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Eyepieces befitting a Takahashi!


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I have a follow up question - will this ever end?!!

I just set up the Tak with the accessories listed in the System Chart (everything except the FS-60CB adapter as shown in the top setup in the Systrm Chart), an Altair dielectric diagonal and either a BST starguider EP or the Baader Hyperion 8-24mm zoom. I can’t focus any of them with the diagonal, and can just about focus if I add back the adapter and attach the BST directly to the scope. The Baader Hyperion doesn’t work at all - I’m a long way off focus no matter what accessories I include. 
 

@JeremyS and @mikeDnight I noticed that you seem to have a different set of accessories on the back of your scopes. The FS-60CB seems to make the setup too long, and without it it’s too short. Is there a quick fix, and do you know if this will be an issue if I buy a non-Takahashi diagonal or EPs (and also if it will work better if I stick with Tak accessories)?

Thanks for your help and sorry about the endless questions! 

5238735B-46C7-4ADA-A5E7-36D09019ADA2.jpeg

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1 hour ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

I have a follow up question - will this ever end?!!

I just set up the Tak with the accessories listed in the System Chart (everything except the FS-60CB adapter as shown in the top setup in the Systrm Chart), an Altair dielectric diagonal and either a BST starguider EP or the Baader Hyperion 8-24mm zoom. I can’t focus any of them with the diagonal, and can just about focus if I add back the adapter and attach the BST directly to the scope. The Baader Hyperion doesn’t work at all - I’m a long way off focus no matter what accessories I include. 
 

@JeremyS and @mikeDnight I noticed that you seem to have a different set of accessories on the back of your scopes. The FS-60CB seems to make the setup too long, and without it it’s too short. Is there a quick fix, and do you know if this will be an issue if I buy a non-Takahashi diagonal or EPs (and also if it will work better if I stick with Tak accessories)?

Thanks for your help and sorry about the endless questions! 

5238735B-46C7-4ADA-A5E7-36D09019ADA2.jpeg

Hi Nicola,

I'm not sure why you'd have that focusing problem. I know my Tak prism has a shorter light path than my Baader Zeiss 1.25" BBHS prism, and I had little difficulty with my FC100DC attaining focus. A 2" diagonal might be problematic with some eyepieces. If Jeremy or others with experience of your scope can't advise, you could e-mail FLO to see if they can help.

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4 hours ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

I have a follow up question - will this ever end?!!

I just set up the Tak with the accessories listed in the System Chart (everything except the FS-60CB adapter as shown in the top setup in the Systrm Chart), an Altair dielectric diagonal and either a BST starguider EP or the Baader Hyperion 8-24mm zoom. I can’t focus any of them with the diagonal, and can just about focus if I add back the adapter and attach the BST directly to the scope. The Baader Hyperion doesn’t work at all - I’m a long way off focus no matter what accessories I include. 
 

@JeremyS and @mikeDnight I noticed that you seem to have a different set of accessories on the back of your scopes. The FS-60CB seems to make the setup too long, and without it it’s too short. Is there a quick fix, and do you know if this will be an issue if I buy a non-Takahashi diagonal or EPs (and also if it will work better if I stick with Tak accessories)?

Thanks for your help and sorry about the endless questions! 

5238735B-46C7-4ADA-A5E7-36D09019ADA2.jpeg

My basic set up with my FS 60 CB is indeed the top line in the chart. The pic I included the other day in a thread is with the Q extender and I needed to change the back a little to reach focus. 
The FS 60 focuser doesn’t have a lot of travel, so can be critical with some diagonals. The Tak diagonal has an unusually short light path so eats less back focus.

The are multiple ways to accommodate different back accessories. As Mike says, FLO (specifically Ian King - he’s put me right several times) can advise.

