New TAKAHASHI DZ arrived

[dweller25]

Congratulations Mike on the new addition to the family 🙂

I am still on the mend but look forward to getting our Scopes together on the planets.

Out of interest how much does the DZ weigh with clamshell, finder, 71L extension tube and diagonal ?

Clear tonight too 👍

[JeremyS]

5 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

(The box pic's are compulsory viewing with any new Takahashi thread!)

I didn't see it mentioned in you report, Mike, so I have to ask. When you finally extracted the telescope from it's layers of boxes and you opened up the plastic bag that contains the OTA, did you get to experience that wonderful freshly minted Takahashi smell?

 

[Alan White]

10 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I didn't see it mentioned in you report, Mike, so I have to ask. When you finally extracted the telescope from it's layers of boxes and you opened up the plastic bag that contains the OTA, did you get to experience that wonderful freshly minted Takahashi smell?

 

A smell that I so hope to experience one day like @AdeKing, but its a while off yet.

[Highburymark]

Congratulations Mike. Looks wonderful.

[mikeDnight]

33 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I didn't see it mentioned in you report, Mike, so I have to ask. When you finally extracted the telescope from it's layers of boxes and you opened up the plastic bag that contains the OTA, did you get to experience that wonderful freshly minted Takahashi smell?

 

Sorry Jeremy, I didn't photograph the scope in a bag, or me inhaling deeply the poisonous paint fumes that give every Tak owner that momentary high, but it did happen. 😆 The wonderful thing is that the smell lingers for years. Hmmm!  Now where's my therapist's phone number?

[paulastro]

1 minute ago, mikeDnight said:

Sorry Jeremy, I didn't photograph the scope in a bag, or me inhaling deeply the poisonous paint fumes that give every Tak owner that momentary high, but it did happen. 😆 The wonderful thing is that the smell lingers for years. Hmmm!  Now where's my therapist's phone number?

You've already got it!

[mikeDnight]

50 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

Congratulations Mike on the new addition to the family 🙂

I am still on the mend but look forward to getting our Scopes together on the planets.

Out of interest how much does the DZ weigh with clamshell, finder, 71L extension tube and diagonal ?

Clear tonight too 👍

Ill have to get back to you on that one Dave. It might look suspicious if she sees me weighing my scope. She thinks im weird enough to begin with!

[mikeDnight]

14 minutes ago, paulastro said:

You've already got it!

😂😂😂😂

[andrew s]

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

I didn't see it mentioned in you report, Mike, so I have to ask. When you finally extracted the telescope from it's layers of boxes and you opened up the plastic bag that contains the OTA, did you get to experience that wonderful freshly minted Takahashi smell?

 

You do realise  it's a psychoactive compound that stops you thinking or behaving  rationally with respect to Takahashi products for the rest of your life.

Regards Andrew 

PS I think they have supplied a similar compound to a certain tripod manufacturer. 

Edited April 27, 2020 by andrew s

[Alan White]

1 hour ago, andrew s said:

You do realise  it's a psychoactive compound that stops you thinking or behaving  rationally with respect to Takahashi products for the rest of your life. 

And you don't need to own it at that point, I am sure just a whiff at an Astro store or show is sufficient a dose.

[ollypenrice]

2 hours ago, Alan White said:

A smell that I so hope to experience one day like @AdeKing, but its a while off yet.

I have to say that I omitted to sniff the one Takahashi I bought new. The rest, quite elderly, have always arrived with that faint odour of 'blokes in sheds.' Since I'm familiar with this odour it has never troubled me... 😃

Olly

[mikeDnight]

6 hours ago, Telescope40 said:

Very nice Mike. 
So, was that your Tak that was for sale on ABS a little while back ? 
Enjoy.  John 

Three weeks ago. It was on for a full hour before it was bought. 

[mikeDnight]

3 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

I have to say that I omitted to sniff the one Takahashi I bought new. The rest, quite elderly, have always arrived with that faint odour of 'blokes in sheds.' Since I'm familiar with this odour it has never troubled me... 😃

Olly

Essence of blokes in shed's wouldn't be my first choice as an observatory air freshener.  I bet it would stifle the sales of Tak scopes too. ( I wonder how long it will be before you cave in and start sniffing your scopes Olly?)

[ollypenrice]

10 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Essence of blokes in shed's wouldn't be my first choice as an observatory air freshener.  I bet it would stifle the sales of Tak scopes too. ( I wonder how long it will be before you cave in and start sniffing your scopes Olly?)

I'll be up there this morning giving it a go, Mike! A perfect lockdown entertainment.

Olly

Edited April 28, 2020 by ollypenrice

[mikeDnight]

16 hours ago, dweller25 said:

Out of interest how much does the DZ weigh with clamshell, finder, 71L extension tube and diagonal ?

Hi Dave,

I put the DZ on the electronic scale this morning and it didn't register. So I stood on the scale while holding the telescope. I've put a stone on since I last got weighed - thanks for that!  It's the ginger nuts combined with the lockdown that's done it!!

The DZ with everything on it weighs 10 lb after subtracting my weight, according to the scale. It is noticeably heavier than the DC and although I can pick it up with one hand, I'm not going to make a habit of it. The AZ4 as a grab & go still seems to handle it ok though.

