Telescope40

Afternoon all. Bit of Solar for my Tak this nice November Sunday. Seeing a Bit wobbly Bob. 
 

Tak FS 128

Altair HW. 
Baader Maxbright binoviewers. 
Baader contrast filter. 
AR’s 3140 - 3141 and 3145 giving some nice detail. 

And a coffee !!  Thx  John 

38 minutes ago, Stephenstargazer said:

@Telescope40  My understanding is that you do not have the motors yet. If you are currently doing start up with DSC you can choose the altitude starting point in settings to be horizontal or a custom point. Does not have to be vertical, but that is default.

(Q&A refers to motor controller)

 

Hello. Your quite correct. No motors yet !! 
Ah. That’s news to me. I’ll take at a look at the settings - must be set on vertical ATM. 
many thx.  John 

14 minutes ago, fireballxl5 said:

I'm sure that I was told you just point the horizontal scope south and then at a couple of alignment stars when I enquired at IAS last month

Thank you @fireballxl5  makes the process that bit more simple - always good in my case 🤣🤣🤣

John 

On 28/10/2022 at 18:23, Saganite said:

I took my AZ100 to Rowan Engineering yesterday as planned and had the motors fitted, while I enjoyed chatting with Derek, Dave, and James with refreshments supplied.  Living as close to them as I do, it is an easy trip and worthwhile, they are such great guys.

I managed to set up for about 40 minutes of observing, that evening, before the clouds rolled in, and it was worth every moment. I pointed the scope roughly South and got the telescope roughly level, flicked the on switch and settled down to observe Jupiter, the GRS and shadow transit to be exact. This was a big deal for me because I have been without tracking for two long years and at high mags, as we all know , it is a right pain without it.  I was using 171 X and it held the planet dead central during most of that time, absolutely superb, and totally silent in operation. 

The set up as shown is rock steady on my pier, and will soon have an observatory  around it all , at which point I will connect the Nexus DSC, and conduct a proper  star align !

Hello Steve. Will be very interested in your findings.  Especially as to whether you still have to point the OTA vertically as part of the alignment process, as I do currently.  Not the easiest with no risers or pillar in place on my mount currently. Find that I still have to pick my spot so I don't snag anything on the tripod. 

Thx   John 

Hello all.  After Dave @F15Rules flagged up a Tak Fs 128 a couple of weeks ago and it's now mine, here is another Tak I've come across.  The scope has no link to myself in any way but looks rather good along with the mount. 

Fill you boots.   John 

Takahashi Telescope FS102 APOCHROMATIC Fluorite Doublet. Fine condition | eBay

44 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Fully Tak baby blue livery on the FC 76DCU, now restored that’s to proper colour finder handle

Nice. No more OCD issues Jeremy 👍👍

Alan. Horrendous news fella.  Can't imagine your feelings given your thoughts on the scope in your post. Every astronomers nightmare !!!!   AS you have said.  Things moving forward for you now.  Maybe you already have an eye on a replacement and you can get back at the eyepiece as soon as possible. 

Looking forward to future updates on your journey.

John 

Nope, nope, nope, John.   Keep repeating to yourself  😜😜😜 

Last  nights session. Time for an update guys.  First light has just taken place with my new to me Tak 128.
Had a chance earlier in the week as was clear but a tad on the windy side -  I stayed put. 

Clear tonight with minimal wind.  Gas giants as targets.  Set up. Had already aligned the Tak focuser and all was well. Right in the crosshairs. 

Saturn. Cyclops to start.  Sharp sharp sharp. Slowly increased mag from my 19 Pan x54, up thru the gears and ended up with my ES 8.8 in a Tal 2 barlow at x236.  Stunned how well the image was especially in the real steady moments.  Brightness I hadn't come across either.  Very happy with the focuser. Seems to snap into focus very nicely.  Prob ably best mag was with ES 11mm with the barlow - 188x

Switched to my Baader Maxbright II binoviewers.  I've have 3 sets of EP's.   25 /15 / 11 mm.   The views went up another notch or 3.  Must have been viewing somewhere in the mid 200X's by the time I'd done. I've never exactly calculated for sure.   The Maxbrights are great. The scope will let me binoview - I've just nicely got enough in focus. Use x 1.6 corrector.  The individual eyepiece adjusters just help to get that critical focus.  Saturn was giving up a couple of cloud bands and Cassini was clear.  

OK.  Jupiter time.  Same process. Cyclops first then get the BV's fired up.  Detail I don't think I've ever seen.  Even thought I could make out the sizes of the moons - Ganymede maybe just giving me a hint of an orb.  Need to try again on that one.  GRS not far from mid transit. 

Helping with the view with my Rowan was that Jupe was only slowly tracking across my field of view -getting a good look for a nice 40-50 seconds at atime.  

Some light cloud has started to roll in and work in the morning so in we come. 

