The ideal solution for the elusive
Two lightweight portable instruments on one ultra-stable mount.
The 'perfect telescope' is the Holy Grail of every amateur, particularly in modern amateur astronomy, where set-up time is increasingly important. If money is no object, or size and weight are of no importance, or lengthy setting up is not objectionable, then there are several choices -
a.) Larger aperture apochromatic refractor.
Advantages - Closed tube for stable images. Superb image sharpness and contrast for planets and DSOs (deep-sky objects). A 'jewelry' telescope, a crowd puller, great if you have a high maintenance ego. A reference instrument for planetary, solar and lunar detail. Excellent for widefield, deep-sky and planetary photography. Useful for low power, medium and high power observing.
Disadvantages - Large, long and heavy. Prohibitively expensive, the least expensive 7" is around £10,000. Even a good 6" is around £6000. Requires large expensive similar quality equatorial mount. Can be used on a stable alt-azimuth mount but adds further to the cost. Not portable. A crowd puller.
b.) Larger aperture Russian Maksutov-Cassegrain or Maksutov-Newtonian.
Advantages - Closed tube for stable images. Superb image sharpness and contrast for planets and DSOs. Mak-Newts can rival APOs for planetary detail. A Mak-Cass is more portable than a Mak-Newt of similar aperture, lighter, smaller. A Mak-Cass is excellent for deep-sky and planetary photography. A Mak-Newt for lunar/planetary photography.
Disadvantages - Large and heavy. Mak-Newts are also long and much less portable. Expensive. 8" Mak-Cass start at £2200 and Mak-Newts at around £3000. Require large expensive similar quality equatorial mount. Can require long cooling period before optimum use. Can be used on stable alt-azimuth mount, but adds further to the cost. Mak-Cass not useful for low power observing.
c.) Larger aperture f/10 Schmidt-Cassegrain.
Advantages - Closed tube for stable images. Photography is simple. A good imaging tool (particularly since the advent of CCD photography and image improvement software). Usually available on fork mounts with GOTO or German equatorial mounts with GOTO. Mass production techniques/costs mean that a mounted 8" is within the pocket of most amateurs. Huge after-market in associated accessory and mount products, as the SCT is so popular in the US.
Disadvantages - Not exactly the last word in image sharpness and contrast. Mass production techniques/costs mean that the potential for a high quality SCT is not realised, the f/10 SCT is a compromise. Can be a lottery for inconsistency of optics and electronics. Expensive above 8". Good ones are OK, poor ones are terrible. Very large central obstruction reduces contrast for planetary viewing. Not useful for low power observing.
d.) Larger aperture Newtonian on equatorial mount or large aperture Dobsonian.
Advantages - Large aperture = higher resolution, brighter images, visibility of fainter DSOs. Can be used in 'off-axis aperture' mode for 'crisping up' planetary images when the seeing is poor. Equatorially mounted large Newtonians are excellent for widefield deep-sky photography. Large Dobsonians are crowd pullers, they can also show you the universe like no other telescope.
Disadvantages - Open tube instruments can provide unstable planetary images and tennis ball stars for a long time until equilibrium is reached. Even then, momentary and local seeing can smear low contrast detail, (more noticeable in larger apertures). Larger Newtonians require large equatorial mounts for stability, and are hence heavy and not portable. Requires longer set-up time. Large Dobsonians require building prior to observing. Very large, heavy, and require a reasonable vehicle to carry all the parts. Expensive to very expensive for larger apertures. Large Dobsonians are crowd pullers.
Now let us take the average beginner, or the more advanced observer, who simply requires a quick set-up system without the time and effort involved with polar alignment, GOTO alignment, lifting and carrying of mounts and parts, and yet wants a strong shake-free mount, stable, crisp, contrasty images of the moon and planets, plus a decent aperture for deep-sky, all within a budget price. Is this possible?
With one telescope no. With two, yes. Hang on, isn't this defeating the object of having just one instrument, and just having to cope with that? Well sort of.........................................
A large binocular is essentially two telescopes joined at the hip, but is accepted as a single instrument.What if two telescopes, of different types and merits, are mounted on a common pivot? One for the moon, sun and planets, one for deep-sky. Two telescopes that are lightweight, portable, roughly equal in opposing weight, quick and easy to set up, and individually excel in their particular field. The ultimate in 'grab and go'?
Our package solution for the astronomer on a budget.
Intes-Micro MN58
and TS GSO 8" f/4
mounted on Tablet
and TS Wooden Tripod
- Bray Tablet mount with two DF dovetail holders.
- Suitable vibration-free sturdy wooden tripod.
- Intes-Micro MN58. 5" f/8 Maksutov-Newtonian. (Alternative to the MN58)
- TS GSO 8" f/4 Newtonian OTA. (Read a Review)
- Telescopes are mounted in opposition on the Tablet.
Bray TabletThe Tablet mount is more than capable of supporting both telescopes for shake-free observing. Manual tracking at high power is fingertip easy. The mount can move both telescopes simultaneously in altitude and azimuth, and independently in altitude if required. The Tablet is a revolution in modern observational astronomy. Centralised mass design, with exceptionally smooth movements and excellent internal damping components, ensure hassle-free observing, even in fresh winds.
TS Wooden TripodThe tripod is the sturdy, torsion-free TS Wooden Tripod. Wood has better damping properties than metal at this weight and mass level. It is also lighter and more portable than a similar strength metal tripod.
