Takahashi or Other?

[Martin13]

Hi I have 6" Helios refractor which I very rarely use because it's too heavy and cumbersome. So I have decided that I want a scope and goto mount which would be a setup that I can put in my car when going on  holiday, or possibly take on a plane. Perhaps taking a second small mount on a plane rather than a motorised one.

I have been looking at Takahashi because I don't want to buy another telescope after a few years, so it would be my once and for all scope.

At present I don't do astro photography, maybe in the future I might use a dlsr camera.

The reason for a goto mount is because I don't starhop and I would like to have the object tracked in the eyepice.

I have seen that a people are buying extra equipment to add to their Takahashi, I have one good eyepiece but what else would I need to buy?

I live in SE Kent so sometimes we get decent seeing, but like most of the UK we have light pollution and lots of clouds.

Does anyone have some advice or recommendations? 

[newbie alert]

Where in Kent are you?

Yes lots of cloud lately

[dweller25]

Hi @Martin13 and welcome to SGL.

We can spend your money easier if we know what kind of viewing you want to do 😆

You don’t need GOTO to track objects - simple motor drives will do that and they are much cheaper.

Taks are very nice scopes and perhaps an FC-76 might be worth considering as it quite portable.

For the planets you would be better off with more aperture so the FC-100 will show more detail - but is a little less portable on a plane.

There are other non Tak options too - Vixen is one manufacturer that gets good reviews.

 

 

 

Edited February 18, 2020 by dweller25

[Martin13]

1 hour ago, dweller25 said:

Hi @Martin13 and welcome to SGL.

We can spend your money easier if we know what kind of viewing you want to do 😆

You don’t need GOTO to track objects - simple motor drives will do that and they are much cheaper.

Taks are very nice scopes and perhaps an FC-76 might be worth considering as it quite portable.

For the planets you would be better off with more aperture so the FC-100 will show more detail - but is a little less portable on a plane.

There are other non Tak options too - Vixen is one manufacturer that get good reviews.

 

 

 

Thanks dweller25,  I will check out vixen and the Tak. Not sure how much I want to spend. It could be a little as £600 for a scope or upto £5000 for everything. I was looking at a Tak that had £300 off on FLO I think, but for the price I want a hard case and  everything I need for visual observing.

Another thread on here last year I think it's from Whitedwarf was looking at various portable refractors and he went an Altair Astro for £549 it was recommended by by a Tak owner. 

Thanks for replying. 

Edited February 18, 2020 by Martin13
wrong name

[Martin13]

14 hours ago, newbie alert said:

Where in Kent are you?

Yes lots of cloud lately

Hi newbie alert I am in Hawkinge.  I sm a member of SE Kent astro soc. Whereabouts are you?

Too much cloud!

Edited February 18, 2020 by Martin13
misplet name

[Captain Scarlet]

this caught my eye a couple of weeks ago ...

[John]

3 hours ago, Captain Magenta said:

this caught my eye a couple of weeks ago ...

Superb - I can vouch for the quality of the LZOS optics - absolutely top notch 

[BGazing]

What's the budget?

Borgs are ultraportable and break down, if you can track a 90FL second hand you will have a winner. They are f 5.6 so not as stellar on high magnification like Taks.

You cannot go wrong with a Tak, if you can afford it, that is. 100DF is awesome, and transportable in a car on vacation (did it several times) but not really for airplane. Tak has a 76mm scope which you can break down in pieces for airline transport.

I am NEVER too tired to take a peek through my 100mm and I am never tired to lug my Borg 71 through airport hassle. YMMV.

[newbie alert]

4 hours ago, Martin13 said:

Hi newbie alert I am in Hawkinge.  I sm a member of SE Kent astro soc. Whereabouts are you?

Too much cloud!

Yes, I'm a member also but not been able to attend for the last couple of meets..

I know of a couple of Martin's but still getting familiar with members names..cracking club , well run with great bunch of members..

As for a mount to take on a plane,  I've got a star adventurer which was an old member Chris , you're more than welcome to borrow it when you plan to go away,  I'm sure he'd like that ..

[mikeDnight]

7 hours ago, Martin13 said:

Thanks dweller25,  I will check out vixen and the Tak. Not sure how much I want to spend. It could be a little as £600 for a scope or upto £5000 for everything. I was looking at a Tak that had £300 off on FLO I think, but for the price I want a hard case and  everything I need for visual observing.

