badhex

Hello all, just a quick update and some more photos for this thread. I'm back from Japan now and just moved into my new flat in Beckenham. I did manage to go back to Starbase before I left, so I grabbed a few catalogues (will maybe get round to scanning them once I've unpacked 😂) and a few photos of the stuff mentioned in comments above, as well as an FSQ85 which I've never seen before, and another picture of the TSA150 because why not 🔍👅

I inherited this from my grandad, it's the first scope I ever looked through. I had the mirror realuminised some years ago before it went into storage, and it def needs a bit more work but I'm hoping to have it out more once I'm settled in!

Thanks both! Great to know. I'll take a look at the AS site, but in general is it okay to just turn up and say hello?

Hello all, I'm finally back in the UK after 8 years away, now based in Beckenham. Would love to find any local astro groups, or just other SGLers who might be round that way and want to meet up once in a while!

Not strictly speaking a postie, but I got my first delivery of storage stuff back last week, containing at least these three scopes: Skymax 102 Bresser AR-152S Charles Frank 6" newt

Of course! Actually, life got very much in the way of me spending any time doing any astronomy at all; having moved countries in February all my stuff went into storage in Jan so I only had a month of bad weather with it. As it happens though, I get all of my kit back later today! Once I'm settled I'll try to get a full list together for you.

This is very much a Tak appreciation thread so eulogise away! I would have really liked to have a closer look at the FC60 - not that I need a 60mm scope 😅but a shop chap was showing that plus some other bits to a punter at a desk, so I didn't get a close look. If anyone has any specific photo requests for next time I go please LMK and I'll do my best to take some more pictures! One thing that I couldn't seem to find was the objectives for the Borg scopes - mostly just accessories. I'd really like to get a look at the 55FL up close. If anyone has any specific photo requests for next time I go please LMK and I'll do my best to take some more pictures!

Yes I thought I'd read that before somewhere, certainly on the smaller models - maybe an Ed Ting review? Amazing that they can engineer them to require basically no adjustment even after being used to lug it about!

Nope, will take a look when I go back. Of course! PDFs all round. The Mewlon 250 was the same, just on a bottom shelf as if to say "oh, this old thing?" I think I was giddy with excitement because I realise I also didn't take a good picture of the Epsilon you can see hiding in a couple of photos. And the mounts! Crumbs. That EM400 was another absolute chonk. The tag hanging off it says 1.5mil JPY, about 9250 GBP - but I'm not sure if that's for the mount and tripod, or the TOA 150 as it certainly can't be both! So, I hadn't immediately put two and two together until I went but the Starbase products are their own original or rebranded products. I knew someone had partnered with Takahashi to create an entry level Tak, so to speak, but I just hadn't realised it was literally this shop.

I forgot to add, it's not totally clear from the pics but alongside the TOA 150 are two FC100Ds mounted in binoviewing configuration. Best binos ever? Nearly enough Tak glass there for all of @Stu's eyes!

Yes, it's about 10-15 mins from Akihabara main station so not too far from the main part of Electric Town. As a massive anime and Japanese culture nerd I always spend loads of time - and usually money - there but hadn't been aware of this shop until recently. Huge fan of Japanese cuisine also so eating lots of excellent food! Just finished a delicious bowl of tan tan soupless ramen in Nagasaki as I write this 🙂

Thought you lot might like this quick report of my visit to Starbase Tokyo!

