Takahashi TSA 120 arrived

[Mr Spock]

Nice looking scope. Not sure about the green lettering - prefer the blue.

I've always found the vixen dovetail to be a weak spot in stability. Good quality CNC'd Losmandy is the rock solid cure.

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, Mr Spock said:

Nice looking scope. Not sure about the green lettering - prefer the blue.

I've always found the vixen dovetail to be a weak spot in stability. Good quality CNC'd Losmandy is the rock solid cure.

Green lettering (and name plate) means “triplet” in Takahashi-speak. I’ll take green 😊👍🏻

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

Lovely scope @Highburymark, and love the focuser upgrade!

FC100DCs are so 2020, TSA120s are the new kidz on the block 😉

Enjoy!

What do you reckon the 2022 trendsetter will be, Stu?
I reckon it’s the FOA 😊

[Stu]

2 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

What do you reckon the 2022 trendsetter will be, Stu?
I reckon it’s the FOA 😊

TOA130 at this rate!

[Highburymark]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

Lovely scope @Highburymark, and love the focuser upgrade!

FC100DCs are so 2020, TSA120s are the new kidz on the block 😉

Enjoy!

Thanks Stu - I thought with my back this is my last chance at a slightly bigger scope. Certain I’ll move back to 100mm at some stage, but going to enjoy this for a few years. The 3” focuser is quite a lump after the svelte 2”, but helps to balance the nose heavy triplet.

[jetstream]

4 hours ago, Highburymark said:

Might be the way to go…..

 

4 hours ago, JeremyS said:

I swapped to a Losmandy size bar too, Mark.

I don’t think it’s strictly necessary, but I feel it can handle it better.

I just like them and the extra stability, like Jeremy says not a must but in my books its worth every penny.

[Highburymark]

First time outside last night. Seemed robust enough on Skytee 2 but attached photo shows that vixen bar only held by two small hex bolts, so think I will change the mounting arrangement.

Saturn showed Cassini division (fleetingly) and cloud bands at 225x (Delite 4mm) despite being low down in the London murk. Stars are tiny pinpricks - absolutely zero false colour in or out of focus on Vega, or my artificial star for that matter. Under dark skies must be breathtaking. Looking forward to some double star viewing with this scope.

[JeremyS]

2 hours ago, Highburymark said:

First time outside last night. Seemed robust enough on Skytee 2 but attached photo shows that vixen bar only held by two small hex bolts, so think I will change the mounting arrangement.

Saturn showed Cassini division (fleetingly) and cloud bands at 225x (Delite 4mm) despite being low down in the London murk. Stars are tiny pinpricks - absolutely zero false colour in or out of focus on Vega, or my artificial star for that matter. Under dark skies must be breathtaking. Looking forward to some double star viewing with this scope.

That’s great to hear, Mark. I can see many happy hours ahead.
Double stars are what these beauties were born for 👍🏻

[HollyHound]

On 14/07/2021 at 08:15, JeremyS said:

Not from me: I’m a Takahashi black hole 🤣

It would be really hard to consider selling mine too 🤣

[HollyHound]

On 15/07/2021 at 19:46, JeremyS said:

Those more blue rings look smart

Have a set on my FC-100DC, they’re really nice… I’ve got one dovetail bar on each side… acts as a handle and also means I can mount on either side of my mounts 👍

Love the TSA120… congratulations 😀

Edited July 16, 2021 by HollyHound

[HollyHound]

On 15/07/2021 at 21:48, JeremyS said:

I reckon it’s the FOA

I reckon you could be right there 🤣

[Highburymark]

Breathtaking views of Jupiter last night. Slightly shocked how much detail on show with good seeing and Neodymium filter - planet still sharp at 225x.

[jetstream]

32 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Breathtaking views of Jupiter last night. Slightly shocked how much detail on show with good seeing and Neodymium filter - planet still sharp at 225x.

I have yet to reach the magnification limit of this scope, on lunar. I quit trying after using the VIP/extensions with the Vixen 2.4mm HR.Under good conditions I like lower mag anyway, with 375x-400x on planetary being a sweet spot for me, binoviewing excepted.Anything over 300x really makes the available detail easier to see IMHO.

Congrats for the breathtaking views Mark!

ps I'm not sorry I got this scope over the TOA130, which was also in the running. After researching these Tak triplets the TSA120 ticked all the boxes.

[Highburymark]

Here’s the bigger dovetail, fixed with four hex screws, so feels safer. Time to pop out and see Ganymede’s shadow transit.

[Highburymark]

Oh my…… tonight I had my best ever views of Jupiter in over twenty years of stargazing. Spent an hour at 272x using Tak TOE 3.3 - aside from Ganymede shadow, counted 12 distinct horizontal zones across the disc. Details like two grey storms prominent above the North Equatorial belt. 

9 hours ago, jetstream said:

I have yet to reach the magnification limit of this scope, on lunar. I quit trying after using the VIP/extensions with the Vixen 2.4mm HR.Under good conditions I like lower mag anyway, with 375x-400x on planetary being a sweet spot for me, binoviewing excepted.Anything over 300x really makes the available detail easier to see IMHO.

