Emperor!Takahashi!

😎

This. I posted earlier in praise of my old C6. What I did not say was that, at regular star parties that I'd attend, my old Mewlon 180C provided such a high contrast, vivid image that it made the views through a nearby C9.25 look just boring. But tastes differ 😇

Diffraction spikes on the brighter planets (and stars) is true. Whether that bothers someone or not is another question 🙂

SCTs receive a lot of criticism. Yet my C6 was a sharp, capable scope that offered me some truly memorable views. I owned it at the same time as a Takahashi FC-100DC. When cooled and collimated on a night of good seeing, the C6 offered a better view of Jupiter than the Tak. A good little orange scope... SCTs receive a lot of criticism. Yet I knew someone who owned a TEC 140 and said her C8 was better. I also have a friend who owned an Astro-Physics 130GTX, which he sold before buying a TSA-120, which he also sold. He now lives happily with his C8. Life is full of surprises.

What did I see tonight? Pure, glorious starlight... brought to me by a new, and yet already dear, friend. I love observing with a binocular telescope, and this is a superlative one. I spent 90 minutes just scanning around... Cygnus, Lyra, Aquila, Cassiopeia. Even under London skies, the stars just flood your eyes and flow into your soul.

Welcome! Where in India are you located? I've done some observing from Kodaikanal and Nagpur. Indeed, location strongly influences which equipment might serve you well. If you'd like to share details about your conditions (e.g., light pollution, living in a small flat vs. a house with a yard), that will help others provide you with useful recommendations. Clear skies 🙂

I think several more people just bought a Quark... Astounding.

My gosh, those are beautiful sketches. Really lovely... I especially love the spikes on the bright stars. It's like I'm seeing it through the eyepiece. Thanks for sharing.

Well, folks, I did it. My "new" Takahashi FC-60 split Delta Cygni for me. That's after 2 years of trying to do it with an FOA-60Q. Life is interesting! It's a phenomenal little telescope. That's one item off of the bucket list 😅

As of Friday, I'm the proud owner of a Takahashi FS-102. I decided to take it up to the rooftop this evening, hauling up all of the associated gear and getting a decent workout in the process. And I only got to observe for 25 minutes before the clouds claimed the entire sky. But wow, was it worth it. The Takahashi FS-102 is a phenomenal telescope. Knowing my time was short, I pointed it at a few prominent favorites. On Izar, it easily and beautifully split the pair at 130x. I think it would have been an easy split at a lower magnification, but I only had 3 eyepieces with me, and I was using the Nagler Zoom at 6mm. What a lovely view. Just for fun, I popped the zoom into a 2.2x barlow and twisted it slowly up and up until I hit 3mm. That's ~600x. And still a perfectly sharp, vivid view with textbook diffraction rings. The scope wasn't even trying! Yesterday, I got in 90 minutes with my FC-60, which I also adopted on Friday. Again: a phenomenal telescope. I was able to split Delta Cygni, which I've been trying for about 2 years to accomplish with a 60mm scope. Amazing that I never pulled it off with an FOA-60Q, but the FC-60 undoubtedly did it. I was regularly using the same Nagler Zoom & 2.2x barlow combo to yield ~360x. Not even slightly a problem for this scope; it could have taken more. The clouds are back, but I made the most of the spaces in between them!

Now, that's a good-looking Tak 😁

Nice tray, too!

I've often considered the SkyTee 2 since it seems like a cost-effective way to mount two moderately sized OTAs. But old stories of soft metal and iffy saddles have deterred me. My guess is that most SkyTee 2s have provided years of trouble-free service. But I'm curious how owners feel about theirs now, especially since FLO sells a version that, if I understand correctly, has better saddles (and includes counterweights). Please share your thoughts!

I don't have visitors because there's no space for them with the telescopes and all of that.

The postman brought me this lovely FC-60, sent from Japan 😊 It's my third one. I was foolish enough to sell the first one I owned. A friend wanted the second one, so I sold it to him. This one, though, is here to stay. And @garryblueboy is not the postman, but he did bring me this gorgeous FS-102 NSV. I have a feeling this one's here to stay, too! A successful Friday 😌

I love how your original post advocated for temperance, and it took all of 5 minutes to edit it to a call for hedonism 🤣 Hear hear!

I'm constantly tempted by the Zeiss Telementor, especially on its original, beautiful equatorial mount 😍 Or if we're stretching the budget, a Kowa Highlander Prominar 🥰

I've owned: FS-60Q/FS-60CB, FOA-60Q/FOA-60, and FC-60. All of the 60mm Taks are great little scopes. But they'll perform to the level of outstanding 60mm scopes, which wouldn't imply wiping the floor with a quality 90mm scope. The 90mm will always offer brighter views of diffuse DSOs, more planetary detail, and more resolution for splitting tighter doubles. But the 60mm will be more compact and will still provide endless beautiful views. I doubt I'd be too upset if I had to only use a fine 60mm Tak for the rest of my life (but I'm unusual in this regard). A 60mm Tak is a lovely thing, I think. But I'd hate for yours to arrive and cause disappointment when the 90mm that you own shows more.

@Paz has a highly relevant thread here: https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/423128-working-out-my-best-home-grab-and-go-set-up/

Very cool. I, too, enjoy the process of perfecting my setups, so I appreciate the satisfaction that comes with a setup that's a pleasure to use 🙂

A minor tribute to the gods of Japanese optics.

I haven't ordered from them, myself, but I have friends who have. My suggestion is to contact them, but I bet someone else on the forum knows better than I do!

Not that one needs one, but if the scope's planetary performance is something that you enjoy... http://www.scopeviews.co.uk/TakFS-60Q.htm

Why no Extender Q? 😇

Awesome scope. It will transport you to the stars... and any location in the UK or Ireland if you climb in and light the fuse at the bottom.