Commanderfish

12 minutes ago, Stu said:

Oouuuccchh! 😱😱

Really sorry to read about this, what a shocker. Such a relief that the insurance will pay out. Out of interest was it a named item or just covered automatically?

I think @mikeDnight is possibly best placed to answer comparisons between DC and DZ having had both.

I chose the DC (rather than DF), because I always intended to fit a Feathertouch and so it made sense to buy the cheaper scope. I would likely still opt for a DC as I value the light weight and portability and suspect that optically the differences are probably fairly small, although I don’t doubt the DZ is a little better.

I had accidental cover which not all policies have, it wasn't a named item, but it didn't fall under any of the categories of items to which a limit per item is placed, e.g. laptops only covered to £500, glass collections limited to £1000.

30 minutes ago, John said:

Really sorry to hear that this has happened 

I can barely bring myself to look at your photo of the smashed Tak objective

At least the insurance is going to come through for you (minus excess).

Did the scope fall out of the tube clamp or was it the dovetail bar falling out of the mount clamp that caused the fall ?

 

Dovetail slipped from the clamp. Tube rings remained very secure and have actually survived with minimal cosmetic damage 🙂

The rings actually protected most of the tube from damage, problem is the objective is actually in the dew shield so not protected. In this respect the DZ might be slightly more robust as I believe the dew shield slides over the objective? So possibly more protection?

The end of the world.

My brand new Tak FC-100 DC slipped from its clamp (presumably too loose) while I was setting up a finderscope. The scope suddenly hit the wooden living floor with a sickening shattering sound. The Flourite element smashed on impact. Other items were damaged too.

This is the only scope I've ever damaged more than minor cosmetic scratches. Oddly enough it looks like the glass front element did not crack but the Flourite died on impact.

Ian at FLO has offered superb support throughout the process and helped me evaluate the damage - scope is beyond economic repair as are a few other items.

Fortunately, I have accidental damage cover on my home insurance, and with evaluations from Ian and plenty of photos of the damage, the insurer has agreed to pay out in full (minus my policy excess, ouch).

So whilst I wait for the pay out to be processed, I have to make a decision - new FC-100 DC and maybe a Feathertouch micropinion, or FC-100 DZ with its slightly better optics and longer drawtube?

The scope would be multirole - sometimes used as a widefield scope alongside a classical cassegrain, sometimes used as a high mag scope alongside a widefield Tak 76, and sometimes used on its own.

I had the 127 Apo and CC8 last night at home in particularly fine and dark Bottle 8 skies, though dodging light cloud. The 127 gave awesome views of the starfields of Cygnus with the CC8 showing colour in the Ring Neb and picking up two of the Leo Triplets and my first view of the Whirlpool.  The 127 is long though and ergonomics weren't good viewing the many objects at the Zenith, the Whirlpool was exactly overhead and very hard to target.

Later I got some great views with the Tak FC-76 and Ethos EPs on phototripod which is much more stable with the centre column down and the legs fully extended. The FC-76 is short enough that zenithal objects aren't an issue. I was actually able to resolve some stars in the M13 Hercules Glob at over x100 without much image shake.

Which got me to thinking that the DC or DF make more sense than the DZ with its slightly better objective - but it would probably only be 3 cm lower down at the zenith?

The DZ would be a kg heavier, too much for my phototripod and AZT6 mini AZ but no probs for my Ercole Mini. It has the longer focuser. I wonder whether the field would be flatter for wide field views and whether at F8 the snap to focus would be such that I'd never bother with a Feathertouch pinion.

Anyone with experience of the DZ care to comment?

Hmmm...

12 minutes ago, Stu said:

Only if they don’t charge it, which some have been so you end up paying double.

They can't legally charge EU/German Vat to a consumer in the UK and pay it to the EU/German revenue. They can charge Vat at the local rate (19pc in Germany I think?) and then use that to pay HMRC for part of the UK Vat.  The customer should then be charged the difference, plus the customs charge (I think that's 4pc for telescopes and accessories) upon import (courier has to handle this if not already done by retailer).

If the customer gets charged twice, someone has made a mistake, either on filling the customs paperwork or the processing thereof.

This is not surprising in the first few months of this year seeing as all the paperwork is new to most of us. I spent a few hours in a phone queue to a courier as I hadn't completed all the relevant digits of the goods code for a mount I sold to an SGLer in Ireland.

Fun and games and higher prices. 

55 minutes ago, Stu said:

Must be all orders as Nigella’s purchase would have been over £150. They didn’t mention any limit in the comms to me

I assume there is a mechanism for them to not charge EU VAT but to pay the U.K. VAT on your behalf??

