xExperience reports / test reports part 2

Customer testimonials:
(I would like to encourage you to share your experience with our products with us. Thank you!)

Customer Service Testimonial and Orion UK 14"
Hello Karl,

Here, as promised, is a short report:

In the fall of 2011, I ordered an Orion UK 14" Newtonian from you with various eyepieces,
filters, and other accessories. After the delivery from England was delayed,
you kindly provided me with a 12" Dobsonian for those weeks at no extra cost.
When the Orion 14" arrived with the Skywatcher NEQ6 and I unfortunately couldn't get along with this mount, you took it back and I received a Dobsonian mount—again from England.
Now everything was complete and easy to use, and on several evenings of observation
from the outskirts of Konstanz, Bodanrück, and in the Hegau (approx. 800 m), I was able to test the optics on various objects:

Moon, phase 1/4 and 1/2: good, bright, and very clear image, craters very finely resolved, all shadow play visible in detail

Jupiter: quite sharp even at higher magnifications, main bands and moons passing by the planet clearly visible
although I've never seen more than four rings so far, but that's probably due to the moderate glare from Lake Constance

M13: perfect in all eyepieces, very beautiful image, wonderful to look at

Pleiades and double cluster near Cassiopeia: clear, beautiful image that you can gaze at until you're full, pinpoint sharpness

Andromeda Galaxy: easy to find and clearly visible, the brighter core and shape are clearly visible; I had a bit more hoped

Orion Nebula: the best object so far, crystal clear, distinctly greenish, even from the outskirts of Konstanz, cotton-ball-like, perfect

Many more observations and objects will follow, and it's fun exploring space with this great device.
Thank you again for the excellent processing and customer service; I'm also very satisfied with the Orion SPX VX14.
I will be happy to purchase additional accessories from you if needed and recommend you to other interested parties.

Best regards,
Boris S.

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Hello Mr. Kloß,

I would like to show you an image taken with the TLAPO804 028 from your telescope manufacturer:

The last two days have been very clear, and I chose a standard object for exposure: the Horsehead Nebula.

Optics: TLAPO804 SN: 028
Guiding on the CPC1100 with an 80/400 guide scope using MGEN
I stacked 38 x 10-minute exposures with my CANON 450D(a) at ISO 800
Filter: IDAS LPS-P2
TS2" Flattner
Stacked with IMAGES PLUS 4.50
Finalized with Photoshop CS5 Extended
Light denoising with Neat Image 7

I hope you enjoy!

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iOptron MiniTower

A lightweight with power – the new AZ GoTo mount from iOptron

With a total weight of just under 12 kilograms for mount and tripod, the new MiniTower is a very portable device, which, according to the manufacturer, should allow a payload of 11 kilograms (25 lbs). However, this obviously still doesn't reach the maximum load capacity, at least according to the product description, which is currently only available in English. Unspecified "heavy-duty accessories" are supposed to increase the payload by a further 50% (!). Additional counterweights may be considered, but no further details have been revealed.
Stored in the practical carrying case with the hand controller, adapter, and counterweight, the MiniTower is particularly interesting as a stable travel mount. The alt-azimuth design should certainly be advantageous for the many "balcony observers" with limited visibility. The built-in GPS and the GOTONOVA 8401 handheld controller, which, according to the manufacturer, is "equipped with the largest database on the market" (130,000 objects) and is "better organized and easier to handle" than competing models, offer a lot of promise in additional ways.
Due to the persistently adverse weather conditions of recent times, relatively little can be said about the GoTo and tracking capabilities; therefore, in this article, we will limit ourselves to general impressions and mechanical properties of the new development.

Load Capacity and Stability
Although the mount I purchased neither wobbled nor seemed to be limited in any other way when loaded with up to 5 kilograms on one side, one might still want to use the included 4 kilogram counterweight. Alternatively—and this is a real product advantage for me—a camera or a second telescope can be mounted instead of the counterweight. Since the maximum load on this side is only 3.6 kilograms (8 lbs), the options are, of course, quite limited. This leaves little room for maneuver, especially for the always interesting comparisons between different optics.
For this reason, I had a shaft made that was shortened by exactly half, replacing the 18 cm long counterweight rod. Theoretically, this would now allow a load of 7.2 kilograms, but this certainly cannot be fully utilized. The main problem (as I see it) is probably the inadequate fixation of the dovetail clamp to the hard and smooth surface of the chrome-steel shaft. Even with a light load, I had to tighten the locking screw very firmly, and yet the tube occasionally slipped downwards slightly during observation. Using brass at least limits the problem. My C6 optic (here, 4.5 kg) could be fixed quite securely this way, as the screw had a good grip on the much softer brass. Perhaps the problem can also be solved with a second adjusting screw (like the one on Vixen).
For my initial tests, I mounted the 102 mm ED-APO (5 kg) on ​​the stable "main" side due to the tube length (and slightly higher weight). Both optics together don't seem to place any particular strain on the mount in this configuration. The post-oscillation time remained within limits, and GoTo and the easily adjustable slip clutches for manual control worked perfectly.
 

