TSA120 first light

[jetstream]

The TSA120/AZEQ6 arrived a while back and I was lucky enough to try it out tonight. This is just a brief report with more to come as I gain experience with this telescope. I'll get to the point here... even with Jupiter low and the seeing avg the TSA120 gave me the best view of Jupiter through a refractor so far... I can only imagine them when the planet is higher. The colors were very deep and with much detail showing in the belts and really fine shade lines through the caps were coming through.

The eyepieces used were the Zeiss 25.1-6.7/VIP barlow, 3-6 Nagler zoom and a 4mm UO ortho. The finder EP is the 42mm LVW and a Baader prism diag held the EP's.

Well, Izar can be a good test of things and the scope came through with flying colors- I love that little bright blue ball sitting on the bigger star. The optics of this refractor are good enough to show up eyepiece differences, even at this small aperture. Yup, the 3-6 Nagler got beat on Izar, with the Zeiss producing a much cleaner "tighter" look. The 3-6 zoom does do well in the color dept on Jupiter however and will stay in the collection. The Zeiss zoom also bested the 3-6NZ on Jupiter overall.

If asked to describe the look through the TSA120 I would call it "surgical" or precise, razor like. My own preference is for triplet refractors but the doublets may produce richer colors on some things-  I do play around with different tone EP's and that prism diag to get the colors where I want- and they are excellent in this scope. The UO 4mm, while giving sharp views, did not give me the color tone I wanted for this set up so its out...

I like the TSA120 already, after one brief night out

ps- this scope will be killer on Saturn

[Stu]

Great stuff Gerry! No real surprises I guess, but good to hear it is loving up to expectations so far  

How was the AZEQ6?

[Chris]

Congratulation on you're new scope, I'm glad it's living up to/exceeding? expectations.

[Ben the Ignorant]

Nice!

I'm also split between doublets and triplets, own one of each type in 80mm, don't know what to prefer in bigger glass if I ever get one.

[dweller25]

Congratulations Gerry on your new setup and first light. Those Taks are wonderful scopes that will last a lifetime ??

[Pig]

Nice one Gerry.... they are lovely scopes and very well put together ? I also had a good night at the dark site and had some lovely views of Jupiter. Great to read your first impressions of the scope are good ? surgical is a good description ?

[jetstream]

8 hours ago, Stu said:

How was the AZEQ6?

Thanks Stu, the AZEQ6 is a vg but hvy mount. I figured out how to align it and will work on getting the accuracy up a bit. I guess it should be really level lol! Even with the clamshell the settling time was just over a second and the tripod was not firmly in the grass. I'm getting a TPI leg spreader battery tray which is highly recommended. The CDN GPS module I bought works a dream btw...

[jetstream]

6 hours ago, Lockie said:

I'm glad it's living up to/exceeding? expectations.

When I started writing this first light report I said to myself that I won't make it seem that this Tak is so much better than other telescopes. I purposely understated how well this scope works Chris- it is extremely good. Even under avg conditions, with Jupiter low the 120mm + the HR2.4 at 375x showed the GRS well, riffles in the bands and polar shading. Many other things were tried and once again this telescope is top notch.

I don't want to make it seem like other scopes are not good though, Gerry

[jetstream]

6 hours ago, Ben the Ignorant said:

I'm also split between doublets and triplets,

Thanks Ben!

I'm not split on this though...

[Stu]

14 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Thanks Stu, the AZEQ6 is a vg but hvy mount. I figured out how to align it and will work on getting the accuracy up a bit. I guess it should be really level lol! Even with the clamshell the settling time was just over a second and the tripod was not firmly in the grass. I'm getting a TPI leg spreader battery tray which is highly recommended. The CDN GPS module I bought works a dream btw...

They are excellent but as you say, heavy. Will you be able to leave it permanently installed somewhere?

I assume you were using it in AZ mode?

[jetstream]

4 minutes ago, Stu said:

They are excellent but as you say, heavy. Will you be able to leave it permanently installed somewhere?

I assume you were using it in AZ mode?

Once the construction is done up on the ridge I may have a permanent spot for it but I have a problem...big red pines and white pines. I need to move around to get open spots for different objects, but we'll see. I love the trees so they are staying. This is a great mount Stu, thanks for the advice btw!

Forgot to mention- AZ mode.

[Chris]

2 hours ago, jetstream said:

When I started writing this first light report I said to myself that I won't make it seem that this Tak is so much better than other telescopes. I purposely understated how well this scope works Chris- it is extremely good. Even under avg conditions, with Jupiter low the 120mm + the HR2.4 at 375x showed the GRS well, riffles in the bands and polar shading. Many other things were tried and once again this telescope is top notch.

I don't want to make it seem like other scopes are not good though, Gerry

Nice! It seems you do get what you pay for  Despite having some great views of Jupiter over the years, I'm not sure I've managed to see that much detail on Jupiter at anything close to 375x, expecially with the low altitude and average seeing...very impressive!  

