到thedesired性能的实现。
In 1995, we installed a new Opticam SXcomputerized microgrind system to our optical department. 1995年，我们安装了新Opticam SXcomputerized微量修砧系统的光学部门。 Originallydeveloped at the University of Rochester Optics Laboratory foradvancing optical technology in America, the Opticam system completelyeliminates all traditional tooling and fixturing needed for fabricatingprecision optics.近日，美国罗切斯特大学光学实验室在美国Originallydeveloped foradvancing光学技术，Opticam系统completelyeliminates所有传统的模具和夹具的fabricatingprecision光学需要。 A raw glass blank is loaded into the machine, and afinished, ready to polish lens element results in only 25 minutes.阿原片玻璃的空白，是装入机器，afinished，准备在波兰只有25分钟镜头元件的结果。 Allthis is accomplished without grinding components or grit.这些都有是不成磨削组件或砂砾。 The glasssurfaces are rough and fine-ground, edged and optically centered with aseries of special bound diamond tools.该glasssurfaces粗糙和精细地面，边和光学特殊约束与金刚石工具A系列为中心。 Tool motions are computercontrolled with 100 nanometer resolution.工具议案是computercontrolled 100纳米的决议。 Almost any spherical surfacecan be generated, convex or concave, as well as the most complicatedaspheric that can be described by a mathematical expression.几乎所有的球surfacecan生成，凸或凹，以及最complicatedaspheric可以通过一个数学表达式描述。 This isall done in a clean, temperature-controlled environment that ensuresthe highest possible accuracy and precision in the final product.在清洁，温度控制的环境下进行，这isall的ensuresthe最高准确度和精密度在最终产品中。
In 1999, the first Optipro PX250 polisher wasinstalled in our facility. 1999年，第一Optipro PX250抛光wasinstalled在我们的设施。 This advanced computer polisher is the onlymachine of its kind.这种先进的计算机抛光机是同类onlymachine。 Older high-speed polishers relied on carefulcutting of a polishing pad to achieve even action over the opticalsurface.较旧高速上的抛光垫carefulcutting依赖，实现甚至超过了opticalsurface行动抛光。 The PX250 gently oscillates the tool across the surface sothat in a typical 20-30 minute cycle, every part of the polisher spendstime on every part of the glass surface.轻轻振荡的PX250在一个典型的20-30分钟的周期，每擦spendstime每个玻璃表面的一部分对面的表面sothat工具。 This produces and maintains avery accurate spherical surface on the part being polished.这将产生并维持艾弗里准确的部分球面擦拭。
Common high-speed processes run up to 5000 RPM andcan distort the glass because of the heat generated.普通高速的进程中运行到5000转andcan扭曲，因为玻璃产生的热量。 While capable ofblasting out parts in just 5-6 minutes, they tend to leave a rough,zony surface that lowers contrast in the final image.虽然能够ofblasting，短短5-6分钟的地方，他们往往会留下一个粗糙，zony面，降低最终图像对比度。 Our computerpolisher runs at a mere 200 RPM, and consistently produces 1/10 wavesurfaces from start to finish.在我们的computerpolisher运行仅200转，坚持生产1月10日从开始wavesurfaces完成。 Since it runs automatically, it leavesthe optician much more time to do other more critical tasks.因为它自动运行，它leavesthe配镜更多的时间做其他更重要的任务。
Where the opticians used to spend an inordinateamount of time in the dirty, time-consuming jobs of grinding andpolishing, they can now concentrate much more time on figuring theoptical surfaces which is still done on pitch.凡用于眼镜花费inordinateamount在肮脏，时间磨削andpolishing费时的工作，现在他们可以集中精力盘算theoptical表面，仍然在球场做了大量的时间更多的时间。 The Opticam SX and PX250are examples of the total commitment we have at Astro-Physics to thehobby of amateur astronomy.在Opticam SX和总的承诺，我们必须在天文物理的业余天文学thehobby PX250are例子。
As part of our overall Quality Program,Astro-Physics installed a Fitzeau interferometer that allows us tomeasure the wavefront error of a lens during the final figuring phases.The lens is held in a special multi-point flotation cell in a verticalorientation to simulate actual observing conditions.作为我们全面质量计划，天文部分：物理安装了Fitzeau干涉，使我们在最后tomeasure盘算phases.The镜头一个镜头波错误是在举行一个特殊的多点浮选机在verticalorientation模拟实际观测条件。 The interferometeruses two wavelengths of light, yellow and green, to fully characterizelens aberrations.在interferometeruses两个波长的光，黄，绿，充分characterizelens畸变。 The interferometer is used as part of the lens makingprocess, not just as a final quality assurance check.干涉仪是用来作为一部分镜头makingprocess，而不是一个最终的质量保证检查公正。 Lenses arefinished one at a time until they meet or exceed our quality standards.A lens is finished when it displays a wavefront accuracy of l/50 RMS(Strehl Ratio of 98.4%).镜头arefinished一次一个，直到他们达到或超过我们的质量standards.A镜头结束时，显示一个l/50均方根波精度（斯特列尔比的98.4％）。 This is well within the diffraction limit, anda lens with this smooth of a wavefront will be a superb planetaryobjective.这是良好的衍射极限之内，与此一波顺利安达镜头将是一个极好的planetaryobjective。
Design Engineering设计工程
We are fortunate to have a full staff ofengineering talent with decades of experience in mechanical, electronicand software design.我们很幸运能够与机械，electronicand软件设计经验，几十年来的全部工作人员ofengineering人才。 What begins as drawings and calculations on thecomputer screen eventually ends up in the hands of our top-grademachinist as a finely-crafted work of art.什么开始的图纸和计算thecomputer屏幕上最终结束在我们最重要的手中，作为艺术精细，制作工作grademachinist。 Our CAD-CAM system is sosophisticated that every surface of a part is fine-machined andde-burred automatically.我们的CAD - CAM系统，是sosophisticated，每一个零件表面精细加工andde -磨牙钻磨后自动。 Even parts that are buried deep inside anassembly and may never be seen by anyone are fully machined, de-burredand finished to a high degree with no rough edges or saw marks to marthe integrity of the final product.即使是人被埋葬在anassembly深刻，也许永远不会被任何人看到部分都加工，去burredand完毕，并没有粗糙的边缘或看到的高度评价，玛尔特最终产品的完整性。