See what you mean Gerry. Still got binoviewing and the Moon to come. I left the 3mm Delite indoors tonight thinking 300x would have been too much - but next time I’ll give it a go. 

[JeremyS]

5 hours ago, Highburymark said:

Oh my…… tonight I had my best ever views of Jupiter in over twenty years of stargazing. Spent an hour at 272x using Tak TOE 3.3 - aside from Ganymede shadow, counted 12 distinct horizontal zones across the disc. Details like two grey storms prominent above the North Equatorial belt. 

See what you mean Gerry. Still got binoviewing and the Moon to come. I left the 3mm Delite indoors tonight thinking 300x would have been too much - but next time I’ll give it a go. 

Are you happy with the scope’s performance or do you think you might move it on, Mark?

🤣🤣🤣

[Highburymark]

4 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Are you happy with the scope’s performance or do you think you might move it on, Mark?

🤣🤣🤣

I collimated my C8 within a nanometer of its life, but never got close to what I saw on Jupiter last night. Makes me think my C8 may have lacked precision as clearly they are capable of good planetary views.
Should also add that Saturn has been much less impressive these last two nights. Put that down to the fact that it’s lower in the sky. 

[John]

20 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

I collimated my C8 within a nanometer of its life, but never got close to what I saw on Jupiter last night. Makes me think my C8 may have lacked precision as clearly they are capable of good planetary views.
Should also add that Saturn has been much less impressive these last two nights. Put that down to the fact that it’s lower in the sky. 

I've noticed that refractors do seem to "cut through" to the low lying planets better than other scope designs. When Jupiter and Saturn were high in the sky a few years back my 12 inch dob gave fabulous views of both but where they are currently, the fracs are delivering much more consistently.

I'm pleased that you like your TSA120 Mark.

One day I'd like to see how a TSA120 compares to my ED120  

[Whistlin Bob]

32 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

I collimated my C8 within a nanometer of its life, but never got close to what I saw on Jupiter last night.

In a positive way, I'm not sure last night was great for judging scopes. I've had my 14" dob for three years now, and the views I had of Jupiter last night were just phenomenal- they were easily the best I've seen in that time. Still got a grin on my face.

[Highburymark]

Both interesting comments - I don’t want to fall prey to ‘new scope syndrome’, by overpraising it. Certainly the seeing was unusually excellent as Albireo and the double double remained sharp and steady at over 200x. I even picked up the Dumbbell without help from night vision - a first from my London location. 

[Highburymark]

Another factor worth mentioning - I could detect no difference in on-axis views of Jupiter between a Delite and Fujiyama ortho at 130x, but then going up to 272x seemed to lose no sharpness at all. Again, all points to exceptional seeing conditions.

[jetstream]

13 hours ago, Highburymark said:

Oh my…… tonight I had my best ever views of Jupiter in over twenty years of stargazing. Spent an hour at 272x using Tak TOE 3.3 - aside from Ganymede shadow, counted 12 distinct horizontal zones across the disc. Details like two grey storms prominent above the North Equatorial belt. 

👍👍👍

Congrats Mark!!

Planetary was one of the reasons for buying the TSA120 and it looks like youve seen the performance of these scopes as well... By all means pick up higher mag eyepieces- among others I use the 2.4mm HR Vixen and also the mainstay Zeiss 25.1-6.7 zoom/VIP.This icy eyepiece dissects Saturn so well its not funny. 

You might be shocked at how much mag, how often, the TSA120 takes.

Sure glad you got one and are getting these views!

[JeremyS]

+1 for Vixen HR 2.4 in the TSA 120

[Highburymark]

At first this might look like overkill….. I’ve replaced the vixen dovetail with a Losmandy one, and at the same time I’ve added an extra ring. All More Blue from FLO. I wasn’t happy with the dampening, and there was a small but noticeable sag when I placed the scope in the ADM vixen clamp. The new set up feels far stronger. The ADM dual clamp is much heavier and more robust, and adding a third ring and Losmandy dovetail has improved the dampening significantly - it all feels rock solid. So thanks chaps for the advice. 
Treated the new scope to a couple of eyepieces too. No Vixen HR 2.4s to be found anywhere, but I think the Tak TOEs are on a par, so I’ve plumped for the 2.5mm TOE to join my superb 3.3mm for tough doubles. (Btw, for anyone searching for new HRs, they’re not completely sold out - the 1.6mm is still on sale at APM in Germany, and RVO’s website suggests they still have the 2mm in stock). Then I also needed a 5mm as a basic planetary EP for the TSA. Instead of just adding another Delite, I thought the beefier mount gave me the opportunity to try something else, so I’ve ordered a 5mm XW. Never had one before, so looking forward to trying it out. 

[Highburymark]

4 hours ago, Highburymark said:

“ I wasn’t happy with the dampening….”

…… but then again, spraying your scope with water has never been a particularly advisable solution to poor mounting….. so, for any young stargazers out there, please stay away from those garden hoses.

Normal service has been resumed.