Tak FC-100 high magnification with binoviewer question

[Trentend]

Background: Very happy with my “grab” kit for lunar and planets (Mak127 on Gitzo). But the “go” bit is driving me nuts. Three times this week I’ve put the scope outside to cool under what appear to be clear and still skies only to check 10mins later and be met with cloud and rain. So I really need something that doesn’t require any cool down or collimation and is good to go pretty much straight away inbetween breaks in the cloud.

I currently get great high mag views through the mak or big dob with a Binotron, 24mm pans and powerswitch on medium and high settings (circa x150 and x190 I believe with the OCS in place). If I go down say the FC100 route (the DF version as a 2” focuser needed) and still use the Binotron, what options do I have to get equivalent high magnifications? Using the astronomy tools site the current set up would roughly be halfed in the Tak. Would I need to invest in an extender and / or a new set of eyepieces around 12mm to still get up to (and beyond?) say x200? Would that be too much light loss in a binoviewer?

Edited December 29, 2020 by Trentend

[mikeDnight]

I've never used a Binotron, but I've no problem getting great lunar and planetary views with my binoviewer and 2X barlow. With the FC100D a pair of 25mm and 18 or 16mm eyepieces give spectacular views with a barlowed binoviewer. Because of the extended light path between the barlow and the eyepiece due to the binoviewer, the amplification is approx 4X, so in a DF an 18mm would give around 165X and 16mm 185X.