Our in-house electronic assembly uses ruggedizedcomponents and techniques common to aerospace manufacturing.我们的内部电子装配使用ruggedizedcomponents和技术的共同航空航天制造业。 In fact,our electronic design engineers both have many years of aerospacedesign background.事实上，我们的电子设计工程师都具有aerospacedesign背景多年。
Machining Capabilities加工能力
Most of our components are machined in-house onour ultra-modern 3-axis CNC (computerized numerical control) lathes andCNC machining center.我们的零部件大部分是加工内部onour超现代的3轴数控（计算机数控）车床andCNC加工中心。 Our highly skilled machinists maintain veryaccurate tolerances so that parts fit together precisely with no slop.As a result, our mountings are very rigid and our focusers are smoothwith no wobble.我们高素质的机械师保持veryaccurate公差，使零件组合在一起就是没有slop.As因此，我们的裱褙十分僵化，我们的focusers是smoothwith没有晃动。
Tube Assembly管大会
Tube assemblies are now fully machined, completewith machined-in baffles, on our CNC lathe.管组件现在完全加工，加工completewith在挡板，在我们的数控车床。 This insures that allmechanical components from the focuser to the lens cell are accuratelyheld in perfect optical alignment.这确保了调焦allmechanical组件镜头细胞是在完善的光学校正accuratelyheld。 The tubes are finished with a highquality polyurethane paint on the outside, and a flat-black finish onthe inside.完成的管与外界优质的聚氨酯涂料，和一个平的黑色调onthe里面。
Mount Assembly山大会
Our mount assembly department is staffed by highlyexperienced professional telescope makers who are also advanced usersand observers.我们贴装部门的工作人员为highlyexperienced专业望远镜制造商谁也先进usersand观察员。 Consequently, they understand how a precision mountingshould feel and be adjusted.因此，他们懂得如何精确mountingshould感觉和调整。 This experience is brought to theconstruction of each mounting.这方面的经验带到theconstruction每个安装。 The components of our hand controllersare carefully soldered to the circuit boards and tested prior toshipment.我们的手controllersare仔细的组件焊接到电路板和测试前toshipment。 Circuit boards and electronic components are purchased to themore rugged industrial specs instead of the cheaper consumer specs socommon in inferior equipment.电路板和电子元件购置themore坚固的工业规格，而不是廉价的消费规格的劣势装备socommon。 The components of our telescope driveswill perform properly from the coldest Arctic to the hottest desertconditions that an amateur is likely to experience.我们的望远镜driveswill的组件进行正确地从最寒冷的北极地区最热门的desertconditions一个业余有可能的经验。
Packing and Shipping包装和运输
When you receive your order, you will discoverthat a great deal of care was given to the safe packing of each item.It is very rare that any item is damaged during shipment.当您收到您的订单，您将discoverthat的照顾了大量给每个item.It安全的包装是非常罕见的，任何产品在运送过程中损坏。
Office Personnel办公室人员
The office staff will be your primary source ofinformation regarding products and prices, estimated delivery dates andthe status of your order.该办事处工作人员将您的主要来源ofinformation有关产品和价格，交付日期，估计您的订单andthe状态。 If we can be of assistance to you in any way,please ask.如果我们能帮助您以任何方式，请提出。
TelescopesIn the future we plan to upgrade our 130 and 105mm refractors and Maksutov-Cassegrain models. TelescopesIn未来我们计划把我们的130和105毫米折射和马克苏托夫卡塞格林模型。 This may include new sizes and configurations.这可能包括新的尺寸和配置。 The details on the newer models will be revealed as they are re-introduced.在新模型的细节将揭示为他们重新提交。 We plan to use the existing notification lists for new products with similar size characteristics.我们计划使用类似规模与特色的新产品，现有的通知名单。
160mm f7.5 StarFire EDF Triplet Apochromatic Refractor with 4" Focuser 法国电力公司160毫米f7.5星火三联复消色差折射4“调焦
140mm f7.5 StarFire EDF Triplet Apochromatic Refractor with 2.7" or4" Focuser 140毫米f7.5星火法国电力公司与三联复消色差折射2.7“或4”调焦
130mm f6.3 StarFire EDF 'Gran Turismo' Triplet Apochromatic Refractor with 2.7" Focuser - 130毫米f6.3星火法国电力公司'赛车'三联复消色差折射2.7“调焦 -
PROTOTYPE - 305mm f12.5 Maksutov Cassegrain with Carbon Fiber Tube 原型- 305毫米f12.5马克苏托夫卡塞格林式碳纤维管
PROTOTYPE - 305mm f3.8 Riccardi-Honders Astrograph 原型- 305毫米f3.8卡尔迪，Honders Astrograph
Astro-Physics Telescope History - information regarding previous models 天文望远镜物理学史-以往机型资料
German Equatorial Mounts德国赤道支架
Mach1GTO German Equatorial Mount with Servo Motor Drive Mach1GTO德国赤道仪伺服电机驱动
900GTO German Equatorial Mount with Servo Motor Drive 900GTO德国赤道仪伺服电机驱动
1200GTO German Equatorial Mount with Servo Motor Drive 1200GTO德国赤道仪伺服电机驱动
3600GTO German Equatorial Mount with Servo Motor Drive - "el Capitan" 3600GTO德国赤道仪伺服电机驱动器- “埃尔卡皮坦”
GTOCP3 Control Box and Keypad for Servo Drive (included with each mount) GTOCP3控制盒和键盘的伺服驱动器（包括在每个安装）
Astro-Physics German Equatorial Mount History - information regarding previous models 天文物理德国赤道仪历史-以往机型资料
英语原文：
大家各有啥偏好？
更好的翻译建议 扯淡呢吧都是英文谁看的懂 太长了::070821_04.jpg:: 实在看不下去
::070821_15.jpg:: AP目前在国内应该有3到4架了
至于高桥，已经逐渐普及了 顶一下 怎么后面复制了那么多东西出来 本帖最后由 xiongyulei 于 2009-10-6 14:14 编辑
嘿嘿，以前是在PK的书上看到 AP 的镜子的，好像是在 埃尔斯岩 上，一个美国的爱好者的 130 的镜子。
