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Shaggy dog story...... Tak FS-60C

Stu

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Stu

Stu

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Well, it goes like this.....

I wanted a small travel scope a few years back, so I bought a lovely, blue, William Optics SD 66mm apo doublet. Gorgeous little scope that was very capable for its size.

That scope travelled far and wide with me, Egypt, Tanzania, even Dorset ;-). I saw plenty with it, under dark skies in Africa it performed like an 8" at home. I spotted GRS and shadow transits during quick sessions between clouds when I couldn't face getting other scopes out.

Aperture fever gripped me however, and I yearned for just that little bit more resolution. A TV76 appeared, and the lovely WO66 was gone :-(.

Now I really loved my 76, images were significantly better than the 66, resolution noticeably so, plus improved colour correction. Double stars were beautifully resolved and Jovian shadow transits just that bit easier.

The one looming worry in the back of my mind was the weight and size. The 76 is built like a tank, like a solid nugget and I doubted that I would find room for it if we travelled abroad again.

My Herschel Wedge arrived, and performed very nicely in the 76, but again, aperture fever took hold, and a lovely TV85 was snapped up, imported from foreign parts. A slightly worrying transaction but all went smoothly.

Now, the 85 is a wonderful scope. It is a match made in heaven with the Lunt Wedge, a 12.5mm BGO and a continuum filter. The detail has to be seen to be believed. At night, doubles are even better given the extra resolution and greater light grasp, but it is still manageable on a photo tripod and Giro-WR mount.

Time passed, with the 85 being used frequently, the poor 76 left locked away in its case.

Around this time, two things lurked on the horizon. A Leica ASPH zoom and the Daystar Quark. A trial with a Leica came to nought as finances said no, but after much deliberation I decided to sell my PST and the TV76 in order to give myself a buffer of cash and to buy that Leica finally.

The PST went (to a very good home), the TV76 also went to a Televue enthusiast, the Leica arrived. All sorted you think.....but no.

In parallel with the sale of the PST were thoughts of a TV60. Why, you ask? Well, with my longer term goal of buying a Quark, I was lead astray by that young Luke fella and drawn in by the thought of maintaining full disk views in the 60, will greater resolution but narrower fields in the 85.

I resolved (and publicly stated in SGL) that after the Leica I would not purchase anything until things became easier financially when Mrs Maksutov returns to work after her maternity leave.

Well, as the saying goes ' I can resist anything but temptation! :-)'........

......A Tak FS-60C popped up for sale and I was true to the saying above. The attraction? Correct size and focal length, R&P focuser rather than helical, 2" eyepieces and legendary Tak optics with a fluorite doublet.

I collected it today. Lovely little thing which in many ways takes me back to the 66, although a step up in optical quality.

It is not a new scope, but optically it is in excellent shape, and it's just so small!! It came with both OTA tubes, the 145 and 105mm, the 105 is currently fitted and seems to work very well. The Lunt wedge comes to focus no problem, although the sun was very low in the sky when I tried it I can say the detail was very nice for just 60mm

With a 2" prism fitted, again no problems focussing on night time targets. The moon looked crisp as you like up to x118 with the nag zoom. The double double split at somewhere around x80 and Izar too at x118, the secondary sitting right on the first diffraction ring but clearly there from the colour difference.

So, I've come full circle. Through a process of trial and error, I have regained a lovely, truly portable scope that I can genuinely take anywhere. I can use it for solar and astro, plus when I finally get the quark, enjoy full disk views with that.

The TV76 has gone to a good home, and the 85 no longer has to pretend that I could squeeze it onto a plane, but can sit comfortably in its role as solar scope and grab and go scope for home and in the UK.

Everyone is happy, apart from the temporary strain on my bank balance, but that will get sorted.

If you've made it this far, do you not have anything better to do than listen to my ramblings? :-)

Night all!

Stu

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaggy_dog_story

;-)

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Floater

Floater

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Hope you live happily ever after, Stu.

I've had a great day myself: good news on a medical front; sorted out my electric focuser issue; fixed a wee annoyance with a dovetail bar; viewed the sun in Ha and white light - and just had wonderful Chinese food.

The sky's a bit milky right now but I can live with that ...

G'night yerself.

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Stu

Stu

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While I think the FS60 is past its sell-by date for DS imaging it is seriously cute for visual - and so small!

Olly

Well you know me Olly, visual only other than the odd iPhone shot here and there.

It is a lovely little thing, no CA visually and very sharp. It seems a definite step up optically from the WO66 and it's nice to have something I can genuinely take anywhere.

I just need to find an Allen key small enough to let me adjust the focuser a smidge.

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Stu

Stu

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Nice tale, best thing is that everyone is happy !