[Pig]

On 11/06/2018 at 14:50, jetstream said:

When I started writing this first light report I said to myself that I won't make it seem that this Tak is so much better than other telescopes. I purposely understated how well this scope works Chris- it is extremely good. Even under avg conditions, with Jupiter low the 120mm + the HR2.4 at 375x showed the GRS well, riffles in the bands and polar shading. Many other things were tried and once again this telescope is top notch.

I don't want to make it seem like other scopes are not good though, Gerry

Gerry you have report on what your findings are..... if people think it is boasting then quite frankly that’s their problem. I for one prefer honesty every time, and I do not write reports based on what folk want to hear ? The Taks are quite simply very good scopes and you my friend just happen to have a very nice example.

[jetstream]

Thanks Shaun, this scope has the fastest, best "snap" focus" of all my scopes, just ahead of my 15" dob. My first view through it was across the bay at about 800 yds, at the trees. The 3-6 Nagler popped the trees into razor sharp view at 150x... unheard of in the other fracs- from this I knew it was going to be good.

[Pig]

10 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Thanks Shaun, this scope has the fastest, best "snap" focus" of all my scopes, just ahead of my 15" dob. My first view through it was across the bay at about 800 yds, at the trees. The 3-6 Nagler popped the trees into razor sharp view at 150x... unheard of in the other fracs- from this I knew it was going to be good.

Yes Gerry they really do just snap into focus...... I guess I am just going to have to get the 120 then ?

[John]

Good to hear that your TSA120 is impressive Gerry

I was very seriously considering one the year before last but a TMB/LZOS 130 F/9.2 triplet came along instead.

Interesting that such scopes are labelled "Super Apochromats" isn't it ?

I'm sure that term has sparked many a lively thread on a forum

 

[Piero]

 Great report Gerry, and glad to hear that it's all working very well! 

 

[jetstream]

7 hours ago, John said:

Good to hear that your TSA120 is impressive Gerry

I was very seriously considering one the year before last but a TMB/LZOS 130 F/9.2 triplet came along instead.

Interesting that such scopes are labelled "Super Apochromats" isn't it ?

I'm sure that term has sparked many a lively thread on a forum

 

I can see why they call the "Super Apochromats" John!

As you know I considered the same scope you have along with a TEC 140. Rumors abound that the recent LZOS is not the old LZOS so I scratched that scope off the dance card but I don't know that any of the rumor is true. I am glad I didn't pick an oil spaced lens after viewing some images of leaks on another forum, simply because of my temps here. The TSA's air spaced triplet will serve me well.

[alan potts]

Congratulations on your new telescope and mount Gerry, look forward to reading more from it. The TEC 140 is meant to be a stunner but very expensive.

[John]

4 hours ago, jetstream said:

I can see why they call the "Super Apochromats" John!

As you know I considered the same scope you have along with a TEC 140. Rumors abound that the recent LZOS is not the old LZOS so I scratched that scope off the dance card but I don't know that any of the rumor is true. I am glad I didn't pick an oil spaced lens after viewing some images of leaks on another forum, simply because of my temps here. The TSA's air spaced triplet will serve me well.

Mine is a 2006 scope (#20) - an early one when Thomas Back was still with us (just). I've been in correspondance with Markus Ludes about my scope and others and, unless he is leading me astray, I believe that LZOS objectives are still what they were. They are not producing them any more though because the factory has had to concentrate on military optics. The 130mm F/9's will stop at 114 units made since 2005.

I'm pleased that you really like your TSA120. 

 

 

[Eastman]

On ‎11‎/‎06‎/‎2018 at 06:37, jetstream said:

The TSA120/AZEQ6 arrived a while back and I was lucky enough to try it out tonight.

Great set up Gerry, congrets.

Enjoy and clear skies, great to give it a succesfull first light.

[jetstream]

On 12/06/2018 at 01:59, John said:

Mine is a 2006 scope (#20) - an early one when Thomas Back was still with us (just). I've been in correspondance with Markus Ludes about my scope and others and, unless he is leading me astray, I believe that LZOS objectives are still what they were. They are not producing them any more though because the factory has had to concentrate on military optics. The 130mm F/9's will stop at 114 units made since 2005.

I'm pleased that you really like your TSA120. 

 

 

Your scope is the "best of the best" IMHO and must be a super performer. The LZOS lens is legendary and it is too bad that the factory has switched its market direction. Big loss for us actually.

[GavStar]

On 12/06/2018 at 07:59, John said:

Mine is a 2006 scope (#20) - an early one when Thomas Back was still with us (just). I've been in correspondance with Markus Ludes about my scope and others and, unless he is leading me astray, I believe that LZOS objectives are still what they were. They are not producing them any more though because the factory has had to concentrate on military optics. The 130mm F/9's will stop at 114 units made since 2005.

I'm pleased that you really like your TSA120. 

 

 

According to this post from Markus of APM, LZOS has agreed to continue making optics from 100mm to 510mm in size.

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/606354-apm-lzos-apos-for-sale-123-mm-180-mm/#entry8634315