F15Rules

Nice photo.. ..but what's that clear bluish coloured area running along the top of the photo from middle to the right?? I know it sounds ludicrous, but it almost looks like, er, cloudless sky??🤦‍♂️🫣😲 Dave

That's a wonderful looking telescope..I especially (and genuinely!) love that handle!. But it seems to weigh in at over double the weight of my FS128, and would need a much bigger and heavier (and much more expensive!) mount. For someone with a permanent observatory and funds to equip it, I would say "go for it".. but I'm very happy that my current Tak will do me for my remaining orbits around our planet🔭🌏😊. As for the video itself, I couldn't help thinking that the speaker could have spent more time discussing the scope's actual performance rather than the size and cost of his eyepiece collection? Happy New Year everyone..😉 Dave

The scope you reference above is the later ED103s F7.7 model which replaced the ED102 F9 discussed in this thread. I have owned two of the F7.7 models in the past 5-10 years and both were/are excellent. I know the scope being sold by Astrospares has been advertised by them for a number of months now: I have no knowledge of the company or the scope they are selling. On the face of it the price seems reasonable, but I dont have enough knowledge of the seller or this particular example of the ED103s to be able to recommend it. It would be worth making your own enquiries with the seller, and ideally, inspecting it in person if you are really interested in it..🙂 Dave

Hmm... wasn't the original post title "Clear nights compared to previous years"?? 🤔🙄 Dave

I tend to agree Alan, except for the last paragraph..I've had very few sessions since August.. However, this has been partly my own fault, and I think for 2023 Im going to have to be less picky and choosy about when I get the scope out. For example, I may need to be willing to get up very early to see a morning sky or more willing to tolerate the cold etc.🤭😏😂 Dave

Many congratulations! 👏💐🥳 I predict you will love this scope and I look forward to your first light and impressions! Dave

We'll chat offline, Tim..😁😁😁 Seriously, I'm glad you sold it, and understand why..in other circumstances I'd have jumped on it. It's only the the second one I've ever seen for sale in the UK, and the other one was about 10 years or more ago. Are you still loving your beautiful SD115S Tim? Dave

..and John has an ED F6.5 which I know he rates very highly.. John, a head to head between your Tak F9 and Tim's Vixen F9 would be a fascinating one..especially given the "value" differences.. Dave

My heart missed a beat last night when I saw this for sale.. I have owned two of the F7.7 versions of this scope and they were both absolutely superb performers. I only sold the last one to help fund my 5" Tak. It went to an SGL friend who still has it and loves it. At F9, this model is perfect for lunar, planetary and double star observing, as well as on many other celestial objects. This scope looks like new, yet it will be c 20 years old! When you think that a new F7.7 SD version of this scope is now around £1800 new, this beauty at just £500 is an absolute steal. I have no connection whatsoever with this sale. So, why have I posted this? Simple. Commenting on an item for sale in the actual For Sale section is not allowed, so in respecting that rule I am posting an opinion here.. Over my 15 years or so of SGL membership, and especially while I was very much still learning about scopes, I have bought several instruments largely due to the honest and believable opinions posted here..all of them turned out to be wonderful scopes. If anyone reading this wants a top tier performing refractor for a bargain price, I heartily recommend this scope and its' seller, Tim. I have bought several Vixen items from Tim and have been delighted with all of them! Hope someone can hurry up and grab this beauty!😉. Dave

It also looks from the illustration as if the 2 rear retaining screws are set screws with no brass compression ring? If so, that means screw marks on eyepiece barrels, and possible less than ideal alignment of eyepieces in the barlow barrel.. If so, that would be disappointing for a high end brand like Takahashi.. Dave

Good advice from Mr Spock above 👍. EdIT: in my hurry to post before being called back to the real world by my wife, I showed the wrong adapter..🤦‍♂️.. The adapter shown below in Louis' post is the correct size, and will enable your 0.965" eyepieces to work in a 1.25" focuser. My appreciation to Louis for correcting my error.. Hope that helps, Dave

Lovely Stu. And great to see some British made quality kit for a change👍✌️ Dave

I'd forgotten about that thread from 5 years ago..there were some very creative caps and covers in evidence then! A shame it was archived, such a loss to UK culture!🤪😂

