Nicola Fletcher

I can also recommend them. I have two 4” refractors and they are fantastic all rounders and very quick to cool. They are great on planets, the moon and brighter DSOs. You can also get lots of larger objects into one field of view with a low power eyepiece (the double cluster and the Andromeda galaxy are two of my favourites). If you can get to a dark sky, you’ll be amazed what you can see through it! I have two alt-az mounts: the Skywatcher AZ-EQ5 when I want GoTo (photo below) but mostly a manual alt-az for simplicity (I use a Giro Ercole mini on a carbon fibre tripod). I also have an equatorial mount which works very well but I prefer the alt-az personally. Hope this helps!

Welcome! I hope you enjoy this forum.

I had one scope for years (a 5” Mak), and I did enjoy the simplicity of only having one setup, but I’m glad I have more than one now. My FC76 is my favourite, fun to use and splits in two so it goes everywhere with me. It was in Tanzania in September so I had the opportunity to use it in Bortle 2 skies with the core of the Milky Way almost overhead. Our next trip will be Flagstaff and then a road trip around Arizona. It’s no trouble to bring on trips and fits in a camera bag. I have two 4” refractors which are great all rounders and pretty much grab and go. They do give a nice step up from the FC76 and I find the FC100DZ in particular superb on planets. I have a Starwave ED-R and some of the objects I’ve observed through that have been mesmerising - it’s great for those showpiece DSOs as well as planets. I know my other half has ordered my Christmas present - a 12” dob. This is going to be a big step up in aperture but it will be for special nights and star parties. So, I think I’m happier with multiple scopes. Although the FC76 is my favourite, I appreciate the extra detail with the 4” scopes and am really looking forward to observing through a dob for the first time!

Thanks Magnus, really good idea. I don’t want to splash out on a Paracorr unless I really think I’ll need it.

Thank you! I’m off to Madrid and Seville which have clear skies forecast but light pollution of course. Lots of sun though!

I left for the airport at 5.30 this morning and Orion was high in the sky and looking fantastic. I’d have loved to get my 3” refractor out for an hour. Really hoping for a bit of a clear spell as the autumn comes in - here’s hoping.

Thank you very much @HAsun, I really appreciate your reply. I’m glad you like the setup, from online reviews it looks like a great system once you get over the QC issues with the scope. I first thought about getting this after reading that review in Astronomy Now as well, especially after I found that I could use the Nexus DSC with it. I like the idea of colour coding the truss tubes and flocking/lining the upper truss assembly also. Do you find a coma corrector necessary with 2” EPs? At F/5, I think it’s on the border of needing one.

Thanks @Captain Scarlet, The Nexus DSC looks brilliant and I never thought of putting it on the AZ-EQ5. I also suspected I’d need a coma corrector so thanks a million for that. I think, if all goes well, this has the potential to be a great setup. I’m going to buy from a local supplier so I’ll have someone not far away if there are any issues with the ES. I had another look yesterday for alternatives, but the Celestron Starsense 12” is the closest to what I’m looking for, and I’m really not keen on a solid tube dob in that size. I’ll let you know how I get on @inedible_hulk👍🏻

Thanks both. I’m aware of the collimating requirements @Mandy D and like you, I suspect I might need a coma corrector but I can get started without it. @John, I’m not dead set on the ES, but I do want a light-ish truss tube dob. Obviously I’d prefer an Obsession UC or a Hubble Optics, but these cost a lot more. Of the rest, in this size, I think they will either be too heavy or unwieldy for me. I have read all the reviews and seen the YouTube reviews, including the fairly damning one by Dakota Starry Nights. It seems to me from reading other reviews that the QC has got better since then. In short, it sounds like the best available to fit what I’m looking for. People seem to have come up with clever mods for them also.

Hi all, Im after a bit of advice. My very generous other half has said that he will get me an Explore Scientific 12” UC dob for Christmas. I picked it myself - I have a hankering for some aperture and I really like the idea of a truss dob. I’ve had a 10” SCT and 127 Mak in the past and I currently have a 3” refractor and two 4” refractors. However, I’ve never had a Newtonian before so this will be quite new to me. I had originally thought of putting a Starsense on it, but I see that Astro Devices sell encoders for the ES dobs and I was thinking of getting the Nexus DSC pro instead. As I imagine this will be a somewhat special occasion scope for clear weekend nights and star parties, I thought some form of guidance would be a good idea. Has anyone used this combination or is there a better system for this scope? It will also fall to me to get accessories for the dob, and I’ve already ordered a shroud. Do you think a coma corrector is necessary for this scope? If so, is a Paracorr significantly better than other brands? My EPs are mostly 1.25” Televues but I do have the 22” Nagler, 41mm Panoptic and Baader 8-24mm Mak IV zoom in 2” EPs. Really, any advice would be most welcome on the wisdom of this plan and anything I haven’t thought of. Thank you in advance.

