IB20

Please ignore the golf clubs, also something I’m terrible at. For night use I’d also expect to just swap in the Tak 1.25” prism, which I need to check if I can focus with.

I think the orange circled section is the bit I need to add something to. The blue area is where I’m adding the barlow and it’s very close to focus.

I’ve had that same haze for a few days, I was actually quite surprised that I could still see sunspots, albeit reduced in detail but still pleasing. Whereas at night I feel that would detract me from observing. I’ve been thinking about getting a full aperture filter for the 200mm dob, most accounts seem to say that seeing never really supports that aperture though and that 3-5” is pretty much optimum for WL solar. In fairness, from what I’m seeing it’s only really granulation that I would want more of! The Tak 76DC does an amazing job on sunspots and faculae.

I have three scopes with FLs of 1200mm, 800mm and 570mm. I find that a good 10mm is something I always use. The 10mm Baader Classic Ortho is a cracking eyepiece. I have recently purchased a 10mm Pentax XW, although very high end and premium, if I had my time all over again buying equipment, it would be the first eyepiece I bought. It’s simply perfection.

I think I’m best to tackle the set-up at night. I have a Tak prism which has a short light path and I may be able to achieve focus. If it’s the wedge introducing problems perhaps I can use solar film (are wedges mirrors?). First go I get at trying at night I’ll take a pic!

Have just tried every conceivable configuration before/after the BVs with a Celestron Omni 2x barlow and a longer TV 2x barlow. No luck however! It’s not far off focus, but I’m not quite sure what I’m supposed to be lengthening when i have too little inward focus travel.

White light solar observing really is stepping up at the minute. It’s practically keeping my passion for the hobby alive and is so accessible. Some superb umbral filament structures encroaching into the penumbral regions. Likewise the contrast of filament striations in the penumbra look remarkable. It’s been great checking in day to day and seeing how the sunspots are evolving in shape and orientation. The Tak, Pentax XWs and the Baader continuum filter are working together like a dream too, I couldn’t be happier at the eyepiece. They take a nice phone image too! The only trouble with having such rewarding solar sessions is that I seem to have developed a brain worm for a Ha scope…

Is that replacing some or all of the Tak visual back? Seems inexpensive so might be worth a go. There are so many Tak and Baader adapters it’s really hard to know where to start.

Thought your clock was broken for a second…

I’ve been gifted some lovely Revelation binoviewers which I tried to use today for white solar viewing. Lo and behold the Tak 76 had too little inward travel to focus with the 1.25” Herschel wedge. I tried both with and without a 2x barlow but no luck. Can anyone help me identify what adapter or add-on I’d need to reach focus? I don’t know if I can get them to focus at night using the Tak prism either. Is this a Herschel wedge problem or will I also struggle during night sessions? Interestingly the barlow & BVs (15mms EPs) worked in the Starbase 80, but the image I was getting was floater city and I guess the barlow was increasing their mag to something which the scope struggled with, it’s also a longer and slower scope which will probably contributed to what I was seeing. I guess the other option is to buy a pair of lower mag EPs for the Starbase. Maybe some nice TV 25mm plossls? There was a fleeting moment where I could see why people rave about BVs, so any help getting this to work would be very much appreciated.

Afocal image of today’s Sun through the Tak 76DCU and IPhone 11. Lots of thin, high hazy cloud around which is killing some detail but seems to have improved in seeing. Hugely interesting and busy region, with another large sunspot rotating into view.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/beginner-telescopes/sky-watcher-skymax-127-virtuoso-gti.html I read a review for this today in Astronomy Now. It sounded pretty darn good to be honest. Portable, go to, fairly decent aperture, cost room for an eyepiece upgrade..Would tick a lot of boxes.

This is why I’m looking forward to retiring (sadly a fair way to go yet). The difference to my sky darkness between pre and post midnight is literally night and artificial day.

I had some astoundingly good views of Mars with a barlowed 10mm BCO last opposition in an 8” f5.9 dob. The BST 5mm was also excellent, only a hair’s breadth behind. They’ve got some competition this year with the Pentax 5XW. 😀

I’ve seen the E star in the 76DCU which was quite visible. I’d say there’d be a chance for the 60mm, conditions allowing.

9mm BGO 10mm BCO 5mm BST Starguider Don’t know if they work well at f4.7 though.

Just had a quick 20 minute session with the 76DCU. Primarily observing the moon, Schickard and particularly the double crater Phocylides and Nasmyth appearing brilliantly near the terminator. Could even make out several tiny craterlets on the basin of Schickard. Finished up splitting Izar, a lovely double that resembles a diamond ring. Extremely happy with the Pentax 5XW, performed beautifully. I think that little session has made me want both a 3.5XW and the extender module for the Tak. 💸💸💸

I’d want to travel on Air Force One if I travelled with all that premium gear! Seriously though, great set up. Covers all bases.

Antares is back in the sky soon, can’t wait to have a pop at it with the Tak 76DC, may even pick up the Q module. 🔭 Haven’t seen @John post for a while, hope everything is OK, he’s a great contributor to the forum.

Currently using the mount that comes bundled with the Starbase 80. I must say, it’s surprised me a lot. It’s super sturdy and holds the pay load very securely - love the slo-mo too. It weighs hardly anything, think my whole setup is about 7kg including can of beans eyepiece and finder.

Haven’t thought too much about the Nagler 3-6mm zoom, it would tick all the boxes mind. I find that I always reach for a fixed length EP over the zoom EP I have now. For travel I think a zoom makes perfect sense. Can’t stop my brain telling me tick Tak TOE though!

Similarly to this, when I was in the darkest skies I’ve ever been to in Undara National Park, QL Aus, there were so many stars I really struggled to identify anything let alone constellations. Doubly difficult being Southern Hemisphere too! I’m not sure where I’d start with a scope in skies like that, I think small binoculars would be the best unless I had goto/push to. My Mk1 eyeball views of those skies still remain with me 20 years later mind. Like @Stu & @Roy Challen have already posted, I’m very happy with the hobby particularly observing the planets, solar, lunar, binaries and the brighter objects, it fits my life circumstance right now. Maybe when I am a bit closer to retirement and don’t have a toddler smacking me in the face, I’ll seek out darker, local skies. I would like to see The Veil, M33 etc however I am more looking forward to observing Jupiter and Mars later this year!

My dream set-up is a Scopetech Zero and Berlebach Report 312. Ended up getting a Tak scope first though 😅. I’d be interested in seeing what you settle for tripod wise though, sturdy and light = 💰💰💰

😮😮 yikes!!

@Stu is this with the PST? I remember you went for an IR filter, did that do anything for your WL images? I’m guessing it made zero differences visually?