Radian 61 - The Most Annoying Telescope

Dear all,

In this example, I will focus my discussion on why user experience matters, and not just the specs of a telescope. I will use the Radian 61 as my example and talk about why I think the user experience of the Radian 61 makes it the most annoying, unrewarding telescope I have used. #radian61 #refractor #astrophotography #astronomy #astro #williamoptics #redcat #spacecat

[aw]

Thank you for your candidness and as always your honesty, we appreciate it very much. Clear skies our good friend

[jeremiahpoole]

Great job, im sure glad I did not get this scope. I honestly lost respect for the "designer" of this scope and the way he backed it having the years of experience in the hobby. Atleast there are guys willing to stand up and tell us new to the hobby what's up. I appreciate you.

[jeremiahpoole]

Also want to say telling the truth about a matter in a respectful way as you have displayed here is excellent and always welcome in my eyes. Keep it up and you never know maybe things will change due to the truth being displayed.

[TheJerryRN]

Thank you! I can tell this wasn’t a fun time for but you are saving a lot of newer astrophotographers a huge headache.

[stevenickolls]

Sorry to learn of your experiences with this OTA. Astro-imaging is an expensive business and we can ill afford to buy lemons. Thanks for using your right as a purchaser to call out problems which make the item a struggle to use. I concur on the other hand over the quality and thought gone into the RedCat 51 design, when I received mine I was so pleased at the sheer quality of the build that even taking off the end cap was a pleasure. Keep enjoying this great hobby and thanks for posting the video.

[AZRunner]

great honest video Angus!! I went back and forth between the Radian 61 and the redcat51 way back, and was leaning towards the radian but it was out of stock at the time. the Redcat came in stock and I jumped on it.. Really glad I didn't get the Radian 61. I've been very happy with the RedCat.

[remigerber]

Hello Angus,
Thank you for that great video : it’s always nice to have a longtime user feedback and an honest point of view on astronomy gear especially when it comes to those price ranges.
It’s nearly impossible to get this telescope here in Europe for a reasonable price : 1700€ !!!! That’s twice the price for the same sharpstar branded scope with it’s 0.8 reducer …
I can't understand what the purpose of all this is, and still, you have the decency not to mention the very relative optical quality of this telescope and the chromatic aberration problems that many users encounter with theirs. I am in awe of such self control 🤣
Keep up the good work and clear skies !

[poruatokin]

Wow, thanks for this. I was actually looking at this scope as an option. Just made my choices more easy.

[michaellorentzen]

At one point I nearly bought this scope. It would have been my first, and I am so happy I bought a redcat instead. Great video, as always, very thoughtful.

[billvinson]

I use my c8 for public viewing at my astronomy clubs public nights at our local college. I use my Redcat 51 and Canon EOS Ra, 60Da, Sky Watcher Star Adventure, Orion Sirius mount, and Astro Tech 72mm doublet for Astrophotography. I also use my Meade 16” Light Bridge to look for deep sky objects in my yard. ❤

[JethroXP]

Sorry you had to learn a $1000 lesson. Thanks for sharing so other's don't get duped by "Influencer Marketing". I don't have a problem with someone being sponsored, but that "reveal" video last year really did misstate and overstate a lot of things, particularly when you realize this is just a different color version of a telescope that sells under its own name for $600. I've got a RedCat 51 now and you are right, the build quality it amazing.

[Wheeljack]

This is a very disputed telescope with some controversy surrounding it. You continue to make reviews that feel honest and trustworthy, especially since you even bought it yourself. Negative reviews doesn't have to be about bashing a product. Negative reviews can still be done in a respectful and informatinal manner like you did.
I felt the telescope was overpriced when I saw the announcement and I am glad I decided to wait until more people used and reviewed it.

[Photothesky]

So sad that OPT never took responsibility for manipulating their customers. Dustin Gibson was behind this all knew this was a sharpstar rebrand.

[figzastro-photography]

The filter draw is terrible. Especially if you need to change or add the filter in a dark area.

[OlliesSpace]

This really does look like a very poorly thought out telescope. The rotator/filter drawer is basically redundant out of the box. Good to get all the information out there Angus, good video.👍

[Swedishoyster]

I really like negative reviews, I always get suspicious when someone only has praise for a product. I recently got the Redcat51 and to be honest, it's an awesome piece of equipment, you can tell there has been a lot of thought behind the design. I don't mind the focuser since I use an EAF. Best cat of the video was the kitty though.

[wolfgangkuechle]

Shocking video about the Radian 61. Admittedly my dust cap of the WO Zenithstar 73 is falling off too. Everything else is well built though. Have fun with your very cute "space cat".

[emanuelchacim]

Hey Angus! Nice video, and very honest review! In my case, i would never buy a scope without knowing the specs of the lenses, which are the heart of the scope. Together with all those flaws, its even more reasons not to buy it. I have to say that i really loved the look of it, when i saw it for the first time, but, here in Europe, its even more expensive, and with all those issues, its not a option to me. I do own a Takahashi FSQ 106 ED, and although i spend a lot of money on it, the build quality and image quality are something to be drolling about, and i had never regret to buy it, even after 6 years.

[cryhavoc]

i had sold my Sharpstar 61 EDPHII and ended up wishing I had kept it, so when I found a nice Raptor61 for $275, I jumped on it knowing its just a 61edphII. Quite happy with my used Radian Raptor 61 purchase :)

[TheNarrowbandChannel]

I had a good fix for that dew shield on my own video. Little electrical tape.