Eyepieces befitting a Takahashi!

[Stu]

I would likely stick with relatively lightweight options to suit the scope. It will help with balance as well as being easier to travel with.

Have you considered upgrading the focuser to a Feathertouch? Not a cheap option, but they are lovely and would give you 2” capability. I had the lightweight version on my FC76DC and loved it.

I would probably go with a Baader Zeiss T2 prism, nice short optical path length and will handle 2” eyepieces with minimal visible vignetting if needed. You can fit either a 1.25” or 2” barrel to the front so would have plenty of options. Likewise a 1.25” or 2” fitting for the eyepiece depending on the circumstance.

I use a Nagler zoom for high power. I have both 3 to 6 and 2 to 4mm, but the former would probably do. A 24mm Panoptic would be a nice, compact low power 1.25” option, and then I would probably look at Delites to fill the gap. I’ve not used them, but they have a great reputation and are lighter and more compact than other options. You could also consider a barlow like the Baader Zeiss Abbé Barlow, or TV x2.5 power mate to reduce the number of eyepieces needed.

One thing to consider is exit pupil size. Depending on your eyesight and number of floaters you have, high powers in small scopes can be problematic. Binoviewers are the main solution to this particular problem, other than staying above 0.5mm exit pupil or even higher.

Pic below shows the T2 Zeiss prism in 1.25” mode on the left, T2 BBHS mirror diagonal in 2” mode on the right.

[JeremyS]

2 hours ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

@JeremyS do you find the Tak prism good? It seems to have mixed reviews online. I thought the TeleVue Everbright might be a step up from it but the feedback here seems to be overwhelmingly in support of the Baader T2 Zeiss prism. The Tak prism would definitely fit (a nice advantage!).

I agree, I had intended on 1.25 inch for travelling. I like the idea of the Baader BBHS Zeiss prism as you can use it as a 2" or 1.25" setup which would expand the potential for future use with 2" EPs or indeed on another scope. 

This setup looks cool: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/662918-takahashi-fc-76-dcu-vs-fc-76-ds-which-would-you-prefer-for-visual-observation/?p=9397436

The Baader T2 system looks heavier and is undoubtedly more expensive, but I can definitely see the advantages. 

@John is this the same as yours? https://www.firstlightoptics.com/diagonals/baader-t-2-bbhs-mirror-star-diagonal.html Would you mind sharing the other bits and pieces I would need, as the FC76-DCU has a 1.25" optical back and would therefore need an adaptor I think.

 

I’ve got Televue Everbright 1.25, 3 x Tak 1.25 and Baader T2 BBHS mirror

All are fine diagonals. The best built is the Televue, but is quite chunky (as is the Baader, which is a much bigger unit). The Tak is compact and light, so it’s wonderful for travel and my weapon of choice for that. There is a lot of nonsense spoken about the Tak build quality (some people like totake pot shots at Tak on principle 🤣). It might look less substantial, but I’m not planning on driving a tank over it.

Edited March 11, 2021 by JeremyS

[mikeDnight]

The Tak diagonal holds a binoviewer without any issue, but its Achilles heel is the savage, unnecessary, and hated undercuts on Televue eyepieces. 

[John]

1 minute ago, mikeDnight said:

The Tak diagonal holds a binoviewer without any issue, but its Achilles heel is the savage, unnecessary, and hated undercuts on Televue eyepieces....

They don't like the undercuts on most other eyepieces and accessories either, I've discovered.

Great with smooth 1.25 inch barrels though.

[A McEwan]

I haven't really bought any eyepieces newer than T6 Nagler or Explore Scientific 68-degree designs, so I'm not up to date with what's available now, but...

I can advise re what I use and what I have in my cases!  For planetary I stick to Orthoscopics. In my case, Baader Genuine Ortho's, but there are other makes that are probably just as good, if not better. Fewer elements = more detail and narrower field of view = fewer distractions to take your eye away from those details. Same goes for lunar or double stars, in my book anyway.

For "general viewing" my used eyeieces are usually the ES 24mm 68-degree, Nagler 13mm T6, Meade 6.7mm UWA, and ES 4.7mm UWA, with sometimes a Siebert Starsplitter 3.9mm modified Ortho thrown in too.

Other times I'll stick to my mixture of older and newer TeleVue Plossls.

The Tak is so good that it will certainly pull the best that it can from any eyepiece you put into it, but a viewing session can only ever be as good as the weakest link in the optical chain!

Ant   

[Don Pensack]

Isn't it ironic that binoviewers have gotten popular while smooth barreled eyepieces have all but disappeared.

Vixen has one model with a smooth barrel.

APM has 1 model with smooth barrels.

Baader has 2 models with (relatively) smooth barrels.

Explore Scientific has none.

TeleVue has none.

Pentax has none.

Stellarvue has none.

Maybe some Siebert or Russell eyepieces have smooth barrels.

It's "slim pickings" out there.

 

[Stu]

1 hour ago, John said:

They don't like the undercuts on most other eyepieces and accessories either, I've discovered.

