heliumstar

A little update. Found a base that is supposed to fit on aliexpress : https://www.aliexpress.com/item/1971192594.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.27424c4df093i3 Just ordered it and will update if all good once it arrives. The hunt for resolving the focusing issue is still on.

Thanks David. Got some ideas now

David, please extend on it a little Would appreciate it.

So, Takahashi prism works fine with original visual back - as long as you don't use a barlow. For example Baader Zoom works but not with a dedicated 2.25x Barlow. Baader BBHS T2 mirror diagonal works only if I attach Aux ring directly to focuser but then a mm or two of thread on the focuser drawtube is left exposed and you are kind of left with limited selection of eyepieces I would think - not much room left for focusing. The issue is not enough inward focuser travel. Ideal solution here would be to get M56 female to T2 male adapter and use Baader's 1.25" T2 ClickLock. Would getting FT focuser sort this issue? Does it have more focuser travel ( inward )? One of the solutions for this is to keep original visual back, use Tak prism and forget about Baader Zoom + Barlow combination and get a set of Tak LE eyepieces. That would be expensive and I would rather spend the money for some other astro bits in queue. Second thing is the finder. Any third-party adapters to attach SW style finder bases? I love my Rigel finder with ScopeStuff adapter that you can attach to all those finder bases ( no need for double sided tape ). I have Baader universal base and some no name and both are useless for Tak.

Saving for RST-135 ( http://www.rainbowastro.com/new/theme/basic/content/product-135.php?ckattempt=1 ) which looks to be a high-end SW AZ GTi style mount - slightly heavier though + it's more versatile.

Hahahaha 😂 How do you find the Giant Alt Az mount? Smooth?

Looking good tonight Jupiter sneak peek. Somehow phone camera made Jupiter huge Would be good if it was like this in reality.

How stupid can a man be? Postponing the inevitable? Very stupid. I was debating with myself for months. Glad it happened. The telescope is everything you want it to be. Unfortunately the original Tak Vixen dovetail doesn't fit the ADM Dual Dovetail Adaptor for AZ GTi. It moves even if fully screwed in. Thank the Universe for bits and pieces lying around and a no-name black Vixen dovetail that works perfectly - no colour match but if it works it works. Another issue is that Baader BBHS mirror doesn't come to focus. Not enough inward travel even without extension. Again, thank the Universe for bits and pieces and Tak prism lying around I knew it will come handy one day. I tried it out on some buildings and trees around and compared with Altair 60ed. Have to report not much difference to my eyes (if any) using Baader Zoom and Vixen SLV 9mm and 6mm in the center but, oh my, the flat field of Q. The one thing that was bothering me A LOT with Altair 60ed. Hoping for clear skies tomorrow evening to test it out at night. This will be perfect. FS60CB config for camera and Q config for visual.

It's here! Had a little help unpacking Rings attached Just perfect!

To update the thread. After a long pondering and making life miserable for everyone around me the wife decided to cut it and bought a scope for me. She did the same thing when I had 'issues' with chosing a watch lol. It worked then and she hopes it will work now. She doesn't know that in my mind I now have additional budget lol. I went with FS60Q. My reasoning is this. the Q version will be a nice visual grab and go and the short version will be a nice EAA, travel and white light scope and with a 224 chip it gives me full Sun and Moon disc as well. When the dust settles add 76 objective upgrade as well At the end as far as I understand I'll have 4 different scope configurations. FLO email is saying the scope shipped today so hoping for delivery tomorrow. Rings waiting. I have to sort out the finder now - any ideas?? The rigns are very light-weight and attached to original Tak dovetail ( bought here from Stu in mint condition ) - need to source M6x12 countersunk screws though.

I was very happy with 102 Mak. Even happier with 127 but 102 is so portable. On AZ GTi it's one hand pick up and take anywhere. Just not sure how you will like quite substantial decrease in light gathering. Decrease from 6" f5 Newtonian to 127 Mak for example was quite 'visible' for me - can't imagine what coming from 8" will do to you. I am not into galaxies though. Due to light pollution my observing is limited to Luna, planets(awful this year) and double stars. One interesting thing is EAA. With 102 Mak and 0.5x reducer I had best results. Even better than with Bresser 102xs refractor - go figure. Try the AZ GTi + 127 Mak combination. Might suit you. It doesn't take space and decent amount of light gathering.

Nice pair of tube rings for Tak FS60Q. Colour match with original Takahashi Vixen dovetail! Now the wait for the scope

Succumbed Resistance was indeed futile :

No turning back now. Rings ordered from abroad with 1 day delivery - https://www.astroshop.eu/tube-clamps/astoptics-80mm-cnc-tube-rings-tak-fs-60-pair-/p,57826. and sent price match request for Tak. Looking forward for you approving my request and delivery today??? No pressure. Will be using my wife's CC - she's had enough of my complaints.