Anyway suffice to say the scope is all I wished on this first light.  Many more to come.  May invest in a slightly more powerful glass path corrector.  Gives me even more options. 

Thanks for reading if you have.    John

Steve. Had first light last nite. Bit jaw dropping on Jupiter and Saturn. I’ve updated my original thread. 
Happy doesn’t quite do it justice. 👍👍

John 
 

Steve. Great news. Hoping I can go down this route too in due course.   That set up looks the business, fella. 

John 

2 hours ago, garryblueboy said:

Nice Scope John I was offered this before it was listed 

Hi Gary.  Do you know the seller, Mark.   He had some kit lying around his house that's for sure.   John 

Time for an update guys.  First light has just taken place. Had a chance earlier in the week as was clear but a tad on the windy side -  I stayed put. 

Clear tonight with minimal wind.  Gas giants as targets.  Set up. Had already aligned the Tak focuser and all was well. Right in the crosshairs. 😀

Saturn. Cyclops to start.  Sharp sharp sharp. Slowly increased mag from my 19 Pan x54, up thru the gears and ended up with my ES 8.8 in a Tal 2 barlow at x236.  Stunned how well the image was especially in the real steady moments.  Brightness I hadn't come across either.  Very happy with the focuser. Seems to snap into focus very nicely.  Prob ably best mag was with ES 11mm with the barlow - 188x

Switched to my Baader Maxbright II binoviewers.  I've have 3 sets of EP's.   25 /15 / 11 mm.   The views went up another notch or 3.  Must have been viewing somewhere in the mid 200X's by the time I'd done. I've never exactly calculated for sure.   The Maxbrights are great. The scope will let me binoview - I've just nicely got enough in focus. Use x 1.6 corrector.  The individual eyepiece adjusters just help to get that critical focus.  Saturn was giving up a couple of cloud bands and Cassini was clear.  

OK.  Jupiter time.  Same process. Cyclops first then get the BV's fired up.  Detail I don't think I've ever seen.  Even thought I could make out the sizes of the moons - Ganymede maybe just giving me a hint of an orb.  Need to try again on that one.  GRS not far from mid transit. 

Helping with the view with my Rowan was that Jupe was only slowly tracking across my field of view - getting a good look for a nice 40-50 seconds at a time.  

Some light cloud has started to roll in and work in the morning so in we come. 

Anyway suffice to say the scope is all I wished on this first light.  Many more to come.  May invest in a slightly more powerful glass path corrector.  Gives me even more options. 

Thanks for reading if you have.    John

7 hours ago, wookie1965 said:

That is a lovely set up I was looking at the Tak on Ebay I looked at the dew spot and it didn't look that bad I thought to myself should be easily cleaned up. But I then saw a !0" Celestron starsense as I have 3 Refractors I thought I would go for that.

Cracking scope have to tell us what first light is like under dark skies.

Just a quick question the mount how accurate is it at finding objects and can you input SAO numbers thanks.

Paul

Hello Paul.  Thanks for your post.  The dew spot doesn't seem to be an issue.  I've had first light, daytime, for the solar eclipse.  The view was excellent giving some superb views of the Moon's edge and AR's that were well placed on the day.  A nightime first light is in the lap of the gods as usual.  Ahem. 

I may well still have the scope looked at by Mr ES Reid next year and have the scope " serviced" so to speak. 

Hope the Starsense purchase ??  works out for you.  The Rowan is as accurate as it gets I would say if your alignment procedure is sound.  Very easy to get on with. Unsure if it takes SAO numbers as never gone down that route. 

Regards    John 

47 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

SNAP

My FS128 on a Vixen GPDX and Berlebach UNI28 Tripod 🙂

Made in 1998 and still going strong 👍

Hello @dweller25  That’s 3 of us I know of on here with @F15Rules that are happy owners. 👍👍

9 hours ago, Space Hopper said:

Very nice purchase John. And it looks very well cared for considering its age. A true heirloom scope.

Yes, tomorrow night try it on Jupiter. Theres a double transit event : Europa and Ganymede. Around 21:30hrs i think.

I'm impressed the AZ100 can handle it with no counterweight.

Also impressed that you can binoview with it with the HW. Not many scopes have the back focus to do that. I take it you are using a GPC ?

Hello.  Yes. The Rowan doesn't seem to notice it's there. Spoke to the Rowan team at IAS a couple of weeks ago and they said a C/W isn't required in alot of cases.  More emphasis on the "front to back" balance of the OTA. It does help with "settle" time when focusing. 

1.6 GPC being used with the Altair HW 

John 

15 minutes ago, Alan White said:

Congratulation on a fine scope, nice aperture and focal length.
Looks super on the AZ100.
Enjoy.

I might have similar news tomorrow if all goes well.

