Orion Optics UK CT8 Ultra Newtonian Telescope

[@Astrolavista]

Nice 1/10 wave optics on these, and if it's a cloudy night you can get some enjoyment just from staring at the beautiful carbon fibre tube. Good choice!

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you! Yeah, it is a work of art.

[@OutlandishJourneys]

I’m very jealous of your scope…and my kids were jealous of the epic jungle gym behind you! Lol! Great overview and look forward to seeing the results of the CT8…luckily we’re in the UK, so can get these scopes custom ordered, so excited to see how it stacks up! Have a great day! 😀

[@AVAstronomy]

🤣🤣🤣. Yeah the whole time I’m editing the video I was like, “ that’s a huge mess, lol”. Between my 3 kids and 4 nephews/nieces it’s pretty much unavoidable 😂. Yes, I can’t wait to start imaging with it. You have an awesome day as well!

[@Ajajambo]

Amazing looking scope! Spoke with Orion yesterday about lead time and I am greatfull you posted this video so we can see what it looks like in flesh. I am sold and back to Newt!! 1/10 PV cracking scope

[@AVAstronomy]

Awesome! Hopefully it won’t take over 4 months like mine did, lol!

[@Ajajambo]

@@AVAstronomy They said end of December / Jan

[@dankahraman354]

I purchased an OOUK 12 inch ultra Newtonian. It is supposed to arrive next Wednesday.

[@dankahraman354]

The CT12L arrived today. 99.6 Strehl value PV~1/11 wave

[@Astronurd]

Nice scope you got yourself there and I’m already looking forward to your first light outing with this gem

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you! Hopefully it will be sooner than later.

[@KJsCosmos]

Sweeeeeet! I’ve been eyeballing this scope for some time now. Thanks for the walk around there’s next to no info on this guy. Much appreciated!

[@AVAstronomy]

You’re welcome! And you’re right, there really isn’t a whole lot of information out there on this scope.

[@enriqueboeneker]

New imaging system, huh? Intriguing! Congrats on the new baby, buddy!

[@AVAstronomy]

Thanks Enrique!

[@southbronxny5727]

Ohhhh....you got da best....can't wait to see the images!!!

[@carlostejeda6191]

Funny thing is got two F/4 - one 800m and 600m off course not PRO like this one. However, expend lot of money buying good focuser, expensive tools for collimating them, at the end, just broke each mirror in pieces. I finally concluded, refractors are the best for astrophotography, Enjoy the ride will you can.

[@Patrick-S]

Yesterday I found this exact telescope while looking for astro equipment, instantly falling in love with it and today you upload this video. The problem is that I only have an HEQ5 Pro mount and I'm not sure if it'll be able to carry this scope. What do you think? Clear skies and lots of fun with your new toy! Patrick

[@AVAstronomy]

Yeah, it’s quite the head turner for sure. I do believe the HEQ5 pro would be pushing it. I was on the fence about mounting it on the EQ6-R pro but I think it will fair well. We shall see 😎

[@GarnettLeary]

Good choice. I love the spider. That thing is beastly made. Collimation will be easy. Beautiful scope. I love and favor Orion myself, congratulations. Nice to see folks going with reflectors for a change.

[@AVAstronomy]

Yeah, quality reflectors are where it’s at. My favorite images/imagers use reflector style scopes.

[@Seafox0011]

@@AVAstronomy Yup more aperture versus corrective glass for the Benjamins … plus wavelength accurate mirror surface and no chromatic aberration.

[@jongoldsby]

I built an 8 inch f4 Newtonian for a lot less than $2k. The optics I got from from the far east and it tested near perfection. You do get a benefit from the carbon fiber tube, however at that price point you should not have to replace the focusor or anything for that matter.

[@AVAstronomy]

I would agree. It’s really my only dislike about the scope. It will do the job but definitely could have been better.

[@douglasestrada26]

That thing looks awesome bro, can't wait to see some lights from it! God bless you Aron.

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you Duglas! God bless you!