Great setup Jon! Can you shoot over a link to suitable digital inclinometer. Would this one work? https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wixey-Digital-Angle-Gauge-magnetic/dp/B00CEXR8ZG Now I need to figure out how to add AZ setting circle to Ayo Vamo.

Uh, sorry. Didn't mean to imply in any way that Ian King joining FLO is the reason for price increase. I am aware of Taks becoming more expensive along with other astro equipment as well. The same 80mm APOs that cost 599 just last year are now nowhere to be found or 700+.

I kid you not. I got wife's CC out. She agreed to buy me a Tak. Went on to it like on a mission and then saw quite significant price increase. Even before I was giving it a serious thought because of the prices but you know, a Tak?! Once you but that you should be content since there's nothing else out there. Now I am back to mulling over it. The plan was to get the 60Q + 76 objective so I can optimise and get three scopes out of one buy which should cover all bases - small and portable + white light and small chip camera 60 ; 60Q - just because it looks cool and 76 for a little more light grasp for planets and additional double stars. It looks like there is a price to pay if you think too much

It's a big improvement over ST-80 in every possible way. Don't wait. Just get it.

I used Tak prism with SW 72ed, Bresser 102xs (f4.5) and ST-80. Worked fine. I didn't have anything in the mirror department to compare but it was fine. If anything the Tak prism will be better than some low-end mirror. This! I even went ahead and bought what looks to be the best readily available mirror - Baader T2 BBHS - expensive little thing - costs exactly the same with nosepiece and eyepiece clamp as SW 72ed LOL. The other day I was comparing it to the stock Celestron diagonal that comes with C8. Maybe, just maybe the Moon was a little more contrasty. Ah, who am I kidding....if you put me in front of both and do a blind test I am not sure I would note any difference. This may be my unexperienced eye and down the road I might say differently but it is what it is now. On the other hand when I compared Tak prism, Baader T2 prism (non-Zeiss) and SW stock cheapo mirror diagonal the difference was more pronounced.

Subscription on pretty much everything these days. It's just to syphon money from people. Subscription for software like Photoshop doesn't make any sense at all. What if a person struggles for a month or two or a year and they depend on it professionally? If they bought software two years ago they can still use it since they own it (even that is questionable with new policies) but if they have to pay monthly for it and they can't they are cut off and that's it. All is good when all is good until it isn't.

Interesting angle. I did think about this but there is more. There is something strange going on but I could handle Opticron 10x42 just as good as 8x42 if not better (better ergonomics with 10x42 although they look pretty much the same). No visible shakes at all. You kind of put some doubt in me so now I have to go and try it again before I splash another nice holiday into binoculars. What is also interesting is that I have no issue spending quite substantial amounts of money for binoculars. That was not the case with telescopes since Tak 4" is still not sitting here with me. Might be due to binoculars being more versatile and 'instant' and my mind is playing tricks on me that they are actually more valuable. I mean the life situation and weather is such that I can't take the telescope out every day while binos are use it everyday item. Spot the planes, bird watching ( have to admin I never thought I would do that ) and quick look between the clouds. As with mounts, scopes and eyepieces this is a journey until you find something that is the best for you.

It was indeed dull overcast at a time. Thanks for pointing this out. I was comparing one at a time with my 8x42. On the topic on awarding the sale. I wish I knew before about this shop nearby and will definitely buy from them in the future. It's at Willow's farm (near St. Albans). Nice day out with the family and daddy gets to play with binos as well To tell you the truth I am more confused now. I thought it was a done deal with Canon but considering I can hold 10x steady without IS I am now on the lookout for 10x50. Not really sure what to do with Canon now I'll test it some more but higher end Opticrons (Japan) are really, really good. So sell Canon and get 10x42 Opticron plus some mid range 10x50. That's my train of thought at the moment. Oh, and, yes! My Kowa 8x30 are stationed permanently in the glove box now.

Something like this: https://www.firstlightoptics.com/william-optics/william-optics-120mm-saddle-handle-bar.html

I recently bought Canon 10x42 is binoculars. I bought them because I thought that 10x in normal binos will be too shaky. I just came back from optics shop nearby where I tried Opticron DBA VHD+. I was astonished at how steady I could hold them. On par if not better than my 8x42. Found them very easy to hold. Ergonomics for my hands are spot on. I also tried Swarovski 10x42 and was dissapointed. If anything Opticron was better in light transmission. I went on to compare different 8x42 from Hawkee, GPO, Steiner, Vanguard, Opticron with my Opticron Oasis C+ and went away with 'meh'. There's more though. My 8x30 Kowa were on par with all of them. I am left confused and kind of dissapointed. Will certainly not be shelling more than 1k again for binos before I try them all. This experience turned everything upside down and I am now looking at 10x50. Btw ... my night observing is now mostly with binos. Went through a bunch of scopes and ended up with 8" SCT and binos. The scope is now only in use when I want to show the night sky to someone.

Indeed. @FLO : can we expect other Takahashi scopes to rise in price as well?