Good for you, Sunshine! The scope was clearly worth waiting for..👍 Dave

Not me, Jeremy.. Does anyone remember when "Sunshine" was a word used to describe a weather phenomenon whereby telescopes could view the sky at night and see various celestial objects??🤔🤷‍♂️🤦‍♂️

A nice vintage 6mm Japanese volcano top ortho in great condition. Bought to use on doubles with the 80mm F15 Vixen (x 200) and the FS128 (x173 or x295 with 1.7x Glasspath Corrector and Baader Zeiss prism. Dave

...well, I wouldnt try lifting your scope with it!!😱😭😝🤣 Yes, see your pic below.. Just hold the cover firmly, IIRC, it just presses out (I havent done it for a while, it may be threaded on in which case you'd unscrew it from the outside). HTH, Dave

You're absolutely right there, Steve!!!😁😆😂

Just one other worthwhile benefit of the much maligned manhole cover dustcap..😜😂 The 2"/50mm diameter circular section in the centre of the cover presses out to reveal a perfect 50mm aperture.. This then gives you a 1040mm/50mm = F20.8, 2 inch Fluorite refractor!! The stellar images this setup delivers are incredible..on brighter doubles such as the Double Double in Lyra or the Mizar system, for example, the single Airy disk around a totally pure, colour free point source are exquisite. The moon at almost F21 with a Pentax 8-24mm XL zoom at 8mm (×130) is utterly compelling.. Try it!! 😁 Dave

Just to add, in case it helps with adjustments to your original 2.7" focuser unit, the following instructions were added to a CN thread by poster "TomCody".. As an addendum to my post above, here is a more complete description of adjusting the Tak 2.7" focuser: "To adjust it properly, you must first remove the cover from the rack and pinion. by unscrewing the small flat chrome screw on the bottom of the focuser (use a bent paper clip in the shape of a U or a pair of sharp tipped tweezers as a spanner wrench to loosen that chrome screw. Then remove the cover over the rack gears and LOOSEN the two screws that tighten the tension clearance on the gears ( you will need a small #3 Phillips head screw driver, get the clearance loose and sloppy, but still able to turn the focuser knobs and move the focuser in and out. (WHY? The three screws along the top of the focuser adjust the play in the focuser tube by pressing the tube against the bottom of the focuser housing, if you do not loosen the pinion gear shaft, you are just pressing the focuser tube against the pinion gear, not the bottom of the focuser housing). NOW adjust the three small allen hex screws along the top of the focuser (use a tiny drop of acetone to loosen the glue holding them) they take a 1.5mm allen wrench. Adjust the three screws while turning the focuser knob in and out until all slop in the focuser tube is removed and the tube still slides in and out without binding. (Start with the middle screw, then the front screw, then back screw). Now go back and tighten the two phillips screws on the rack until you do not feel any slop when reversing direction of the focuser knob AND the rack moves smoothly without binding, (DO not over tighten this adjustment as it will cause rough movement and binding of the gears, also slop will only be felt as looseness or back lash in the gears and not hurt the scope movement, so a little loose is beter than too tight). Replace the cover and screw and you are done. EDIT: A few more points, the glue used to secure the three screws along the top of the focuser will re-dry in about an hour (if you don't use too much acetone to loosen them, if the stay loose? just use a drop of clear nail polish to re-secure them." HTH, Dave

Hi Sunshine, I'm not aware of an Mef-2 microfocuser, but if you are referring to your Tak FS128, its an MEF-3 unit, offering a 7:1 gearing reduction. Have a look at the thread linked to below from several years ago on here..just click on the title text "Tak MEF3 microfocuser fe.." I found the information shown in this thread to be very helpful when fitting my own FS128 with this unit. It works really well. After about 3 years of use I have only had to re-adjust it once. Bear in mind that you need to make sure the original 2.7" focuser may also need to be adjusted as well. I hope that helps😉.. Dave

Hi John, Thats a good question.. I do suspect that a good number were sold in Japan and the USA, but not so much in the UK, EU etc. I'm aware, I think, of 6 or so in the UK and 1 in Australia, so not what you'd call a common scope compared to the more modern FC100 range.. Dave

That's cleared that up then..so, was it Merlot or Rioja??🤔😁

Have you been drinking this evening, Jeremy?? 🤔🙃 Dave

Nice scope!!👍 Once you add finder, diagonal, eyepiece, (and binoviewers?), you'll be able to push the scope much farther back towards the focuser..maybe a beefier dovetail too? Dave