[@avt_astro206]

super Scope Aaron!! I notice These Are Really Popular Now!! The carbon Fiber Design is Really Great and Light Weight! I think its Some Good Focal Length for Imaging Galaxies! Clear Skies👍🏻

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you bud! Yeah really looking forward to getting this under some clear skies.

[@2ASupp0rter]

Very nice telescope! I'm sure you'll be pleased with the image quality; though, I am surprised you didn't keep the Comet Hunter. I will never let go of mine, even though it's the first generation without the much nicer secondary collimation screw setup. Clear Skies have been a challenge since May here in South Florida.

[@AVAstronomy]

Thanks Gary, yeah the comet hunter was great and will be missed but I’m glad it helped fund this incredible new scope. Imaging has been challenging here in Georgia too. Clear skies to you as well.

[@bloodstone2000]

Man that is one amazing looking scope. That carbon fiber is HOT! Can't wait for first light !

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you! Me too man!

[@orionoptics_uk]

Glad you love our telescope! Anyone else interested should hope over to odour website in our bio for more info.

[@mattbalkham1219]

I have the CT10 and love the optics. Suggest you move the scope rings further apart for stability if you can.

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you! Great suggestion. Also, what kind of dovetail did you use? Vixen or losmandy?

[@mattbalkham1219]

Losmandy for sure rig weighs about 25kg.

[@Bogfra1]

Best According to the data on Orion UK the weight of the tube for the CT version is as the VX version the same have already had a dissection about this with Glenn from Astrobloke which is correct is a better temperature capture but whether this justifies the price difference is still the question.

[@AVAstronomy]

Good point, however there is also a certain visual appeal to the carbon fiber that I just love.

[@philipfish50]

Hi I’ve been considering buying this telescope and this video has made my mind up for me it looks awesome thanks

[@N4GW]

Nice, cant wait for the first light video

[@victorvillenapenas4274]

Hi! Beautiful scope, have you already tried it?? I’m indecisive about this ct8 or the ONTC from ts, looking forward to your impressions. Clear skies!!

[@AVAstronomy]

I just set it up for the first time last night but the weather unfortunately didn’t behave. I was in the same boat as you. It was a debate between this or the ONTC from TS. I would have gone with the ONTC but the wait time was nearing 12 months so I opted for the CT8. Can’t judge it’s performance yet but I’m sure it will be great.

[@jgcheak]

Very nice looking scope. Can’t wait to see some of your images from it. I still have your Comet Hunter, still love it. Clear Skies.

[@AVAstronomy]

Hi John! Awesome and thank you! Clear skies to you as well.

[@Seafox0011]

Next level! 👍🏼

[@cosmoscarl4332]

No baffles! I'm surprised!

[@actudoran]

Hope you have some good times with it!!! So, please do tell how much sharper that lambda/10 is over the standard lamda/4 run of the mill telescope :)

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you! I’ll do my best to give a fair review of its optical performance

[@derekbaker3279]