Edited by JeremyS
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10 hours ago, JeremyS said:

My basic set up with my FS 60 CB is indeed the top line in the chart. The pic I included the other day in a thread is with the Q extender and I needed to change the back a little to reach focus. 
The FS 60 focuser doesn’t have a lot of travel, so can be critical with some diagonals. The Tak diagonal has an unusually short light path so eats less back focus.

The are multiple ways to accommodate different back accessories. As Mike says, FLO (specifically Ian King - he’s put me right several times) can advise.

Thanks Jeremy- sorry, it’s the FC76-DCU but the extender is the same as for the FS60 I think - looks like the focusers are very similar between the two.

I just popped the Altair diagonal on it because it’s the only one I currently have. I’m going to get the Tak diagonal so hopefully that’ll make it more straightforward, but I’ll get in touch with FLO for their advice. Thanks for your help!

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51 minutes ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

Thanks Jeremy- sorry, it’s the FC76-DCU but the extender is the same as for the FS60 I think - looks like the focusers are very similar between the two.

I just popped the Altair diagonal on it because it’s the only one I currently have. I’m going to get the Tak diagonal so hopefully that’ll make it more straightforward, but I’ll get in touch with FLO for their advice. Thanks for your help!

Yes, it’s same focuser in the two models. 
Here’s a pic of the FC 76 DCU configured as I normally use it 

image.thumb.jpg.2d47e8363436663e7164c018bb39f2e9.jpg

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16 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Hi Nicola,

I'm not sure why you'd have that focusing problem. I know my Tak prism has a shorter light path than my Baader Zeiss 1.25" BBHS prism, and I had little difficulty with my FC100DC attaining focus. A 2" diagonal might be problematic with some eyepieces. If Jeremy or others with experience of your scope can't advise, you could e-mail FLO to see if they can help.

OP..... I'm sry 😢

Mike , did you prefer prism or mirror with your DC ? 

 

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1 hour ago, Voyager 3 said:

OP..... I'm sry 😢

Mike , did you prefer prism or mirror with your DC ? 

 

I decided on the Tak prism after reading a review of diagonals by Bill Paolini on Cloudy Nights. The views through the Tak prism never failed to impress me, with the only drawback being the Tak locking ring vs deep eyepiece undercuts. Like oil & water!  The Tak prism has a very short light path and is quite well suited to the DC with its limited travel focuser. After buying a DZ I decided to treat it to an even better prism, the 1.25"  Baader Zeiss BBHS with helical eyepiece holder for fine focus. It's superb, but has a longer light path than the Tak prism. Also, although in daytime use the BBHS does have an edge in sharpness when looking at distant objects through double glazing, on the night sky I honestly can't see an ounce of difference between the two diagonals. I decided on the prism because of it having less scatter than a mirror, and all the light entering the prism also leaves it, so it's very bright. I've seen some very faint DSO's through the DC while using the Tak prism. It's also only a fraction of the price of the Baader and so is real value for money. I suspect there will only be a hairs breadth of difference, possibly imperceptible by the majority of observers, between a good prism and a good mirror diagonal, so I'd say whichever you think you'll prefer, just pick a good one. 

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Baader Morpheus are excellent eyepieces that play well with  Tak. And they use safety curfs instead of undercuts, and so fit the Tak prism without any snagging. High optical quality with a large eye lens and 76° apparent field make it superbly comfortable. 

IMG_20210319_152012.thumb.jpg.a00b27af3e712954835c834a2f8babe1.jpgIMG_20210319_152023.thumb.jpg.230da5801719735e4cf369bdd69d2892.jpg

 

Edited by mikeDnight
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One more vote for the 17.5 mm Baader Morpheus here. I use it with the f/5.6 Sky 90 apo and it is one of the real gems in my eyepiece case. Very comfortable, plenty of eye relief, good correction, excellent wide-field effect—to me the immersion effect exceeds even that of the 16 mm T5 Nagler. Lovely modern eyepiece.

