Does this look 'Two Tak'ky? ;-)

[Stu]

Oh come on! It's Christmas :-)

Sorry, couldn't resist!

I am hoping this is the last iteration of my grab and go kit, I do think I'm finally there.

Kit list is as follows:

EQ6 Tripod

Home made 20cm pier extension

SW Wedge

Giro-WR Alt-Az mount

Starway DX Vixen clamp on a Telepak1 plus 7cm CW bar

Standard CW bar and weight for single scope use

Tak FS-60C

FTF-2015BCR-LW Feathertouch lightweight focuser

A20-302 adaptor

Tak FC-76DC

FTF-2025BCR

Feathertouch focuser

A20-302 adaptor

I blame Matthew (DirkSteele) for me ending up with these scopes, he led by example, I was a helpless follower.

There are Baader Zeiss T2 and 2" prisms plus an Opticron 2" mirror diagonal. Apart from the quality of the prisms, these options are quite handy for achieving focus with different eyepieces in the Taks which don't have the longest focus range. The 2" mirror has the longest optical path length and avoids any need for extension tubes.

In terms of eyepieces I have a travel case containing:

3 to 6 Nagler Zoom

5, 6, 7, 9, 12.5 & 18mm BGO

8 & 32mm TV Plossl

24mm Panoptic

Either a x2.5 PowerMate or a second 32mm Plossl for binoviewing.

These lightweight eyepieces are very sharp and certainly help avoid balancing issues.

I also have Leica ASPH 8.9 to 17.8mm Zoom with 2" adaptor but this has to travel separately. The 2" adaptor has a T2 thread at the base so will connect directly and very firmly to the T2 prism if desired. For planetary use, the x2.5mm PowerMate works beautifully giving around 3.6mm to 7.2mm range, ideal for much mid and high power work. I use a parfocalising ring to ensure the barrel of the PM doesn't hit the prism surface.

This combination gives me a very flexible combination of widefield with 4.6 degrees using the 24mm in the FS-60C which also acts as a finder, whilst up to x190 in the FS-76DC is feasible using the nag zoom. The 76 is surprisingly capable on doubles and for planetary viewing.

I do have Lumicon UHC and OIII filters but only use these at dark sites with these scopes, they generally dim the image too much otherwise.

For solar viewing, the Quark which travels in the same case as the FS-60C, along with the Lunt 1.25" Herschel Wedge and various filters and accessories needed such as a power pack, cables etc.

I tend to use the Quark in the FS-60C as this gives lovely PST busting full disk views with the 32mm TV Plossl. The Wedge goes nicely in the 76 with its longer focal length, and the Leica performs amazingly on white light solar. The contrast and transmission are excellent and granulation shows up nicely when the seeing allows. A continuum filter certainly helps bring out these features too. I can pop a solar finder onto the clamshell on the 60mm if needed.

My most recent addition was the home made 20cm pillar with the SW Wedge fitted. This gives extra height, avoiding the larger scopes hitting the tripod legs. The wedge gives me an option to create a manual EQ mount with the giro head, allowing one axis to be locked and just tracking to be done by moving the other axis. Helps keep motion smooth and steady. I've not fully tried this idea yet though.

As an example of use, I managed to grab 45 mins or so after 10.30pm on Christmas Day and was joined by my 10 year old daughter Livvy.

We had a lovely view of the Pleiades in the 60 with 24mm, beautifully framed with space to spare.

M36, 37 and 38 were easily found in the 60, then looked lovely at higher mag in the 76/Leica combo. Similar story with M81/82

M42 was wonderful in the 76, and then we picked up some higher mag views using the Nag zoom to show Livvy the trapezium.

She saw Rigel split nicely with its tiny secondary, Castor, Algieba and Mizar plus Sigma Orionis. Each time I let her describe to me what she was seeing to verify that she really was.

Lastly Jupiter, looking nice at around x140 or 150. It was still relatively low but three bands were visible plus polar regions, and a couple of moons. Shame we missed the GRS a little later but bed was calling.

The fine focussing allowed very easy adjustment between my sight and hers, plus the Giro-WR was very nicely balanced and stable so the target reliably stayed in view.

