SV 80mm ED Doublet Refractor Telescope Review 1
SV 80mm ED Doublet Refractor Telescope Review 1
SV 80mm ED Doublet Refractor Telescope Review 1
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<strong>SV</strong> <strong>80mm</strong> <strong>ED</strong> <strong>Doublet</strong> <strong>Refractor</strong> <strong>Telescope</strong> <strong>Review</strong> 1<br />
STELLARVUE TELESCOPES 11820 Kemper Road, Auburn, CA 95603 (530) 823-7796<br />
As seen in Astronomy Technology Today<br />
http://www.stellarvue.com/80edreview1.html (1 of 4)10/1/2009 12:28:38 PM
<strong>SV</strong> <strong>80mm</strong> <strong>ED</strong> <strong>Doublet</strong> <strong>Refractor</strong> <strong>Telescope</strong> <strong>Review</strong> 1<br />
By Erik Wilcox<br />
When ATT asked me to review the new Stellarvue 80<strong>ED</strong> Nighthawk Next Generation and M1 Deluxe Alt-Az mount, I eagerly accepted.<br />
Aside from some quick looks through the very popular <strong>SV</strong> 80/90s at several star parties, my experience with Stellarvue telescopes was limited to<br />
one older Nighthawk. A few years back, I'd gotten to use and compare that particular telescope extensively with several other designs and came<br />
away with very positive impressions. The only areas where I thought improvement might be in order were with the rack-and-pinion focuser with<br />
which that older generation Nighthawk was equipped, finding it a bit more stiff than I prefer, and the weight of that telescope. However, its weight<br />
was a result of the fact that it was simply built like a tank, so that's not necessarily a bad thing. What I remember most though is that it had great<br />
optics and from the Nighthawk owners I've talked over the years, I've gathered a strong sense of intense brand loyalty. So I was very curious to<br />
see what type of travel scope Stellarvue would come up with.<br />
The Nighthawk NG and M1 Alt-Az Mount were delivered just in time for a week long trip to dark skies of our cabin site on the Big Island of Hawaii.<br />
Everything was very well packaged for shipping and arrived in perfect condition. I must say that I wasn't expecting such a beautiful scope! This<br />
premium f/7 refractor has a build quality that competes with many of the highest-end refractors I've had the pleasure of using and the Stardust<br />
white finish of the optical tube really showcases its overall looks.<br />
The rotating, dual-speed Crayford focuser is just gorgeous, with a buttery smooth action that holds its position under the heaviest eyepieces. A<br />
micrometer scale on the drawtube is also a nice, useful touch. The sliding dew shield moves back and forth with a silky ease, yet stays firmly in<br />
the fully retracted or extended positions, and the lens cap is metal, with a felt insert. A heavy duty CNC machined clamshell ring holds and balances<br />
the optical tube nicely. It has a Vixen style dovetail with a safety catch<br />
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY 41<br />
STELLARVUE 80<strong>ED</strong> NIGHTHAWK<br />
and a bracket for the included red dot finder.<br />
Admiring the collimatable objective lens at an angle, I could see a pretty green-hued multi-coating. The lenses appeared to almost disappear<br />
when viewed from straight on, so it seemed as though the coatings were clearly doing the job. Peering into the OTA, I could see no stray<br />
reflections or shiny objects - just a jet black tube with two baffles to further eliminate the possibility of any contrast robbing glare. Attention to<br />
detail is obvious everywhere and the focus knobs have a nice knurled grip and chrome trim gives them a classy look. The gear reduction knob is<br />
easily gripped and has a very smooth feel. Even the compression ring screw on the drawtube is chrome.<br />
The Nighthawk NG delivered to me was also binoviewer-ready, with a removable tube section that allows the telescope/binoviewer combination to<br />
reach focus without the addition of a Barlow of OCS as required by most fixed tube telescopes. Unfortunately, because I don't own a binoviewer, I<br />
wasn't able to test the scope in that configuration.<br />
The Nighthawk NG arrived with a sturdy airline-portable carrying case with the Stellarvue logo embroidered on the front. Inside, there are several<br />
pre-cut holes for eyepieces and other accessories. I carried this case onto the airplane and, in addition to the telescope and a number of<br />
accessories, had room for a few personal items and reading material (the latest issue of ATT, of course!) for the five hour flight. The zippered case<br />
has a convenient handle, as well as an adjustable shoulder strap.<br />
The M1 Deluxe Alt-Az Mount is of a very unique and innovative design. With the exception of its stabilizing section/extension bar, the mount is<br />
very light in weight. Despite the lightweight design, it proved to be a very sturdy mount. The tripod legs have three sections that, when fully<br />
extended, place the eyepiece height at nearly 6-feet (with the scope pointed at a 45-degree angle). Even with all three legs extended, stability<br />
wasn't noticeably affected. The stabilizing section directly under the scope's center of gravity really does its job very well. The tripod leg sections<br />
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<strong>SV</strong> <strong>80mm</strong> <strong>ED</strong> <strong>Doublet</strong> <strong>Refractor</strong> <strong>Telescope</strong> <strong>Review</strong> 1<br />
collapse inside of each other to about 18 inches long and the stabilizing bar is easily removable (without tools) for transport, making for a very<br />
compact package. Large, knurled aluminum knobs adjust the motion tension in each axis and they work flawlessly. Motion in both axes was<br />
smooth, predictable and sure. The M1 Deluxe Alt-Az Mount that I tested included an optional handle that made slewing the scope even more<br />
convenient.<br />
Conditions couldn't have been better for the scope's first light. It was a moon less night and the skies at my cabin site are pristine, with no lights<br />
nearby. The site is on the slopes of Mauna Loa, at an elevation of 4,500 feet, and the limiting magnitude approximately 7 on most nights. M51 is<br />