不知道这个镜子和 髙橋 大致规格的镜子 从性能上的比较起来如何。
Astro-Physics is asingular force in the little world of amateur astronomy equipment.Roland and Marjorie Christen, its owners (with Roland as chief designerand optician) have become legendary figures, though neither isespecially intimidating in person. They and their company areresponsible for a good part of the telescope landscape of today. Theongoing boom in refractors of all kinds can largely be traced toRoland's pioneeringaffordable triplets. Today's A-P telescopes are less affordable,but are much more refined than those early scopes, and in such demandthat it'simpossible tocall their shop and order a new instrument without first waitingmany years for the chance to do so. To take up this slack, severalother makers ofcomparable telescopes have arisen.
I've purchased four A-Prefractors over the years. I was able to get most of themwith insignificant waitscompared to what people face now. Mysecret? I became aware of their products and started buying themalmost from the beginning, well before the current craze which has ledmore than onefrustrated would-be buyer to lament his bad fortune and circulatebitter opinionsabout A-P's business practices. As more and more A-P scopes reached thefield, enabling stargazers to see andappreciate what a fine refractor of substantial aperture could do,interest built up, until by the late 90s those infamous waitinglists began to lengthen, necessitated by Roland's finite time forfiguring lenses and his unwillingness to compromise the process.
http://homepage.mac.com/joebergeron/webpageimages/christens.jpg
It's worthremembering where refractors stood in the telescope marketplace of the70s and early 80s. Briefly put, you rarely saw them. The scopes in useby serious observers and photographers were Newtonians andSchmidt-Cassegrains. Refractors were limited to long-focusbeginner scopes of three inches and below, many of dubious quality,most of themsold through catalogs and department stores. Larger ones were rare, andcolor-free apochromats almost non-existent except for extremelyexpensive fluorite scopes from Takahashi. Amateurs desiring largerrefractors had few options. They could get anything up to a 6" f/15(with a tube eight feet long) from the A. Jaegers company, but they hadto assemble it themselves. They could buy a 4" Unitron for alarge sum, or even a 5" or a 6" if they controlled vast personalwealth. Otherwise, there were few choices. Astrophotographers foundsuch scopes largely useless. Only a masochist would photograph deep-skytargets at f/15, and faster scopes were plagued with chromaticaberration.
Myadventure withAstro-Physicsbegan in 1985 when I saw their early advertisements for refractors,which were followed by Richard Berry's review of the original 6-inchf/8 in AstronomyMagazine. At the time I had reflectors of 6, 8, and 10-inchaperture, plus a C-8. But I had started my career as an amateurastronomer with small achromatic refractors. Something about thoseelegant instruments had always appealed to me. A compact,6-inch, color-free version promised something like a perfecttelescope, that chimerical Holy Grail pursued by many a guylike me. This was back when a complete, mounted 6-inch could behad for $2450. To finance the purchase, I sold the C-8 and the6 and 10-inch reflectors, hoping their functions could be takenover by the refractor.
Whenthe scope finally showed up (aboutseven months after ordering), the first thing that struck me was itsimposing, commanding size. Its height exceeded my own! The secondthing was the detail I could see on Mars, then just past a fineopposition. The third thing was how much chromatic aberration Isaw. It had quite a bit...more than I thought was appropriatefor an "apochromatic" telescope. I also found the claims forits performance were exaggerated. Rather than offering"planetary performance that puts 12-inch reflectors to shame",it behaved according to the laws of physics rather than thoseof magic, being comparable to my 8-inch Newt in termsof what it could actually show.
http://homepage.mac.com/joebergeron/webpageimages/joescope.jpgThus began a lengthylove-hate relationship with thistelescope. Roland received a stream of peevish complaints. Formonths I spent more of my viewing time agonizing over the color thanactually looking at and appreciating anything. But as timepassed I was won over by the exquisite things I saw throughthis instrument. Star images were much more perfect and stablethan those offered by my reflectors. Once set up, the telescopeworked almost at once, with little cool-down time needed, andnone for collimation. The 706 mount was extremely solid, ifnot very fancy. I saw Gamma Andromedae B as a notchedfigure-8. I saw stars down to magnitude 14.7. The view of theSaturn occultation of 28 Sagittarii was glorious. Eventually the colorerror, which tended to improve as the scope fully stabilized, came toseem unimportant, or at least tolerable.