Roll on tomorrow’s news. Hope it goes as wished 👍😎😁

22 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Tiny Tak part. Finderscope Illuminator 

Ah. This is the illuminator I was looking for. LOL. 

John 

1 hour ago, HollyHound said:

Wow, that’s an absolutely lovely scope you’ve got there 😃

I’ve read the review mentioned above and I recall it was one of the finest scopes he reviewed on that site 👍

Enjoy and welcome to the Tak club… with that one, you might even be able to resist the urge to acquire more 🤣

Yes. The review is rather definitive. @F15RulesDave quoted Roger Vine and this article. 

1 hour ago, GalaxyGael said:

That is a beauty, a fine wine for your eyes. Great the scope carries on with another long term owner. 

Hopefully long term. I’m feeling good but then I should 🤩🤩

20 minutes ago, badhex said:

Wowzers, looks incredible! Enjoy your new Tak, I am very jealous! 

Thank you. I find myself looking in the conservatory just to check I’m not seeing things ☺️☺️

19 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

That’s amazing John. Congratulations. One of the best Taks ever made. 
Let us know how you get on.

As well as Jupiter, don’t forget Mars. I’ve had some of my best Martian views through my FS 102 so the FS 128 should be cracking.

PS sorry I snaffled your Illuminator away, but looks like you’ve got a good replacement 

Jeremy. Thank you. I’ve timed it right for Mars come opposition. The observation list is now endless. Talk about a shot in the arm for my viewing sessions. Christmas - It’s come early for me. 
No worries bout the illuminator.  A little bird told me it had been whisked away.
Chuffed the one I located suits the finder well. 
Happy you left the scope alone but I know you have most bases covered with Taks and others et al - my ex C9.25 for one. 
 

John 

Hello all.  Many thanks for the comments. Itching for a 2nd light now but forecast only seems to show tomorrow night might well be a go ??!!   A few events happening around Jupiter but thinking I might have to focus up on Saturn first and expecting a wow moment.  Sure Jupe won't have a frown if it's next in the queue. 

Clear skies everyone.    John 🤩  

Afternoon all.  Yes. I'm a Takahashi owner.  FS 128.  Still coming to terms with this.  A rather big shout out needs to go firstly to Dave @F15Rules as he started the saga last Friday by posting re an advert from the old Flea of the Bay. Had no intentions of going along this route at all as quite " scope happy" till I saw this but as the scope was a scant 25 miles from me, the cogs started to whirr.  If it had been a long trip I would not have even blinked. 

Got in touch with Dave via a DM, as he is a very happy owner of the same scope, and after a few messages and a nice chat on Saturday evening, with some excellent advice, I went to look on Sunday. 

The scope had a couple of points of note but in the flesh they were rather unfounded. Cosmetically was sound. Its a 23 yr old scope. I gave it a little lattitude.  On a field test from the sellers house the optics looked as sharp as sharp. Please note, I count my expertise as rather limited. There is a minor dew spot on the lens but ideas are in place to correct this in due course, if needed. Not convinced it will. Was being sold on behalf of a local astronomer's widow who's husband had passed recently. 

In with the purchase I managed to bag the original Tak 7x50 finderscope and bracket plus a brand new Baader 72 mm visual back.   Some negotiating.  Job done.  Drove home rather shellshocked. 

Once home I gave the OTA a nice buff over and it came up nicely.  Fitted the finderscope. Found an illuminator in my astro  "spares" box that fits the finder.   A Voila !!

First light, daytime, rather novel, was an hour ago with the solar eclipse. Fitted to my Rowan AZ100, very solid I might add and an Altair Herschel wedge in use, I found myself jugging EP's every couple of minutes. Happy to confirm my Maxbright BV's work with the wedge. A nice bonus. Found that a "little bit less was more" re magnification. Just EPIC !! 

Serial number of the scope is 99025 with Dave @F15Rules noting is only a few away from his example - 99008.  Curious to know how many other owners of this particular TAK are with SGL guys / gals. 

Thx for reading. Here are some photos and I make no excuse for posting. 

Happy astronomer - John  

Hello. ES 11mm argon purged eyepiece courtesy of @Dave scutt

Now have a nice bino pair. Possibly use later as forecast looks promising. 
 

John 

35 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

OK SGLers: own up!, who was it?

As you can tell. It wasn’t me !!  I’d had a good look as I arrived at the venue and it was noticeably absent when I returned for a second shufty 🤔🤔🤔

11 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

We are all ears 🤣

Jeremy.  @F15Rules Just a couple of low cost EP's for my Maxbright binoviewers.  Watching the funds in the off chance of a move for a Tak. Never seen a wrong word written about the 120. I know you have one.  Wrestling match is ongoing in my head and will be for the foreseeable future.  Rowan motor kit is the route to go but even the best laid plans and Sat Nav's mess up.   LOL  

John