Control/Operation
As already mentioned at the beginning, iOptron uses the GOTONOVA 8401 hand controller to control the mount. The design and key layout are generally comparable to established hand controllers. What's striking, however, is the generously sized eight-line display with a range of information for navigating the system. Alt/azimuth movements are controlled via the keypad as usual, and the quiet operation, even at higher speeds, is a welcome feature. We can definitely confirm the advertised simplified handling. For example, "One-star align" is possible in a simple two-step process: You press the Align button, select "One-star align," and confirm with ENTER. A list of the reference stars or planets currently available for the corresponding location appears (usually three, but you should know them!). Now you just have to select one of these objects, center it in the eyepiece, and confirm again with ENTER. Done! Tracking begins, and you can select the desired targets from the impressively large database and navigate to them via GoTo.
In addition to "One-star align," the more precise "Two-star align" is available. The controller also offers "Easy-star align" and "Three-star align," but neither of these are available in azimuthal mode.
The prerequisite for calibration and GoTo is the so-called "parking position." This is achieved by leveling the mount horizontally and aligning it at least approximately to the south.
The leveling is delightfully practical: It can be achieved quite precisely by simply turning the height-adjustable "pins" on the tripod head. Now all that's left to do is bring the tube into the vertical position (advantage?) and—to me, misleading—confirm by pressing the "To Park Position" button.

As an aside: The well-thought-out coordination between the mount and tripod allows even longer tubes to be positioned at zenith height or to allow them to "spin" completely. A half-column, which is supposed to prevent them from bumping into the tripod legs, is therefore unnecessary.

Since I prefer to observe from the balcony, at least during the cold season, the functionality of the "one-star align" was of course most important to me. Fortunately, I have a relatively clear view to the east, southwest, and west, as the assigned reference stars all lay in that direction. So, bad luck for an observer facing north? Regardless of this issue, GoTo and tracking worked unexpectedly accurately even with this one-star calibration. This is certainly also due to the built-in GPS receiver, which ensures precise positioning. I had no problems connecting the receiver to the satellites; contact was established within a time frame of 1-3 minutes. Furthermore, it seemed important to me to level the device as accurately as possible; inaccuracies (e.g., due to minor shifts in the tripod) immediately resulted in inaccurate tracking. There is no realignment option provided by other manufacturers. So, in such a case, you have to start all over again.

Conclusion
After several disappointments, the Minitower is, for me, a device that not only promises but also seems to deliver what is offered to the interested buyer in the product advertisement.

Joachim Balfanz

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Dear Mr. Kloß,

It's about time I thank you for your years of consistently good advice!
I can also only praise the instruments (Kson ED 805.5 and Skywatcher Equinox 120),
which I finally acquired based on your recommendation.
As a beginner, I was fortunate enough to be able to join an – almost professional – group of amateur astronomers
who have been going to the higher Black Forest for years to "gaze."
When I first set up the small Kson, I thought I saw a hidden, pitying smile.
After the first "expert" look, however, I heard: "Come here and take a look at the great optics!
Pin-sharp stars, and M31 looks great too!"
I then had a free introductory course on the HEQ5 and the Equinox, as they were part of the standard equipment
up there. I'm often able to lend out the two wide-angle eyepieces, in particular.
(To people who usually work with huge apertures and cameras cooled to 30°C!)
They weren't exactly cheap, but they were definitely worth the money.
I hope for continued good cooperation!

Best regards,
Yours,
F. S.

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Image of M31 taken with our Bosma 80/500 refractor
(click on the photo for full resolution):

Image data:
Thomas Koch - Bosma 80/500 refractor - Nikon D80 -
6x360sec at ISO 800 - Tracked on a 10" Newtonian lens on an EQ-6 pro