Feathertouch focuser for the SW120ED or a Tak TSA120?

[swag72]

Here's a dilemma I have and I'd welcome some thoughts from some others. For a bit more info, I am a sole imaging kind of girl, I've looked through the scope less than half a dozen times!

My SW120ED has a Moonlite focuser, but I have to say that after using the R&P on the little Pentax that the Crayfords just do not do it for me in the slightest. I have been given permission (!!) by the sole earner in our house to save for another scope and as I slowly broke the news to him how much the Tak TSA120 was, the permission was not withdrawn!!

My dilemma now is whether I really do save for the Tak TSA120 or just put a Feathertouch focuser on the SW120ED. I'm not sure that I'd notice a big difference in image quality between the two scopes. I am only using a small chip CCD and do use the SW120ED at it's native 900mm f7.5, so I'd be doing the same with the Tak. The focuser attachment on the SW120ED is a rather crude affair of three screws into the OTA. So is it worth putting a top quality focuser onto that? Would a Feathertouch on the SW120ED please me as much as a shiny new Tak?

If anyone has any other ideas, I'd love to hear them. Weight is a potential issue for me, so I don't want to go heavier than the SW already is. I couldn't find any other refractor to fit the bill, apart from perhaps a WO FLT132.

Thoughts anyone? Will give me some thoughts on what to save for!! The focuser could be this year, the Tak would take considerably longer!!!

[swag72]

No one any thoughts on this at all? Or maybe you don't want to spend my €€'s!!!!!

[ollypenrice]

One big differene is that the Tak is intended to last a lifetime and be repairable and collimatable. Everything is well engineered. The 120 is a far more basic scope though the optics are good.

As you have found out, the engineering on the SW does not mean that just bolting in a new focuser will necessarily give a plug and play imprpvement. I suppose I feel that throwing Feathertouch money at the 120 might be disproportionate and also might involve a risk. If the 120 is now optically sound I must say that I'd live with the Moonlite (hey, it is a good focuser, no?) and get imaging. But if you still have alignment issues then no, I'd be looking to change.

I see that the TOA can be focally reduced to F5.6 and 672mm. F5.6? Yesssplease! Beware of the prodigious cost of additional necessities chez Tak. A little adapter, that's 150 dollars Ma'am.

Does it have to be new? You'd expect to pay a bit less than £4K for a perfect TEC140. I paid £3.8K for mine, the price including a scopeguard transport case (top quality) and the TEC CNC rings, which are a heck of a price. There was a similar one on UKABS that was not selling at that sort of price. Other metre-ish FL premium scopes come up fairly regularly. The EQ6 handles the TEC without demur.

As you know, I'm very 'refractor' but I must say that the Intes Photomaks (I think they are on the Widescreen site) are very impressive and are a real bargain second hand.

I am not a WO fan. They just make far too many mistakes, probably because they are terminally incapable of leaving well alone and knock out too many new models. The ones that are good are good but, boy, they get things wrong too often.

Olly

[swag72]

Thanks for the thoughts Olly - I was rather hoping you would appear!

Alignment issues with the SW no more, but I can't help but feel I have been spoilt with the focuser on that little Pentax. It blows the Moonlite out of the water - hence why I am thinking I want a R&P on the big scope.

I'm happy for second hand, but at the minute the new Tak prices out here and the exchange rate make things look rather tempting!! I will get back in my box for now and quietly watch ABS!!!!