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HollyHound

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Posts posted by HollyHound

  1. 1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

    The small scope I never ceased to be amazed by for its gem like quality: Tak FOA 60Q.

    The 3-inch scope that thinks it’s a 4-inch, but can go everywhere, even on a plane: Tak FS 76DCU

    The 4-inch scope which could be the one and only lifetime scope: Tak FC 100DZ

    The almost  5-inch scope that masquerades as a 4-inch scope by virtue of is low weight and compact size: Tak TSA 120

    Have to agree with @JeremyS here, as I own the first three of these scopes. They're all superb scopes.

    The FC-76DCU is my most used and grab and go scope... I could easily live with jus this scope if necessary 😃

    However, the FOA-60Q is sublime for double stars and lunar... it just keep delivering magnification when required, far outweighing it's (small) aperture 😍

    Good luck with your choice, there are loads of superb scopes out there 🤞

    • Like 3
  2. 30 minutes ago, SwiMatt said:

    I'm thinking of getting the same! No more Lunar sessions without knowing what I'm looking at :grin: do let us know how you find it!

    Haven’t used it in anger yet, but I’m impressed so far with the layout, clarity and of course it’s laminated too 👍

    • Like 1
    • Thanks 1
  3. 15 minutes ago, Louis D said:

    @HollyHound Do you observe with eyeglasses at those focal lengths?  I have such strong astigmatism in my eyes that I need a minimum of 17mm of usable eye relief to comfortably see the entire field of view of an eyepiece.

    My 12mm and 17mm ES-92s exactly tick that box, so I have no incentive to get the 16.5mm XW.  My XL, XW, Hi-FW, Delos, and Morpheus eyepieces all provide at least 18mm of usable eye relief, so are also quite comfortable to observe with.  I've held off purchasing the 23mm XW to replace my 22mm NT4 because I've read that the eye relief is marginal for eyeglass wearers.

    Hi again @Louis D... I see that you and @Don Pensack did discuss this here... so I've linked it in case any use to anyone 👍

     

     

    • Like 2
  4. 8 minutes ago, Louis D said:

    @HollyHound Do you observe with eyeglasses at those focal lengths?  I have such strong astigmatism in my eyes that I need a minimum of 17mm of usable eye relief to comfortably see the entire field of view of an eyepiece.

    My 12mm and 17mm ES-92s exactly tick that box, so I have no incentive to get the 16.5mm XW.  My XL, XW, Hi-FW, Delos, and Morpheus eyepieces all provide at least 18mm of usable eye relief, so are also quite comfortable to observe with.  I've held off purchasing the 23mm XW to replace my 22mm NT4 because I've read that the eye relief is marginal for eyeglass wearers.

    I don't currently observe with glasses, although that may be around the corner one day 🤞

    I note that both the 16.5 and 20mm XWs have a quoted eye relief of 20mm (as per the other XWs), but also noted that usable eye relief is 12mm from the eyecup, so seems that might be an issue indeed.

    I do have some astigmatism, which shows itself on lower power eyepieces (20mm and up), but have solved that on my XW40, by installing a Dioptrx inside the eyecup of that eyepiece... quite an elegant solution, as I align the mark with the label on the eyepiece and just rotate it appropriately to set the correct position for correcting astigmatism 😀

    More details here... 

     

    • Like 1
  5. Hi John,

    I've had the 16.5mm since it was launched, and although time for astronomy for me this year has been very limited, for the times I have used it, I can say that this eyepiece has been a superb replacement for it's predecessor in my set (the XW 14mm) 👍

    There is very little field curvature (the 14mm suffered from this), contrast is excellent and I find that (for me) 70-85 degrees is the sweet spot for being able to take in all the field comfortably and not feeling constricted. You have XWs in the lower focal lengths so you will also know how comfortable the view is on these eyepieces, and the 16.5mm continues with that same comfort. I always find my eye feels relaxed when using any of the XW eyepieces 😀

    Ergonomics and comfort are also up there with the 75 degree versions. Being able to set and fix eye relief, plus the rubber tops make them very usable.

    In short, they continue the excellence of the original XWs, remove the FC issue from the 14 (and 20) and provide an additional useable field. Their only downside is cost, but then I would put them up against TeleVue anytime and these aren't exactly cheap either 😬

    Now that I have a bit more time, and with darkness back again, I am about to order the matching 23mm this week, to complete the set again... which shows the confidence I have in these.

    Hope that's been of some help...

    • Like 3
    • Thanks 1
  6. 37 minutes ago, badhex said:

    Now I've confirmed that I have astigmatism and know my prescription I was able to get help - @HollyHound to the rescue!

