Show us your Frac

[Rainmaker]

My "Final" setup, after years of testing various Taks, is pictured here:

 

TOA130NFB with Baader BBHS 2" Sitall Mirror Diagonal and Baader SkySurferV Finder and TSA102S with Baader Zeiss T2 Prism, Televue Binovue and a few eyepieces on AZ-EQ6 GT

[Chris]

 You've arrived! 

[Stu]

1 minute ago, Rainmaker said:

My "Final" setup, after years of testing various Taks, is pictured here:

 

TOA130NFB with Baader BBHS 2" Sitall Mirror Diagonal and Baader SkySurferV Finder and TSA102S with Baader Zeiss T2 Prism, Televue Binovue and a few eyepieces on AZ-EQ6 GT

Beautiful setup Rainmaker, the stuff of dreams really

At some point I would love to buy a 130 ish mm top end Apo, funds don't allow currently.

I love the AZEQ6 too, it's a brilliant mount and one that I would buy again if I could keep it somewhere permanently setup. For now, with my back, the AZEQ5 will have to do.

Thanks for posting the pics!!!

[Telescope40]

25 minutes ago, Stu said:

41 minutes ago, Rainmaker said:

My "Final" setup, after years of testing various Taks, is pictured here:

 

TOA130NFB with Baader BBHS 2" Sitall Mirror Diagonal and Baader SkySurferV Finder and TSA102S with Baader Zeiss T2 Prism, Televue Binovue and a few eyepieces on AZ-EQ6 GT

 

Time to relax and enjoy, Rainmaker.  Your fun is about to begin.  Fab set up.

 

Regards   John

[Rainmaker]

Thank you all, I am thrilled to have been able to own some nice scopes over the years. This TOA is a lovely scope and paired with my 18" F5.6 Dobsonian, gives me access to all the targets I want to see.  

The TSA102S may eventually become half of a binoscope project with EMS Matsumoto diagonals, until then it is a lovely grab and go lunar viewing scope.

I recently spent some time comparing the TSA102S, TSA120, TOA130NFB and a TOA150 side by side at a friend's dark site and in the end feel that the TOA130 is for me the perfect refractor.

The views in my friend's TOA150 were certainly a bit more detailed but given I have access to the 18", the TOA130 is my preferred size to carry, especially as it mounts easily on the AZ-EQ6GT.

The only weakness in the pictured system was the tripod but I have since made a brace/spreader that has improved the setup enormously.

For anyone interested, here is a pic of the spreader installed:

[nightfisher]

I would appear that i will be getting a frac in about a weeks time, but it pails into insignificance compared to the above

[John]

12 minutes ago, nightfisher said:

I would appear that i will be getting a frac in about a weeks time, but it pails into insignificance compared to the above

A frac is a frac Jules and welcome in this thread

Is it a secret or have I missed a post elsewhere on your forthcoming arrival ?

 

[John]

Super Tak setup Matt

4" and 5" are great apertures for fracs - I seem to have arrived at similar apertures myself !

[Stub Mandrel]

I recently ordered one of these:

No I'm not insane... I swapped a fully coated 150mm x 50mm lens 2-element achro into an old one and fitted the EP out of a small finder to make a decent finderscope.

Now I need a guide scope and I dug out the old lens, which is a 2-element achro but only coated on the front element (360mm fl). I made a new scope body but fitted the lens the wrong way round and chipped it getting it out :-( I have a cheap but reasonable 1.25" focuser lined up so I decided £16 for a reasonable lens fitted in a lens cell, hood, aluminium body and an adaptor so it will go straight onto a pan tilt head is worth the punt! The rest will go in the bits box.

[nightfisher]

7 minutes ago, John said:

A frac is a frac Jules and welcome in this thread

Is it a secret or have I missed a post elsewhere on your forthcoming arrival ?

 

No secret John and no previous post to have missed, though not really using it so much i found myself missing the Tal100 after parting company with it, but the plan had been all along to look to getting more use from the 150pro skymax, hence selling the Tal plus getting the ED80 for a bit of "jack of all trades", the ED80 really is a scope than is jack of all, master of none, but there is a lot to be said for a 4" F10 so i will be purchasing a Celestron CR4 OTA from a very kind member and good friend on here, this will give ED80 for grab an go, some very basic deep sky imaging, a 4" F10 for Lunar imaging and observing plus splitting easy doubles and the 6" Mak for tight doubles and general high power Astro including Lunar webcam imaging and planet observing

[F15Rules]

10 hours ago, Rainmaker said:

My "Final" setup, after years of testing various Taks, is pictured here:

 

TOA130NFB with Baader BBHS 2" Sitall Mirror Diagonal and Baader SkySurferV Finder and TSA102S with Baader Zeiss T2 Prism, Televue Binovue and a few eyepieces on AZ-EQ6 GT

Beautiful setup Rainmaker, with quality accessories to match:-).

