MalcolmM

Just for comparison, here's a Nagler 16mm in the same setup. This time the FOV goes from 0 to 33cm. Apologies to @Louis D for using his technique; I don't think I have achieved the quality of his images. Malcolm

Here's my attempt to show the edge distortion in an FS60CB (f 5.9) The rhs of the FOV is at 0, the lhs at 20 so the total FOV is roughly 65 cm on the ruler. The last 3cm of the rulers on either side are quite difficult to see without squinting and moving your head. I've no idea how this would relate to star shapes at infinity but to my eyes, the ruler is pretty sharp up to roughly 75% out. But there is definitely a gradual decrease in the sharpness as you move to tbe edge. Malcolm

Yes, that's very true. I have to tighten the lock a bit more at the expense of ease of panning. Either that, or I slide the scope backwards to counter the downwards pull. This one apparently tilts to 80° but I have not used it much above 50° so far. Malcolm

My wrist is still weak after breaking it a couple of months ago. I find the Giro Ercole heavy enough to cart about when combined with a tripod and scope. I have a Manfrotto 500 video fluid head which I use with an FS60CB as grab and go. This fluid head is lovely to use but cannot cope with a FOA-60Q at x150 so I wondered would a beefier one work. When I saw a beefier one (MVH502) on Amazon marketplace with more than 25% off I thought I'd give it a punt, hoping the combination of FOA-60Q plus fluid head plus Innorel tripod would make for a very light stable setup. Last night I tried it with my FC100DC, not really expecting it to cope well with the size and weight. But it's brilliant! The fluid drag can be adjusted and there is also a progressive lock on both axis. With a bit of playing around you end up with very smooth precise movement combined with a stiffness that deals with both a light Abbe eyepiece and changes to a heavy Pentax XW. The scope stayed on target during the change and yet could still be panned precisely. Panning the scope with the long handle is very easy and very precise. I was not expecting this but for me, this video fluid head makes for a very capable light weight mount for a 4" scope. I'm itching to see if I can attach the Mewlon to it now 🙂 Anyway, food for thought if you are looking for a light weight mount! Malcolm

This observation was a few days ago. Stupidly neglected to put down the date in my notes! On a four in the morning toilet visit I looked out the window and saw my first star for two months! Too good a chance to miss, so out came my FOA-60Q on a Giro Ercole on an Innorel tripod and me in my dressing gown! First up was Saturn, before it dropped below the trees. With a 9mm Abbe giving x100 it was wonderfully sharp despite being quite low. The shadow of the planet on the rings was obvious, as was a dark band covering the northern third of the planet. I thought I could see/sense the Cassini division, which really surprised me, due to the rings current inclination and a small scope, so this may have been wishful thinking! Next up was Jupiter. Five belts on display and the most contrasty I have ever seen it. Again using the 9mm Abbe, 6mm being too much. No GRS but the 2 equatorial bands were distinctly irregular with definite shape. Also the N and S polar hoods (?) and a thin dark belt between the NEB and the N polar hood were obvious. It's now about 05.00 and I turn to the half illuminated moon. Still can't get more power than the 9mm Abbe. But the moon was fab. Very contrasty views. Hadley crater was easy. Was able to make out one of the craters easily on the Hyginus Rille. Also, for the first time, I saw some of the Triesnecker Rilles. Triesnecker itself was very detailed; half it's floor was in shadow, there was a thin shadow on the floor at the base of the 'lit' wall (West, refractor view) and another shadow at the top of the same wall. Tried to look for any craterlets in Plato, but saw none. This may be asking too much of a 60mm scope! Fast forward to last night and I find myself back outside at 3.30 in the morning, again in my dressing gown, this time with a new heavy duty video fluid head and the 100DC. I was keen to see if the fluid head could cope with the 100DC at x180. It could but unfortunately the seeing couldn't! The air was very steady, but the views were ever so slightly fuzzy so I was limited to the 9mm Abbe giving ~x80. Disappointingly the views were less sharp with less contrast than the smaller scope a few nights previously. Still, it was lovely to be out again under the skies, a wren singing in the garden and the new (to me) fluid head coping well with the DC, even swapping between a light Abbe and a big Pentax XW 5. Malcolm

We had five nights recently not five miles from there, at my partner's brother's house. I had a travel scope with me but it was five nights of cloud! Lovely area though. If you like walking I would recommend the Offa's Dyke Path, or part thereof, it's quite long! If not, that cold beer looks an excellent alternative! Malcolm

I'm always happy when anything Tak is being discussed 🙂 I ended up getting the Extender-Q and while it is excellent optically, it's not something you would want to be screwing on and off during a session! I'll be interested in any replies you get. Malcolm

I've used the 45 in Taks 60CB, 100DC and Mew 180. I'm afraid I can't give you any details other than I like it! I didn't notice any distortions but I don't think I'm a particularly critical observer (or not a particularly skilled observer 🙂). On the FOV, the FLO FOV calculator implied I should be able to see all the Pleiades with it in the Mewlon. This is not quite the case. It's close though. Malcolm