Nevertheless,when the opportunity cameto upgrade to the new 6-inch f/9 StarFire design, I took it,though I hated to see the original scope go. The new scopeshowed false color only on the brightest stars. The moon andplanets were now shown in their natural colors. As an artist,that came as a relief to me. Pluto was easy to spot in thistelescope. I eventually found myself wanting a moresophisticated mount. Although the Astro-Physics products werevastly improved over the old 706, they were also vastly moreexpensive. I compromised a bit, buying one of the firstLosmandy G-11 mounts, an excellent, relatively inexpensivemount. While not exactly rock steady with a refractor of thislength, it's fine for visual use as long as the wind isminimal. Any guided astrophotography would be a challenge withthis combination. The A-P 900 mount would be preferable, but itcosts more than what I paid for all three of my 6"refractors combined! I keep putting myself on the waiting list forthese mounts, but then I keep turning them down, since I do not yetpossess enormous wealth.
Afew years later, Roland introducedtheEDT telescopes. At the 1993 Winter Star Party, a friend of minebrought his 6-inch StarFire, the same model as mine, while nextdoor was a new EDT of the same size and focal ratio. Isauntered over to this scope, confident that the new glasscould not produce a noticeable improvement over the StarFire.But to my horror and chagrin, I found the images in the EDTwere a bit tighter and more contrasty than those in the olderStarFire. Worse, while observing Jupiter, I found that incomparing the two scopes, I could now discern a slight violethaze surrounding the planet in the StarFire! Falling prey tothe same perfectionistic quest for incremental improvements thatfells many other amateurs, I soon put in an order for my own155mm f/9 EDT. Buying it at the steep price of $3,200 was a stretch forme, even after selling the StarFire for a bit more than I paid for it.I bet many of my readers wish they could call A-P now and order a new155mm refractor for $3,200! I got it just in time for the SL-9 crash onJupiter. I believe it was the last f/9 made. It immediatelystruck me as the most perfect telescope I had ever owned. Itshowed no false color whatsoever, even on Sirius at high power.Images were otherwise flawless as well. This was the firsttelescope I ever owned which I could use without everquestioning its optical performance, which is a great luxury.When I observe with it, I concentrate on the object, and notthe telescope. I always know it's delivering the finest imagethat can be had for its aperture. It's a comfort and a pleasureto use such an instrument.
http://homepage.mac.com/joebergeron/webpageimages/155edt.jpgInthe spring of 2002I underwentone of those squirmy little fits of dissatisfaction which sometimesafflict amateur astronomers. In my case I was bugged by thesmallness and color of my trusty little TeleVue Pronto. Istarted thinking about the TeleVue 85. Then, like a miracle, myname came up on the AP waiting list for the most hallowed ofall small scopes, the 92mm Stowaway. This avatar of the rareoriginal model is f/6.6 instead of f/4.8. Although it wasexpensive (almost as much as what I paid for my 155 EDT), Idecided to splurge, knowing that I should at least be able toget my money back out of it, barring the total collapse of theeconomy. Thescope arrived at the end of July2002, and of course it is truly a jewel. Here's my initial assessmentaswritten to Roland:
The weatherhere for the past two nights has been soupy andhumid, so conditions have been poor for deep-sky objects. However, theseeing is nearly perfect, giving me a good chance to check out theStowaway.
I'm not anexpert star tester, but I'm unable to see anyreal difference between the in-and-out of focus star images at 180X.When racked out to show a few Fresnel rings the patterns are crisp,perfect, and identical on either side. In focus, the stars areawesome Airy disks with one or two delicate diffraction rings.
Double starperformance is all that I could want. At RTMCthis year, Roger Ceragioli, an optician from the University of ArizonaMirror Lab, brought a 90mm triplet apochromat he had made, about f/11(he was the same guy who star tested my 155mm EDT at the Grand Canyonrecently). Anyway, I looked at Epsilon Bootis through it and was mostimpressed with the clean split. My Questar never does as well.It always blends the secondary into the bright first diffraction ring.Well, the Stowaway handled the star as beautifully as Roger's scope. Italso delivered a clean, pretty split on Delta Cygni. On Nu Scorpii, itcleanly split the fainter pair, and elongated the brighter, closerpair,which I believe is about 1".
I have lookedat a few DSOs, but will have to await abetter night to do much with them. I did get some resolution of M5, andquite good resolution of M13. The sky was so murky I couldbarely even see M4. It will be good to get this scope back tothe California desert.
Now, I said Iwasn't going to complain about color error,and I'm not. I am going to comment on it though. I wassurprised that when viewing Vega at 180X I could just see themerest ghost of a violet halo around it. When I focused in abit I saw a faint violet fringe, and when I focused out I saw afaint yellow-green one.
I do notconsider this to be a problem, as it will never beobtrusive. I was surprised though because I've never seen anycolor, in or out of focus, or under any circumstances, in my 155. Ifigured that a smaller scope with similar glasses would be thesame, even if it does have a shorter focal ratio. Go figure.http://homepage.mac.com/joebergeron/webpageimages/pogg11.jpg
Mechanically Ilike most aspects of the scope. Thetwo-speed focuser is cool. I initially had reservations aboutthe rings and slide bar arrangement, but I find it works prettywell on my Telepod head. I do think it would be better if therings could be quickly loosened by hand to facilitate balancechanges. The TeleVue tube ring is great in this regard.