Errrr.... What next ?

Nick.

Thanks Nick :-)

Well, the Allen keys are on their way, so can sort the focuser out.

I really, genuinely only have one more thing on my wish list, and that is a Daystar Quark to use in the FS-60 and TV85. I'm without Ha capability currently so would like to sort that relatively soon.

Although......., potentially the FC-76DC objective upgrade for the Tak is tempting if I get a reasonable bonus next July, and possibly a feathertouch for it but I do like the aesthetics of the original so maybe not.

Only thing after this, once many other things are sorted with house and garden etc would be a large truss dob, maybe an 18".

Does it never end??

Actually, all I want for Christmas is a cracking autumn and winter with plenty of clear skies to use some of this kit!!

Stu

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nightfisher

nightfisher

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Lovely scope Stu, good luck with it, a little while ago i vowed not to buy any more scopes, and now i get a new Vixen delivered from FLO tomorrow, looking out side at the weather i am thinking i should not have got it

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Stu

Stu

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Here is the little beauty :-)

paharuqu.jpg

mehy3egy.jpg

It's mainly targeted at imaging so the focus travel is very short (this is fully extended). Haven't had any problems though.

uqy4a9yv.jpg

One benefit for travel is that it very easily unscrews into sections to make it even smaller ie dew shield and focuser can both easily unscrew to pack up individually if needed.

That 76mm objective upgrade does look very tempting at some point though, would give me a TV76 replacement whilst keeping the ultra portability.

Shane, you could do far worse than the WO66. It is a cracking little scope for the price, and very small too. Mine had the screw on (SCT) 2" diagonal which I really liked.

Stu

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  • 3 weeks later...
Stu

Stu

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Well.... As an update to this thread, I blame/thank Matthew (DirkSteele) and Nick for this purchase.

I am ending up replicating Matthew's travel setup. Nick kindly pointed out the FC-76DC on ABS and it arrived today. Lovely bit of kit, have had a few hazy views of the sun through it and it looks great. 76mm f7.5 Flourite apo doublet.

This replaces my TV76 but in a lighter package which can be taken into pieces to make it very compact.

So, I now have the 60mm for whole disk views in the Quark which is arriving soon, plus the 76 for higher power but still under 80mm so technically doesn't need a UV/IR cut filter but I will probably use one anyway. Will continue to use the 85 for white light. Am looking to get the FeatherTouch for the Tak and microfocuser upgrade for the TV, they will be even more perfect then!!

dame4upa.jpg

Stu

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Mark at Beaufort

Mark at Beaufort

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Stu a fantastic setup. I regret selling my WO SD66 and I have bought an Opticstar 80mm achro as a travel scope - its not the best. However, I really fancy a Tak FS60C which I know will be a much better travel scope. There is a blue special anniversary one of ABS - I must stop looking at it!!!

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Stu

Stu

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Stu a fantastic setup. I regret selling my WO SD66 and I have bought an Opticstar 80mm achro as a travel scope - its not the best. However, I really fancy a Tak FS60C which I know will be a much better travel scope. There is a blue special anniversary one of ABS - I must stop looking at it!!!

It's Stu here ;-)

Yes, I've been looking for a replacement for my 66 for a while and the 60 fits the bill. That anniversary version looks very nice, same seller as my FC-76DC. Go on, you won't regret it :-)

Stu

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Mark at Beaufort

Mark at Beaufort

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It's Stu here ;-)

Yes, I've been looking for a replacement for my 66 for a while and the 60 fits the bill. That anniversary version looks very nice, same seller as my FC-76DC. Go on, you won't regret it :-)

Stu

Stu I noticed that your saw my mistake before I changed it :smiley:

That is interesting about the same seller I am really tempted.

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Stu

Stu

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Stu I noticed that your saw my mistake before I changed it :smiley:

That is interesting about the same seller I am really tempted.

:-)

I just checked and it is definitely the same seller. I'm sure it would be in fabulous condition.

One thing with these Taks is the focuser only has an inch of travel so you do need extenders to get them to focus visually. I think I can see them in one of the pictures but it's worth checking. Mine came with extenders and the short csv tube aswell as the standard one but no finder. Seems like a good price now ;-)

EDIT Looking at it again the adapters are all included which is great

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Stu

Stu

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Lovely views of the sun today in the FC76. Looks very crisp, not dissimilar to the TV85 and obviously has the benefits of being a much more portable package and also works well on the Giro-WR/Induro tripod.

Last night I had some nice views of the Garnet star and Comet Jacques in the few gaps in the cloud. Certainly this package gives me everything I need in a travel scope for solar and Astro viewing.

Stu

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