What did the postman bring?

[Highburymark]

7 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

A very nice, used Tak MEF 3 microfocuser for my FS128 arrived today..

..it should help getting the best possible high power fine focus on Mars later this year and allow me to dispense with the (excellent) Baader Helical fine focuser I currently use, and thus give me more in focus for use with my binoviewers (I can already use some eyepieces natively with no Barlow, but this will give me a fair bit more to play with).

Just got to find English fitting instructions now! (I'm sure I've seen them on the net in the past..).

Am well chuffed😊👍

Dave

Very nice Dave. It can’t be that technically difficult as I’ve managed to fit mine to two scopes in the past - it may seem a little ‘spongy’ at first but actually works very well

[JeremyS]

24 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

A very nice, used Tak MEF 3 microfocuser for my FS128 arrived today..

..it should help getting the best possible high power fine focus on Mars later this year and allow me to dispense with the (excellent) Baader Helical fine focuser I currently use, and thus give me more in focus for use with my binoviewers (I can already use some eyepieces natively with no Barlow, but this will give me a fair bit more to play with).

Just got to find English fitting instructions now! (I'm sure I've seen them on the net in the past..).

Am well chuffed😊👍

Dave

Speaking as Mr Cack-Handed, it's straightforward to fit, Dave. I've done two. Can't remember if I found English instructions (there are some instructions for adjusting it afterwards, but you shouldn't need this). Just make sure you have plenty of light and do the preparation on a solid surface where the tiny screws won't get lost.

My only complaint is that Tak ships these in a boring 1960's style plain manila box, rather than the elegant 1980's style glossy Tak blue and white boxes that many other parts come in 🙂

 

[Dantooine]

On 07/07/2020 at 15:06, Dannomiss said:

The 5 would be I think;

- 5mm, 8mm, 12mm, 18mm, 25mm (May miss out the 15mm and was advised not much point getting the 3.2mm)

Have you got the 5mm yet? Just thinking ... mars up around MDT now. Prepaid to be underwhelmed 😎

[F15Rules]

4 hours ago, Highburymark said:

Very nice Dave. It can’t be that technically difficult as I’ve managed to fit mine to two scopes in the past - it may seem a little ‘spongy’ at first but actually works very well

Thanks Mark, 👍😊..

I've done a fair bit of reading and although there are many different opinions on this addition, the key thing seems to be getting the correct adjustment. I found this with the original main focuser..it was originally quite stiff (due to lack of use by the original owner), but I read some various thread's, made just small, incremental adjustments, and bingo, I had a very nicely tensioned, smooth action.

I wanted the fine focus upgrade though as for years  I was used to long focus achromats, which at c F15 naturally have great depth of focus - it was easy to get "snap" focus even with the single speed focuser. But at less than F9 the depth of focus gets tighter and tighter, and because the Tak can take up to x100 per inch on the best nights, I didn't want my steadiness of hand (or lack of it!) to limit the scopes performance. Hopefully, the micro capability will prevent that.

3 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Speaking as Mr Cack-Handed, it's straightforward to fit, Dave. I've done two. Can't remember if I found English instructions (there are some instructions for adjusting it afterwards, but you shouldn't need this). Just make sure you have plenty of light and do the preparation on a solid surface where the tiny screws won't get lost.

My only complaint is that Tak ships these in a boring 1960's style plain manila box, rather than the elegant 1980's style glossy Tak blue and white boxes that many other parts come in 

Thanks Jeremy. I've seen that adjustment piece, very useful.

As regards the Tacky Tak box, I'm more bothered by the fact it didn't come with a handle..😁😅

Dave

[JeremyS]

I agree Dave @F15Rules: the microfocusser is especially useful at high mags, e.g. when teasing out detail with the Vixen HR eyepieces.

[John]

3 hours ago, Dantooine said:

... mars up around MDT now. Prepaid to be underwhelmed 😎

It looked good a few nights back. Plenty of dark features and a nicely defined south polar cap. That was with my ED120 refractor. If the dust storms hold off (on Mars) I think it's going to be an excellent opposition

[steveex2003]

I aspire to a position of disgruntled Tak cardboard box ownership 😉

[John]

4 hours ago, F15Rules said:

A very nice, used Tak MEF 3 microfocuser for my FS128 arrived today..