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1 hour ago, mikeDnight said:

Baader Morpheus are excellent eyepieces that play well with  Tak

 

43 minutes ago, Maxim Usatov said:

One more vote for the 17.5 mm Baader Morpheus here.

As it happens, I have this very eyepiece and agree, it’s lovely... as I now have the very same FC-76DCU incoming next week, I hope to have an opportunity to try it out and see how well the combination performs 🤞

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2 hours ago, mikeDnight said:

Baader Morpheus are excellent eyepieces that play well with  Tak. And they use safety curfs instead of undercuts, and so fit the Tak prism without any snagging. High optical quality with a large eye lens and 76° apparent field make it superbly comfortable. 

IMG_20210319_152012.thumb.jpg.a00b27af3e712954835c834a2f8babe1.jpgIMG_20210319_152023.thumb.jpg.230da5801719735e4cf369bdd69d2892.jpg

 

Thanks a lot @mikeDnight - this was one of the EPs that I initially thought of. Since I decided on the Tak diagonal I am now keen that the EPs work well with it and I am glad that you like the Morpheus. I'm quite sold on the Televue 3-6mm zoom and/or the Tak TOE EPs. I had thought of either a Nagler (13mm) or Tak Abbes (12.5/18mm), and then the Panoptic as suggested by @JeremyS, but the Morpheus is also a very attractive option. @HollyHound, I'd be very interested to see what you think of the Morpheus with the FC76-DCU - are you going to use the Tak diagonal with it?

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5 minutes ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

@HollyHound, I'd be very interested to see what you think of the Morpheus with the FC76-DCU - are you going to use the Tak diagonal with it?

Hi Nicola, I will certainly let you know how it performs. I don't currently plan to use it with a Tak diagonal, but I have Baader T2 prism, which should be very similar so a reasonable comparison. I wasn't sure if I was hanging on the Morpheus, as I have other eyepieces now, but it's still so light and a gorgeous view, so it stays for while longer or more 😀

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2 minutes ago, HollyHound said:

Hi Nicola, I will certainly let you know how it performs. I don't currently plan to use it with a Tak diagonal, but I have Baader T2 prism, which should be very similar so a reasonable comparison. I wasn't sure if I was hanging on the Morpheus, as I have other eyepieces now, but it's still so light and a gorgeous view, so it stays for while longer or more 😀

Excellent, and best of luck with your new Tak!!

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1 hour ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

I'm quite sold on the Televue 3-6mm zoom and/or the Tak TOE EPs.

The TV 3-6 Nag Zoom is one of my most used eyepieces, I find it brilliant for planetary and double stars and It’s just so easy to use. 

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On 19/03/2021 at 17:35, Nicola Fletcher said:

Thanks a lot @mikeDnight - this was one of the EPs that I initially thought of. Since I decided on the Tak diagonal I am now keen that the EPs work well with it and I am glad that you like the Morpheus. I'm quite sold on the Televue 3-6mm zoom and/or the Tak TOE EPs. I had thought of either a Nagler (13mm) or Tak Abbes (12.5/18mm), and then the Panoptic as suggested by @JeremyS, but the Morpheus is also a very attractive option. @HollyHound, I'd be very interested to see what you think of the Morpheus with the FC76-DCU - are you going to use the Tak diagonal with it?

Hi Nicola,

Whilst it’s not a comprehensive viewing report by any means, as I have literally only had an hour so far with this lovely new scope... I can confirm that both the Morpheus 17.5mm and the Nagler 3-6mm Zoom work perfectly and both have superb views. The Morpheus of course having a massive field of view, and it’s also very lightweight. 
 

For reference, I don’t have a Tak prism, but I am using a Baader T2 1.25 prism, which is very similar in size and optical path. With this I was able to focus all my eyepieces (Pentax XW20,14,10,7,5,3.5 - Panoptic 24 & 15 - Nagler Zoom -Morpheus 17.5 and Masuyama 16) with about 10mm of “in focus” still remaining. The only two eyepieces I couldn’t focus were my Delos 14 and Baader Genuine Ortho 12.5. 