Great with smooth 1.25 inch barrels though.

It can be a pain in that respect. I’ve only got one eyepiece which it causes problems with and that’s the 24mm Panoptic. I just put a couple of wraps of insulating tape, cut to the right width, into the undercut. This solves the problem completely.

[Nicola Fletcher]

1 hour ago, John said:

Yes, that is the diagonal. I currently use it with the Baader click lock 1.25 inch eyepiece holder, a 15mm T2 extension to ensure that my longest eyepiece barrel does not contact the prism and on the scope side a T2 - 1.25 inch push fit adapter. Links below. I have used this diagonal in 2 inch mode with a 2 inch eyepiece holder and a 2 inch push fit adapter but currently I find that I just use 1.25 inch eyepieces with my Tak refractor.

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/baader-click-lock-125-inch-eyepiece-adapter-with-t-2-thread.html

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/adapters/baader-t2-extension-tube.html

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/diagonals/baader-nosepiece-125-t2.html

I owned the Tele Vue 1.25 inch dielectric for a while and still have a couple of the 2 inch versions with other refractors. Very nicely made mirror diagonals. I didn't get a chance to compare it (the 1.25 inch) with the Baader prism though. In all honesty I can't see much in the way of performance difference between the Baader prism and my 2 inch Tele Vue and Astro Physics diagonals but that's probably just me

I like the T2 prism diagonal on the Tak because it seems to suit the slender lines of the scope !

 

Fantastic, thank you for all this advice!! The T2 does look great with it from what I can see in the photos. It’s great to get your viewpoint and I really like this option.

[Nicola Fletcher]

1 hour ago, Stu said:

I would likely stick with relatively lightweight options to suit the scope. It will help with balance as well as being easier to travel with.

Have you considered upgrading the focuser to a Feathertouch? Not a cheap option, but they are lovely and would give you 2” capability. I had the lightweight version on my FC76DC and loved it.

I would probably go with a Baader Zeiss T2 prism, nice short optical path length and will handle 2” eyepieces with minimal visible vignetting if needed. You can fit either a 1.25” or 2” barrel to the front so would have plenty of options. Likewise a 1.25” or 2” fitting for the eyepiece depending on the circumstance.

I use a Nagler zoom for high power. I have both 3 to 6 and 2 to 4mm, but the former would probably do. A 24mm Panoptic would be a nice, compact low power 1.25” option, and then I would probably look at Delites to fill the gap. I’ve not used them, but they have a great reputation and are lighter and more compact than other options. You could also consider a barlow like the Baader Zeiss Abbé Barlow, or TV x2.5 power mate to reduce the number of eyepieces needed.

One thing to consider is exit pupil size. Depending on your eyesight and number of floaters you have, high powers in small scopes can be problematic. Binoviewers are the main solution to this particular problem, other than staying above 0.5mm exit pupil or even higher.

Pic below shows the T2 Zeiss prism in 1.25” mode on the left, T2 BBHS mirror diagonal in 2” mode on the right.

Thanks Stu, yep I think I’ll go with that for it’s versatility. I have considered the Feathertouch and I might go with it eventually. My eyesight is good, luckily, and I’ve never been bothered by floaters, so haven’t really had any trouble with the eyepieces I’ve used so far. I’d absolutely love that Nagler zoom and I like the sound of the other EPs you suggest. Thank you very much!

[Stu]

Just found a few shots of my old FC76DC. Lovely scope, still miss it in many ways. That’s another option you could look at, a 1.25” Lunt Herschel Wedge for a nice bit of solar observing. I sometimes used it with a 45 degree erecting prism; it made an excellent spotting scope.

[Nicola Fletcher]

12 minutes ago, Stu said:

Just found a few shots of my old FC76DC. Lovely scope, still miss it in many ways. That’s another option you could look at, a 1.25” Lunt Herschel Wedge for a nice bit of solar observing. I sometimes used it with a 45 degree erecting prism; it made an excellent spotting scope.

Great pictures- the second one is exactly what I had in mind when buying this scope!

[Deadlake]

By the way here is a unicorn, a certain zeiss EP.

https://astromart.com/classifieds/astromart-classifieds/eyepieces/show/zeiss-docter-125mm-90-degree-uwf-2-case

 

[Nicola Fletcher]

5 hours ago, Deadlake said:

By the way here is a unicorn, a certain zeiss EP.

https://astromart.com/classifieds/astromart-classifieds/eyepieces/show/zeiss-docter-125mm-90-degree-uwf-2-case

 

Do you really have to pay for membership on that site?

That looks fab - the case it comes with is amazing.

[Nicola Fletcher]

15 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

The Tak diagonal holds a binoviewer without any issue, but its Achilles heel is the savage, unnecessary, and hated undercuts on Televue eyepieces. 

The binoviewer looks great. Your setup is just amazing!

[John]

28 minutes ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

Do you really have to pay for membership on that site?

That looks fab - the case it comes with is amazing.

Yes, you do pay to use the classifieds and the forums.

The Cloudynights forum is free to join and often the classifieds there carry the same adverts as Astromart.

