Highburymark

If it’s 6kg this looks like a very nice telescope for a highly competitive price. Optical reports have been very good from what I’ve seen. FCD100 according to those sources. Also nice to see another visual scope from the FLO stable, although I’m sure it’s a nice imaging instrument too.

Very nice. What’s the 45 degree diagonal with the FS60 out of interest? Going against the classic Tak grain, I also like the More Blue rings for the bigger scopes. They’re smart and well built. I think Tak has missed a trick not offering its own line of slightly more affordable rings.

I agree Matthew. Nice lightweight well figured doublet. I managed to take an FC-100DC abroad a few times but didn’t like having to take off the focuser and dew shield each time.

Here’s the pic……

It’s very easy to turn and engage Jeremy. Nicely weighted with a firm click each time the eyepiece is in position. No shift in the scope or view. Really nicely made product. It could interfere with the mount depending on your set up - though in most cases it will be fine. No problem with my TSA-120 for example. If the end of the focuser isn’t sufficient distance from the rest of the mount (for example in the pic, you can see how eyepieces would clash with ADM clamp if focuser was adjusted any further inwards). This is the only scope/mount I’d have a problem with as it’s so short and the dovetail’s positioned a long way back - but I can adjust the dovetail to solve the problem. It’s a prism inside - seems on a par with my Baader diagonals, so very nice views. Finally, any eyepiece with barrels above 31mm will hit the prism, so caution needed. My Pentax XO5.1 is 30mm so right on the cusp. Other eyepieces (like Nagler zooms?) might be over the limit.

Never tried a turret before but looking forward to planet season.

3.3kg would be world-beating if it were accurate. Even the ultra-light Tak FC-100DC is 2.8kg. It’s a helluva package for that price though.

It looks like an amazing package. But definitely not carry on size for air travel.

I think some of the specs must be wrong??? Dewshield only 123mm diameter for a 125mm scope?

Surely 3.3kg can’t be right? That would be extraordinary.

I meant bar the ratio difference…..

Excellent - how do you rate it? I didn’t know Vixen did one - is that similar to the Tak/More Blue micros, bat the ratio difference?

Absolutely stunning!

Wow - even faster than my Epsilon. Is it possible to buy a faster small-medium sized newt on today’s market?

Very nice set up - is that a Feathertouch micro pinion?

So many brilliant sketches in the main thread - and particular congratulations to the winners.

It’s not easy. My OPMIs are marked as made in West Germany (so obviously pre-Berlin Wall coming down) - most OPMI 10x/22B are marked - see pair in pic. Many other Zeiss micro eyepieces aren’t marked, and some of the ones that are can still be sub par, apparently. My strategy was to only buy from established microscope dealers on eBay - then you know you are more likely to be getting EPs that have been used for years, or decades, by professionals. Many of the best Zeiss examples come in plastic cases which have country of manufacture. I’d recommend reading the many useful threads on CN which give more details and advice on how to buy the best microscope eyepieces.

A particularly good day for ‘filaproms’ - filaments that turn into prominences. One was really stunning - could follow feathered streams of plasma as they stretched over the limb. My problem is I view with binoviewers from different angles through a star diagonal so much of the time I’m unaware of north/south/east/west - I just enjoy the show.

I have a silver blanket for complete darkness, and I sometimes wear a cap. But if you can find the right sized eye guards, perfectly adapted to your preferred eye relief (as with my binoviewer pair on the left of the picture), you can effectively block out all light. This approach can cause the lenses to steam up after a few minutes, so you need to pull your head back occasionally, but it’s a really immersive way to enjoy the Sun.

Wow Dave - spectacular capture. Thanks for posting.

Lovely set up and nice sketches - particularly like the white light one.

You should contact Lunt - if you’re in Europe they are imported by Bresser in Germany. They will sort you out. I think you need two o-rings for the LS60 if my memory is correct.

Yep. Good safety points from elp - any solar observing is potentially disastrous without the right equipment. Anyone looking to get into Ha solar for the first time - and it’s a fascinating part of the hobby - the cheapest option is a secondhand PST or Lunt 35. Around £500 up. Quarks come up regularly on the classifieds for around £750 upwards secondhand, and as Michael points out are a good option if you want to convert an existing scope.

Plus you need an additional ‘blocking filter’ at the eyepiece end - it’s the section marked with blue tape in the pic above…..

You can - but the full aperture Ha solar filters (available from Lunt or Solarscope. Coronado also make them but don’t seem to sell most of them separately) are pricier than smaller internal etalons/filters as part of dedicated solar telescopes. Pic is example of solar filters on TV85. You just need to buy an adapter to fit them to the refractor of your choice.