Many thanks Matthew for your fantastic website. Im not a bit sorry about the damage to my bank account, but your site is the reason I now have a Nagler 3-6mm zoom, a FC76-DCU, Gitzo tripod, Airport Essentials camera bag and a hankering to visit Namibia!!

Thank you very much for posting your sketches and descriptions. They’re fantastic! I really like the idea of using blue paper for twilight. Your whole post is very inspiring.

My enthusiasm for astronomy has had some dips over the years, but it has always come back. I agree with others that a small setup that is easy to take outside for short sessions is a great boost and helps you make the most of nights where for whatever reason it’s a hassle to get a big scope set up. My biggest game changers have been a 3” refractor on a manual alt-az mount and a photo tripod, and a pair of binoculars. I did the thing where I ignored all the sensible people advising me to get binoculars, but I was given a present of a pair three years ago and it is honestly one of my favourite pastimes, scanning the sky and ‘discovering’ things. I also enjoy armchair astronomy, doing things like reading books and perusing this forum. Maybe try reading Starlight Nights by Leslie Peltier. That book boosts my enthusiasm like nothing else!

I was at a star party recently and had the opportunity to see M27 and M57 through some big SCTs (9.25” and 11” Celestrons). I haven’t seen them through such big scopes before and I was really impressed by the detail and size of them. These sketches obviously weren’t done at the eyepiece but I tried my best to reproduce the views using rough sketches and major star placements after I looked at them a couple of times, and I made these sketches the next day with some help with star placement from my Pocket Sky Atlas. Last night I compared the views through my 3” Takahashi refractor, and was pleasantly surprised at how good the dumbbell in particular looked. I couldn’t see anything like as much detail as through the 9.25”, but it was still a big object through a 9mm Nagler with the sensation of the nebula ‘floating’ over the beautiful star field visible in the Tak, an impression I also got through the SCT. On the other hand, the Ring was extremely challenging through the 3” although I could reliably see it. The view through the 11” SCT was fantastic, and I’m very glad to have seen it through such a big scope.

People have said that to me too!

Welcome! I hope you enjoy being part of SGL 😊

I have no idea if there’s a reason not to, but Fforest Fields in Wales looks incredible. It seems to have everything you requested although I can’t see from their website how many it could accommodate. It’s just under 4 hours from central London and I would imagine the sky is worth travelling for! https://www.fforestfields.co.uk

I’ve only sketched DSOs but I use low power EPs on a widefield refractor on a manual alt-az mount. I do have to nudge the scope but not as much as I imagine you would have to with the dob. Maybe try your goto setup and see if it helps? I also make a fairly rough sketch at the EP and refine it indoors using notes I make. Lovely sketch of the Dumbell!

I think this is one of my favourite posts on SGL to date 😂

Why did I buy a second 4” refractor when I already had one I was delighted with? Because I’m so impressed with the FC76, I really wanted that in a 4”. Plus Takahashi scopes are so beautiful, a pleasure to use and I know the level of detail and craftsmanship that goes into making them. I do agree with @Mr Spock’s review though. The Starwave/Starfield is a great scope and I think it’s amazing value for money!

I think FLO had two DZs in stock recently - I bought one of them. I haven’t had a chance to properly use it and decide how much I like it compared to the FC76-DCU or the Starwave 102 ED-R. I don’t think I’d be objective enough to really compare them anyway. It tends to take me ages to ‘make friends’ with a new scope. Like @JeremyS, I really do suspect that the FC76 will remain my favourite scope. When it’s set up for a night out, I’m always giggly looking forward to getting it outside when it gets dark. It’s utterly fabulous to use on a Giro ercole mini alt-az mount, with just a carbon fibre tripod, 1.25 diagonal and three eyepieces. The other thing to say is that I’ve no intention of selling my Starwave. I think it stands up very well to the premium scopes. It’s robust, the tube is nice and short with the dew shield retracted which makes it easy to transport and the focuser is great. I’m very sentimentally attached to it also. I don’t think anyone would be disappointed with the views through any of these scopes!

Yours was the inspiration for mine @DirkSteele - as you might notice from the post above!

Welcome to SGL and this great hobby Ashes!

I also love my Tak FC76 DCU. It’s an amazing grab and go scope. I bought it for travel but use it at home so much, it’s a real all-rounder. I appreciate it’s close in aperture to your 70mm but the fact that it splits in two makes it truly portable even on the smallest planes. Mine is off to the Serengeti on Sunday. Only six more sleeps!

Whoa! My baby Tak is an FC76 (Is that your finder 😂). I shall revisit that photo and drool over it from time to time.