MalcolmM

Good question! I've just had a look and the nosepiece does actually screw out of the binoviewers. I hadn't realised that. So with a bit of ingenuity it might be possible! I still think that in itself may not shorten the light path enough but definitely that idea is worth pursuing. Thanks! Malcolm

There are many questions on using Binoviewers (including my own) so I thought I would put down my experience of Williams Optics Binoviewers and Takahashi FC100DC. The exact same applies to WO and Tak FS60CB. I have not yet used the WO on the Tak 76DC but I would suspect the same would apply to that combination. I found it confusing and tricky at first getting everything focusing and working well but when it all comes together the views are fantastic, especially for the sun, moon and planets; arguably better than mono. They are also much easier on the eyes and relaxing to use than mono, particularly for longer viewing sessions. The caveat is that some people simply do not seem to get on with them and so they are not for everybody! Also, what applies to this particular combination may not work for other combinations of telescope and Binoviewer. 1. I cannot use the WO natively (without a GPC) due to the increased light path through the Binoviewers. I have been told, but have not tried it, that removing the extension tube from the 100DC will shorten the light path enough to use the WO natively (the bit ringed in red in the pic). The problem with this I suspect is that you may not then be able to focus easily in mono mode. 2. So to get it working I need to use the 1.6x GPC (that comes with the WO) attached to the diagonal nosepiece. The GPC threads do not match the Takahashi diagonal but I have successfully used both a Sky-Watcher 1.25" Di-Electric Star Diagonal and (as in picture) a Baader T2 Prism Star Diagonal. 3. The bits are (see pic below) - (A) Baader T-2 Prism Star-Diagonal 32mm (B) Baader T-thread to 1.25" Helical Focuser (C) Baader Nosepiece 1.25" - T2 which has the WO 1.6 GPC screwed into it. The Helical Focuser is a waste of time and would be better with a click lock. When you rotate the Helical Focuser the whole Binoviewers rotate! I also use this combination successfully on the FS60CB. I have not tried it with the FS60Q, FC76DC/Q. 4. I have the 2x GPC from WO as well. If I use it instead of the 1.6x in the Diagonal nosepiece I cannot reach focus. If I screw the 2x WO GPC into the Binoviewer nosepiece (as well as the 1.6x on the diagonal) I can double the magnification though I am told this is misusing the GPC, a dedicated barlow would be better. I now never do this and change the eyepieces when I want a different magnification. 5. Eyepieces. I use pairs of Tak 28mm Erfle, the standard WO 20mm, Tak 10 LE, 10mm Baader Classic Ortho, and Tak 7.5 LE. The 28mm and 20mm are always easy to use and rarely do I have image merge problems. I got a second Erfle to pair up with one I already had to try and get a wider FOV. I do get a wider FOV with them but probably not wide enough to justify the expense! I can usually merge the 10mm eyepieces but sometimes it takes a bit of tweaking. I have only managed to merge the 7.5's a couple of times so far but got a great view of the moon when I did. 7.5mm is generally considered too much. Many people would not recommend anything more powerful than 10mm and to use a barlow for extra magnification. I have never tried this, not owning a barlow! 6. Techniques. First get the focus right. Close one eye and use the scope focus to come to focus. Then close the other eye and use the eyepiece focus control on the Binoviewers to get a sharp image. Then open both eyes and adjust the Inter Pupil Distance on the WO to suite your eyes. Finally for me, in order to merge sometimes, I have to loosen the compression ring of the right eyepiece holder. If this fails I start fiddling with all the above and sometimes it just suddenly works! I have found using Binoviewers a bit of a Black Art, takes a bit of experimentation to get right and, for me, much self questioning about whether something is possible, should be possible, do I just need to buy another bit ... But in the end, I think the view is worth it! Malcolm

Great read @Spile and Northumbria is now on my 'goto' list I can emphasise with your Skye experience. I've been to the Highlands and Islands four times in the last couple of years and had total cloud cover and rain for three of them and the one week of clear sky in a dark site was mid summer with a full moon! That being said, still one of my favourite places in the world. Malcolm

You might say that, I couldn't possibly comment Now if only Tak produced red wine Malcolm

Very impressive detail - I've a way to go yet to get as good an image as that! Here's my efforts of same group a few days later. A very interesting group to follow. White light with FS60CB and single shot with old Motorola phone through LE10mm. H alpha with Lunt 50 and 16mm Nagler. First time I've captured any surface detail in H alpha, and a prom too as a bonus! Malcolm

I would agree with this. Don't waste any time not looking up I have been to Namibia once (and would love to go again) and the skies in the Namib desert are simply spellbinding! So many stars and colours, I spent evenings just marvelling with my eyes and a pair of small binoculars. Admittedly I did not have a telescope with me. Whatever you do I'm sure it'll be fantastic! Malcolm