I am puzzled bythe dew cap...it's so short, sticking outonly about two inches in front of the lens. If you're going to providethis elaborate sliding baffled dewcap, which spends most of itstime retracted and adds almost no bulk, why not make it twiceas long? I can't believe it's going to be very effective as adew cap, and hauling Kendrick stuff around with it would be ahassle.
I also thinkthere should be some provision for adding afinder or a sighter of some kind. I really wanted to add a Starbeam,butif I did I suppose it wouldn't fit in the case anymore. I have stuck aRigel Quikfinder on it. Yes, not very aesthetic, but at leastit's not a Telrad.
Oh...the caseis great, very practical and well thought out.
When I got thescope it looked huge, being used to Prontos,but it seems to be shrinking as I look at it. It is as heavy as I'dwantto carry through an airport though. So I'm glad it's not a Traveler.
Rolandreplied with an interestingcomparison of the two objectives that explained the differencein color correction on the Stowaway.
Sincethen I've been ever more impressedby the capabilities of the Stowaway. It's the closest thing to a magictelescope I've ever seen. I often find it hard to believe how small itis when I'm confronted with the beauty and the perfection of the viewsit provides. You can read an even more obsessively detailed review ofit here.
Moon shotthrough 92mm Stowaway with afocal Olympusdigital camera, November 2002
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Hereare excerpts from other lettersI've written to Astro-Physics about the performance of thesetelescopes:
6-inch f/8
I want to tell youabout the great time I had viewing theSaturn-28 Sagittarii occultation with my 6" f/8. Considering the waytheweather has been, it's miraculous that we had a string of three superbnights including July 2-3. We had dry air and very good seeing, even atSaturn's low altitude. The 6" gave probably the best view of SaturnI'veever seen, equal to what I saw with the 12" Zeiss refractor atthe Griffith Observatory. At 250x, the image was crisp and flawless. Itwas one of the very few times I've come close to forgettingthe optics and seeing only the actual object floating before me. Theonly thing that gave away the illusion was the Airy disk anddiffraction ring of 28 Sagittarii. The Encke division was unmistakableduring the best moments, a black hairline in the ansae of the A ring.The globe was very delicately shaded and detailed. During theoccultation, the star was visible throughout its passage behind the Aring. It even faded in and out a few times as it passed behindthe planet itself. It was extremely gratifying to observe this rareevent with such a wonderful set of optics.
6-inch f/8
We recently had apublic star party here at Morehead wherethree telescopes were in use: a C-8, a 24-inch Boller & Chivenscassegrain, and my 6" f/8. We looked at the Moon and a numberof deep-sky objects. The refractor impressed most people as thebest telescope there. It was hard to explain why the viewthrough it was so much nicer than what they saw through the biglight-bucket in the dome (the 24"). I was surprised how good aview of M42 I was able to provide despite the moonlitsemi-urban skies...at 50x, with a UHC filter, the delicatewinglike extensions were beautiful.
For what it'sworth, a few people remarked on the purple glowsurrounding stars like Rigel and Sirius. I told them it was a defect ofthe telescope, but they liked it anyway because they thought it waspretty. Maybe I should have thrown it out of focus to make iteven prettier for them!
6-inch f/8
For years I'vebeen trying to make Antares look like somethingbesides a sparkly red glob of light with a greenish area on oneside. I knew it would take a combination of excellent seeingand a good-sized telescope capable of imaging stars perfectly.I now have the telescope, and I got the seeing in March atabout 5 AM. At 300x, I finally got a clear view of thecompanion of Antares as a separate bit of light, just themerest fleck, but definitely separated. I think it would bepretty easy if Antares ever attained much altitude...
I'vetried other tricky double stars too, with excellent results. Oneexample is Eta Coronae Borealis, mags 5.6 and 5.9 at 0.97",perfectly and neatly split. The star has a companion, mag 12.6, 66"north, which I saw fairly easily at 150x, although the sky transparencywas fair at best that night.
I've had somepretty good deep-sky views with the 6" too. M13at 150x is a starry mass throwing spidery arms of stars off in alldirections. The brightest of the individual stars are bright enough tohold with direct vision. Also at 150x, the Ring Nebula is big andintensely bright, with a pearly center and a hint of green color.
6-inch f/8
MoreheadPlanetarium sponsored two observing sessions forComet Bradfield this past weekend, and I set up my 6" f/8 bothtimes. A number of other scopes were present, including a C-8,a Meade 2080, and a 13" Odyssey. The Great Refractor ruled theevening like a queen rules over the serfs. Bradfield wasdistinctly brighter in the SCTs at the same power, but in imagequality and mechanical stability they couldn't touch therefractor, especially when it came to observing Jupiter. Theseeing was very calm both nights, and the detail visible at200x and 240x was essentially infinite during the moments ofperfect stability. There's a long white streak in the SEB thatseems to wrap about halfway around the planet, and the Red Spotwith its hollow are prominent. Many spots, festoons, and minorbelts were seen too.
The guy with the2080 was blown away by the refractor'sperformance. He hung around for hours looking at Jupiter and deep-skyobjects through it. He was amazed when I identified the Jovian moons bytheir disk sizes and general appearance. As for stability, therefractorwas doing its usual Rock of Gibraltar imitation, while both SCTs didthehula if brushed by eyelashes.