naked eye visible when high enough in the sky (the site is at 19 degrees North Latitude) and despite a bit of VOG (volcano fog) along the horizon<br />
from the very active Kilauea volcano, transparency was excellent overhead. On this night, M36 and M37 were naked eye, so I started with them. At<br />
23x, both clusters looked like tiny diamonds scattered against the jet black sky, and fainter M38 was very nice as well. Over in Orion, an unfiltered<br />
view of M42 showed extensive nebulosity and the four main components of the Trapezium were easily resolved. At high power, the "E" component<br />
was visible with averted vision and installing a Thousand Oaks narrowband filter gave the nebulosity an intricate, textured look. At 187x, Saturn<br />
showed a plethora of detail, with the planet's disk glowing through the translucent Crepe Ring. Despite the low tilt of the rings, the Cassini<br />
Division was visible with little effort and banding detail was quite evident on the disk - nice performance for a 3-inch scope!<br />
A star and Ronchi test showed very good optics and chromatic aberration was only visible on the brightest stars, like Sirius. Stars really "snapped"<br />
to focus at any power. Even at high magnification, the mount was solid, with less than three seconds of dampening time needed after a solid rap<br />
on the side of the legs. For the next several nights, I had a great time with the Nighthawk NG and Mount, and the hours seemed to pass by much<br />
too quickly. Often, I found myself just scanning the Milky Way at low power to admire the star-fields, which were tight and crisp from edge to edge.<br />
Back in California, I got the scope out on several nights (under much poorer skies, of course) and by this time, the moon was waxing towards the<br />
first quarter. In focus, there was very little chromatic aberration visible at any magnification; a bit of a pale magenta along the limb if I really<br />
looked for it, but certainly nothing to complain about. I saw very little violet false color on the moon, despite its minor presence on the brightest<br />
stars. Unlike many of the medium focal ratio achromats I've used, I<br />
Astronomy TECHNOLOGY TODAY 43<br />
STELLARVUEâ€S 80<strong>ED</strong> NIGHTHAWK<br />
[I] never felt that the very small amount of chromatic aberration in this scope detracted from the views. The moon's deepest craters and shadows<br />
were virtually colorless and the views were simply beautiful. A low-power view showcased the moon's earthshine and its beautiful contrast against<br />
the background sky. I'm generally not much of a lunar observer, but I'm continuously amazed at how much detail one can see with even a small<br />
scope. The Nighthawk Next Generation did not disappoint!<br />
I always find it important to mention the positives as well as any negatives in my reviews. I want the readers to get an accurate overall impression<br />
of how a product performs, as well as its specific attributes and its potential downsides. But, with this review, I must confess that I'm struggling to<br />
come up with anything remotely negative. The build quality and functional aspects of the Stellarvue 80<strong>ED</strong> Nighthawk Next Generation telescope<br />
would be very difficult to improve upon. The optics are excellent and though the color correction isn't quite "apochromatic" it's far better than that<br />
of a standard achromat. On all but the brightest objects, I was hard-pressed to see any false color; the exotic <strong>ED</strong> lens element really does the job.<br />
The focuser is extremely smooth and precise and with a slight tension adjustment, it had no problem holding my heaviest 2inch eyepieces.<br />
And the mount is simply the best travel option I've seen, period. The stability is much more than I expected and I love the ability to place the<br />
eyepiece height at nearly 6 feet high (I'm a tall guy). The optional 2-inch Stellarvue mirror diagonal with which the telescope was supplied is also<br />
very good, with a build quality that complements this excellent telescope. It's often been said that there is no "perfect" telescope, as each design<br />
has its compromises and limitations. That may be true, but if the parameters are a beautifully designed and well built <strong>80mm</strong> scope with great<br />
optics, on a stable, yet portable mount, it would be tough to beat the Stellarvue 80 <strong>ED</strong> Nighthawk Next Generation/M1 Deluxe Alt-Az Mount<br />
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<strong>SV</strong> <strong>80mm</strong> <strong>ED</strong> <strong>Doublet</strong> <strong>Refractor</strong> <strong>Telescope</strong> <strong>Review</strong> 1<br />
combination.<br />
Whether you're considering a telescope/mount for travel or for simply setting up in your backyard, you'll be hard pressed to find a better<br />
combination of functional optical excellence and convenient, stable mounting. Having experienced its latest version, I'm confident that the already<br />
huge popularity of the Stellarvue Nighthawk series is about to increase even more.<br />
Stellarvue is dedicated to providing the highest quality telescopes, programs and experiences to enable personal discovery and foster a<br />
greater appreciation for nature and the universe.<br />
All specifications and prices are subject to change without notice. Designs and materials are often modified to improve them. All copy and photographs are<br />
copyright 2009 and may not be used without permission.<br />
Stellarvue trademarks and service marks, logos, product and service names are trademarks of Stellarvue (the "Stellarvue Marks"). Without Stellarvue's prior<br />
permission, these marks may not be displayed or used in any manner. Some products may be patent pending and we consider all of our designs proprietary.<br />
Stellarvue will take necessary action against any dealer in the USA carrying imitations of our proprietary products. Dealers are warned to check with us first<br />
before purchasing similar products as there may be illicit copies of products we specifically designed. Such products may only be sold by authorized Stellarvue<br />
dealers. We encourage all dealers interested in carrying our specific products to become a Stellarvue dealer. Contact vic@stellarvue.com or call (530) 823-7796<br />
for more information.<br />
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