{"id":27171,"date":"2021-12-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-12-16T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/?post_type=purple_issue&p=27171"},"modified":"2022-01-11T15:58:23","modified_gmt":"2022-01-11T15:58:23","slug":"first-light-sky-watcher-skymax-127-virtuoso-gti-telescope","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/2021\/12\/16\/first-light-sky-watcher-skymax-127-virtuoso-gti-telescope\/","title":{"rendered":"First light: Sky-Watcher Skymax-127 Virtuoso GTi telescope"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A highly portable and compact telescope that creates its own Wi-Fi network<\/p>\n\n

WORDS: PAUL MONEY<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

VITAL STATS<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

\u2022 Price<\/strong> \u00a3549<\/span>
\u2022 Design<\/strong> Maksutov- Cassegrain altaz Go-To Wi-Fi tabletop telescope<\/span>
\u2022 Optics<\/strong> 127mm (5-inch) primary mirror<\/span>
\u2022 Focal length<\/strong> 1,500mm, f\/11.8<\/span>
\u2022 Mount<\/strong> Wi-Fi, computerised, altaz and single-arm<\/span>
\u2022 Ports<\/strong> Power connector, camera port, hand-controller port, integrated Wi-Fi adaptor, on-off switch<\/span>
\u2022 Tracking rates<\/strong> Sidereal, lunar, and solar; alignment free<\/span>
\u2022 Extras<\/strong> Red-dot finder, 25mm and 10mm 1.25-inch-fit eyepieces, spirit level<\/span>
\u2022 Weight <\/strong>10kg (total kit weight)<\/span>
\u2022 Supplier<\/strong> Optical Vision Ltd<\/span>
\u2022 Tel <\/strong>01359 244200<\/span>
\u2022 www.opticalvision.co.uk<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n

Tabletop telescopes, such as the Sky-Watcher Skymax-127 Virtuoso GTi, have come to the fore because of their lightweight versatility. As a compact telescope combined with a single-arm, Wi-Fi-controllable Go-To mount it offers to make the night sky available at the touch of an on-screen button.<\/p>\n\n

The Skymax-127\u2019s optical tube has a Maksutov- Cassegrain design that folds a 1,500mm-long light path into a tube that\u2019s just 370mm long (excluding the star diagonal). It has a 127mm-diameter primary mirror, and its long focal length (with a focal ratio of f\/11.8) makes it ideal for lunar, planetary and doublestar viewing, although you can also observe brighter deep-sky targets with it as well.<\/p>\n\n

A red-dot finder allows for initial alignment and along with a star diagonal, there are 25mm and 10mm eyepieces, which give magnifications of 60x and 150x respectively. The single-arm mount houses the electronics and includes a battery compartment for eight AA-size batteries, as well as ports for an optional power supply and camera, and an integrated Wi-Fi adaptor. There\u2019s also a hand-controller port if you don\u2019t want to use your smartphone (the handset for this is sold separately).<\/span><\/p>\n\n

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n
Versatile and portable<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

The telescope\u2019s base has a built-in spirit level and both axes can be locked and unlocked via clutches for free movement. When combined with Sky-Watcher\u2019s \u2018Freedom-Find\u2019 dual-encoder technology, this means you can do a star-alignment that will be retained after the clutches are unlocked. The telescope is attached via a Vixen-style bar and an adaptor, and it can be easily removed for travelling. The mount\u2019s underside has a 3\/8-inch thread so you can attach it to a tripod if that\u2019s more convenient.<\/span><\/p>\n\n

Being a tabletop-style mount you can use it manually, like a mini-Dobsonian mount, to enjoy the night sky without power. However, it\u2019s the integrated Wi-Fi adaptor that enables this scope to be controlled with a smartphone or tablet (either an Android or iOS system), and this allows you to use it anywhere. ><\/p>\n\n

It was easy to connect to the SynScan SSID to our iPhone XR (and iPad Pro) and, once the app has connected to the telescope, it lets you perform the star-alignment with either one, two or three stars, the brightest star, or north and level alignments. We found that two and three-star alignments gave the best tracking and Go-To results in this test.<\/p>\n\n

In terms of the views, Saturn presented crisp detail through the 25mm eyepiece \u2013 the rings were well defined, there was a hint of a northern belt and a good view of Titan. The 10mm eyepiece revealed the Cassini Division in the rings, along with three more moons (Rhea, Tethys and Dione) and it gave a better view of the belt around the planet.<\/p>\n\n

\"\"
A close-up of the Clavius and Tycho regions of the Moon, taken with the Skymax-127 and a ZWO ASI 224MC webcam, using a stack of 400 frames<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n
Sharp detail, even at distance<\/strong><\/h5>\n\n

Jupiter was the next target and the views were gorgeous. The planet\u2019s northern belt was clearly a brownish colour and much wider than the slimmer and fainter southern belt. It was possible to make out hints of plume features with the 10mm eyepiece, as well as subtle hints of more belts. All four Galilean moons were visible too. Our Moon was the target for the next test, a week later, and it almost filled the view through the 25mm eyepiece, presenting lots of detail to enjoy. Switching to the 10mm allowed us to explore the lunar southern hemisphere in detail, taking in Clavius, Tycho, Maginus and other craters.<\/p>\n\n

Next, we tested some of the better-known and brightest deep-sky targets: M81 appeared as a pale oval and M82 as a dappled sliver of light. Both just fit in the field of view of the 25mm eyepiece, as did the Pleiades, M45. Meanwhile, Albireo (Beta (\u03b2) Cygni) was resplendent with gold and pale-blue components, and with the 10mm eyepiece it was possible to split the \u2018double double\u2019 star in Lyra into all four parts.<\/p>\n\n

Overall, the Sky-Watcher Skymax-127 Virtuoso GTi was a delight to use on a wide range of targets, and can be highly recommended.<\/p>\n\n

\n\n

Flexible Wi-Fi control<\/h4>\n\n
\"\"
Simple controls and menus make operating the telescope with the SynScan Pro app a breeze<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n

The Virtuoso GTi single-arm tabletop mount houses a wireless network adaptor, so you can connect with a smartphone or tablet and control the mount. This control is achieved by using the SynScan Pro app that can be downloaded for both Android and iOS devices. Turn on the mount and it immediately broadcasts the wireless signal that you use to connect to your device. Open the SynScan app and select \u2018Connect\u2019, and it\u2019ll pick up the scope\u2019s signal and make the connection. You can then use the app to control the scope\u2019s functions, such as performing star alignment and locating targets from the built-in lists available (note that Solar System objects are located under the \u2018Stars\u2019 menu). The app worked well during this test and once connected, it also allows you to open planetarium apps, such as SkySafari, and to select \u2018SkyWatcher SynScanLink\u2019 in the telescope setup page to transfer control to even more targets.<\/p>\n\n

<\/div>
\n

KIT TO ADD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. <\/strong>Sky-Watcher 1.75-inch diameter stainless steel tripod<\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. <\/strong>Sky-Watcher 7Ah power tank<\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. <\/strong>Sky-Watcher 1.25-inch lunar and planetary filter set<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section>\n\n

VERDICT<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n

<\/p>\n\n

PHOTOS: PAUL MONEY, @THESHED\/PHOTOSTUDIO<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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