F15Rules

David, Does your FS128 have a decal on the tube, the dewshield, or both? Dave

Does that mean mine is worth £10k then??🙂😇😂🤣 Dave

Hi Jeremy, Yes, I believe it is. I'm only the 2nd owner and the first owner hardly used the scope . He stored it unused for c12 years and it was literally like new when I collected it back in 2017. I've never actually seen another FS128 "in the flesh" so to speak, and it never occured to me that mine might be unusual in any way (apart from being rare in the UK). Why do you ask? Dave

I should also have mentioned that since the scope photos I've fitted a Tak Micro Edge Focuser (MEF3) 3 7:1 microfocuser which I found in great used condition. These are still available for some current Takahashi refractors at £247. They need adjusting every so often but mine works very well, particularly for high power fine focusing. I know some observers like the Feathertouch focuser for Taks but at over £1k for a complete FT replacement focuser for the FS128 I'm quite happy with the original👍 Dave

Hi Mark, I have the original receipt for my FS128, dated March 1999. Also bought from Tru Tek. It included: FS128 OTA, cradle, 50mm finder, EM2 equatorial mount with RA Drive, Tak SL90 tripod, illuminated polar finderscope with reticule, Vari-Extender,(adjustable barlow) and 2 LE eyepieces. Total cost was £5295 less £95 discount. The individual items weren't broken down by cost, but I think a likely individual cost of OTA, finder and cradle would have been around £3.5k as suggested by Mike. The tripod shown is not the Tak one, which I replaced with this more stable one, and I replaced the excellent original finder with a RACI one to save my neck! HTH, Dave

Good point, Mark..but it then begs the question..where are the SCT and ED owners' threads? Probably almost 10 years ago I owned a several ED 100s - by both Celestron and Skywatcher. They were all excellent optically (only let down a bit by budget build and focusers etc) and I along with others enthused about them. I aspired to a premium refractor for the future (by premium I meant at the time Tec/Lzos/Tak/Vixen ED etc), but that didn't stop me posting about what I could afford then.. and I was never made to feel in any way inferior or lacking because of any scope I posted about. So I say, if you have a scope you love, share it on SGL, tell others why you feel that way, and share photos..I predict that you will get lots of encouragement, advice if asked for, and be more, not less, motivated as a result.😉 Dave

Here's a "Super Achromat", John.. ..at 80mm F15 there is precious little CA on the night sky.. great sharpness, depth of focus (it has a dual speed focuser but doesn't need it), and excellent contrast😎 A Vixen 1980s classic! Dave

Yes, I started a "Show us your Vixen" thread a good while back, and invited contributions for other Vixen equipment such as mounts etc: there were some fascinating posts and photos posted, from a wide variety of SGLers, including many showing no Vixen scope at all.. I was chuffed to see how much Vixen stuff there is in circulation: if Takahashi pioneered Fluorite apos, then Vixen certainly brought quality engineered scope mounts within reach of the masses with their wonderful SP/GP/GPDX mounts, and later their Porta lightweight Altaz mounts as well as more specialised imaging mounts. Oh, and although they no longer offer Fluorite lenses scopes, their superb ED/SD range perform visually so close to Tak Fluorites that I can't see any difference. I for one would welcome lots more "Show us" threads for both modern and classic scopes regardless of the price or brand. The same goes for reflectors..I personally don't like them, so probably wouldn't read them, but there are plenty on here who do and would! If you like the subject, read it and participate in it...if you don't, then don't! 😊 Dave

Having just revisited this thread this evening and reading some of the rather combative and rambling posts which have nothing to do with the original topic, I was sadly reminded of the reasons I rarely visit the "other site" these days..🥴 I do hope this isn't a sign of things to come over here. Dave

Why not try binoviewing to help with the floaters? More comfortable than single eyes viewing, too, for many objects 🙂. Dave

You have clearly chosen exactly the ideal setup for your needs Paul👍. I've no idea how the Starsense system works, but it sounds as though it really saves you time and effort in locating targets, and that has to be a good thing!😊 Dave