There isn't any EU Vat, it's UK Vat as the consumer is in the UK. Large companies outside the UK have to charge the customer the UK Vat rate and pay it to the UK HMRC. Small companies don't have to do this, but the tax rules still apply the same; if the order is over £150 the Vat has to be charged, but is charged at point of import by the carrier. It sounds like what's happening here is not fully compliant. A common way round for small companies is to under declare the value of the goods.  I'm not saying that's what's happening, but something is...

I wonder how astroshop.eu are doing this for orders above £150? Or is it only for orders below £150..?

There's also the fact that we've dropped out of the EU Customs Union (meaning VAT and duty are now chargeable from the EU even on second hand goods).

The real shocker is that buying second hand goods from outside the country is now subject to 20 per cent VAT and 4 per cent customs duty, also chargeable on the shipping!

Personally I've found it really annoying that buying from TS in Germany is now subject to Vat. The one exclusion is where the sale is less than £150 (because that is covered by the EU-UK trade deal) - I've tested this with an order for £103 and wasn't charged Vat or duty by TS or DHL, so it is being honoured.

Also we've dropped out of all the EU's trade deals with other countries, so items from other countries should be subject to some level of import duty which should have increased cost on both parts and finished products. Depending on what deal the EU had with the third country, the new charges may be higher than we used to have.

I had an Evostar 120 non ED and that was either 4.5 or 5kg. But the bigger issue is the length, undermounting leads to vibration on these 5" fracs.

1 hour ago, Stu said:

Yep, good deal. I think Dinesh just had too many scopes and a couple had to go, this being one of them. Wanted some more grab and go, and ended up with a Ta....... no, sorry, what am I doing, let’s not turn this into another thread like that! 😱😱🤪🤪🤣🤣

Back to 120EDs/TS 115mm etc etc

I had 9 scopes, some had to go to fund a Flourite addiction! The 115 Apo is very good, mine is sold, it's on special offer at TS now but that won't last once they've sold one or two.

115 is an odd size, people usually buy 100 or 120. 115 is actually a brilliant size as the FL is only 800mm and the weight is only 6.2kg.

3 hours ago, John said:

I've owned a Tak and a TMB / LZOS for the past 5 years. They are very much in the same league IMHO

What has been a (pleasant) surprise is that my Skywatcher ED120 has not been significantly outclassed by either of them. Maybe my ED120 is a particularly good one ?

I have an ES ED127 triplet which was hand selected for me and subjected to a battery of tests by Teleskop Specializten in Munich (booklet full of tests still in my files).

It's a particularly well figured example and gives lovely sharp views, which are comparable to my FC-100, but it weighs about 2.5 times as much and is 952mm FL, so not grab and go like the FC-100. It's also almost as expensive these days. I do wonder whether each one off the production line would have this good a set of optics. But I'm planning on keeping mine 😎

My blue extension tube was tighter than the black extensions, yes it could well be the black paint that does it (no sign of glue or other fixings), and indeed the trick is to keep the silver ring tightly screwed to the white main tube to give yourself more grip on the silver section.

I might have used a towel for extra grip on the white/silver section too.

Give it some Welly, it's just a stuck screw fit.

Welcome!

Get a small scope and check out Orion's belt and sword regions. So much more going on than the eye alone detects. 

Viewing a single asterism without a scope,  I'd say the Pleaides is lovely.

But get a simple scope like a used 80mm refractor with an Alt Az mount, your world will change 👍

So would that connect straight onto the back of a Tak without an adaptor or clicklock?

3 hours ago, Deadlake said:

FLO ordered this custom for me:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/baader-reducing-ring-2i-t-2a-with-15mm-optical-length.html

Maybe you should order intake for the next delivery in two weeks. 

That could be great, but it's for a male SC thread... What did you connect that to?

6 hours ago, Stu said:

I would go with a Baader Zeiss T2 prism if wanting the shortest light path and best quality. Depending on the Binoviewer you get, you can attach directly to the prism saving more distance.

According to TS website, up to 40mm field stop can be used with minimal vignetting. That is my experience too, you eyes are not that sensitive to vignetting up to a certain point. Obviously you may want to end up with a prism for binoviewers and a full 2” mirror diagonal for your larger ethos.

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p609_Baader-ZEISS-90--diagonal---T2-thread-on-both-sides.html

Thanks. I would definitely need  2" to T2  adapter at the telescope end (where there's a Baader 2" Clicklock). 

My binoviewers (your old binoviewers, since supercharged by Denis L) have a 1.25" nosepiece.  Guess I would either need a T2 to 1.25" adapter at the Eyepiece end OR a T2 to 2" Baader clicklock and then a 2" to 1.25" adapter.  The Clicklock would be more versatile. 