I also found theNorth America nebula for another(inexperienced) observer using his 13" Odyssey and my UHC filter. Itwaseasy to see, but I didn't think it was much more conspicuous than it isin the 6". A smaller high-contrast telescope is just as good assome monster for looking at dim, huge nebulae, at least if youuse a low enough power to keep the same exit pupil size (Iprefer about 5mm).
I'm graduallylearning some important lessons about thistelescope. For one thing, the degree of color error it shows isextremely dependent on the scope's thermal stability. If it hasto cool 20° or so, it can show a colorful image for morethan an hour, but then it undergoes a rapid, almost sudden,improvement.Jupiter's color error has always bothered me most, but lastweekend, the violet glow was very subtle once it had settleddown. It was, I'm happy to say, negligible. I have really come toregardthis telescope as a treasure over the past few months.
Sunspotsshot through 155mm EDTwith afocal Olympus digital camera, October 2002
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6-inch f/8
A few weeks ago Ilooked at Gamma Andromedae B at 300X withgood seeing. I distinctly saw the star, with its 0.5" separation, as a"figure eight" of two merged but discrete star images. One thing thatlent credibility to this observation was that I noticed the two imagesweren't the same size, though at the time I had the mistakenidea they were of equal magnitude. I was also impressed withthe purity of color of the star when slightly defocused...it was deepindigo, in contrast with the golden primary.
Deep-sky objects:I recently had a very fine look at the VeilNebula with 38X through a UHC nebula filter (it was alsovisible without the filter). The section involved with 52 Cygniterminates in an impressive, hard-edged, scimitar-like spike.The whole nebula had plenty of thready, twisted detail. I onlyhad a minute to look before clouds rolled in. To my surprise, Icould still see the nebula through thin clouds that blotted outthe dimmer stars.
I looked at theTrapezium at 200x. Knowing there are more thanfour stars there, I searched and easily spotted 2 more. They turned outto be mag 11, so no great feat to pick up. But they were stillsomething I'd never noticed before.http://homepage.mac.com/joebergeron/webpageimages/terminatormini.jpg
6-inch StarFire
Just thought youmight like to hear about the Grand CanyonStar Party which I attended at the beginning of the month. I crammedthe6" StarFire into my Celica and had it as my constant andintimate companion throughout my 5 1/2 week trip. At the starparty it was set up in company with Newtonians and SCTs ranging in sizefrom 17.5 " down to 6". Hundreds of people came through. I usually hadthe StarFire aimed at Jupiter. Many people were surprised that such arelatively small instrument so outperformed the big guys on the planet.After the planet got too low I went for deep sky objects, where thecompetition from the mirrors was keener. Nevertheless, I was able toimpress some guys from Australia with views of the Veil, North America,etc. Actually, "impress" is too weak a word. One of those characterswaspractically going into spasms of envy. I told him that if I couldafforda StarFire, anybody could; he replied that I obviously didn't live inAustralia.
6-inch StarFire
I'm oftengratified at the views it provides of even somefairly obscure deep sky objects. For example, the globular cluster NGC6712 in Scutum is large, bright, and surprisingly well-resolvedat 160x. Right next to it, the planetary IC 1298 is a big, easypuff of grey light. They both fit easily into the star-spangledfield of a 22mm Panoptic.
6-inch StarFire
My StarFire beatCornell's 12" f/15 Fecker refractor onSaturn! The Fecker had terrible color...the planet and rings were veryyellow, surrounded by an intense violet-red glow. The image was atriflefuzzy, and had lower contrast and slightly less detail. Only the faintmoons were better seen. This was with really solid seeing, too.
The 6", on theother hand, was razor-sharp, color free, andjust showed more, including the Encke gap in the ansae of therings, which I didn't see with the 12".
You should haveseen the puzzled looks on the faces of thevisitors when they tried to figure out why my (relatively) tinytelescope gave a better view than the jumbo cannon in the dome.It was all I could do not to smugly smirk. It was more than Icould do, actually.
http://homepage.mac.com/joebergeron/webpageimages/scope.jpg155mmEDT (photo byJay Ouellet)
The first thing Igot a good look at was Jupiter, and I mustsay my jaw dropped at the sight of it. I caught it at dusk, when theseeing was steadiest and the brilliance of the disk not toooverwhelming. It looked like a drawing done with Prismacolorpencils, the belts intricately inscribed in shades of umber.I've seen white ovals, dark rods, arches and festoons. I don'tthink I've seen anything that couldn't be seen with the (6-inchf/9 StarFire), but I do see a slight improvement in contrastand color rendering.
Naturally, I thenexamined the fiendish star Vega to see justwhat kind of telescope I have here. At 210X it's like looking at thestar through a perfect unobstructed reflector...there's no trace ofcolor except the star's natural pale electric blue. The near-focusimages are much more symmetrical on either side of focus than the oldStarFire's were... The focused image is clearly superior. Withthe old scope, focus on brilliant stars was rather ambiguous...ittendedto "mush" through focus on something as bright as Vega. Focusis much more decisive with the EDT. You don't have to guesswhich point is best. Also, the diffraction rings are different.With the old scope, I usually saw 8-10 diffraction ringssurrounding brilliant stars. I never quite understood why therewere so many. With the EDT, so far I've seen no more than 2, abright inner one and a much fainter second one.
Vega at a mediumpower is like nothing I've ever seen...abrilliant point of astonishing purity on a truly black background. It'sgorgeous, worth looking at for its own sake.
With that out ofthe way, I started doing some actualobserving. I looked at Zeta Herculis, one of the toughest doubles Iknow, a close unequal pair. I could split it with the old sixes, albeitbarely. But the EDT let me clearly separate the stars for the firsttimeand get a good look at the secondary. I used 300X and 600X for that. Itwas the first time I ever actually used 600X to observeanything.