Thanks for the info @HollyHound, I was wondering if the 60CB plus extender might have done E and F as A-D were nicely separated and so steady in the conditions but from yours and everyone else's replies, it would seem unlikely in 60mm. I think I had a 'probable' on the Pup with the 100DC a few weeks ago, posted elsewhere on this forum. Conditions were steady, though not as steady as what prompted this thread! Envious of your FOA-60Q! Everything I've read and seen about it makes it sound like absolute perfection Malcolm

Stunning images, especially the last one! Malcolm

Great image. I love observing this area. Malcolm

What a lovely present! I can give you a very biased suggestion ... anything with Takahashi on it FS60CB plus AP accessories. This'll do you as a travel scope and a wide field AP scope (though I am 99% visual so I know nothing about AP). Then get a longer focal length Tak for more zoomed in AP and it'll also be great visually (or could get the extender module for the 60CB to get longer focal length). Then I'd go for (and I don't have one so can't speak from experience) a Tak mount, just because it's a Tak Might just bridge the gap between dabbling/starting in AP and fantastic visual! Malcolm (who is not at all obsessed)

Thanks all. I should probably look into limiting magnitude and resolution of 60mm but very interesting to read all your experiences. Malcolm

Love the milky way over the beach photo! Malcolm

Very very impressive! Malcolm

Guilty! I'll be looking for it now Malcolm

Good on them I think the term gratuitous lighting should be introduced in law! Malcolm

I experienced the most steady seeing I have ever seen recently and spent a little time on Trapezium and the Pup with a 60mm scope (FS60CB). Trapezium looked totally steady, resolvable with a 10mm Tak LE and very nicely separated with a Nagler zoom at 3mm. But no sign of E and F. Should it be possible to resolve E and F in a 60mm scope? Then onto Sirius. Incredibly steady, minimal flaring and lovely diffraction rings, but no sign of the Pup. Again, should it be possible to resolve in excellent seeing with 60mm? I didn't get as long as I would have liked on these targets but I'd be very interested to know if they should be possible in a 60mm scope. Malcolm

That's a huge amount of kit. Very impressive to get all that into cabin baggage. I'm envious I was using a small camera bag, 45x35x20 I think but it was bursting with 60CB, Gitzo Traveller, Manfrotto video head and three eyepieces. Malcolm

@Highburymark my partner is already wise to my scheming Unfortunately we are tied to school holidays however last night the seeing was so steady that that in itself was a wow factor! I'll look into that website, sounds good. @Stu the forecast is looking good but I'm going to have to lavish just as much attention to my partner as I do to the Takahashi Malcolm

I cannot describe how happy I was that I was able to fit a 60CB, Gitzo tripod, Manfrotto head and 3 eyepieces into the tiny bag Easy Jet allow on as free cabin baggage! We are spending a week near Monchique in Portugal walking and I thought I'd try to take the Tak. It was bought as a travel scope after all, these though it gets used constantly due to it's ease of use as a grab and go! First night and it's a shame the moon is out as I think the dark skies here could be amazing (up quite high and virtually no lights to be seen). However, I have never seen such steady seeing. The trapezium was easy with a 10 LE. Rigel was easy with a Nagler Zoom at 3mm. Orion seemed very high in the sky and despite only 60mm and a bright moon M42 showed much structure and was surprisingly bright. Even Sirius was steady with lovely diffraction rings. No sign of the Pup but i presume 60mm is simply not enough aperture. The moon was as steady as a rock! Hardly a ripple! It's going to be such an anticlimax to observe from my home skies when I'm back Unfortunately I didn't take my moon atlas and I had no mobile signal at the scope for an on-line moon atlas so I was not able to identify much of what I was seeing (being new to this game). But Gassendi was stunning with N and M very easy. Schiller looked interesting and the mountains around Schiller T on its west side were lit up like a jewel. Clavius's floor was littered with craterlets. Lots of interesting features/mountains just south of Plato. I find this area fascinating as the individual features really stand out against Mare Imbrium. The sun was just lighting up a large crater in spectacular fashion just beyond Sinus Iridum which I think was Herschel. It was an amazing experience observing in such steady conditions; just wish I'd sneaked the 76 objective module in amongst the hiking gear Malcolm

I think the single thread is a great idea. I'm not an imager and don't intend to ever do more than hold a smartphone to the eyepiece but I'm very interested in all things Tak So I'm not an expert, I know nothing about collimation, but those images look excellent to me! Keep posting! Malcolm

Stunning pictures! Malcolm

Nice report and great pic! Malcolm

Very impressive images. Is that a hint of the Rille just south of Hadley? I couldn't see it last night despite pretty good seeing. Malcolm

Great pics, love the one with the Straight Wall Malcolm

Very nice. Looks like you caught part of Hadley Rille Malcolm