dweller25

Brilliant find @Nigella Bryant I also had that original set of cards in the 70’s 🙂

My comment was aimed at oil spaced systems and not at the TEC140 specifically. I have read reports on CN where owners had to return oil spaced cells due to the oil going milky and also for leaks. To be fair these were older AP scopes that were brought back to their original condition by Roland and his team. TEC may have a different method of manufacturing their scopes or they may not be old enough yet to fail - but it could be a possibility. There was certainly enough evidence to deter me from buying an oil based system so my money went the air spaced way. In my opinion it is a factor that the OP should take into account which is why I mentioned it.

I only have eyepieces that go to x499 on my FS128 😢 But rarely go over x290 as my seeing just North of Manchester is generally poor 🙁

I would go for an air spaced scope as oil gets messy when it leaks 🥴

The circles are made out of concrete though - could be bad news for high power viewing

Great images, what scope did you use ?

Hello @LondonNeil and welcome to SGL. Your logic is correct, as is your plan. The 8” Dobsonian is an excellent telescope and will do well with Planetary, Lunar and brighter deep sky objects. BUT as others have said don’t expect to see the same detail and brightness you see in books especially on deep sky stuff. Good luck and have fun 🙂

I wish I could get on with Newtonians but I cannot - if I could a 10” f/5 would be my one only choice. But as the Newt does not suit me then my one only scope would be a 5” refractor.

All the above mounts and tripods are solid, top quality options. The Tak mount with the Tak scope just looks right 👍

Brilliant, thanks for sharing @JeremyS

@Sunshine Your vixen GP is a very good mount but a GPDX on a Berlebach tripod works well and looks great…..

Pleased some folks got to see the event, total cloud cover for me ! Hope some sketches or photos turn up later 👍

I don’t believe he frequents SGL. The Vixen you mention is £1530 new and his price is £1000 which seems fair. It makes you wonder why the original seller sold it so cheap ? But he/she must have been OK to let it go at that price. I have never bought from him as he is too expensive.

This should be an interesting site tonight around 00:18 to 01:50 (18th Sep) Here is how my drawing MAY look - in my dreams 😂

This looks really great 👍

5.6% LESS LIGHT 😱😱😱 !!! Poor Jeremy does not know what he’s missing 😂 Actually and seriously, If I could only have one scope it would be the TSA120 👍

A permanent setup is planned when we move house, hopefully within the next two years….

Hey up - This thread is about 5” Refractors not 4” plus a bit 🤣🤣

My FS128 is F/8.1 and IN FOCUS it is colour free, so maybe a modern lens design could be better ?

It’s just wishful thinking on my part Dave. I am getting to the point of having a trolley made to support the FS128 plus mount so I can just wheel it around….

I always point people who want great planetary views towards Newts, they are to me the best value for money scope going. Sadly they do not suit everyone. I had an excellent OO 8” F/6 1/10th wave Newt and an even better Skywatcher 10” F/4.7 but had to sell both as they aggravated my bad back, hey ho 😔

That does look great, sadly newts do not suit my back 😔

I MAY be tempted if an “FC130DZ” weighed around 6.5kgs with tube rings and finder. That, to me, would be better than the FS128 😁 But as @Highburymark says it may not be commercially viable anyway - but who knows what may happen in the land of the rising Sun ?

Who brought Newtonians into a Takahashi thread - scandalous 😂

Why are they not making an FC130DZ ? 😁 Sorry, deliberate clickbate 🥴😂