" The Rainmaker " Takahashi TSA

[Rainmaker]

This is a little introduction to my garden's new best friend, "The Rainmaker".

Except for 2 hours of magical 'First Light', it has not stopped raining since the postman brought this beauty to me 2 weeks ago.

I am about to start building a boat 300 cubits long.

Really the clouds started to gather back in October when I bought a Vixen R200SS, the drizzle started in November when the Vixen was joined by an Istar Perseus 150mm F10,

then in February I became the caretaker of my beautiful Berry&Mackay 3" F15 refractor and the heavens opened up with a couple of thunderstorms.

Two weeks ago this Takahashi TSA 120 F7.5 was looking for a new home so I helped it out of its predicament. The heavens opened up,

I only had 2 glorious hours one evening, the rest of the time it has been steady rain interrupted by heavy showers and lightning storms.

I tried to appease the weather Gods by selling the VIxen and the Istar but the rain continues. Feels like I am in the UK. (Oops)

Specs:

Triplet Super Apo with S-FPL53 element 120mm f7.5 F=900mm ,

William Optics dielectric 2" diagonal,

Feathertouch Micro Pinion Assemly 10:1 on Tak 2.7" focuser,

Vixen Lanthanum eyepieces 3.5mm, 5mm, 6mm, 13mm, 17mm, 20mm.

Soon my little Rainmaker ..................... soon.

Thanks for looking,

[nightfisher]

Those Taks are really nice refractors, my bank balance would have a heart attack if i were to just think about one, i hope the weather improves for you

[Astro_Baby]

When I bought my Skymax 180 it never got used for nigh on 18 months !! I used to call it 'The Jinx' because every single time it got taken out it either rained, clouded over or on one occasion when it was clear the mount broke down immediately after star alignment.

Hope you dont have to wait THAT long .......its a pretty scope by the way...congrats.

[SnakeyJ]

The tak looks awesome and some great pics - have now drooled over phone

Still looks a little dry/arid out of that window - fancy some of our clouds/rain to help with your ark project?

[Rainmaker]

Thank you all, it has been my dream scope for some time and the chance to buy it came quite suddenly.

The hardest part was getting my wife to understand that it was reasonable to buy 4 telescopes in 4 months.

In the end I relented and agreed to sell 2 of the others.

Whilst the Tak came with a beautiful 7x50 finder which has incredibly sharp optics, I have just bought a Stellarvue F50W2 finder

from Optcorp to save my neck muscles.

At the moment I am using a Vixen GP-D2 mount but intend to also source a heavy duty T-Rex Alt Az mount for most of my viewing.

I thought I would get into imaging but I enjoy the personal connection of having my eye at the scope instead of staring at a screen.

As I type, I see that the sun has come out .....................

Cheers,

Matt

[earth titan]

Droooollll

Typed by me on my fone, using fumms... Excuse eny speling errurs.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

Looks like an awesome scope you have got yourself. Hope the rain goes away soon

[DirkSteele]

Beautiful scope. I look forward to reading a first light report soon.

Clear (and rain free) skies,

[Marki]

What a gorgeous looking telescope. I really hope you get a good first light soon - look forward to your report

[E621Keith]

Beautiful scope. Look forward to hear your first light

[Rainmaker]

Well it happened !!!!

The skies over Jindabyne in the Australian Alps cleared for while last night. The Takahashi and the old B&M treated my future son-in-law and myself to a wonderful display of the heavens,

Using the Vixen LVWs (3.5mm, 13 & 17 and LV5, 6,&20mm) we concentrated on Jupiter and his moons, M42, M45, and nearby clusters.

The TSA120 is just so very sharp and displays no false colour whatsoever. I doubt I will ever part with it.

The views that most impressed my son-in-law were of M45 in the 17mm LVW and having the Jovian moons as tiny discs

in the 3.5mm LVW.

I would think this scope will go above 300x, at the moment my eyepieces only allow 257x and the sharpness of that view was amazing.

The 3" F15 Berry&Mackay showed some misalignment but otherwise a nice almost colour-free image on old Jove. I will have to dismantle the lens and check.

[Rainmaker]

Stellarvue F50W2 finder installed today in the Takahashi Bracket ... perfect fit

[FranckiM06]

Wow, it is great APO refractor that you have choice and I hope you will be enjoye with this perfect refractor.

You can have look here what about you could do later : http://www.astrobin....ers/FranckIM06/

Congratulation about this new equipment.

See you soon

Franck

[Rainmaker]

Merci bien Franck,

So far this telescope has exceeded my expectations. The views are just so crisp, sharp and with such contrast.

I saw your photographs ........... beautiful !

Cheers, Matt

[Rainmaker]

Finally the new mount and tripod arrived !

The 'Rainmaker' now rides on the back of a white Tyrannosaurus Rex. Having had the chance to use this mount for a few nights now I have to confess to being in love with both the T-Rex and the Tak. Without doubt the two best astro purchases I have made in 40 years of looking up at the heavens.

Although fully manual at the moment, I will be installing JMI motors and Train&Track Control as well as Argo Navis DTC.

Whilst no lightweight, this tom me is the ultimate "Grab & Go" kit.

[John]

It's a lovely setup Matt

I use the cheapo version of that combination - a Skywatcher ED120 on a Giro-type mount. I love the views though mine so yours should be sublime

[Stargazer_00]

Lovely set up, I bet it gives great views.

That mount was crying out to be called 'Great White' but 'T Trex' is awesome too Apex predator names rock.

[Rainmaker]

Thanks guys!

John, I will be the first to admit that my needs would have been well served with the SW120ED and Giro mount but the Takahashi came on the market at a time

I was at my most vulnerable, had some spare money in my pocket and a buyer for my other 2 scopes. I then decided it would be a "lifetime scope" and as such needed a

"lifetime mount". The T-Rex is a beautifully crafted bit of kit that will do me for years to come. In use it is pure enjoyment, I don't want go-to, preferring instead to use DSC for navigation

and hands for slewing.

Last night I was able to keep satellites in the FOV with a 22mm Vixen LVW as they crossed the heavens above me.

[Rainmaker]

Son of Rainmaker has arrived:

Bought the little Tak (FS60CB) to double as a travel scope and later as a guider

Just need to make a bracket to fit it to the TSA?T-Rex combo.

[A McEwan]

Beautiful setups! Hope you have many years pleasure with them.

Ant

[Daniel-K]

[Naemeth]

Both lovely scopes, beautiful. The FS60CB would make a great travel scope, but perhaps a little expensive at the moment (not compared to the TSA120mm though ).

[Rainmaker]

Got the whole system sorted finally:

Takahashi TSA120 + 2" dielectric diagonal + Vixen LVW eyepieces 3.5mm to 42mm + Parallax 125mm Tube clamps

Takahashi FS60CB + 1.25" Takahashi Prism diagonal + RKE28mm eyepieces + Takahashi 125 & 80mm Clamshells

Stellarvue F50W2 finder + 23mm reticle eyepiece

T-Rex mount  + Robin Casady 8" saddle and 14" dovetail (Tak EM specific)

NGC Mini-Max Digital Setting Circles

Nikon AF-S Nikkor 80-200 F2.8 + D7000

Should keep me happy for a while:

[Rainmaker]

Just to update this thread

1. "The Rainmaker" TSA120  has moved onwards to a new caretaker

2. its replacement " The Rainbucket " M210 came and went as well

3. the latest Tak to take residence is the beautiful FS128 F8.1 Fluorite Apochromat

4. I have also invested in the FC76DCsv Hybrid (FC76/FS60 Combo)

5. and just today another little FS60CB has joined the flock

did I mention I love the little Taks.