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Chinapig

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Everything posted by Chinapig

  1. Please excuse the mugshot (something to send the grandchildren!), but here’s my delightful Tak FS-60C, with Herschel Wedge in place, enjoying the recent sunspot activity. I’m truly amazed by the quality and versatility of this little scope. It’s become my most-used and favourite scope, whether in F6 mode as here, or at F10 with the extender in place. The detail it could pull out of the sunspots and their surroundings was most impressive. And it rides so sweetly on the Scopetech Mount Zero. Solar, lunar, open star clusters, wide-field views - it’s a joy.
  2. Oh, that simple - many thanks Jeremy! I thought it might be the 2” adapter, but wasn’t convinced it could be that easy. I have one of those in my Tak box - came with my little FS-60C. Really appreciate your help. Many thanks. Cheers, Simon
  3. Apologies for waking up an old thread. I have a 76DCU, and had the same problem with focus in-travel and a Daystar Quark. Keen to know which Tak adapter solved your problem. Not 100% sure which back-end plumbing part you’re using. Would appreciate your advice. Many thanks! Cheers, Simon
  4. Very well worth it, I reckon! Looking at your kit list, there are several fracs there, across which you could share a Herschel Wedge. Cheers, Simon
  5. Many thanks for you input Ricochet - appreciated. While I continue to ponder the DS option for a wee bit longer, I’ll definitely divert a bit of budget for a replacement focuser. Comments about the standard helical one do seem pretty common. Thanks again. Cheers, Simon
  6. Had a delightful grabbed-and-gone viewing session from our front garden this afternoon, as the sun moved out from behind the trees and houses opposite. Wow, that sunspot group is seriously impressive! Was using my wee Tak, FS-60C, with a Lunt wedge, and tried a small selection of eyepieces, finishing with a Morpheus 6.5 at 54x. Fab view via a solar continuum filter. Delightful detail. Sunshine permitting, I’ll keep watching over next few days. Cheers all, Simon
  7. Many thanks Ade - appreciate your comments. All useful info. Cheers, Simon
  8. I’ve decided to go for a small, light and handy dedicated H-alpha solar scope, and have a Lunt LS50THa incoming. So if you take that scope as a given, and also that I’m only interested in observing, would it be worth also getting the double-stack module? My budget might JUST stretch to that, given some of the discounts around. Curious to know of anyone’s experience with double-stacking the little Lunt 50, purely for observing. Look forward to your comments - cheers folks.
  9. It’s currently sitting on an Amazon Basics! Simply because that was vacant when the mount arrived, and I couldn’t wait to try it. It’s surprisingly stable though, and has been fine up to 126x on Mars, for example. It’s far from a long-term solution though, and will probably swap duties shortly with a rather sturdier Manfrotto tripod. I do however have my eye on a Berlebach Report 312, which looks spot on. Otherwise, it’ll be down to researching the carbon-fibre options.
  10. Have had my Scopetech Zero for a couple of weeks or so now - thanks to FLO’s speedy turnaround - and it’s been out a few times already. I’m very impressed with it. Helped by some earlier comments in this thread, I found setting the Az axis tension a doddle - just a few tweaks - such that it’s super smooth to push around, and the slo-mo engages seamlessly. Works like a dream. Same is true for the Alt axis. I’m using it with a Tak 76DCU, and finding the balance point was easy. Gives me exactly the degree of control I was looking for. Holding Mars in the fov with the slo-mos is a delight, although cloud has stopped play recently... It’s a perfect little mount for me. A great bit of engineering. Beautifully made, and as smooth as silk in operation. Love it! Cheers all, Simon
  11. If you wear glasses to observe, the amount of available eye relief might also be an issue. I've also been looking at these models and formats, and - for example - the 16x80 version of the LightQuest has more useful eye relief that its 20x80 equivalent, which wouldn't work for my eyes. Bit of a juggling act!