    20231201_123043.thumb.jpg.01971703086a1c5e576650da4cbf7712.jpg

    Glad it's arrived safely, and thanks for contacting me (I'd completely forgotten I had the sales post running still 😮). Hope it works well for you... I've got the 0.75 version now, which works perfectly for me now too 🤞

    I'm also, at last getting some free nights back to start observing again, after many many months of hectic work, so hope to be out joining you all under the stars again very soon. Just had two weeks away cruising in the Caribbean, to ease myself into it, which was rather fun... especially seeing Orion at an almost horizontal angle against the horizon! Unfortunately, I only had my Nikon 8x30 binoculars, but got some good views of the moon, even though it was "challenging" keeping it in view with the ship moving around 🤣

    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1
  7. On 02/09/2023 at 22:58, Mr Spock said:

    I'm out with the FS60CB right now. I've just been splitting doubles at x162 including ε Lyr. Lovely optics 👍

    DSC_09592048.thumb.jpg.73cd0b1302d2f9817c1dbbe3a0aa61e3.jpg

    I've found if I screw the lens element from my 2" Barlow into the front of the Baader diagonal and add a 35mm extension tube in front so it will reach focus, it gives x2.28 with the LVWs. My 5mm LVW therefore gives x162 and that's what I've been using on doubles.

    Looks a great setup, and so glad you’re getting so much use with it… it’s a great scope 😀

    • Like 2
  8. I am always in awe of your sketching (and observing) skill @mikeDnight, this is an extraordinary image 😍

    I've not been as active on here recently (work) and hadn't realised you've also got an FS-128 too... I have no doubt you'll make great use of it, and look forward to your observing notes/sketches 😃

    • Like 2
  9. 1 hour ago, johnturley said:

    Since the DF is f7.4 rather than the f8 of the DZ, I assume the tube will be about 6cm shorter, would this make the difference regarding aircraft carry on baggage. On the other hand I might not end up taking the scope on holiday anyway, in which case the DF would have not have any advantage over the DZ for me apart from saving about £600.

    Not 100% certain, as I no longer have my DC (which is very similar to the DF, apart from focuser), but the DZ might actually be significantly shorter, due to having a sliding dew shield... Of course the dew shield on the DC/DF can be unscrewed I believe 🤔

    I found no perceptible difference in my usage between DC and DZ, however my observing skills are nowhere near that of @mikeDnight and likely needs exceptional seeing to notice much anyway 😬

    Where the DZ is better is in ergonomics... that sliding dew shield and much better focuser 👍

    • Like 2
  10. 46 minutes ago, johnturley said:

    According to FLO's website, they now have 2 FC 100DZ's in stock, so I assume Takahashi must have now overcome the problem of shortage of the relevant glass.

    John 

    They seem to have a good stock of a fair number of the Takahashi range again... good to see after the last few years of supply issues 👍

    • Like 1
  11. 11 hours ago, Stu said:

    Horrible things, don’t know what could possibly tempt you about them 😉

    Here’s the whole family for comparison.

    IMG_8247.thumb.jpeg.350469b87d7d833b4c06424bfe19c577.jpeg
     

    Wow, I hadn't fully comprehended how much bigger than the FC-100DC that FS128 really is 😮

    I thought the Mewlon was big compared to my FC-76DCU and FS-60CB... but that thing is enormous 😍

    IMG_0365.jpeg

    • Like 8
  12. On 21/08/2023 at 13:29, Stu1smartcookie said:

    i am also looking at the StellaMira 80 F10, which would compliment my 70mm as a longer focal length option  .

    The StellaMira 80mm f/10 is a superb scope, and will give you superb lunar, planetary views... only thing to bear in mind (as has been mentioned), is that it is quite heavy for an 80mm scope... the FC-76DCU is much lighter 🤔

    It does work on exactly the same setup as I posted earlier though 👍

  13. 1 minute ago, MalcolmM said:

    Your 76mm is my 60mm. I think you are stronger than me 🙂 

    Malcolm

    It's as far as I would ever go, carrying scope/mount/tripod in one unit... the FC-100DZ always goes out (in it's bag) separately to the AZ-75 mount... no way I'm risking carrying that 😆

    I am fortunate, in that I have literally only a single corridor, two doorways to go through and no obstructions 😬

    • Like 2
  14. Just now, MalcolmM said:

    This little scope is so easy to use, such fun to use and gives such good views (for 60mm) that it is probably my most used scope.

    I suspect it will not go as deep as your 70mm, nor will it resolve as much detail but it is very capable and very versatile care of extenders and objective units.

