Page 92 - BBC Sky at Night - September 2017 UK

92 FIRST LIGHT SEPTEMBER

FIRST LIGHT

built-in 2-inch version. The mechanism’s design
>
means that anything locked in place will be
perfectly on-axis with the main telescope.
The grip-ring is chunky and usable even when
wearing gloves, but we found that the system tends
to rotate the inserted equipment during tightening.
The focuser itself allows full 360° movement, so
this isn’t too much of an issue. We also found that
barrels with recessed sections needed special care,
because the reduced diameter of the recessed ring
didn’t always grip properly with the 1.25-inch adaptor.
Cancelling creep
A dual-speed hybrid drive focuser merges Crayford-
style friction focusing with the direct action of a Excellent stars were visible
rack and pinion focuser, and gave us one of the best across this image of
focuser experiences we’ve ever had. The movement NGC 7000, shot with a full-
frame unmodified DSLR
was smooth, responsive and direct, with the 1:11
fine focus knob producing no backlash. The focuser
design eliminates the creep that sometimes occurs This is a great grab-and-go scope with some nicely
when using a heavy camera at a steep angle, which thought out features. It is supplied with a set of Prima SKY SAYS…
can cause the focuser to extend. We couldn’t budge Luce Universal System (PLUS) tube rings for mounting, Now add these:
it even when reasonable manual force was applied. but you’ll also need a dovetail. Its short focal length 1. Canon EOS
Using our own diagonal and eyepieces, the isn’t particularly demanding in respect of its mount,
Airy APO 65F delivered high-contrast views free unless you intend to use it for seriously long exposures. 700Da astro-
from any colour fringing. The bright gibbous Biased towards wide-field, low-power views, this is a PRGL!HG"FRROHG"
Moon, viewed at 84x magnification, appeared scope best suited to stunning deep-sky vistas. S DSLR camera
beautifully detailed. We could make out the 2. PrimaLuceLab
6km-diameter crater Hadley C quite convincingly, VERDICT
but the nearby Hadley Rille escaped us. At low (DJOH"&RUH"'6/5"
BUILD AND DESIGN +++++
magnification, we were delighted to see the Moon FRQWURO"XQLW"
EASE OF USE +++++
and stars visible in the field of view. With a 20mm 3."2SWRORQJ"
FEATURES +++++
eyepiece giving a magnification of 21x, it was L-Pro Max
wonderful to sweep along the Milky Way’s rich IMAGING QUALITY +++++
star fields. The stars really do look vibrant with OPTICS +++++ OXPLQRVLW\"!OWHU
the scope’s superb contrast. OVERALL +++++

OPTICAL TUBE

This scope is built like a tank. The 2.3kg,
350mm-long tube is made from aluminium,
and feels incredibly solid and well-
constructed. There’s an extending dew
shield and the inside of the tube has been
flocked to help increase contrast.

WWW.THESECRETSTUDIO.NET, PETE LAWRENCE

skyatnightmagazine.com 2017