This setup gives me a great deal of pleasure. It is a joy to use and can be taken to most places I go in the UK. A cut down version using an Induro AT-413 tripod could easily come abroad with me, either with just the 60mm, or with just the additional 76mm objective to give options if space allows.

Despite the limited aperture, the optical quality allows some nice targets to be seen, particularly clusters and doubles/multiples. Under a dark sky, performance on DSO'S is quite nice considering, plus the solar Ha and white light viewing is actually pretty spectacular.

Cheers,

Stu

EDIT: Just to add, the scopes and tripod were picked up used from ABS. Eyepieces are a mixture of new and used whilst the Giro-WR and Focusers were new from TS and FLO respectively.

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[Moonshane]

Mint.

[Ibbo!]

Yes

Wish I'd thought of that

I can also throw some tak eyepieces thingies in the end

Very nice

Looks in a lot better nick than my 60 and 102

though in defense I have had the 60 15 years and the 102 about 12 and they are much used and traveled and were well worth the outlay, they are my most used scopes

Steve

[John]

Looks a lovely set up Stu

For me, 102mm is the smallest aperture I'll go with though. I have owned a number of good (not Tak's but decent) 70, 80 and 90mm scopes over the years and they just don't do it for me for some reason.

You are clearly going to get a lot of enjoyment from this pair though and so is your daughter by the sound of it

[Stu]

Yes

Wish I'd thought of that

I can also throw some tak eyepieces thingies in the end

Very nice

Looks in a lot better nick than my 60 and 102

though in defense I have had the 60 15 years and the 102 about 12 and they are much used and traveled and were well worth the outlay, they are my most used scopes

Steve

Nowt wrong with old, well used scopes Steve, better than pristine ones shoved in a cupboard! :-)

I do love just being able to always have a scope with me wherever I am.

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[Stu]

Looks a lovely set up Stu

For me, 102mm is the smallest aperture I'll go with though. I have owned a number of good (not Tak's but decent) 70, 80 and 90mm scopes over the years and they just don't do it for me for some reason.

You are clearly going to get a lot of enjoyment from this pair though and so is your daughter by the sound of it

I know where you are coming from John. There is certainly nothing 'magical' about the Taks, they don't defy the laws of physics! (Unfortunately...)

My skies are far worse than yours so I really do enjoy any use out of scope whenever I can get to a dark sky. Often my car is rammed to the gunwales with camping kit so I struggle to fit anything bigger in.

I think solar observing is also a major part of my love for these smaller fracs. They really do deliver stunning views, and again are very convenient to carry about.

Plus, you know I like big fracs too ;-)

Stu

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[Ibbo!]

I resprayed the 60 but it really wants doing by somebody who knows how to spray properly

enjoy them as I am sure you will

the 60 is the little scope the could IMHO

[RT65CB-SWL]

No! It looks fanTAKstic!

[Stu]

Back 'down south' again for tonight at my long suffering parents :-) eating them out of house and home.

Here is the somewhat optimistic solar Ha and white light setup. The Quark has had plenty of time to warm up....

Clear outside says it should be for an hour or so, so hopefully I may get a clear patch or two.

Luke, I hope you notice the lack of elastic bands! I've worked hard to get rid of them :-)

Stu

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[ollypenrice]

Poor ET, you've stolen his binoculars!!!

Olly

[Stu]

To finish this little review off, these are pictures of the scopes and accessories packed away in their two cases:

Case 1

FS-60C

Opticron 2" diagonal

Quark Chromosphere

Lunt 1.25" Herschel Wedge

1.25" extension tube with Baader Continuum filter fitted

30000mAH power pack

Power supply

Solar finder

Qwikfinder RDF

Cables

1.25" x0.5 Focal reducer

Top Polarising filter

Solar glasses :-)

Case 2

FC-76DC Objective Upgrade

Short tube and FT focuser

T2 Zeiss Prism

William Optic 2" 45 degree Amici prism

I use the amici prism for observing wildlife and birds around the garden and on the Heath with the 76.

These two now form a very capable and flexible grab and go kit, covering lots of options and uses.

Stu

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