Show us your Frac

[GlenM]

I've always found Ted to be very helpful.

 

Glen.

 

[mikeDnight]

8 hours ago, Nakedgun said:

I've wanted a 90mm refractor for many years, but had no luck with them, having received a new discontinued LOMO triplet with some sort of astigmatism issue, returned; a new discontinued Astro-Tech triplet with loads of dust between the lenses, sold in-person to a willing buyer; and then there was the Tak Sky 90, which had its own lens cell troubles, never bought one.

Ted Ishikawa is the Borg U.S. importer and he sold me my first scope from this mfr, a 76ED f/6.6 pictured elsewhere in this topic, in June 2001. Oasis Studio, the Borg makers, have a 90 f/5.6 Fluorite doublet which, I am told, is not the same as the Sky 90 though both are/were sourced from Canon Optron. I decided to take another chance on this aperture and bought one from Ted 18 years, to the month, after my first purchase from him.

This time I struck gold. Compact and lightweight (a Borg trademark) it is also an optical plum, a pleasure to sit at the eyepiece with.

 

Closed up it is short, added a Chinese 6x30 finder as I haven't located an adapter allowing the use of a Tak finder stalk on this base:

 

90mm rings from AliExpress:

 

Dew shield and focuser extended. I weighed it last summer and seem to remember it was at ~ 7lbs, as pictured with rings, dovetail plate, diagonal & ep:

Beautiful scope, but also love the eyepiece! 

[wookie1965]

On 27/03/2020 at 18:25, John said:

As it's out, I might as well point a camera at it. Takahashi FC-100DL:

 

Whats the Tac like John have you split Tegmine with it? I would love a look through it.

Edited April 6, 2020 by wookie1965

[Dr Strange]

Three of my four. I sold off my TOA 150 recently and before that I sold my AP 155. I had done a comparison of the 155 and 150 and the 150 had the better color correction. However the 150 is too big for me to safely handle anymore. Not all that old just with all the accumulated injuries I wasn't using it that much anymore. I haven't got a photo of my TOA 130 on a mount actually doing something so I didn't post it. The 92 is my G&G, the 130 is my main at home visual scope, the NP101is (on the AZ-GTi) was my G&G before I got the AP and is now my AP scope, and the 120 is for dark sky trips. 

[Dr Strange]

Three of my four. I sold off my TOA 150 recently and before that I sold my AP 155. I had done a comparison of the 155 and 150 and the 150 had the better color correction. However the 150 is too big for me to safely handle anymore. Not all that old just with all the accumulated injuries I wasn't using it that much anymore. I haven't got a photo of my TOA 130 on a mount actually doing something so I didn't post it. The 92 is my G&G, the 130 is my main at home visual scope, the NP101is* was my G&G before I got the AP and is now my AP scope, and the 120 is for dark sky trips. Also not pictured is the 80mm Lunt. I don't really consider it a refractor even through it is technically one. I am a NASA/JPL SSA and I use it mainly for solar outreach. Oh and the AP is looking at the moon in that shot during the late afternoon.

 

*on the AZ-GTi and yes it was well over the weight limit so there were many vibrations but they settled down after about 1.5 seconds and the mount handled it like a champ. I even talked to Skywatcher USA before doing it and was told about the vibrations but told it wouldn't hurt the mount

 

 

Edited April 7, 2020 by Dr Strange

[Nakedgun]

18 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Beautiful scope, but also love the eyepiece! 

I have the 30, 18, 12.5, & 7.5mm in pairs, with the 5mm a single. I should have bought the others when available.

[Ags]

My frac is cast in a strictly supporting role tonight...

[mikeDnight]

Last night I had an urge to rekindle my love for the 60mm Astral 500, an F15 achromat. I bought one of these back in 1980 and it was enough to fuel my enthusiasm for our hobby way past general curiosity. I eventually sold my original 60mm Astral, but about ten years ago i saved this one from the skip. It's a nice little scope, and surprisingly, some of the original 0.96 eyepieces gave a very pleasant view of Venus. Using a 10mm Ultrascopic turned the scope into a good little performer. 😊

 

Edited April 24, 2020 by mikeDnight

[John]

I really must dig my 1960's 60mm F/13.3 Tasco refractor out of the loft and put it on a decent mount. I've not looked though it for years now

 

[John]

1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

...I bought a Neil English book last week (out of boredom), entitled "Classic Telescopes", and chapter six deals with these little refractors. The chapter is well worth reading. And once you come to terms with the authors natural biase for long focal length refractors, and his weak arguments that attempt to show the modern high end apo as being inferior, the book is otherwise a good read. Lots of pictures! A little like a BEANO for astronomers!!  Anyhow, it was chapter six that prompted me to play with the 60mm and very enjoyable it was too. 😊

Neil has changed his preferences since he was advocating the achromatic refractor. He is into the reflecting telescope in a big way now and seems to have less time for refractors of any sort. He always did have a dislike of what he called "poodles", the ED and triplet refractors that I now own 4 of !.

I'll have to re-name the corner of the dining room where they live "The Poodle Parlor" That should confuse my other half

 

[Nakedgun]

A few years back I decided to lighten up, after having aperture fever push me to get ever-larger-and-heavier scopes, including triplet designed refractors, as it became just too much to deal with in spite of the color-free and/or deeper sky views offered by them. As a result, my triplets had to go, one of which was the Tak TSA102. So, when Tak released their FC-100DC I bought one in October 2013 to compare with the TSA. 

I'm not an imager and found the Tak doublet fit the bill visually, and mounting became much less complicated, as a bonus. The TSA went to a new owner.