I could certainly be happy with that as my "Final setup"??

Dave

[Vicky050373]

Here are my fracs at Kelling Heath Autumn Equinox star party. I used the William Optics FLT-110 for imaging whilst I did some visual astronomy with the Skywatcher Equinox 80.

Although I have an 8SE for planetary viewing and imaging, I really am a frac girl at heart!  

[Chris]

Great picture Vicky  I don't think I've seen so many optics and mounts in such a small space before! 

Edited December 13, 2016 by Chris Lock

[Vicky050373]

2 minutes ago, Chris Lock said:

Great picture Vicky  I don't think I've seen so many optics and mounts in such a small space before! 

Oh well then Chris, maybe you should check out the Huddersfield Astronomical Society group photograph. We caused quite a stir, as you can imagine. I've never seen so many scopes and mounts together in one place - fracs, maks and dobs (including a 24") - but mainly fracs! It was hard work to do, and messed up everyone's polar alignment haha, but it was good fun and not something you'll see again soon. The photo even features me (which is something else you won't see again soon lol)

[Paul M]

20 hours ago, Vicky050373 said:

Oh well then Chris, maybe you should check out the Huddersfield Astronomical Society group photograph. We caused quite a stir, as you can imagine. I've never seen so many scopes and mounts together in one place - fracs, maks and dobs (including a 24") - but mainly fracs! It was hard work to do, and messed up everyone's polar alignment haha, but it was good fun and not something you'll see again soon. The photo even features me (which is something else you won't see again soon lol)

I like the alignment, but the picture is ruined by the refractor on the far left end. It's out by a good few degrees

[mikeDnight]

21 hours ago, Vicky050373 said:

Oh well then Chris, maybe you should check out the Huddersfield Astronomical Society group photograph. We caused quite a stir, as you can imagine. I've never seen so many scopes and mounts together in one place - fracs, maks and dobs (including a 24") - but mainly fracs! It was hard work to do, and messed up everyone's polar alignment haha, but it was good fun and not something you'll see again soon. The photo even features me (which is something else you won't see again soon lol)

Wonderful scope array Vicky! The next time you see Gain though, please tell him to get his hair cut. Having more hair than me should be illegal!

Mike ?

[Vicky050373]

27 minutes ago, Paul M said:

I like the alignment, but the picture is ruined by the refractor on the far left end. It's out by a good few degrees

Haha, yes I've just noticed that! That'll be little Gain Henry pulling his scope out of alignment on it's AZ mount. Most of the scopes had been polar aligned for imaging and lifted into position for the photograph. It was really special to see all that kit together

I see Gain every week Mike. Think he might have had his ears lowered the other week, but his hair is always on the long side. Gain wouldn't be Gain with short hair. Have you known him long? I've only known him around 18 months, but I am his imaging Padawan lol. In fact, my WO110 was his his scope and I bought it from him when he upgraded. It's a beautiful scope. I am very fortunate to have him as my imaging mentor

2 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Wonderful scope array Vicky! The next time you see Gain though, please tell him to get his hair cut. Having more hair than me should be illegal!

Mike ?

[Chris]

Blimey, that line up of kit will take some beating! Excellent picture  

[mikeDnight]

A few years while in a friend's garage, I noticed there was a 60mm Astral refractor stood on its dew shade and leaning against the wall. I asked him where it had come from and what he was going to do with it. He dismissively grunted "It's going to the tip!" I grabbed hold of it and told him "It's mine now and its not going to any tip!"

Last night I pulled that little scope out from under the bed, where its been hiding for about four years, and tonight I aimed it at Venus. It has no mount and no finder, and has a few war wounds after being momentarily in my friends possession. Still, after behind balanced against the window frame and with some careful aiming, the little 60mm F15 Astral delivered a beautifully sharp view of Venus.

When I pulled it from under the bed yesterday, it was with the intention of cleaning it up and giving it a respray, and then to find a suitable mount for it. I thought it might be a nice little scope to give to my six year old grandson. Now after playing with it for only a few minutes, I'm wondering if I shouldn't just keep it for myself, after all, it was just such a scope that set the whole astronomical ball rolling for me almost 37 years ago. That may be a little selfish though!

This afternoon Peter Drew kindly gave me a small equatorial that can, with a bit of adaptation, carry this little gem.

Attached are a few pics of this maltreated little fellow and I'll post more as its situation improves in the new year. This 60mm Astral is really a very nice little scope and I'm glad I grabbed it out of my friends unkind hands.

Mike ???