Hi actudoran. I've been in this hobby for 50 yrs & I used to do a lot of 'serious' planetary observing, and I have done some planetary imaging & deep sky shooting too. I can attest to the fact that, when it comes to visual detail & contrast, and raw ccd/cmos planetary images, a well-collimated 1/10 wave (*) Newtonian with a small or moderately-sized secondary obstruction will outperform the same telescope with 1/4 wave (*) optics on all but the most brutally bad nights. (**) Of course, if you're not an experienced visual observer, you may not notice the difference as much as someone who has been at it a long time and looked through a variety of telescopes. When it comes to long exposure astrophotography, well-collimated 1/10 optics can provide sharper, higher contrast images on nights of excellent seeing, but the difference is not huge. (*) peak-to-peak error from a perfect version of the desired figure, whether it be a parabola, hyperbola, ellipsoid, sphere, or flat shape. (**) There is a very useful article worth finding that appeared in a Sky & Telescope magazine during the 1990s that you may want to read. In the article, experienced amateur astronomers/telescope makers Peter Ceravolo & Doug George built & tested three identical 150mm Newtonians with optics that varied in quality (I think they were 1/10 wave, 1/4 wave and 1/2 wave, but I could be wrong). Their observations & analysis for these three telescopes were extremely informative & helpful for those who have asked the same question as you have. Also, there was another excellent article in Sky & Telescope in the 1990s or 2,000s from Roger N Clark that dealt with the effect of different size secondary obstructions on the final contrast of the image, with special attention to how it affects observing of planets & low contrast deep sky objects. Both of these articles would be well worth reading, and if you can get your hands on Roger N Clark's book, "Visual Astronomy of the Deep Sky", you will learn a ton about vision, plus the importance of various factors in telescope design, construction & quality control. I should mention a few caveats: Wavefront error is cumulative, so a 1/10 wave primary & 1/10 wave secondary mirror will produce a total wavefront error of 2/10 = 1/5 wave error, and a 1/4 wave primary & 1/4 wave secondary will produce a total wavefront error of 1/2 wave. It is the total wavefront error reaching the eyepiece that determines the quality of the telescope optics, and assuming the eyepiece is very good/excellent quality (generally the norm these days) that's basically the wavefront error reaching the eye. It needs to be said that "run of the mill" may not always be as good as 1/4 wave error for either the primary or secondary. Manufacturers often say that their optics are "diffraction limited", which technically means 1/4 wave or better at the green wavelengths (where our eyes are most sensitive), however many manufacturers do not quote the wavelength at which their optics are tested, so if optics were tested at a longer wavelength (e.g. red part of the spectrum), then a 1/4 wave error in the red is not great, as 1/4 of a wave in the red part of the spectrum is much larger than 1/4 of a wave in the green. Furthermore, if you are doing ccd/cmos imaging, you're dealing with a sensor that is much much more sensitive than the eye at the extremes of the visual spectrum, so keep in mind that getting a 1/4 wave wavefront at the far end of the blue spectrum requires having roughly a 1/6 to 1/8 wavefront error as measured in the deep red/near infrared end of the spectrum to get the same quality. This is relevant to the wavefront error & colour correction in refractors too...some refractors do a great job of focusing the green & blue wavelengths that our eyes pick up the best, but less well in other parts of the spectrum that sensors can 'see' very clearly). The bottom line...when choosing a telescope, it pays to read the advertizements & website info carefully & ask a lot of questions. Also, because eyesight, observing experience & typical sky conditons vary from observer to observer, do no rely on just one glowing review or bad review to make your decision. I hope this helps. 😀

[@actudoran]

@@derekbaker3279 whoa dude ... Imagine waking up and reading this exceptional comment with the 5:45 smoothly before I pack my daughter to the swimming pool ... An actual knowledgeable person with the kind heart to share and an extensive explanation on my favourite hobby! Made my day! Thank you! And yes, it did help :)

[@derekbaker3279]

@@actudoran Fantastic! 😀 Glad I was able to help! 😀

[@Astrobloke]

Hi Aaron, you will love that scope. I recently bought the CT10 and absolutely love it in fact blown away by its quality. I have found the extra contrast it seems to give makes my subs look like they are from a bortle 4 sky and not the 6 it was used in. I’ve had no issues at all with the focuser and even easily fitted a ZWO EAF. I have a channel with an unboxing and first light (Pacman) videos out and would be honoured if you’d come visit and say hi.

[@AVAstronomy]

That’s awesome man! I’ll definitely be checking out your video.

[@dankahraman354]

The extra contrast could be because the insides of the tube seem to have the darkest black paint I have ever seen. Wavefront accuracy could be another factor.

[@davidharris8037]

So have you abandoned the maksutov-Newtonian? Not a common type of scope, but seemed the best of both worlds to me.

[@AVAstronomy]

I did sell it. It helped raise funds for the Orion CT8.

[@desiertocosmico1841]

Very Nice! Thanks for sharing this .. Can i ask where and when did you buy your CT8? I ordered mine directly to OOUK in the UK (as it was cheaper to ship to Chile from the UK than from US) back in April and still not delivered i dont know if its because im in the end of the world or what :(. Regards .