[Alan White]

10 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Three weeks ago. It was on for a full hour before it was bought. 

It lasted longer than I expected it too, I had it down as 30 minutes, sales are slow 😉

[mikeDnight]

First light last night was not what I'd hoped, but that was because the seeing had deteriorated dramatically. It was quite a turbulent night with fast moving but widely spaced cloud. Plus I had that Daffy Duck cloud - you know the sort - they stand still right in front of your telescope while all the other clouds are racing across the sky. Anyhow, I thought if I ignor it it will get fed-up and go away. It did!

The Sun had just dropped below the high tree line to my west, so I quickly looked for Venus, aimed the scope and saw a beautiful silver/white crescent at 128X. The seeing wasnt too steady, so I turned to the crescent Moon, but because of the bright sky background, lacked contrast. So I thought I'd remove the 71L extension and use my binoviewer without a barlow. Unsung the 25mm Parks Gold plossl's the 3D globe of the Moon just hanging in a blue sky was a joy to behold, and full of detail. I'm not sure how long I admired the Moon, but when my attention was next drawn to Venus, it had moved quite a way from its original position. So I aimed the scope back at Venus, ad dad the 71L extension and a barlow, and at 160X noticed the seeing had greatly improved. Dusky markings were visible and so i made a sketch of what I thought I could see.  I later made a second sketch of the planet, but this time I really wanted to see how the DZ would handle stupidly high magnification. I fit my Vixen 1.6mm HR into the diagonal and brought Venus to a sharp crisp focus.Immediately the dusky markings were visible. I made a second sketch. I'd to be patient with the second sketch as clouds were moving in and kept blocking my view, but as the DZ was on a tracking mount I'd no need to get stressed.  

While there were still some large sucker holes, I found a couple of stars that were turning on their lights and aimed the scope.  Takahashi in their users hand book that accompanied the scope state that the DZ is a very high power telescope, so I wanted to find out how it would handle a star image at 500X.  The stars I looked at appeared textbook perfect, displaying a perfect Airy disc. By this time clouds had almost covered the sky and I'd spent 3 hours playing with my new scope. After seeing Venus and two perfect star images, I carried my new scope back into the house feeling pretty content.

Importantly though, what I saw last night wasn't much different from what I'd been seeing in my FC100DC for the last five years. The DZ does appear slightly cooler in tone, but its going to take a first class night to really put this scope through its paces and see where the dividing line is between the DZ and the DC. Jupiter may be the planet on which I could be able to tell a difference, but it will unquestionably be a very subtle difference.

Edited April 28, 2020 by mikeDnight

[John]

Interesting Mike.

I have found that when comparing really good optics, you need the best seeing conditions and very challenging targets to separate them in performance terms. And even then the differences are usually very subtle !

 

[dweller25]

1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

Hi Dave,

I put the DZ on the electronic scale this morning and it didn't register. So I stood on the scale while holding the telescope. I've put a stone on since I last got weighed - thanks for that!  It's the ginger nuts combined with the lockdown that's done it!!

The DZ with everything on it weighs 10 lb after subtracting my weight, according to the scale. It is noticeably heavier than the DC and although I can pick it up with one hand, I'm not going to make a habit of it. The AZ4 as a grab & go still seems to handle it ok though.

Thanks Mike,

Thats how I do it - my scales are also wrong 😂😂😂

[JeremyS]

Good t hear you achieved first light @mikeDnight . Impressive that you were able to use the Vixen HR 1.6 in spite of the conditions - I think this eyepiece was probably made for the DZ! 🙂

Wishing you better, and steadier, nights to come.

Jeremy

 

[dweller25]

Thought you would have been out with the scope Wednesday night @mikeDnight looking at Venus and the very high Moon.

Or did the wife find out and kill you ? 😂😂😂

 

[John]

12 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

...Or did the wife find out and kill you ? 😂😂😂

 

Burnley man found impaled on scope. Scope carefully extracted by surgeons and no damage found. No reports on the condition of the victim though

[Alan White]

4 minutes ago, John said:

Burnley man found impaled on scope. Scope carefully extracted by surgeons and no damage found. No reports on the condition of the victim though

Thank goodness for that, I was concerned about the scope 😂

 

[mikeDnight]

28 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

Thought you would have been out with the scope Wednesday night @mikeDnight looking at Venus and the very high Moon.

Or did the wife find out and kill you ? 😂😂😂

 

Nope!  I've walked right past her with scope in arms and she hasn't noticed. Looks like I've got away with this one. 

I did spend a couple of hours last night observing the Moon and just getting to know the scope. I did look at Venus a couple of times too, but didn't make any sketches. Last night started off milky, but as the night went on it became clear and sharp. The Moon was awesome towards the end, though the seeing didn't allow me to exceed 333X without softening the view.  I did manage to hold my phone camera to the eyepiece to take a few snaps, but they don't do the view through the scope justice. Visually it was so much sharper.

A milky start but it got better! (Hand held iPhone pic's)

Edited April 30, 2020 by mikeDnight

[JamesF]

On 27/04/2020 at 19:45, ollypenrice said:

that faint odour of 'blokes in sheds.'

Blokes in sheds smell?  Really?  Are you sure?

James