The problem with both for us is that they are predominately USA based sales and many sellers stipulate USA / Canada sales only and if they do sell over here, import duty and handling charges add a fair chunk to the price for the buyer.

 

Edited March 12, 2021 by John

[Space Hopper]

If you're going down the bino-viewer route Nicola, i can't recommend the Baader MaxBright Mk2 highly enough.

You'll have no issues with eyepiece undercuts with the Max2. 

Its great value, has a short lightpath when coupled to the Baader diagonals, and using a GPC will solve any focusing issues.

 

[Nicola Fletcher]

43 minutes ago, Space Hopper said:

If you're going down the bino-viewer route Nicola, i can't recommend the Baader MaxBright Mk2 highly enough.

You'll have no issues with eyepiece undercuts with the Max2. 

Its great value, has a short lightpath when coupled to the Baader diagonals, and using a GPC will solve any focusing issues.

 

Great, thank you Rob. I never really considered it before but as a scientist/pathologist, I spend a lot of time peering down microscopes and couldn't even imagine doing it with one eyepiece!

[jetstream]

23 hours ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

 do you find the Tak prism good? It seems to have mixed reviews online.

I think that when we get into this quality of equipment were splitting hairs for differences.

[John]

5 minutes ago, jetstream said:

I think that when we get into this quality of equipment were splitting hairs for differences.

I agree. It keeps the forums rolling when it's cloudy though

[jetstream]

10 minutes ago, John said:

I agree. It keeps the forums rolling when it's cloudy though

I did have a poor mirror diagonal once but even the SW diag I have gives great views, it does have a bit of scatter which does not impact things much really. Good enough to show Barnards Loop no filter in the SW120ED.

I'd have no hesitation buying any of the mentioned diags in this thread. I do know that because of my experience with the Zeiss prism diag it would not be my first choice- superb in my APO's but in the Sw120ED it gives false colour.

Not sure how it would work in @Nicola Fletcher great Tak though, probably fine.

And yes John this banter does keep things going and the money flowing

Geez now I want a 76mm Tak...

[Deadlake]

1 hour ago, jetstream said:

Geez now I want a 76mm Tak...

I thought you where after a Mewlon 180? 🤣

Seriously there must be so many threads on Baader BBHS prisms versus mirror. I would suggest given the aperture of the scope that the prism might work best as

1. Reduces scatter, good for viewing planets.
2. Shorter light path for bino's.

The mirror shines for looking at DSO's, does not block infrared spectrum for NV usage or best used in fast scopes (less then F7) as will not add a frequency shift.  

Edited March 12, 2021 by Deadlake

[Stephenstargazer]

Having gone the extra mile to get yourself a fluorite refractor I would suggest using a prism diagonal (in preference to a mirror) to hang on to as much of the fine contrast as possible. The Tak 1.25" diagonal works fine and is even fair value. A TV 24 Panoptic will show a field of view just under 3 degrees. with the 76 DCU. Is it actually worth getting any 2 " eps for this scope? The few objects bigger than 3 deg are enjoyable through binoculars as you wont be chasing large nebulae. It also keeps your travel kit compact. 

I would agree that for planetary and lunar work binoviewers can be worthwhile. Just bear in mind the very small focus range on the DCU (about 25mm!) so choose your barlow/glasspath/bino combimation with care to achieve focus. I certainly have been tempted by the scope for super poratbility so quite envious.😢

[jetstream]

1 hour ago, Deadlake said:

I thought you where after a Mewlon 180? 

Yeah I'm after lots... 😀

but-budgets blown- I just bought a plate roller for my little shop- 800 lbs only 200 bucks shipping- cheaper than the scopes shipping...lol!

I'm waiting until there is inventory for any astro purchases, and only if prices are reasonable.

[jetstream]

52 minutes ago, Stephenstargazer said:

A TV 24 Panoptic will show a field of view just under 3 degrees. with the 76 DCU. Is it actually worth getting any 2 " eps for this scope?

Very good point.

A 24 Pan, a 13 Nagler and a Nagler zoom would cover most all IMHO.

 

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, Stephenstargazer said:

Having gone the extra mile to get yourself a fluorite refractor I would suggest using a prism diagonal (in preference to a mirror) to hang on to as much of the fine contrast as possible. The Tak 1.25" diagonal works fine and is even fair value. A TV 24 Panoptic will show a field of view just under 3 degrees. with the 76 DCU. Is it actually worth getting any 2 " eps for this scope? The few objects bigger than 3 deg are enjoyable through binoculars as you wont be chasing large nebulae. It also keeps your travel kit compact. 

I would agree that for planetary and lunar work binoviewers can be worthwhile. Just bear in mind the very small focus range on the DCU (about 25mm!) so choose your barlow/glasspath/bino combimation with care to achieve focus. I certainly have been tempted by the scope for super poratbility so quite envious.😢

One on sale. Go on, you deserve it 😊

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/offers/offer_takahashi-fc-76dcu-f75-doublet-fluorite-apo-refractor_130779.html