 

Parallax rings:

 

 

Tak 6x30 finder:

 

Tak 1.6x Extender Q:

 

 

[JeremyS]

4 minutes ago, Nakedgun said:

A few years back I decided to lighten up, after having aperture fever push me to get ever-larger-and-heavier scopes, including triplet designed refractors, as it became just too much to deal with in spite of the color-free and/or deeper sky views offered by them. As a result, my triplets had to go, one of which was the Tak TSA102. So, when Tak released their FC-100DC I bought one in October 2013 to compare with the TSA. 

I'm not an imager and found the Tak doublet fit the bill visually, and mounting became much less complicated, as a bonus. The TSA went to a new owner.

That#s a cracking set-up set-up David. Good to see the Extender Q as well.

What's the story behind the blue Tak finder? Off  another piece of kit?

[John]

Great setup David.

Those ADM finder mounts are excellent - I have put one on my Tak FC-100 DL:

[Nakedgun]

3 hours ago, JeremyS said:

That#s a cracking set-up set-up David. Good to see the Extender Q as well.

What's the story behind the blue Tak finder? Off  another piece of kit?

 

The blue finders were offered by the Tak importer here in the U.S. and with the blue accents on the OTA I just wanted something not usual.

I transfer the finder between the FC-100, FC-76 & FOA-60.

 

Edited April 25, 2020 by Nakedgun

[Nakedgun]

1 hour ago, John said:

Great setup David.

Those ADM finder mounts are excellent - I have put one on my Tak FC-100 DL:

 

With the demise of the BT Technologies owner and their color-matched bases, ADM provides us Tak users with the only option in town.

 

The BT model seen here on my FC76:

 

[mikeDnight]

Here's the latest incarnation of the stunning Takahashi FC100D series of apochromatic refractors - my newly acquired FC100DZ. Probably the most highly corrected fluorite doublet apo in the world! 🍺

Edited April 28, 2020 by mikeDnight

[Rob]

4 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Here's the latest incarnation of the stunning Takahashi FC100D series of apochromatic refractors - my newly acquired FC100DZ. Possibly the most highly corrected fluorite doublet apo in the world!

Oh.. stop it Mike.. I'm now wanting to part with so much money I don't have!!!!!!!

Seriously.. NICE!.. enjoy it as i know you will Sir!

[Chris]

8 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

Here's the latest incarnation of the stunning Takahashi FC100D series of apochromatic refractors - my newly acquired FC100DZ. Possibly the most highly corrected fluorite doublet apo in the world!

Congrats Mike I didn't know about a 'Z' variant! How does this one differ, is it f-ratio?

p.s. Can we expect a certain other frac picture soon also?  

[Fozzie]

21 minutes ago, Lockie said:

p.s. Can we expect a certain other frac picture soon also?  

Poor other frac, imagine the excitement of a new owner, and looking forward to some alone time under the stars, playing nicely and drumming up a happy relationship… only when you get there, and get unwrapped, to see that your other flat mate is bloody super model and you’ve no chance other than a sympathy vote every now and again… 

Wicked man Mike, wicked.

[Chris]

46 minutes ago, Fozzie said:

Poor other frac, imagine the excitement of a new owner, and looking forward to some alone time under the stars, playing nicely and drumming up a happy relationship… only when you get there, and get unwrapped, to see that your other flat mate is bloody super model and you’ve no chance other than a sympathy vote every now and again… 

Wicked man Mike, wicked.

I think the other frac as a bit of a cup size... er, I mean aperture advantage at least  

[mikeDnight]

2 hours ago, Lockie said:

Congrats Mike I didn't know about a 'Z' variant! How does this one differ, is it f-ratio?

p.s. Can we expect a certain other frac picture soon also?  

Hi Chris,

This one is F8 rather than F7.4, which from an observer's point of view makes virtually no discernable difference. The F7.4 version is simply fantastic. I just suffer from an insatiable curiosity, that so far has cost me a lot, but for very little difference in actual performance other than a cooler tone. I have only had three hours at the eyepiece so far though, so its early days. And the three hours I had last night were far from perfect, being very turbulent. Wharever the future performance of the DZ proves to be, I very much doubt the difference between any of the FC100D series will be wider than a hairs breadth! Time will tell, and when the planet's are better placed I'll be in a better position to discern the advantages of the DZ, if any, over the others.

I needed to sell my DC to fund the purchase of the DZ, so I'll include a pic of it for old times sake.  I can still do a compare though, as a friend owns a DC.

The FC100DC.  A truly superb refractor by any standard. 💔

[Chris]

You only live once Mike! I hope you get some better nights soon to test out the DZ  

[F15Rules]

1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

Hi Chris,

This one is F8 rather than F7.4, which from an observer's point of view makes virtually no discernable difference. The F7.4 version is simply fantastic. I just suffer from an insatiable curiosity, that so far has cost me a lot, but for very little difference in actual performance other than a cooler tone. I have only had three hours at the eyepiece so far though, so its early days. And the three hours I had last night were far from perfect, being very turbulent. Wharever the future performance of the DZ proves to be, I very much doubt the difference between any of the FC100D series will be wider than a hairs breadth! Time will tell, and when the planet's are better placed I'll be in a better position to discern the advantages of the DZ, if any, over the others.

I needed to sell my DC to fund the purchase of the DZ, so I'll include a pic of it for old times sake.  I can still do a compare though, as a friend owns a DC.

The FC100DC.  A truly superb refractor by any standard. 💔

Mike - maybe it's time to change your SGL handle..

How about MikeDFC&DZnight? 🙃😂

Dave

[John]

Of course next year the DZ+ will come out ........

 

[mikeDnight]

24 minutes ago, John said:

Of course next year the DZ+ will come out ........

 

I know you won't believe a word of it John, but this is going to be my last refractor.