That's a great summary, Paul.. The first paragraph I can totally identify with, even almost to the age (I'm 67).. I have found that binoviewing really helps reduce the visibility of floaters at higher powers, and in my FS128 on good, steady nights I can get to 300-350x on Lunar, doubles, globular clusters and Mars/Saturn with comfortable and rewarding views. On more normal nights for my location, ( we have a local micro climate due to surrounding low hills creating temperature inversions, especially in earlier evenings) and with Cyclops viewing, it would be more like half that, and in the case of Jupiter it's rare for me to be able to go much above 150x. Regarding your second paragraph, I can totally accept and respect that that is your experience. For myself, I just don't like reflectors, never have. I find them uncomfortable to view through, ugly to look at and fiddly to maintain. I'd be the first to admit that I didn't persevere with them, as I knew early on that they would never float my boat. I just prefer the look, comfort and low maintenance of refractors, both apo and long achromat. I accept that a good, larger reflector may well show more, and on occasion significantly so, but my refractors will deliver more of the sharp, high contrast views that I want, more often, on the relatively few clear nights we get in the UK. If I couldn't have a refractor I'd have a good Maksutov which IMHO can give the most refractor like views of any of the other types of telescope 😊. Dave

The first pic looks like an alien from Mars in War of the World's.. No wonder they called them Tripods!😱😊 Dave

Blimey...you are in a bad way!!😋😂 Dave

I'd be interested to see the above comparison under good darker skies (Bortle 4 or better)..one of a good fluorite optics' key advantages is low levels of scatter, which surely would show best in dark skies with less light pollution and upward artificial spread of light? Dave

There is nothing wrong with Tak stock focusers. They may occasionally need some slight fettling and there are plenty of useful tips and info online to assist in getting the best from them. The MEF3 microfocuser is also excellent. I have one, and after careful adjustment it works smoothly and seamlessly with no "bounce" or hesitation. It's just like getting perfect balance with an eq mount..attention to detail to achieve correct fit and adjustment always pays off. And if a piece of engineered kit is regularly used, especially with modern heavy focuser loads like large 2" diagonals, eyepieces and binoviewers etc, it's not surprising that they may need occasional re-adjustment - just as a car needs servicing. It's very similar to Vixen focusers. They too are excellent when properly adjusted. Dave

..and there you have it. Despite everything you have reported, you have sold the Starfield and kept the Tak🤔 Dave

A lovely setup! That wooden tripod really complements the whole rig, with the long tube really seeming to reach for the stars! 🤩 Dave

Fabulous setup, Alan, you must be thrilled with it..it was worth the wait! Dave

Lovely, Alan..I see it's the later SD model..I can't figure out what the difference is between your older ED103s and the SD? Both fabulous looking scopes and great to see you back in possession of one of the best 4" refractors available, anywhere👍 Dave

I'm not surprised you're confused Jeremy, so was I..because although I am in fact a Dinosaur, I'm certainly not a Triceratops as per Alan's dashboard pet...more of a Tyrannosaurus Rex (in my dreams!) Dave

No apology needed John..I love all things Vixen, old and New!! Dave

Against the forecast, the sky cleared this evening at c 7pm, so I whipped outside with Luna, my new to me old 80mm F15, for a quick first light. Well, despite the issues with the scope that I described elsewhere on closer first inspection, I'm pleased to say the lens set is a good 'un.. Lovely Airy disk with single refraction ring around stars. Good contrast, and the crayford focuser is now feeling smooth and solid, after I tinkered with it and tightened everything up. I was using an Astro Tech 2" dielectric mirror diagonal of known excellence..with this in place, several of my eyepieces were very close to, or on, the in-focus limit, so I may have problems using the Maxbright II binoviewers without an OCS (I didn't try them tonight). What was very pleasing was how, at one end of the scale the scope could deliver the entire Pleiades group with room to spare with my 31mm Celestron 2" Axiom LX 82 degree UWA, and also with the Axiom 23mm, (albeit that was close to the edges), and at the other end it can take high magnifications. I also used the LV 8-24mm zoom that I recently bought from Tim @Franklin..it worked very nicely, and on M42 the 4 main Trap components were very well presented, with the background swirling nebula. The single diffraction rings on the stars were very obvious. Moving to Alnitak I got a nice split at c 200x, and the image held up, although much dimmer, all the way up to 338x (Vixen LV zoom with Baader zoom 2.25x Barlow). Finally, the solidity on my Tak Mount tonight was remarkable for such a long, thin tube..I estimated the damping time at no more than 0.5-0.75 seconds, even with the huge, c 1kg decloaked Axiom 31mm. This shows the value of taking the time to get perfect balance with the eq mount. All in all, lovely to be out tonight, and I'm very happy to have this lovely old scope in my care👍 Dave

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Stunning, Tim, just stunning. Thanks for sharing, and I hope this scope will stay with you for the long term👍. Dave