Ostara ED 102 mm, f7 OTA

[Orion]

Does anyone have any experience of the above Ostara telescope, perhaps an owner?  I was able to find a review (which was a good positive review, of what was said to be a cheaper end of a high grade scope) on SGL, dated a few years ago. But surprisingly, no one had replied on a recent request I made on a couple of the Facebook accounts - one American one with 43k members. So, the scope mustn't be as well known as some others.

 

I had thought of it as a visual telescope rather than imaging because of its f7 focal ratio. But a focal reducer might make it better as a deep sky object imaging scope for shorter exposures. But at f7, it would probably be better for planetary and lunar imaging without a focal reducer anyway. So I would use it for planetary and lunar imaging, but probably not for deep sky (not without a focal reducer anyway), and not when I'm getting a William Optics  GT81, a faster scope suitable for DSO imaging.

 

I thought that a range of views might build a consensus of opinion, to help in a decision making process.

 

Thank you 

Derek 

 

 

[+Bino-viewer]

Maybe you've already seen this : its from SGL back in 2013.

 

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/193764-first-light-and-star-testing-ostara-102ed-refractor/

[Orion]

7 hours ago, Bino-viewer said:

Maybe you've already seen this : its from SGL back in 2013.

 

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/193764-first-light-and-star-testing-ostara-102ed-refractor/

 

Thank you Rob.  I had seen the earlier part of that review, but your link took me to some later updates, which was good reading.