I have one and like it. I never bother levelling it properly and after it's auto calibration, it tracks well enough for high power visual. So, quick and easy to set up if your not looking for maximum tracking or goto accuracy (I never use the goto). I like that it's alt/az. I like that it's very stable. I like that is got an internal battery. It carries all my scopes easily (largest is ~6.5kg). I like that you can mount dual scopes. It's very quiet. There's a lot to like 🙂 If you have a long refractor, you need to be careful that during auto calibration (where the scope is automatically moved to point straight up and spun 360°), the bottom end of the scope does not hit the tripod legs. I have recently got the associated mini pier to get round this problem. Also, mine occasionally 'jumped' while tracking. Some mounts seem to suffer from this and some don't. There seemed to be no rhyme or reason as to when this happened. When it did happen it would jump every couple of seconds. FLO looked at this for me and improved it with some minor servicing. I think @HollyHound also has one. Hope this helps! Any questions, give me a shout! Malcolm

I love binoviewing. It's so relaxing using binoviewers, particularly for long sessions and the 3Dish views are captivating. I use them for everything, including DSOs. However for ease of use or quick grab and go, I use mono. Half the number of eyepieces and a tenth the weigh on the back end of the scope. I also feel I can see slightly more when using mono with a good eyepiece. I can't be definitive, I just think there is a little more fine detail. Malcolm

I completely agree with everything you say @vlaiv and I'm speaking, sort of tongue in cheek, being a self confessed irrational Takahashi fan 🙂 I do enjoy reading people's experiences with equipment when their enthusiasm bursts through. Even more so when it confirms my bias 🙂 Malcolm

Most of the technical voodoo is above my understanding! I want to hear razor sharp, impossible contrast, how can there be so little scatter, my jaw hit the floor when I turned it on Saturn, these things are magic ... 🙂 Malcolm

I'm an outlier here; XWs and Naglers being second best for me. I'd keep my 3 TOEs for high power. 28mm Tak Erfle for low power wide field (wide field! I can hear you all laughing 🙂) and 18mm Tak Abbe for something in-between. Mmmmm common sense says drop the 2.5 TOE and choose a Tak 12.5 Abbe instead. This is difficult! On a plus, with the money I'd get from selling the others, I'd buy a bigger Tak. TSA-120 or TOA-130. Now there's another thread 🙂 Which of those two would be better and why? Rhetorical question, don't want to divert the thread! Malcolm

I have all the Abbes except for the 32. You said your OCD would have remedied that pretty quick Malcolm

Flapping heck, that sounds like a major drop in standards. You can't beat a nice blue lid! Malcolm

That's my worry! I think the Tak Abbe's must be incredibly hard to best! But here's hoping 🙂 Malcolm

Just wondering if anyone is going to get one of these, or even better, already used one? Does anyone know if the outer 50% of the FOV is likely to be similar/better/worse than the Abbes or LEs? Malcolm

Egged on by members here (not intentionally I should add) I usually end up buying more equipment when I can't use what I have. Currently I'm trying very hard to resist looking for a Tak Abbe 32 after an innocuous comment from @JeremyS has been worming away in my head! On a more serious note, it's been weeks since I've observed, but I'm trying to remember and appreciate the 2 or 3 lovely weeks observing Venus in daytime under blue skies and evening sunshine. Malcolm

I have the DC variant and even though it has a very small focus range, I have never had any problems focusing, and I have quite a variety of eyepieces. Admittedly, I only use 1.25" eyepieces in the DC, so maybe I would run into problems with 2" eyepieces. I must give it a try sometime. Now Binoviewers ... that's a totally different ball game 🙂 Malcolm

Great idea, I'll try and contribute. It'll encourage me to log my observations. And if that pic of your FOA does not convert people to the beauty of a 60mm scope, nothing will 🙂Gorgeous! Malcolm

If I ever do get one and my partner complains, I'm going to show her the pic, quote you and direct her wrath firmly in your direction Malcolm

@F15Rules , that Vixen looks fab but the 128 is utterly sublime That's a great picture of Trinity with Steve. I had no idea they were quite that big. You just don't appreciate the size of them in photographs of them on their mounts in isolation. Very envious Malcolm

Eyepieces are a very personal choice as I have found out from the many posts in this forum! I have a few premium eyepieces from different manufacturers but I always prefer my Tak Abbes (I think they are orthos?). For me, they are sharper, brighter and more contrasty than anything else I have, and that is more important to me than a wider field of view. They are also very light. If I want a wider FOV I first try a longer focal length of Abbe before going for a wide FOV eyepiece. No nostalgia on my part, I'm very recently into this game! Malcolm

I really really like the Abbe range. If these were a visible improvement I'd be very tempted, though I suspect my eyes would not be up to seeing a small difference. I do like the ergonomics and weight of these. Malcolm

The big advantage of the Tak cradle from my point of view is the ease with which you can loosen the clamp a bit and slide the scope so easily to achieve balance. Great for swapping between mono and binoviewers. Looks great too in my opinion. I use them in all my Taks (Mewlon excepted) Malcolm