I imagine there's not a lot of difference in the lightpath between a T2- 2" clicklock (36.6mm plus adapter) and a T2-1.25" nose piece (lighpath not listed)? 

What diagonals do people.use with the FC100 (and FC76) to bring binoviewers to native focus (ie without a Barlow/OCS)?  I think it has to be a prism for the light path length, but what is good for holding binoviewers securely?

Does the Tak 1.25 prism do a good job securing the load or does it need to be the Baader T2 prism?

Also, would the T2 be wide enough to take 2" wide field EPs like TV Ethos without vignetting?

Just double checked and it definitely is just a matter of unscrewing, just needs sufficient grip, which is easier with the silver ring still screwed on to the OTA. There are definite advantages to shortening the OTA by removing the blue extension tube!

4 hours ago, HollyHound said:

I’m attempting to do the same thing, as I’d like to use extensions, camera rotator and T2 adaptor to allow me to use mine for binoviewing.

However, the blue extension ahead of the focuser seems remarkably right and no amount of turning can separate it from that silver ring that attaches it to the main OTA. I can remove the focuser easily enough, but not that bit 😬

Do I just need to be more forceful, or are these glued in anyway... I guess not, as yours came off and it looks like it’s just screwed in, but maybe it is just really tight🤔

On the FC100 it's just screwed on tight. A firm grip will unscrew each section.

Are you looking at astrophotography use or just visual?

Comparing to triplet apos, I'd say the FC-76 DCU is worth the money at £1,250 because it is the sharpest scope I've ever owned and never fails to give razor sharp, crisp views. Both the FC76 and FC100 have very high contrast with darker sky backgrounds than other scopes of their size. I think the FC100 is harder to justify at £2000+, but it is very capable and shows many objects very well. Both are a lot more portable than an equivalent sized triplet.

Interesting, I also use a comfortable view of  the width of Orion's belt as a minimum measure for a wide field set up!

I have two sets, didn't take too long to arrive.

33 minutes ago, HollyHound said:

I would agree that the stock focusers on both mine are very good and I don’t think it’s in any way essential to change them 👍

I do like fine focusers though, so have replaced that on my FC-76DCU with the FeatherTouch Pinion, which works well indeed and super smooth. It is relatively expensive though but does retain the Takahashi look.

You may consider going all the way to the full FeatherTouch focuser.... once your wallet stops weeping 🤣

I’ve also added the More Blue fine focuser to my FS-60CB, which also works well, is a little bit stiffer to operate, but still very smooth. The only minor issue is that it does stick out quite a bit from the side, but I guess on the (wider) FC-100, that would be less of an issue 🤔

 

That Feathertouch pinion looks particularly good but the price is pretty eye watering at £370. Better than a whole new focuser and adapter at about £615 though!

The price of the More Blue is very attractive by comparison although it's not quite as attractive as a finished look... Makes sense for the FS60 though.

Last night I ran the FC-76 and the FC-100 next to each other on the Mini Giro Ercole. Both were impressive - both managed to detect galaxies M81 and M82 and Ring Neb M57. The galaxies in particular were clearer and brighter in the FC100 (predictably).

Both showed Hercules Glob M13, but what was remarkable was that the FC-100 was showing quite a lot of resolved stars with averted vision, and this is in Bottle 8 skies at maybe 40 degrees above the horizon. The CC6 did show a somewhat brighter image on M13 but not any additional resolution above the FC -100; the FC-100 had better contrast but also the sky condition was a limiting factor.

Most interestingly at low magnification, whilst star fields and asterisms were, wonderfully sharp and stars were colourful in both Taks, I did actually find that the FC-76 was slightly sharper than the FC-100, particularly on bright stars! The FC-76 (standard DC focuser) always snaps to super sharp focus easily, whilst the FC-100 is slightly harder to focus super sharp on brighter stars using the same focuser. Possibly due to the higher aperture.

So I don't think I will ever change the focuser in the FC-76, but at some point in the future I might consider changing the pinion or the focuser on the FC-100. This would be a luxury rather than a necessity, the stock focusers are good.

So if you own more than one size Tak, I guess the Q extender 1.6x (black tube) is more versatile than the 1.7x (white tube) since the 1.6x will fit multiple Taks?

Does it change the focal distance? 

What are the benefits, more mag, less CA? I don't actually see any CA...

1 hour ago, HollyHound said:

 

I’m also not totally convinced there are stock shortages of FC100 and FC76... both these have show as “special order 7-10 days” recently, and there have been people buying both models over the last few weeks/months.

RVO have consistently been out of stock of all FC100s (I've been emailing them), I don't know what's going on with FLOs stock level...