    Pop it on a light photo tripod with a light video fluid head (or any other light mount of your choice!), keep it handy and you can take advantage of very short observing opportunities. I used to love getting in 10 minute lunar sessions before leaving for work in the winter mornings.

    You mention using it for widefield; with a 28mm Erfle eyepiece, it has a larger FOV than my 15x70 binoculars.

    Anyway, I'll stop there, I've said it all before 🙂

    Maloclm

     

    Agreed, the FS-60CB is a superb little scope, and on a lightweight tripod it's super easy to carry out and about... however, I still think the FC-76DCU (especially given the it comes apart for packing) is a more versatile and (arguably) better "one scope" 🤔 

    • Like 3
  15. 19 hours ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

    I also love my Tak FC76 DCU. It’s an amazing grab and go scope. I bought it for travel but use it at home so much, it’s a real all-rounder. I appreciate it’s close in aperture to your 70mm but the fact that it splits in two makes it truly portable even on the smallest planes.

    Having (or had) all the scopes discussed - FS-60CB (with and without extender), FOA-60Q, FC-76DCU (with and without extender), FC-100D, FC-100DZ, and if you're looking for a truly versatile grab and go scope setup with absolutely minimal setup and pack away time... my suggestion is the FC-76DCU 👍

    Here it is on the Berlebach Report 272 tripod, ScopeTech Zero mount, right angle finder and the APM 7.7 to 15.4mm SuperZoom... this setup has remained pretty much like this for almost three years now (minus the zoom), ready to go inside my home office, along with the Berlebach observing chair.

    The telescope/tripod can be carried out (one handed if needed) in 2mins, followed quickly by the observing chair, and I'm observing in minutes... reverse to put it away.

    It has been without a doubt, my most consistently used setup, even with 100m, 180mm and 254mm scopes available and is going nowhere 😃

    IMG_3381.jpeg

    • Like 10
  16. 6 minutes ago, PeterStudz said:

    Yes, I am an aviation fan (I use to be a glider pilot). It might well now be “just around the corner”, I always thought it would happen sometime. But my point was that I was reading stuff over 50 years ago that said it would be soon. The implication certainly wasn’t over half a century. And it’s not a simple subject. 

    No worries, I knew what you meant and just eager to show the advances in eVTOL (having been working quietly away on it for a few years now)... we all have had those "in a few years, we'll all be doing (or not doing) this"... then it rarely happens 😆

    FWIW, I think visual astronomy will remain around for a good while, but might go the way of film camera and vinyl records... something that is done, partly for nostalgia. However, I absolutely love it and will hope to be doing this for however long I have left 🤞😃

     

    • Like 2
  17. 3 hours ago, PeterC65 said:

    It's interesting that people are comparing visual astronomy and AP.

    I think AP is a different hobby. One in which you set up kit to collect data and then later, sometimes much later, process that data. I get the impression that more of the skill, and the time, is spent doing the processing than dealing with the kit. I can understand why people enjoy AP, but it isn't for me.

    EAA on the other hand is a lot like visual, much closer to visual than AP I think. You are looking at the objects close to live, and the hobby is carried out 'on the night' (I review snapshots I've taken the following day, but just to keep a record of the session).

    It surprises me how few people on SGL do EAA (as opposed to AP). I find myself going to CN for discussions about EAA (when I much prefer SGL).

     

    I think EAA is the only type of "imaging" I would consider for the reasons you outline... great to hear it's working so well 😃

    • Like 1
  18. 6 hours ago, PeterStudz said:

    First off. Just about every past prediction that I’ve seen about the future has been wrong. Eg as a boy in the late 1970’s I can remember reading that “flying cars for everyone are just around the corner”. Over 50 yrs later I’m still waiting for my flying taxi to pick me up from my door and take me down the pub. 

    Without taking this off topic... you might find, this is now really close to happening... I've been working with various eVTOL companies (for their flight sims) and whilst I was initially sceptical, it's definitely "when" not "if" now... and we're not measuring in many years either anymore 🤞

    Article about one company (Jobs), but there are many others 😮

    https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/28/joby-aviation-receives-permit-to-fly-first-evtol-built-on-production-line/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAKIiX37gQdqr7G8o4QPGoizEwM1KW4Bd3M5M_EmrUbDY0X0SEENf9rD45CCvrpJ_qfd2on44U9EGWPznL9UP3-YaL-6GBnAT_Ezg_PvhvnJCvOc_lRi0QqUH8eJFcz3zPhy-wA1BNyA6SmAKhxlcHz_O4UKrogCOd5oPWLHShJRt

     

    • Like 1
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