[John]

I used a Prinz refractor just like that to observe Jupiter in the mid 1970's. I borrowed the scope from a mate and spent each clear night for around a month observing and drawing Jupiter. Towards the end of that period I was getting lots of detail even for a 2.4 inch scope. Amazing what you can achieve when you are broke but really hungry for the hobby

I must dig my old Tasco 60mm F/13.3 frac out and give it some light. Mine is a 1960's scope complete with wooden box. I recall when it's put on a steady mount and has a half decent eyepiece in it, the views are pretty sharp

 

 

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, Vicky050373 said:

Haha, yes I've just noticed that! That'll be little Gain Henry pulling his scope out of alignment on it's AZ mount. Most of the scopes had been polar aligned for imaging and lifted into position for the photograph. It was really special to see all that kit together

I see Gain every week Mike. Think he might have had his ears lowered the other week, but his hair is always on the long side. Gain wouldn't be Gain with short hair. Have you known him long? I've only known him around 18 months, but I am his imaging Padawan lol. In fact, my WO110 was his his scope and I bought it from him when he upgraded. It's a beautiful scope. I am very fortunate to have him as my imaging mentor

It's a long story which I won't bore you with, but I met Gain in 2002/2003. We used to attend the Astronomy Centre every Saturday night and just seemed to hit it off, having a similar, somewhat twisted sense of humour. Gain did have short hair back then and it suited him. I think he's in denial about the aging process, or am I slightly envious having lost my thatch? ?

I have many fond memories of the times we observed and associated together. Both he and Adele were great fun! We live quite a distance apart and as my wife is very ill now I rarely get chance to wander too far from home. I've attached some images of the YOUTHFUL Gain looking through my FS128 in 2003. Also attached is a pic of myself and my youngest son Daniel at Huddersfield Astro Society,  on the morning of the Venus transit June 8th 2004. I'm sure Gain will elaborate if you show him the pics! 

Mike ?

 

[Vicky050373]

Love those photographs Mike! I might be seeing Gain tomorrow so I'll chat to him then. Gain would have been around 40 years old in those photos - crazy bonkers! Him and Adele are the loveliest couple and have two gorgeous young children. You are right about his twisted humour though. Think that's why we get on so well

[wookie1965]

I love my Tal 100rs which I bought off Jules brilliant scope had a couple of great nights with it waiting for clear skies get it out again. 

[mikeDnight]

28 minutes ago, John said:

I used a Prinz refractor just like that to observe Jupiter in the mid 1970's. I borrowed the scope from a mate and spent each clear night for around a month observing and drawing Jupiter. Towards the end of that period I was getting lots of detail even for a 2.4 inch scope. Amazing what you can achieve when you are broke but really hungry for the hobby

I must dig my old Tasco 60mm F/13.3 frac out and give it some light. Mine is a 1960's scope complete with wooden box. I recall when it's put on a steady mount and has a half decent eyepiece in it, the views are pretty sharp

 

 

"Hungry for the hobby"! That perfectly sums up how I felt in january 1980 as I walked the streets of my home town, trudging through deep snow with a small bag of tools over my shoulder. I was an apprentice plumber and the reason for my trudging in my spare time was to earn enough money to buy a beautiful Prinz Astral that was in Dixon's window. Back then many houses still had unused outside toilets who's lead pipework would freeze and burst in the cold weather. I would wipe solder joints around the lead for £10 a pop. It took me an age to acquire the sale price of £110.00 for that 60mm frac, but my hunger for astronomy kept me at it. As humble as that little telescope was, it still managed to fuel my enthusiasm, and ive still got my rubbish sketches of Sun spots, lunar craters, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars made using crayons crayons. I didn't really know what I was doing but it was thrilling all the same. I also acquired a second hand pair of 60mm binoculars that had a broken bridge, which I held together with plastercine. Laughable by today's standards but I was a serious astronomer, at least in my own eyes, and with my simple binos and frac I observed all the Messier objects visible from my parents back garden and explored the solar system. It was a fantastic time!

If i were you I'd avoid that Tasco like the plague. You may end up throwing that Tak of yours in the bin! ???

Mike ?

[mikeDnight]

54 minutes ago, Vicky050373 said:

Love those photographs Mike! I might be seeing Gain tomorrow so I'll chat to him then. Gain would have been around 40 years old in those photos - crazy bonkers! Him and Adele are the loveliest couple and have two gorgeous young children. You are right about his twisted humour though. Think that's why we get on so well

Here's another refractor pic with Gain and Adele at HAS on the day of the Venus transit 2004. Adele is wearing the baseball cap. The little bear with his back to the camera is Floppy Bear, and belongs to my wife. He goes everywhere with us but is a bit camera shy. 

Mike. ?

Edited December 14, 2016 by mikeDnight