Triplets are a mixed bag for amateur astronomy. They are universally preferred by critical astro-photographers, but not always by visual observers, including me. They have two drawbacks compared to a really well corrected ED doublet (some doublets, mostly using fluorite elements like some of the the suburb Takahashis, are capable of true apochromatic levels of color correction) are, 1) they necessarily are heavier, necessitating a heavier duty and thus heavier mount, and secondly 2) they cool down slower. This isn't something most other optics users probably think about much but with the relatively high magnifications (even at "low for astronomy" magnifications) and optical tubes often being taken out of warm houses and out into the night air, air currents from the heat plume of a still cooling and warmer than ambient lens, and even air currents inside the tube of open tube designs like most Newtonian reflectors, become a pretty a pretty significant limitation on image quality. The bottom line is that you have to wait for them to cool down to ambient temperatures for best views, and triplets take longer. Of course they usually cost more too. Many of us who are primarily or exclusively visual observers consider the price/performance to be better for a good doublet. In my case I also wanted a relatively inexpensive scope to dabble in astronomy again on weekends when I go back to TN to visit family, mostly, until I can retire and get some country land. I wanted it "grab and go portable" and didn't want to spend too much, so I think I bought precisely what I needed for my intended use. OT I know, except for being another case of when "good enough really is good enough." That can apply in ham radio too.
Astronomy means big, no BIG apertures. I'm mostly talking about sport optics overall and binos in particular. With astronomy apertures we should take a look at mirrors as their price raises slower than lenses'. Towards binos my humble opinion is that the best compromise of achievable light gathering, size and weight, and overall [achievable] image quality including pretty subjective trembling of any handheld unit is 7x50 Porro. Sure there are 8x56, 9x63, and more but they're rarer thus harder to find your the only perfect choice. Unlike 'astronomical' sizes within typical binoculars' 50mm Triplets are not a big deal I believe. Agree. For visual observations many aberrations/distortions are subjectively unimportant and draw almost no attention. This is subjective matter as one observer would live with edge resolution drop but benefit from wider field while other observer would prefer narrower field for less noticeable cushion and so on. Agree again. For anything portable a small refractor could be the best choice due mechanical superiority of closed (by its lens) tube with no flaws like shading by secondary mirror of small catadioptric telescope.
Some of us are old enough to remember when Japanese quality was much teh same as the "supposed" poor Chinese quality. I say "supposed" because I run projects with Chinese companies that design and develop communications products that my company sells under our brand. Typically, the Chinese will design and build to the lowest quality the market will bear. Not much different than MFJ here in hte US. I expect Chinese products to improve, and at some point we will be comparing certain Chinese radios favorably to some of the Japanese "classics."
That is exactly what I was alluding to. But what have we seen in 20 years from both started? The Japanese have made a bunch of inventions (just look at the list from Sony alone) and they reached highest level of quality and what Chinese companies and their inventions do we know? And how much has the quality of their products improved? I'm not talking about products that are made to order and using technologies and equipment from other companies.
That’s my thoughts exactly! A few more dollars I can buy a better quality 891 or 818. I can’t see myself paying 500 bucks for an off brand radio when there is many options for the same prices that are much better thanks this one.
I came here to see if anyone who actually owned this radio would give real feedback but instead all I found were muscle flexxers who think they know everything. I think its sad that people who have never operated this radio or even seen one have already called it junk. If you never seen this radio then you are NOT qualified to offer an opinion - what's wrong with you people?
HAM Radio is a strange hobby. Getting licenced a couple of years back, i think i finally understand : It's a LOT of different hobbies under one banner. Some like to buy expensive stuff, placing their faith and support of the product/manufacturer in proportion to the price. Some enjoy experimenting, building stuff, trying things out. Quite a lot of people like to rack up brief QSOs as fast as possible. There is even a tiny fraction who want to contact people around the world and have conversations ! Wierd i know. The rig here is a Xeigu G90 + inverted V + recently built 300W Tube amplifier. Works 100% for what i want it to do, but wouldn't satisfy everyone.
You think its weird to contact people to have maybe a nice, or an intresting and perhaps a funny QSO? When you dont do that, I think thats weird. Maybe I was in the past to long at the 11M band, but that kind of communication makes the hobby much richer. So when we talk about whats maybe weird, we talk about mostly FT8 computer driven QSOs with an information smaller than a nutshell. At next people who are always in a hurry to make stressy pile-ups without any reason. And to confirm every QSO with a five and nine. Here everybody should know thats a lie and only for to speed up the contacts. At next to answer a CQ only for to answer the call. But to break up after some minutes. I think its unfriedly to answer and dont want to take the time maybe for to talk to a pleasant person. Because the most callsigns are strangers on the international platforms like shortwave, different digital places like Pi-Star or anything else. I can agree that the hobby got much weird sides. But to talk to other persons cant be weird, only sometimes hard to understand the QSO partners and how they think about this or that. It depends on the own sight of view.
It was irony! «Aren't we weirdos, we who talk to people on other continents by means of A-R, such a strange hobby ain't!» Oliver
Appologies - i'm English and used sarcasm there. I live in Spain hence the callsign. For me, the amazing and most pleasing parts of this Hobby are to build things (transceivers, amplifiers, antennae), make them work, then have a great QSO with an interesting person in some random part of our tiny globe. That is a wonderful buzz !
Some people have enough knowledge and experience to understand from the list of ingredients and the place of preparation of the dish what will happen in the end. Or do you know how to make a steak out of rotten potatoes?
