First light with the Zenithstar 80

I ordered this scope from Adorama in the US, even with taxes I saved money, the package was a Zenithstar 80, 2" dielectric diagonal and 1.25" minus violet filter. It was being shipped via UPS and therefore I could track it's progress. It left New Jersey on Tuesday, got to Philadelphia and promptly got delayed for a day by a snowstorm. It left Philadelphia on Thursday 16th February and arrived in Cologne late in the day, where it was delayed again. It finally arrived in Dublin before 8am on Friday and I anticipated it arrival. The scope was delivered at lunchtime on Friday, I checked the packaging with the driver and everything was in order. Opening the box I was a little concerned to see that a second inner box was protected by a single strip of plastic air filled bags. When the second box was opened I was relieved to see a black carry case that was filled with a foam that was cut out to match the contours of the scope and a compartment for the diagonal.

Taking the scope out of the protective carry case the first thing that struck me was that this is a handsome scope, there's no other way to describe the look of the black and gold tube with the gold coloured focus knobs. The ZS 80 has a retractable dew shield, a crayford focuser and comes supplied with a William Optics 2" dielectric diagonal. I couldn't help but play with it for a time, sliding the dew shield back and forth and operating the focuser.

Looking down the tube I was promised 15 baffles, and there were 15 baffles seen through the lens that bore a nice green tint when a light was shone down the tube.

Someone was looking out for me as the Saturday night was clear and I had a chance to use it for the first time, the seeing was not the best from my back yard, only 3 of Ursa Minor's stars were visible with direct vision, 2 more could be seen with averted vision. The equipment I used was a Vanguard photographic tripod with a Manfrotto head, 9.7, 15, 26 and 32mm Meade Series 4000 Super Plossls giving magnifications of 48, 32, 18 and 15 along with a Meade 2X barlow. The ZS80 attaches to the tripod head via an L bracket and the whole set up felt secure.

I honed in on Pollux and racked the focuser in and out of focus and on both occasions I was presented with text book Airy disks, a testimony to the optics. The lens is cemented to the tube, this can be a blessing or a curse, it will take more punishment, but if it slips out of collimation, then it will most likely have to be sent back to the factory for recollimation.

Orion was high to the south and I used the 32mm to view M42, the nebula snapped into view, upping the magnification only improved the view with the nebula's butterfly shape being obvious. All 4 stars in the Trapezium were seen. The stars across the the FOV were sharp and round to the edge, more testimony to the optics.

Saturn was the next target, as an f/6 scope it it not an ideal planetary machine, Titan was obvious as was the gap between planet and rings with the 15mm, no divisions in the rings were seen.

I decided to give the scope a test and see if I could see M1, locating Zeta Tauri with the 32mm I popped in the 15mm and searched, and there it was, of course it was faint, but it was there nonetheless, no averted vision was required.

I spent some time moving to different objects, M45 was stunning, the Double Cluster was the best I've seen it, the Milky Way in Auriga was beautiful and the companion to Polaris was seen.

The ZS80 had one other trick, M41 was low in the sky, with the height of the tripod and the diagonal I would have to stand on my toes to see it, but the Crayford rotates and I could move it down to a more comfortable angle, this is a nice touch.

There are two things that I will have to add to make this an ideal urban scope, a LPR and a 2" eyepiece, most likely a 26mm or 30mm.

At 80mm with a focal length of 480mm I can't wait to view the regions of Sagittarius and Cygnus with this scope and the views from a dark location should be something else.

This is a wonderful scope, I know of the limitations, there will be no sightings of Stephan's Quintet or any of the Arp galaxies. This scope is designed for the Milky Way, for nebulae and open clusters, and judging by the view that I have viewed tonight it is more than capable of carrying out the task.

If you want a short focus refractor, consider the ZS80, it is a real grab and go scope.

Thanks for sticking with this review.

Paul

I have no afilliation with William Optics, I'm just a happy customer.

Well Paul i stuck with it! Sounds like a great scope and i hope you enjoy many a crisp night with her! The WO dielectric diagonals are brilliant arent they! I have one myself.

With regards to a 2" Eyepiece i know a few people who highly recommend the Hyperion eyepieces. Maybe the 21mm? There well priced and it comes with a 1.25" Adaptor so it really has to lengths(21mm and another)
There Made by Baader who are very well reknowned!

www.telescope-service.com/baader/eyepiec...pieces.html#hyperion

Happy Viewing and Clear Skies!
Matthew

Many congrats Paul. Those WO scopes are fantastic.

I couldn't help but play with it for a time, sliding the dew shield back and forth and operating the focuser.

I'm not the only one then

I'm amazed you could see M1 under those conditions. I tried for about 30 mins last night with the 90 but could detect it even with an Ultrablock. The NELM was 4 once dark adapted. Was it similar there?

Trev

I had to sneak in behind the garden shed to block off the streetlights, it was a tight squeeze, but worth it.

Paul

Wow, nice report Paul! So nice, I've moved it to Observing Reports!

Addendum:

I got the opportunity to get the ZS80 out under the moon last evening, to see how it would perform.

Okay, the first thing to note is that there is CA, and quite a bit of it, both green and purple, depending on how you look at it, and you don't have to look too hard to find it, all around the sunlit limb reveals this unwanted colour. Popping in a MV filter eased the CA considerably. For features on the moon the scope does well, true, you're not going to see features a kilometre or two across, well, not with my eyepiece collection anyway, the highest magnification I can achieve is x99, a 937mm and 2x barlow. The lunar features along the terminator were crisp and sharp and for anyone who only takes a cursory glance at the moon will be pleased, for more dedicated lunar observers another scope would be better, I use my 8" SCT.

This scope is not designed, nor marketed, as a lunar scope, it is a wide field scope and it's there where it's strength lies.

Paul