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Help me choose my retirement setup

dweller25

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dweller25

dweller25

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Shortly I will buy a CFF 250mm F/20 Cassegrain plus a Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 mount and a scope buggy to move the whole lot around without having to break it all down (I have a bad back).

Once I have bought the CFF I want to thin my current herd down - all of which I use on a Vixen GP-DX eq head plus Berlebach tripod :

Takahashi TSA 102 refractor

Takahashi FS 128 refractor

Intes Micro 180mm Maksutov

Orion optics 200mm F/6 Newtonian - dob and eq mounting options.

I am a visual/planetary observer.

Which would you keep, which would you sell and why ?

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John

John

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As retirement scopes I'd stick to the Tak 102 and 128 and let the rest go and forget a big, heavy, slow to cool cassegrain alltogether :icon_biggrin:

Either that or sell all but the 8" OO and go on a nice world tour !

I'm finding that I want easy to use and fine image quality more and more these days, as I get older :icon_biggrin:

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happy-kat

happy-kat

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I can't get my head around the potential weight of a 250mm cas plus the tripod to take it. Unless it lived on the buggy to both move and observe it doesn't shout useable for our infrequent observing opportunities.

Edit: quick conversion and 8 inches sounds a lot less weighty.

I'd keep at least one of your quality refractors I'm going for the 102mm as hopefully very easy to move and setup and grab and go sessions.

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DaveS

DaveS

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250mm f/20 is 5 metre fl. According to the CFF site it weighs in at 13kg. TBH I'm not sure an AZ-EQ6 will be happy with that on it. It's not the weight so much as the fl.

Are you going to be running it in EQ or AZ mode? The fact that you're thinking of trollying it around the garden suggests the latter, as you'd be constantly re-aligning it.

Although not currently a planetary observer, I have done some in the past, and I'd be thinking of a much better mount (GM1000 min) on a pier.

I think out of all your 'scopes the one I'd keep is the Tak128.

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Moonshane

Moonshane

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3 hours ago, dweller25 said:

Takahashi TSA 102 refractor -  KEEP/SELL -  if you ever travel then this might be an easier option to put in the car and could be your 'widest field' scope for those occasions you want a 'wander'. But if you want to go to just two then I'd sell this.

Takahashi FS 128 refractor - KEEP - when seeing is not so great or you want a wider field then this will be a far better option than the newt and presumably optically excellent.

Intes Micro 180mm Maksutov - SELL -  I'd definitely sell this as it's really unlikely to be used assuming conditions are good enough for the 10"

Orion optics 200mm F/6 Newtonian - dob and eq mounting options. - SELL -  I'd sell this as there seems little point given comments about and your observing preferences

The above leaves you with a trio(or duo) of excellent scopes for a number of purposes.

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faulksy

faulksy

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3 hours ago, dweller25 said:

Shortly I will buy a CFF 250mm F/20 Cassegrain plus a Skywatcher AZ-EQ6 mount and a scope buggy to move the whole lot around without having to break it all down (I have a bad back).

Once I have bought the CFF I want to thin my current herd down - all of which I use on a Vixen GP-DX eq head plus Berlebach tripod :

Takahashi TSA 102 refractor

Takahashi FS 128 refractor

Intes Micro 180mm Maksutov

Orion optics 200mm F/6 Newtonian - dob and eq mounting options.

I am a visual/planetary observer.

Which would you keep, which would you sell and why ?

if it was me. i would keep 1 tak, which would make a great finder or counterbalance

and probably keep the dob for quick easy set up

then like john go on a nice holiday

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Mr Spock

Mr Spock

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My, that CFF 250 is a thing of beauty! I'd like one myself :smile:

Apart from your new scope, keep the Tak 128. It's the highest quality scope there.

All the rest can go - they are just repeating what you already have for no gain.

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dweller25

dweller25

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5 hours ago, estwing said:

well I'd sell those Taks....people will be falling over themselves to buy them. Keep the dob because of the bang for bucks.

Thanks - in theory I totally agree but this scope give me the worst back ache of all - a shame as it gives the best planetary views and it's best on deep sky.

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dweller25

dweller25

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5 hours ago, Plantins said:

If you do sell the Taks I would be interested in both, especially the fs128.

The Intes & one Tak would defo have to go if the choice was mine.

Thanks  - the Intes is actually a superb scope but gives views very similar to the FS 128

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estwing

estwing

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23 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

Thanks - in theory I totally agree but this scope give me the worst back ache of all - a shame as it gives the best planetary views and it's best on deep sky.

You really should try an observation chair 

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dweller25

dweller25

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4 hours ago, alanjgreen said:

Have a think about a trip to the "light side" ?

All those days sitting around at home, plenty of chances to pop out to view our star :)

A nice Lunt or a quark may be a worthy addiition to your list?

Actually I did have a Lunt but let it go !!!

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dweller25

dweller25

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5 hours ago, John said:

As retirement scopes I'd stick to the Tak 102 and 128 and let the rest go and forget a big, heavy, slow to cool cassegrain alltogether :icon_biggrin:

Either that or sell all but the 8" OO and go on a nice world tour !

I'm finding that I want easy to use and fine image quality more and more these days, as I get older :icon_biggrin:

Thanks John - I have noticed the trend in easier to use setups......

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