I-M MN58 showing tiny secondary obstructionIntes-Micro MN58. 5" f/8 Maksutov-Newtonian. The lunar/planetary telescope in the package. The MN series from Intes-Micro are justly famous for their embarrassingly good performance alongside similar aperture APO refractors. The 5" f/8 is the latest telescope in the series. This instrument boasts a tiny 15% central obstruction, which means APO refractor performance at a fraction of the cost. Magnifications of 60-70X per inch of aperture are possible in favourable steady seeing conditions. Pinpoint star images, stable high contrast planetary images, and a superb white-light solar telescope with the addition of AstroSolar filter over the full aperture. MN58 is complete with fully baffled aluminium dewshield, end cap, passive cooling system around the meniscus lens, 2" Crayford focusser with 1 1/4" adapter, 7x35 finderscope and bracket, spare bracket shoe, revolving tube rings and soft carry case.
TS GSO 8" f/4.
(In this image, shown on
small equatorial mount).TS GSO 8" f/4 Newtonian. The deep-sky telescope in the package. A larger aperture, photographically fast Newtonian that represents excellent value for money. Clear visibility of planetary nebulae, resolved globular clusters, gaseous nebulae, galaxies and open star clusters, are all within the light grasp and resolution of this telescope. A brighter, more contrasty deep-sky performance than any 8" f/10 SCT. For a flat visual and photographic field, we recommend the optional coma corrector. TS GSO 8" f/4 Newtonian is complete with end cap, 2" Rack and Pinion focusser with 1 1/4" adapter, 8X50 finderscope with bracket, and tube rings.
Between these two telescopes, all types of astronomical objects of interest, commonly observed by amateurs, are visible. Each telescope is at an advantage with different astronomical objects. This system allows the best observing experience of any budget equipment.
Complete system price - £1799 inc. VAT.
TS GSO 8" f/4 OTA
plus Intes-Micro MN58
mounted on a Bray Tablet
on a TS Wooden tripod
Eyepieces
With budget telescope systems from a single manufacturer, or dealer packages, the eyepieces offered as part of the system usually leave a lot to be desired. Free eyepiece offers, included eyepieces or reduced price eyepiece groups, are often from a mountain of eyepieces that have remained unsold, or are extremely cheap to manufacture. Either way, they are rarely eyepieces that one would choose to purchase on their own.
We have put together some eyepiece groups that are suitable for the above Bray telescope package, or indeed many other telescopes. These eyepieces have been chosen because they represent great value for money, but predominantly because they perform very well and are the best in their price range. We have chosen these eyepieces and arranged packages at lower costs.
We have also recommended, and can supply, accessories chosen with the same level of consideration.
TAL 1 1/4" Super Plossls. Multi-coated high contrast Plossls. 45 to 50 degree apparent field eyepieces - £49 each or £149 for four.
Choose from 40mm, 32mm, 25mm, 20mm, 17mm, 12.5mm, 10mm, 7.5mm, 6.3mm.TS WAFMC 1 1/4" Wide angle eyepieces. 67 degree apparent field eyepieces with lens edge blackening, and full multi-coated - £59 each or £169 for four.
Choose from 20mm, 15mm, 9mm, 6mm. Excellent performance when used with the coma corrector.TS SWA 2" 32mm. Fully multi-coated wide angle 2" eyepiece. When used with the f/4 Newtonian and coma corrector, the results are breathtaking - £79
Coma corrector - corrects for off-axis coma in fast Newtonians - £89
TAL 2X 1 1/4" Barlow lens. The best budget Barlow available - £39
Celestron 2X 1 1/4" Ultima Barlow. Slightly better, but more expensive - £69Celestron 1 1/4" Polarizer. Excellent for the moon in daylight - £14.99
Baader AstroSolar filter. Unbeatable stuff. A4 sheet for the MN58 - £14.99
Celestron 1 1/4" LPR filter. The least expensive broad-band nebula filter that works well - £69
ICS Narrow-band and Line filters. The best optically flat filters of their kind.
1 1/4" UHC, OIII and H-Beta filters - £95.
2" UHC, OIII and H-Beta filters - £195Remember, apart from the ICS filters, these are all low cost accessories that will outperform many more expensive alternatives.
Recommended observations that take into account the particular merits of each telescope type.
Using two telescopes, both with Newtonian focus, allows both focus mounts and eyepieces to be 'toed' in slightly, so that only a small movement of the observer's head is required to move from one scope to the other.
TS GSO 8" f/4.
Any deep-sky object with any eyepiece, but particularly -
- TS GSO 8" f/4 + coma corrector + 32mm 2" SWA + ICS 2" UHC or OIII filter. 25X flat field, huge exit pupil. Wander around Orion in the winter, Cygnus and Sagittarius in the summer. Breathtaking.
- As above but without the filter. Move along the whole of the visible Milky Way during summer. M31, M33, when both are above 45 degrees elevation, Double cluster in Perseus during summer and autumn, M45 in winter, also the three open clusters in Auriga.
Intes-Micro MN58
Any coloured or close double stars 5" aperture will resolve. Anything that great optics show at their best, but particularly -
- Any of the visible planets at any magnification that the seeing will allow. The TAL Plossls (although not much eye-relief) will be the best at high power. Don't be afraid to use the TAL or Celestron Barlow, this telescope can take more power than you think.
- The Moon at any magnification the seeing will allow. Using the 9mm TS WAFMC, you may just get the whole Moon into the field of view.
- If your heart is warmed by a clean Airy disc with single diffraction ring, (in other words if you like textbook optical performance), the MN58 will provide it.
- The Sun at 50X - 60X with AstroSolar filter over the full aperture. Lovely image.
If the above telescopes/mount/eyepieces/accessories don't get you permanently hooked on astronomy, nothing will!
