DirkSteele

@FLO, any thoughts how one might either mount this on a small dovetail for use on a small telescope mount or directly on to a photo-tripod thread?

I might treat myself to this as a tiny travel scope when even the Tak FS-60 is too much...And there was me thinking I was done purchasing equipment

There is one on display on the Skywatcher stand at Astrofest. Had a quick look and seemed to have a very solid build quality.

That looks fun! I like small scopes (guess it is the traveler in me that appreciates being able to take them to dark places).

Will it come to focus with a diagonal in place or is is straight through only?

I love that photo of the EM-3500 mount with the person next to it.  It provides context to how large that mount is which suddenly gives insight into how large some of those scopes are! Especially the FCT200 and 250.

So much eye candy!  And a great historical record of the development of Takahashi scopes.  I really want the FC-50!  And one of its far larger brothers.... 

Amazing!  I have a feathertouch on my C11 (it is great) and that looks just like it.

I took my Takahashi FC-76DCU (the split tube version) on Honeymoon with me to Vamizi Island (off the coast of Mozambique) in May.  This was captured in the courtyard of our villa.

Your interested public demands photos! 

Very interesting first report.  Look forward to reading more about your experiences with it.  As you say the weight is a bit much for airline cabin transport, but the idea of a 12" scope that could go to a dark site is a very intriguing one...

On 21/06/2017 at 22:43, John said:

Some very nice and interesting portable gear in these posts

I don't take astro stuff with me on holiday apart from small binoculars and those get used mostly for wildlife / birding.

I find that it's good to have a break from the hobby from time to time and I appreciate it when I get back

 

For years, my girlfriend now wife has actually used the lure of astronomy to get me to go to some interesting places that I might otherwise have had some trepidation about. Very smart on her part!

She even checks when new moon is so it sits in the middle of a two week vacation to maximise darkness. I am lucky! The most extreme example is our recent wedding and honeymoon. We worked backwards from a new moon to determine honeymoon departure (6 days after the wedding) and the actual wedding day which fell around full moon.

However, unless it a specifically Astro focused holiday as some of the trips to Namibia have been, I try to keep it to just three sessions during the holiday, early evening, around midnight and early morning, so I get a shot at all the interesting DSOs.

Good choice of tripod and mount as well!  Enjoy!

They really are good fun to use and your experience mirrors my own with the 12" LX200 I have used extensively in Namibia.  The Meade electric focuser had issues on that one as well and was replaced with a third party crayford to avoid having to deal with mirror flop, backlash etc.

I know what you mean about the noise though! Glad I am in the middle of the desert when I use it.  I used a 10" LX200 for my astrophysics masters project and the noise meant I went with the Celestron Nexstar 11 for my own scope after graduating as it was a lot quieter when slewing and I did not want to upset my neighbours.

I have a variety of travel kits, which really depend the on the journey to be taken. A single flight with a major carrier probably sees the APM LZOS 105. The big consideration is the mounting solution needs to be more robust and that takes up more of the checked baggage allowance,

Just before sunrise in the desert in Oman.

If I have smaller connecting flights then the Tak FC-76 DCU (split tube) can come, as it did on my honeymoon last month.

If the connecting flight is really limited, as it was in 2015 which involved a helicopter, the the Tak FS-60 comes.

Or the FS-60Q in Namibia in 2016

I am getting married in a few hours. Just got to see the wedding cake. Some of you may have seen a couple of posts from over the last year about the proposal (under the stars in Namibia with a scope pointed at Saturn), the engagement ring (with star motifs and pieces of meteorite) and my cufflinks which are the same. We have kept the theme going with the wedding cake, choosing several of our favourite constellations showing both Classical Greek representations and actual star positions. The cake topper is Lyra (my favourite). The colour has been airbrushed on so not to affect the flavour profile of the cake.

I suppose one's eyes could be considered an equipment set up as well? After everyone else at the lodge in Namibia went to sleep I just sat on a sun lounger by the plunge pool and just took in the view. Had my camera with me and took a few shots.

This is the 12" LX200 I have used a lot in Namibia.

A sort of Astro-selfie using the Vixen SG 2.1x42 Bins.

My APM LZOS 105 in the desert in Oman just before dawn after an incredible night of stargazing.

My Takahashi FS-60 just before sunset on a beach on Benguerra island off the coast of Mozambique.

My Takahashi FS-60Q set up ready for s night of stargazing in Sossusvlei in Namibia.

Nice review.  Have not come across this piece of equipment before.

My Takahashi FC-76 and Baader Herschel Wedge. Great combination.

On the morning of 22^nd Feb I ordered a Baader 2" ClickLock Adapter for 3.25" SCT.  I received an email shortly after confirming receipt of my order.  On the morning of the 23^rd, I received an email confirming the order had been completed and dispatched.  It arrived the following day.  Nice and easy as it should be.

Me using the Vixen SG 2.1x42 binoculars in Namibia in September 2014 (love them).  The blackness at the base of the image is the observatory wall (where a 12" LX200 lives) rather than the horizon.  Was tricky to hold still for the 15 second exposure.

It is an easy split at 59x (6mm setting of my Nagler zoom) with my baby Takahashi FS-60 so only 2.4" aperture. Not tried it lower but given the ease I suspect it wouldn't be hard. Must try it. It is considered a challenge for 3" because the secondary is so faint.

Nice.  I will be watching this thread closely and look forward to reading more of your thoughts.

Having read some very helpful reports posted on SGL by Shaun (aka Pig) I decided to take the plunge on the new iOptron Az Pro mount.  I contacted Tring Astronomy Centre to let Neil know about my interest.  He informed me they had recently sold out but a new delivery was expected shortly and he would hold one back for me.  Last week he contacted me to let me know they were incoming.  I confirmed my desire to buy one so he sent me an invoice last Thursday.  I requested a delay in dispatch until Monday 15^th as I was traveling for a few days.  The package was sent Monday with tracking and arrived in one hour delivery slot on Tuesday.  Nice easy transaction.  Now I have to hope it has not come wrapped in clouds when I open the boxes!

Just realised I have a few pics of the 180mm Apo at night thanks to the BBC and their fancy night vision camera.  This was before I purchased a 12" pillar extension to raise the scope up and a 80mm finder and counterweight set to shift the balance point up so I could get off my knees!

Not mine exactly but I have accumulated about of month of stargazing with this 12" LX 200 in Namibia over the last 4 and half years.