  12. If you want to use the binocular for wildlife, even occasionally, then I reckon that tends to rule out all the models with individual eyepiece focusing, as trying to re-focus both eyepieces as wildlife moves around could get rather tiresome! Probably also worth checking out the close-focus distance of the various options, as many of the 20x80 models show 20m as their closest focus, which might also be a tad limiting for wildlife. The Pentax 20x60 gets down to 8m, has centre focusing, and is relatively lightweight, but has limited field of view - plenty of positive reviews around. Might also be worth considering some of 15x56 models, such as Vortex Diamondback HDs - there's a thread on CN that's worth a read. Best of luck with your search!
  13. Hi Martin Hope all good with you. Not sure if my experience will be of any interest to you, but I was at the point of buying a monocular a couple of months or so back. The Opticron 8x42 & 10x42 were on my short list. I was looking for something decent but small, that I could slip into my camera bag while on countryside walks during the lockdown. Inspired by some reviews & comments I read on CN, and on Neil English's website, I ended up going for a small bino instead - the Pentax Papillio 6.5x21. It just fits in my camera bag, or even a jacket pocket. It focuses down to 0.5 metres, so it's magic for butterflies and other tiny stuff, while being good enough for some impromptu birding and generally enjoying the view. AFOV is 7.5 degrees, and it's nice & sharp across some 80% of the field. It has become our fave nature-walk optical aid! Best of luck with your choice, whatever you go for. All the best, Simon
  14. Beautiful image, and lovely composition. Very nice indeed.
  15. Love the "featherweight" approach! What a sweetly simple result, and elegantly minimalist...
  16. That sounds like a very encouraging start. Ever since reading your previous thread about monoculars, I keep thinking of how useful one could be! Hmm... food for thought. And for wallet! Cheers, Simon
  17. Hope your new monocular lives up to expectations. Looking forward to hearing more!
  18. Yup, sure. And you've got me thinking about monoculars! During this lockdown thing we've been taking long walks most days, and having fun discovering the variety of wildlife within a few miles of home. To travel light, I usually decide to take either a camera or 8x42 bino, but a wee monocular would slip easily into coat pocket or camera bag... Ok, can see the advantage! Back to your original post, I did look through Opticron BGA bino optics a few months back, and they were excellent. Don't think you'd go too far wrong with that option.
  19. I've no experience with monoculars as such (only telescopes!), but coming at your requirement from a different angle, in a mad moment I wondered about one of these: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/guide-cameras/sky-watcher-evoguide-50ed-guidescope.html Admittedly rather heavier and longer than the other options you're considering, and probably a totally nuts suggestion, but maybe worth a daft thought... Good luck with your search and decisions! Cheers, Simon
  20. Yup, I remember visting the Farringdon showroom many times, way back when. A trip to London was never quite complete without a diversion to Telescope House. My first scope was a 6" drainpipe-tubed Fullerscopes newt, on a solid wee Fullerscopes EQ mount, bought in the early 70s. Fond memories indeed, particularly of Dudley's enthusiasm and detailed explanations. In latter years, from their Kent locations, they did a fine job of de-forking an old Meade SCT I had, and even part-exing the mount parts against a new SW EQ mount. Very helpful service, particularly from Kerin. Good memories all round. Cheers, Simon
  21. A great result - very pleased for you. Phew, always good when a "will it work like this" plan comes together! When the rain clears, hope you have a load of fun with this set up. I've certainly been very impressed with the white-light views with the Tak 76, but so far haven't been able to reach focus with the Quark, although that was the 1.25" components. I now have a Tak-friendly Baader 2" clicklock adapter and, from your tests, looks like this should give me that wee bit of extra focus leeway. Once the sun comes out again, I'll give it a try. All the best, Simon
  22. Hi there I have the same scope, a Tak FC-76DC, and am very keen to see how you get on with configuring the lightpath for your Quark. Good luck, and I look forward to hearing more! Cheers, Simon
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