My Refractors

[+Bino-viewer]

My recent, second hand purchase of a WO FLT 98 at 618mm focal length fills the gap between my smaller 350mm focal length and larger 925mm focal length refractors.

The plan is to use the FLT 98 as an imaging scope with the smaller 70mm Petzval on a variety of targets with my Canon 6D DSLR on my new TTS mounting platform.

In this purchase the seller very generously 'threw in' a new, unused WO TMB field flattener which is a sizable piece of glass in its own right.

It will currently only work with a Canon APS-C DSLR, and not my Full Frame 6D. I plan to address this though.

And also included was a 0.8 x reducer / flattener, although i think i can only use this with a dedicated CCD camera.

 

My larger FLT 132, with its immense focuser is my primary visual binoviewing scope and it works excellently with the Mk V, particularly with the long focusing travel needed to reach focus with various amplifiers.

 

I've had a quick visual session with the 98. It impressed, although it doesn't have the extra long focus travel i need for 2 eyed viewing.

I'm also hoping to use it as a daytime scope for nature and birdwatching. Its much smaller and a lot lighter than my 132.

 

Take a look.

 

Edited January 25, 2018 by Bino-viewer

[BAZ]

That's a nice collection you have got there Rob, you just need the weather to cooperate now.

[philjay]

Very nice. I had the FLT98 with same focuser, a cracking scope visually and for imaging. Lunar and planets were the most colour free I have seen in any refractor. My one gripe with these types of scopes is that they are just too heavy. OK if your in a fixed observatory but for portability they leave a bit to be desired especially if your old and creaky I sold mine after 4 years because I wasnt using it.

Edited January 25, 2018 by philjay

[Tweedledee]

Very nice scopes in a nice range of focal lengths. 

[Guest]

1 hour ago, philjay said:

Very nice. I had the FLT98 with same focuser, a cracking scope visually and for imaging. Lunar and planets were the most colour free I have seen in any refractor. My one gripe with these types of scopes is that they are just too heavy. OK if your in a fixed observatory but for portability they leave a bit to be desired especially if your old and creaky I sold mine after 4 years because I wasnt using it.

This is the main reason I have stopped coveting larger 'scopes than my 127mm Mak.

[+Bino-viewer]

Well, i seem to remember them doing a carbon fibre version of this scope as well a few years ago.

But they say aluminium is a better option for imaging with a refractor ? Not sure why ?

 

I bet the WO dovetail (Vixen) weighs half a kilo on its own. I will probably change it for a smaller one.

But what i can tell you its a lot lot lighter than its bigger brother