[@AVAstronomy]

Thank you! Yeah, I guess I should consider myself fortunate. I’ve heard other have had to wait a good bit longer before they got their scope.

[@desiertocosmico1841]

@@AVAstronomythanks... wow Well I think I will have to wait patienly...

[@gregorypudman4729]

Wow 5.5 ... Real beast

[@treyson7169]

Carbon fiber Newt? HELL YEAH

[@benc7102]

G’day Aaron Great looking scope & review mate Carbon fibre tube looks awesome

[@dankahraman354]

In my case the mirror is in a separate box.

[@lornaz1975]

How are the optics?? I have been thinking about getting one but there are a lot of horror stories on the web about OOUK.

[@AVAstronomy]

The optics are very good from what I could tell but the focuser is cheap and some of the parts seem under par given the price point of the scope. Also, the flocking of the internal tube looked rather sloppy. I’ve sold mine since this video. Getting contact from the customer service department is also leaves much to be desired. Overall, honestly, I’d save your money and get a sky watcher Newtonian and put the extra $ towards other gear. Just my two cents. Clear skies!

[@lornaz1975]

@@AVAstronomy I got a Skywatcher 6in F8 coming tomorrow and plan to upgrade it so already there lol! Thanks!

[@AVAstronomy]

@@lornaz1975 nice! I’m sure you’ll be happy with it. Have seen some awesome images taken with that scope.

[@lornaz1975]

@@AVAstronomy For that scope I am planning on the moon and planets. The 16% center obstruction was the selling point. Although as you said at F8 deep sky is not out of the question either.

[@VE3BF]

Turn your video camera auto focus off

[@AVAstronomy]

It’s a cell phone man.

[@anata5127]

Did you get it right from UK? Did you pay VAT?

[@AVAstronomy]

I got it from OPT. Once you calculate the customs charge it’s the same price (or more really). Than ordering through a retailer like OPT. Took about 5 months from time of order to receive it.

[@anata5127]

@@AVAstronomy They have no such telescope in their catalog. How did you get it? Thanks

[@AVAstronomy]

@@anata5127 they used to. They apparently stopped carrying it because back orders were too long.

[@anata5127]

@@AVAstronomy Ok. Thanks

[@Booboobear-eo4es]

I looked at OOUK telescopes a few years ago. I found a lot of mixed reviews. Optics and general workmanship were on a scale from great to very poor. I did read of one account of someone in Spain ordering a very expensive telescope that never came. Last I heard they had filed a lawsuit against Orion Optics. With such across the board experiences, I decided to pass on Orion Optics.

[@AVAstronomy]

So far my experience has been good except for the long wait. Clear skies!

[@gerardgerard5681]

I've had excellent service, no issues.

[@AstroNOTE]

When did you order it ?

[@AVAstronomy]

End of May

[@AstroNOTE]

@@AVAstronomy yeah i am waiting from January of my AG10 and many of my customer waiting from april ou Mach (i am official Dealer in France of OOUK since January and so i am waiting fists orders) Nice to see that CT8 arrive and following informations of OOUK all orders of our store will arrive soon. Covid 19 power..... 😅

[@derekregan6926]

You said "focal length 900" aperture of 4.5" ?? You mean 200mm.. so caught up in f ratio

[@AVAstronomy]

Yeah, focal ratio is 4.5. Sometimes I say aperture meaning f ratio 😁

[@derekregan6926]

@@AVAstronomy focal length ÷ aperture =f ratio

[@hael8680]

No rack and pinion focuser?

[@AVAstronomy]

No sir, unfortunately not. I will likely upgrade to a better focused down the road.

[@hael8680]

@@AVAstronomy Do you still have the Maksutov?

[@AVAstronomy]

@@hael8680 sold it.

[@hael8680]

@@AVAstronomy You should go over the reasons you switched in a video. I'd be curious to see and hear about the differences and advantages of the newtonian.

[@gerardgerard5681]

Congreatulations! I have some quick videos on my channel "GERARD GERARD " regarding the OMC-140.