Customer
Comments
Here’s what a few OA-Series™ owners have
to say:
What a scope!!!!!!!!! I will sell ALL of my GoTo gizmos Mak-Newts... THIS IS
THE BEST SCOPE I'VE EVER LOOKED THROUGH. PERIOD! I thought I had a perfect
optics in my 1980 vintage Questar (and I still think it is) but after having
had a look at the moon and the gas giants last night, knocked me of my chair
(collimation was a breeeeeeze)! I ended up spending A LOT more time behind the
eyepiece then I had accounted for. Hmm, after a couple of hours my spouse began
to look worried. Dan, this scope is a keeper. It doesn't matter whatever
"Computerized, GoTo, GPS, exotic optics" jargon they will throw at
me. I will NEVER part with my OA-4. "Now let me see, if I get rid of that
and that I could get me one of those OA-9s..." :-)
P.L.
Torpet, Sweden, OA-4.0 owner
I
am getting better at aligning the optics and the views of the planets are
breathtaking. Saturn rocks. Using a homemade 20mm plossl I saw Tethys without
using averted vision during a full moon, I could make out a lot of detail on
Saturn’s disc, the Cassini division, Titan really bright, Iapetus with averted
vision, and Rhea with Dione off and on along with a ninth magnitude star very
close by. Really didn’t know this was possible with a 4” scope under moonlit
suburban skies at only 50x.
S.W.
Tahlequah, OK OA-4.0 owner
Just a quick note to let you
know how well my first 2 (clear!) nights went with the new OA-4...
Fit
and finish: outstanding! Edmund Red looks great. Helical focuser is really
nice. I think I like it's precision better than R & P focusers.
Motions/friction: outstanding! I've read about LP records on Dobs, I had no
idea they worked better than Ebony Star. But, it sure does! Friction adjustment
works really well. I may want one for the other side, not for the friction, but
for added security when carrying the OTA and base simultaneously...
Engineering:
Outstanding! Split yoke is a pleasure to use. Great latch! Mirror cell works
great, collimates smoothly. Amused to see Duct tape holding the mirror on. So
that's how professionals do it, eh? Knowing this works will make my future ATM
'scopes a little easier to build. Collimation: easy, with a bit of practice,
and cooled mirror for the star test portion.
Optics:
Absolutely flawless, to me. So that's what the star test is supposed to show,
eh? Never seen diffraction rings the same on both sides, on any 'scope (I
always check this out when someone is showing me something through their
'scope). I can't see the zonal error you told me about. Sharp! Sharp! Sharp!
Best detail I've had on Jupiter through any 'scope. I've never seen detail
inside the Great Read Spot before. Alnitak was a truly beautiful split with
black space between the components, and a beautiful yellow/green to the b star,
under less than ideal seeing, too. 70x/inch was pretty easy, even on Jupiter,
again, under less than perfect seeing. Impressive. And, the views of open
clusters with my 32mm Plossl were stunning becasue of the tiny points of light
the stars formed. I think there will be a larger aperture OA 'scope for me in
the future.
--KR, Kalamazoo, MI, OA-4.0 owner
Hi Dan, I love the skies
this time of year. It's a very still night tonight, atmospherically
speaking, and I'm getting some nice views out there with the OA-4.0. On
Saturn, the Cassini Division and Crepe Ring really stand out, as well as a few
moons. Jupiter is not as high in the sky yet, but the banding looks nice and the moons look like
moons. Betelgeuse is fiery red-orange, Rigel is blue and it's companion is
easily in view. The Trapezium is nice and sharp, and the Orion Nebula
looks great too. As always, the star test looks perfect. I really
haven't had to fiddle with the collimation once I got it right; it seems to hold
pretty well. I usually do a quick star test to start off and as long as
there's no astigmatism, I don't mess around. Funny thing; there seems to
be less heat distortion when it's cold out. During the summer it seemed
present all the time. Perhaps it's that the air is more still this time of
year; sometimes it's hard to tell the difference between the effects of heat
waves and atmospheric turbulence. Anyway, the scope is really throwing up
some nice views of the gas giants and I just wanted to let you know I'm still
enjoying it very much. The best planetary views seem to be between about
100 and 200 mags. I don't have the eyepieces to go farther yet, but my
guess is that I could probably go up to 250 on good nights with good quality
eyepieces before image breakdown. This means the scope can comfortably
handle 50 to 60 mags per inch of aperture which is
pretty good when you think about it. The images are not quite as bright as
with my old 6 inch refractor, but they're pretty close. That's also
extraordinary for 4 inches of aperture. Add to that zero false color and I
think we have a winner here.
--TC,
Cheshire, CT, OA-4.0 owner
Finally
have some good seeing here in FL & have had several months to evaluate your
scope & get the collimation in, or at least close. I was amazed to see dark
brown color on one Jupiters bands using your 4". I didn't think this was
possible with a 4" scope but, I've seen it 2 nights in a row now. This is
using a 12mm eyepiece. For some reason, I don't feel the need to push the power
with this scope. I can't figure it out: a 12mm looks like 125X in other scopes
for some reason? Anyway, I'd have to be hard up to sell this scope as it's
easily the best 4" I've ever looked through. Images are sharp &
contrasty.
--JY, Spring Hill FL, OA-4.0
owner
“I was out the other night, Dan, with my OA, and though the
night was far from perfect (high level haze), I am always amazed at the view
from your scope. Whoever does your mirrors must work for the space program —
they are perfect! I looked at the crescent moon, and could see the tiniest
stars directly adjacent, with absolutely perfect images (except for some
astigmatism in my right eye!). My left eye is better. The other thing I really like about your scope, Dan, is its
ergonomics. Setting up and using your scope, usually while seated on a
comfortable observing chair, is so much more pleasant than struggling with a
tripod, some GOTO system, refractor OTA, etc. I am a fan of medium-sized
scopes, and your scope really delivers! The only drawback I can think of, is
the larger size of the OTA, but when you factor in unwieldy tripods, yours is
the clear winner!"
--M.M.,
Waterloo, Iowa, OA-5.1 ATS owner
“I watched part of a shadow transit last night and
shadow looked so black that it appeared a hole had been drilled into
Jupiter. The two Equatorial Bands looked like two meandering rivers! I
could see small ovals of light and dark material inside the bands. Actually
it's near impossible to describe in words, what I was seeing there was so much
detail.”
--M.T.,
Corpus Christi, TX, OA-5.5 owner
“The 5.5 has performed brilliantly the last several times
out, including an incredible view of Jupiter, with bands and festoons. The new
crescent Moon was spectacular at magnifications up to 220 power, with steady
seeing.”
--C.C.,
Concord, NH, OA-5.5 owner
“Perfect star images. I thought I had good optics with my
8" Newtonian. I didn’t know
what good optics were like.”
--R.P.,
Niagra Falls, NY, OA-4 owner
“Very crisp and clear images. Went together very easily after unpacking.”
--K.K.,
Kasai Trading, Toyko, Japan, OA-4 & OA-5.5 ordered
“The finest
optical images I’ve seen with any scope.”
--S.L., Lawrence, KS, OA-4 owner
"No comparison with the 8 inch scope I borrowed from my
club. M13 split into many stars even from my light polluted location.”
--B.T.,
Albany, NY, OA-7 owner