Another thread on here last year I think it's from Whitedwarf was looking at various portable refractors and he went an Altair Astro for £549 it was recommended by by a Tak owner. 

Thanks for replying. 

You have quite a price range to play with. With that in mind id suggest you buy a Takahashi FC100DZ. State of the art optics in a short, light tube with retractable dew shield. If I were to buy a portable refractor today, and I could afford it, the DZ would be my number one choice.

Pentax XW's would probably be my eyepiece choice, or Baader Morpheus. I'd stay with all 1.25" eyepieces and would use a 1.25" Tak prism.

[joe aguiar]

Ops ok deleted this post then, I'm sure he saw and could PM me if he likes

I offered it but it's not for sale on any site anywhere

Joejaguar 

Edited February 19, 2020 by joe aguiar

[John]

Can we keep buying and selling to the classifieds section please ?

Thanks

Also bear in mind that buying from the USA or Canada (or elsewhere outside the EU) will attract import duty and handling costs which adds around 20%-25% to the price for the buyer.

[Martin13]

On 18/02/2020 at 19:00, newbie alert said:

Yes, I'm a member also but not been able to attend for the last couple of meets..

I know of a couple of Martin's but still getting familiar with members names..cracking club , well run with great bunch of members..

As for a mount to take on a plane,  I've got a star adventurer which was an old member Chris , you're more than welcome to borrow it when you plan to go away,  I'm sure he'd like that ..

Thanks newbie I am the treasurer, going to the observatory on Friday if it's a reasonably clement evening. Would love to see the mount and maybe borrow it.

We are a cracking society!

[Martin13]

23 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

You have quite a price range to play with. With that in mind id suggest you buy a Takahashi FC100DZ. State of the art optics in a short, light tube with retractable dew shield. If I were to buy a portable refractor today, and I could afford it, the DZ would be my number one choice.

Pentax XW's would probably be my eyepiece choice, or Baader Morpheus. I'd stay with all 1.25" eyepieces and would use a 1.25" Tak prism.

Thank you Mike really good info there. I will see if I can find the Takahashi you mention. I have a Delios 10mm eyepiece on loan at the moment with a view to buy it.

[Martin13]

23 hours ago, joe aguiar said:

Ops ok deleted this post then, I'm sure he saw and could PM me if he likes

I offered it but it's not for sale on any site anywhere

Joejaguar 

Hi Joejaguar, Toronto is a little too far away for me. I think import duties would also be rather pricey! Will definitely look at some TAKs , getting lots of good advice here. Thank you.

[joe aguiar]

It's really not that bad I have gotten dozen if things from us and sometimes there are none and when there is it's not like its thousands but couple / few hundred more.

But ya if u can get it there that should be 1st way.

In cdn used taks only come around like 2 or 3 max a yr, sometimes none so your lucky to even find a used one here

joejaguar 

[John]

21 minutes ago, Martin13 said:

Thank you Mike really good info there. I will see if I can find the Takahashi you mention. I have a Delios 10mm eyepiece on loan at the moment with a view to buy it.

Here you go:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/takahashi-fc-100-series-refractor-telescopes/tak_tfk10310.html

Very few in private hands as yet so the used market will be somewhat bleak I would think.

[Martin13]

2 hours ago, John said:

Here you go:

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/takahashi-fc-100-series-refractor-telescopes/tak_tfk10310.html

Very few in private hands as yet so the used market will be somewhat bleak I would think.

Hi John, was looking on FLO at this after Mike mentioned it. Seriously tempted by it. Do you think it's worth buying the package or just the OTA?

Looked at Borg, APM, Vixen and Stellamira as well.

I think it will be the Tak.

[John]

Personally I would buy the package - that is what I did when I bought my Tak FC-100DL. You get the tube clamp, finder and finder base then all of which match the scope.

I know that £300 seems expensive but that is the world of Takahashi accessories

Unless you already have them, you will also need a diagonal of suitable quality plus a dovetail bar to suit whatever mount you are going to use.

 

 

[BGazing]

Once you figure out which Tak you want let us spend your money on accessories.

[Martin13]

14 hours ago, John said:

Personally I would buy the package - that is what I did when I bought my Tak FC-100DL. You get the tube clamp, finder and finder base then all of which match the scope.

I know that £300 seems expensive but that is the world of Takahashi accessories

Unless you already have them, you will also need a diagonal of suitable quality plus a dovetail bar to suit whatever mount you are going to use.

 

 

Thanks John I will bear that in mind.