Hello all, Currently in Japan for a couple of months and last week took a visit to Starbase Tokyo in Akihabara. It is open for only about three half days per week but chock full of Vixens, Borg part and obviously Taks galore. I'd hoped to pick up the Vixen SG constellation binos but they didn't have them in stock, so I was more than content just admiring all the scopes. I somehow didn't take a photo of the Borg and Tak accessory shelves but I'm going back anyway next month to pick up all the awesome free (Japanese) catalogues they have so I'll take more photos then, including the accessory shelves! There were a few clerks in there talking people through purchases, and sadly most of the scopes had objective caps on, no doubt to stop people licking the glass 😂 Plenty of handles to be seen around the place I might add, but surprisingly not on the Mewlon 250 which is an absolute beast! Also a vintage Jupiter branded scope and tripod down in one corner with some other used bits and bobs. No rare vintage EPs there though sadly! Now for the moment @JeremyS has been waiting for:

I took too many photos to upload them all while I'm on the Shinkansen bullet train! 😂 🚄

Vixen SG 2.1x constellation binos arrived at my local Lawson konbini where we are staying in Tokyo. Had hoped to buy them in person from Starbase Tokyo astro shop but they sadly didn't have them in stock so ordered from Amazon JP instead.

Quick update: Got the Vixens! Had hoped to buy them in person from Starbase Tokyo astro shop but they sadly didn't have them in stock, so ordered from Amazon JP instead. First impressions are very good: Nice heft and solid build quality, although the lanyard clip feels a bit flimsy, so might replace it at some point. Very easy to hold up to the eye, although jamming them into your eye sockets feels a bit wrong knowing that you'll get eyelashes on the lenses. Had a quick go on the hazy moon as it was the only thing visible from Tokyo, didn't get any false colour when the moon was centred. Looking forward to using them under darker skies when we're in the countryside!

Haha nothing gets past these 👀 😂 Nice case!

IIRC you tinker a bit with electronics? Or did I make that up? I've always felt like that runaway thing could be power related, ie a loose or corroded connection somewhere causing an intermittent issue like undervoltage or something. Anyway, I think the judder/shiver might be a known issue, the random runaway also might be but I am not sure if it came up in the long owners thread or not. Plenty of links to Youtube maintenance Videos and other resources have been posted over time in the owners thread but not in one post AFAIK. Maybe the best starting point is to restate those two issues as things you like to try and fix in a new post on that thread, and ask for links to the various teardown and maintenance videos/instructions that people have posted previously, unless you have an hour or two spare to click through the various pages! I feel like these issues could be sorted with a bit of tinkering. I think specifically the shudder might be to do with a worn or tight washer but I could be wrong.

I've been flying manual since I got the Scopetech Mount Zero, but I do intend to eventually set up my EQ6-R when I have a house and garden in a year or so. I actually made a mistake buying the EQ6-R in my current circumstances (too many flights of stairs, too long to set up etc.). I reckon the AZ version would also have been a better choice even when I do have the space to setup properly.

Lovely. I think it's the same as the TS-Optics scope I was originally going to get a couple of years ago, but the lead time was too long so I plumped for the ZS73 instead. These little F6ish 70mm ish scopes occupy a great little niche IMO. Only downside I would say to the ZS73 is that I think it's a bit heavier than the 70mm, but as they excel at low power/widefield views you can still get away with a pretty lightweight tripod/mount setup, and everything fits in one backpack!

Hard to tell from the photo, what scope is that? I must admit I love my ZS73 for its ability to punch above what its aperture would suggest. PS. Nice to see you are back posting again John!

Thanks! Very helpful to have someone smarter than me confirm it! I'm struggling a bit with the maths on this course in places, I used to be very good at maths but it has all dribbled out of my ear at some point.

It's a great diagonal this GSO one, and has a clear aperture of 47.5mm which the one of the largest clear apertures of any 2" diagonal that we have managed to find!

Apologies, I know the error in apparent magnitude and distance in parsecs, and I need to calculate the error in absolute magnitude. Along the way, I think I need to calculate the error in distance modulus first which I think should be: 5 * (0.4343 * (50/3930) Once that's done, I use the first equation and plug in the error in distance modulus as (delta x), and the error in apparent magnitude as (delta y). Is this correct? Hmm, it seems like that might be the case, I'll check my calculations but I'm sure it was in there, or maybe I misplaced a bracket on the last step.

With a handle