It may not be a true APO in the strict sense, but it is pretty darn close.  Very close to other doublets I have owned that were sold as APOs and costs up to $1000 more.  The FeatherTouch focuser is just excellent and highly recommended.  The Stardust White was a nice surprise for me. Rather than being your standard white color, it has highlights of silver, and with the FT fouser, the scope looks much more expensive than it is. Build and quality of this scope is excellent.  I am hard to please, but I cant find anything to complain about with this scope, especially when you consider the price.  Highly recommended, order yours soon, you will love it!

From: | Created on: 10/16/2009 1:48:56 PM

For me, the SV102ED with FT Focuser option was the perfect visual scope at the 4 inch aperture size. Easily portable, and works well on a William Optics EZ Touch mount.

The FeatherTouch option is the best choice; I was able to do fine focus with a 5mm ep with virtually no vibrations with the FeatherTouch focuser.

I also opted to purchase the case with the scope. The case is adequate, but unlike some competitor’s products it does not have any cut-outs for eyepieces or other equipment. You’ll still need a separate accessory case.

The scope is solidly made, and surprisingly heavier than I anticipated. The clamshell supplied with the scope is very high quality, and the SV red dot finder base fits it perfectly.

The Lagoon Nebulae was a splendid object in this scope. It appears to be two distinct circles of nebulosity that barely touch each other. The right side is encased in what appears to be a very tight open cluster of stars. With an OIII filter it revealed why its also called the Hour Glass Nebulae - the nebulosity is very bright with the filter and it takes on the shape of an hour glass.

Double Cluster - The Double Cluster alone is worth the price of the SV102ED. Best viewed with the TV 32mm plossl. It was breathtaking. A beautiful site to behold. Im usually not much into open clusters - but this one is unbelievable in the SV102ED.

M31 - Andromeda Galaxy. This was a very impressive object in the SV102ED. What was so impressive in the SV102ED was the overall brightness of the galaxy.

Anyone purchasing this scope will be very happy with build and optics - for the price it cant be beat and compares very favorably to more expensive scopes made by other manufacturers. Buy this scope and invest the money you save in some high-quality eyepieces from Anacortes !!!

From: | Created on: 10/16/2009 1:48:55 PM