Other than that, Ilooked at a good assortment of deep-skyobjects, including NGC 6572, a tiny planetary in Ophiuchus. In a 22mmPanoptic it was startling, like a bit of sunlit turquoisefloating in the field. I looked at the faint galaxy 6384 inOph, the Crescent Nebula 6888 in Cygnus (which is a full ovalwith a UHC filter), and a bunch of other stuff.
With this purchasemy obsessive quest to obtain the ultimate6" telescope comes to an end. I sometimes reflect (or should Isay refract) on the logic of devoting so much money to a 6"telescope, when for the same money I could be looking throughan excellent 18" reflector. If I lived in an area with reallydark, steady skies, I'd prefer the reflector. But when I'msitting beneath the skies we actually get out here, I'm happyto be using an Astro-Physics refractor. Even when I had areally nice 14.5" reflector, I used the StarFire more than halfthe time. It is amazing and gratifying to see what is visiblein a 6" if you take the trouble to look.
http://homepage.mac.com/joebergeron/webpageimages/copernicus.jpg155mmEDT
It seems that Igot my EDT just in time! Who could possiblyhave foreseen the unprecedented observing opportunity providedby S-L 9?
July 19 wasstunning, my first good chance to see much due tothe haze and bad seeing. As soon as I sighted Jupiter in the 155 EDT Iinstantly saw a black spot far in the south-at 45X! Going to 210X I waspresented with a view such as I never imagined I'd see in my lifetime-3huge impact sites marching across Jupiter's SPZ. K was about tomove off the disk and looked like a black dent in the limb. Thebiggest spot, the then-newly-formed L, was near the meridian, and wascolossal, in the GRS league. The third spot, G, was almost aslarge and had only recently come into view.
My view of the Land G spots improved as they straddled themeridian, looking like eyespots on some microorganism. Both had tiny,sharp, black cores offset toward the following edge. Theoverall appearance of both spots was a dark, soft-edged duskygrey. L was outlined or defined on its preceding edge by adarker comma-shaped semicircle. The tiny cores certainly addedto their eyelike appearance.
92mm Stowaway
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I just wanted youto know about the Stowaway's public debut atStellafane, which on Saturday night was about as clear and crisp as itgets there. It was the first really dark night the Stowaway hasseen. It performed as well as I could hope for or expect. Thecluster NGC 7789 in Cassiopeia was a beautiful, finely resolvedcloud of stars at 50X. The bright arc of the Veil filled thefield with detail with the help of a UHC filter. Comet Hoenigwas an easy, slightly mottled glow, looking almost as good asit did in a nearby 10" Dob of uncertain parentage. At 28X theMilky Way showed masses of starry mist riddled with darkintrusions. Sue French even showed me her Toadstool Cluster,French 1.
I look forward tofurther exploring the limits of this scopeback in CA. It's certainly gratifying to have that much scopein a case that small.
The scope is sounobtrusive that few people noticed it orknew what it was. I considered jumping up and down andshouting, but finally decided that privacy was good too.
155mm EDT
I recentlyreturned from the Grand Canyon Star Party, wherefor a week of crystal-clear nights my 155 EDT was set up forpublic use beneath dark skies. On one night of very fine seeingRoger Ceragioli, an optician from the Mirror Lab at the U of A,came by and asked if he could star test the scope. I said sure,being pretty confident there was nothing grossly wrong withit. He fiddled around for a while and finally announced he haddiscovered slight over or undercorrection (he couldn'tremember which it was). I saw what he meant, with the Fresnelrings being slightly less well defined on one side of focusthan the other. He forebore to try to put a wavefront number onthe error, but called it "unimportant but not trivial". He alsodetected the "tertiary spectrum", but I didn't see what hemeant there.
Being a pair ofdouble star fans, we then examined a number ofthem, and what a pleasure that was. Antares just stood there with itscompanion rendered as a perfectly clear Airy disk. You could just sitthere and stare at it. Nu Scorpii was also perfectly shown as fourdelicate Airy discs. Delta Cygni was also perfect, while ZetaBootis, which I believe is closing, was barely resolved at 400X or so.After that, Roger pronounced it an "exquisite" objective.
Even with Jupiteras low as it was, I was able to providesharp views, often following it all the way down into the trees beforegiving up on it. Most visitors proclaimed it the best view ofthe planet available, and it had stiff competition in the form ofnumerous bigger scopes. A fair number said similar things about thedeep-sky views, referring to them as "clearer" than what theywere seeing elsewhere. One night later in the week the Moon wasrevealing jaw-dropping detail. I wished I could just stare at itmyself,but the lines of tourists were long.
92mm Stowaway
With the seeingvery good last night I decided it was time fora definitive showdown between the venerable 89mm Questar and thatpromising upstart the f/6.6 92mm Stowaway. The Q starts out with a 3%aperture disadvantage, but that's not enough to explain the fact thatit was whomped, stomped, and tromped by the Stowaway.
I used both scopes at 180X: the Q with a 12mm Brandon and its internal1.7x Barlow, and the Stowaway with a 6.7mm Meade Ultra Wide and a 2xDakin Barlow. Both scopes had hours to cool.
On Saturn, the cloud belt on the planet and the crepe ring were bothharder to see in the Questar. The Stowaway showed glimpses of a coupleof faint moons which were invisible in the Q. In glancing from onescope to the other, the superiority of the Stowaway was strikinglyobvious.