..it should help getting the best possible high power fine focus on Mars later this year and allow me to dispense with the (excellent) Baader Helical fine focuser I currently use, and thus give me more in focus for use with my binoviewers (I can already use some eyepieces natively with no Barlow, but this will give me a fair bit more to play with).

Just got to find English fitting instructions now! (I'm sure I've seen them on the net in the past..).

Am well chuffed😊👍

Dave

Ahh - it was you Dave !

I wondered who snagged that one

I'll be very interested to hear how you get on with it

[John]

Just now, steveex2003 said:

I aspire to a position of disgruntled Tak cardboard box ownership 😉

The ones that the scopes come in are rather good - all 3 of them

 

[steveex2003]

Well us peasants can only drool at the quality of that packaging 😆

[JeremyS]

17 minutes ago, steveex2003 said:

I aspire to a position of disgruntled Tak cardboard box ownership 😉

I can feel a “Show us your Tak cardboard box” thread coming on.....

🙂

 

[F15Rules]

4 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I can feel a “Show us your Tak cardboard box” thread coming on.....

🙂

 

You beat me to it by 30 seconds Jeremy!!🤣😅

[steveex2003]

6 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I can feel a “Show us your Tak cardboard box” thread coming on.....

🙂

 

For whatever its worth it is always a pleasure to read of yours, John's, Dave's and many others here (mostly 😉) unbiased experiences of some very nice bits of kit.

Edited July 20, 2020 by steveex2003

[JeremyS]

1 minute ago, F15Rules said:

You beat me to it by 30 seconds Jeremy!!🤣😅

You start it, Dave, and I’ll pile in 🤣👍

[Barry-W-Fenner]

7 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I can feel a “Show us your Tak cardboard box” thread coming on.....

🙂

 

I dream of owning such a box.

unfortunately the only Tak I own is "cheap Tak"

😁

 

[JeremyS]

On 17/07/2020 at 17:38, harpy said:

Got a little case for my eyepieces off amazon.. 

Going camping next week and hoping for at least one clear sky, so wanted something to keep them altogether and safe.

Im very pleased with it..

might try secure a pocket at the front to keep my pocket sky atlas in but I’ll see if that works out, something to work on while it’s cloudy out..

 

Do you have a link for that please?

[steveex2003]

5 minutes ago, steveex2003 said:

For whatever its worth it is always a pleasure to read of yours, John's, Dave's and many others here (mostly 😉) unbiased experiences of some very nice bits of kit.

 

...... and packaging 😆

[F15Rules]

21 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

You start it, Dave, and I’ll pile in 🤣👍

By your command, kind sir!!

https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/358998-show-us-your-telescope-shipping-box/

Dave

Edited July 20, 2020 by F15Rules

[Guest]

Optolong L-Pro light pollution filter for use with DSLR.

[laudropb]

An early morning delivery. I wonder what the well wrapped box contains 

[laudropb]

One Solar Quest Mount . Thanks to Ant for the quick sale. Note how the sun was shining before unboxing and how it was gone as soon as the mount was out the box.

[laudropb]

Second delivery of the day. A L bracket for use with new mount.

[steveex2003]

1 hour ago, laudropb said:

Second delivery of the day. A L bracket for use with new mount.

 

Can i ask, is this for mounting a solar scope? (as opposed to a camera) 
Do you think this is a better way of balancing the load to the head? I have the same head, and in weighing my Lunt (with EP etc) it is now just shy of the stated 4Kg mount capacity. The net effect has been even when balancing the Lunt with an extended dovetail, i am having to use a 1.75" Skywatcher tripod for what I find to be acceptable performance. Using a much ligher CF Manfrotto 55 tripod being far more vibration prone.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

[laudropb]

I mounted my Lunt 50 on it today. It was more to keep the orientation of the scope with the pressure tuner at right angles and the focuser wheels in the normal position. I did not try it with the double stack as I think this might prove too much for it.

[R26 oldtimer]

Today I got this all time classic, to see what's all this fuss about mono.