SVBONY SV503

SV503 102ED f/7 Refractor Telescope for visual and astrophotography - perfect for Time Traveling!

SVBONY SV503

The SVBONY SV503 102mm/f7 ED refractor is an inexpensive version of much more expensive time machines that this Astropotamus can't afford. Luckily, it has everything I need, and it's my primary imaging rig. You can look up the specs on your own. If you purchase through one of the links on my web site, I will earn me a small commission which helps support my outreach efforts. You can more fully support my content production at this link, as well. I love mine, and have built my entire time traveling rig around it.

In the image below, you can see the scope (on the left) with all the piece attached to it. From bottom to top, that's:

• ZWO ASI2600MC color camera (the big red thing at the bottom)
• ZWO ASI120MM-Mini guide cam (the small red thing sticking out the top)
• Pegasus Astro Focus Cube auto-focuser is the blue thing on the left
• Pegasus Astro Pocket Power Box Advanced is the light blue box on top
• Raspberry Pi running Astroberry software is the dark blue thing on top
• Dew strips are hidden right behind the gold band. They're black, so you can't see them.

On the right side is one of my Celestron C8 time machines. Yes, I have two. This one is the better one for taking pictures but I don't have a camera set up on it yet. It's perfect for planets, which are starting to come out of summer hibernation and so I'll have it set up as Fall and Winter progress. It all sits on a Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro mount, which has a side-by-side bar on the main mount connector so I can mount both telescopes on it at the same time.

So...many...wires...!!!

Accessories

I bought mine used, but they eventually added the 203mm Saddle Handle to it, which not only makes it easier to move around, but also easier to mount stuff to the top (since there's now a place with holes to put things). However, as you can see in this updated image, I also remounted everything so that the Pocket PowerBox is on the bottom and the power and USB cables come are much tidier this way. Regardless of how you wire it, I think the handle is a must have, since it makes it so much easier to attach to and remove from the Sky-Watcher EQ6R mount.

You'll likely also want the 0.8X field flattener/reducer, which will help make your images more in focus from edge to edge, as well as giving you a slightly faster scope with a slightly wider field of view. This is perfect for doing nebula photos, since they tend to take up large portions of the night sky (compared to the Moon, let's say). Find out more about how reducers work for more insights.

Until next time, clear skies and I'll see you in the dark! Connnect with me quickly at BlueSky! Want more content? Please subscribe to my YouTube channel. Or you can (usually) watch live sessions on Twitch. Or even better, help support me in creating new content, getting new equipment to test, and to gain access to all of my digital imaging raw data! All content is copyright 2025 by astropotamus.com