The differences were even more dramatic on Jupiter. The Stowaway showedmuch delicate detail in the equatorial belts: a bay, a dark barge, somesplitting of the SEB into northern and southern components. In the Qthe belts were essentially featureless. Even knowing where thesedetails were, they were difficult or impossible to see in the Q. Theshadow of Callisto was also easier to see in the Stowaway. In the Q themoons showed distinct diffraction rings and looked like stars (albeitvery sharp stars). In the Stowaway the rings were almost indiscernible,and the moons looked more like moons.
The Q gave nice views. But the Stowaway was so much sharper, brighter,and more contrasty that it was hard to believe both scopes were almostthe same size. Its views of Jupiter were so exquisite that it was hardfor me to tear my eyes away. What a glorious little telescope. Inaddition, my recent tests of limiting magnitude showed stars down to13.5 at least. I have not tested the Q at better than 12.6.
92mm Stowaway and 155mm EDT
Last weekend wasgorgeous here, so I was out on two nights with the 155mm. It was myfirst time splitting Gamma Virginis (Porrima) since it started to openup again. It's now at about 0.8". Despite crappy seeing at its lowaltitude, I was usually able to see two little balls touching eachother at powers of around 400X. I also looked at Eta Geminorum(Propus), which has the reputation of being tough. The close unequalpair was pretty easy at around 300X, reminding me of a dimmer, closerversion of Antares and its companion. I earlier tried this pair fromFlorida with the Stowaway, but got nowhere with that aperture. The mostfun I had last weekend was looking at the moon with my binoviewer. Thedetail I saw everywhere at 230x was stunning. Among the things thatparticularly caught my eyes were the hairlike shadow cast by the Cauchyfault, the U-shaped mountain range inside the crater Fabricius, therilles near Plinius which seem to run along a low, broad swelling onthe mare, and the strange buried crater Lamont.http://homepage.mac.com/joebergeron/webpageimages/m42.jpg
In February I had the Stowaway down at the Winter Star Party. We hadonly two mostly usable nights there this year, so I didn't get to dotoo much. I made a drawing of M42 and looked at a number of otherthings, including a section of Barnard's Loop and some extremelyobscure objects like the open clusters Tombaugh 1 and 2, which arepretty challenging for such a small scope. I spotted 8 galaxies in theFornax cluster. I tried to split Sirius, but the scope was too small.The previous year I was able to see Sirius B with the 155mm from there.
In January I used the 92mm to see Comet McNaught low in the twilight.Last fall I used it and the 155mm to see Comet Swan.
In June I had the 155mm out at the Grand Canyon Star Party. It has beenthere several times, and the 92mm has been there at least twice. Eitherscope entertains hundreds of tourists with views of Jupiter andwhatever else I feel like showing. They both collect lots ofunsolicited remarks about their views being the best available at theparty. I often wind up trying to explain why this is so without beingtoo insulting about the SCTs and reflectors used by most of the otherguys. I hope to make it out there again this June, and if so I willprobably bring one of the APs.
Finally, I used both scopes last spring to see the fragments of CometSchwassmann-Wachmann.
So, I hope this eases your mind about whether I still use the scopes. Iknow I don't write about my experiences the way I used to, but I didthat mostly back when I was still figuring out what these scopes coulddo. I now have a pretty good idea, so I tend to just use them withouttalking about it very much. If I ever get another of your scopes, I'msure you'll hear all about my initial results with that one too. 辛苦了，虽然看起来有些乱！ {:3_202:}bs不配图的{:3_217:} AP就像天上神物，因为产能不足，二手价格比全新的还高 在国外的望远镜展的那些图片上好像这个牌子的镜子很多，国内似乎没见过几台，貌似大口径的相当多！！！！ AP在国外很多啊，价格也不贵 AP在国外很多啊，价格也不贵
siyuyeee 发表于 2009-9-28 21:04 http://www.astronomy.com.cn/bbs/images/common/back.gif这句话很茫然啊，AP的镜子订货要等好长的时间，记得前一阵在CN上看到一篇帖子，有个美国爱好者在99年定了AP155一直到08年才拿到货，等了将近九年，如果现在订货的话估计要等个十来年了 AP在国外很多啊，价格也不贵
siyuyeee 发表于 2009-9-28 21:04 http://www.astronomy.com.cn/bbs/images/common/back.gif
我晕，这是不可能的，每次CN上出现AP，必遭哄抢，否则就是价格高的离谱 AP赤道仪拿货比镜筒要快。 显然的，AP160一般都要等9+年。我是06年上waiting list的，估计还要等7-8年。现在唯一有现货的AP900赤道，主要原因是大家都在哄抢AP Mach1GTO, 使的AP900有些被冷落的味道:D CN上给出的结论是AP155好于TOA150，但是参评的似乎没日本的::42:: 显然的，AP160一般都要等9+年。我是06年上waiting list的，估计还要等7-8年。现在唯一有现货的AP900赤道，主要原因是大家都在哄抢AP Mach1GTO, 使的AP900有些被冷落的味道:D ...
jhurog 发表于 2009-9-28 22:18 http://www.astronomy.com.cn/bbs/images/common/back.gif
那天无聊，也去WAIT了一个AP160，不过还不懂自己那个是个啥，貌似没让我叫定金啊？
那种WAIT LIST应该是一种意向LIST吧？
不知道了，等8，9年后某一天有个惊喜再说把，也许那会儿买个AP不是梦了 8.9年肯定排不到的，那会子Roland早退休了，还是高价买二手的吧