I’ve replaced the Tak adaptors, with the following setup (see photo)... Baader 2” Clicklock, 1.25” to 2” low profile adaptor, 1.25” T2 nosepiece, 40mm T2 extension ring, T2 prism, T2 1.25” Clicklock (for the eyepiece). I did also have a 7.5mm T2 extension ring under the eyepiece holder, but got rid of that now, and replaced the 40mm extension with 2x15mm instead, to hopefully give a bit more in-focus if needed. In terms of length, this is almost the same as the Tak adaptor setup (without the very long tube), so you should be fine.... I think @JeremyS uses this arrangement anyway.

I’ve just ordered a Baader T2 2” prism, with 2” Clicklock eyepiece holder and nosepiece. I think this will probably still work when I want to use my 2” eyepieces, as the longer diagonal optical length should be offset by the removed  extension tubes. However, it is not certain I will be using 2” eyepieces on this scope as it is very much for “grab and go”... or more “grab and go and linger” 😀

Hope this helps... I will write up a more about this superb scope, when I’ve had more time with it. I can say that have fallen in love with it’s looks, view, usability and quality already 👍
 

I really don’t know why it’s taken a year to think about getting one, they’re lovely 😀

Gary

 

56355317-ED40-479F-865F-8228A17F39B1.jpeg

Edited by HollyHound
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16 hours ago, HollyHound said:

Hi Nicola,

Whilst it’s not a comprehensive viewing report by any means, as I have literally only had an hour so far with this lovely new scope... I can confirm that both the Morpheus 17.5mm and the Nagler 3-6mm Zoom work perfectly and both have superb views. The Morpheus of course having a massive field of view, and it’s also very lightweight. 
 

For reference, I don’t have a Tak prism, but I am using a Baader T2 1.25 prism, which is very similar in size and optical path. With this I was able to focus all my eyepieces (Pentax XW20,14,10,7,5,3.5 - Panoptic 24 & 15 - Nagler Zoom -Morpheus 17.5 and Masuyama 16) with about 10mm of “in focus” still remaining. The only two eyepieces I couldn’t focus were my Delos 14 and Baader Genuine Ortho 12.5. 

I’ve replaced the Tak adaptors, with the following setup (see photo)... Baader 2” Clicklock, 1.25” to 2” low profile adaptor, 1.25” T2 nosepiece, 40mm T2 extension ring, T2 prism, T2 1.25” Clicklock (for the eyepiece). I did also have a 7.5mm T2 extension ring under the eyepiece holder, but got rid of that now, and replaced the 40mm extension with 2x15mm instead, to hopefully give a bit more in-focus if needed. In terms of length, this is almost the same as the Tak adaptor setup (without the very long tube), so you should be fine.... I think @JeremyS uses this arrangement anyway.

I’ve just ordered a Baader T2 2” prism, with 2” Clicklock eyepiece holder and nosepiece. I think this will probably still work when I want to use my 2” eyepieces, as the longer diagonal optical length should be offset by the removed  extension tubes. However, it is not certain I will be using 2” eyepieces on this scope as it is very much for “grab and go”... or more “grab and go and linger” 😀

Hope this helps... I will write up a more about this superb scope, when I’ve had more time with it. I can say that have fallen in love with it’s looks, view, usability and quality already 👍
 

I really don’t know why it’s taken a year to think about getting one, they’re lovely 😀

Gary

 

56355317-ED40-479F-865F-8228A17F39B1.jpeg

Thanks Gary!

I’m delighted you have been able to set up your scope and test it out - even better that you’re delighted with your purchase! Thank you very much for the report on the diagonal and EPs. Looks like a very versatile setup and a good alternative to the Tak adaptors. I agree with you about keeping the setup lightweight - it’s so light I really don’t want to weigh it down with big heavy EPs.

Im waiting for a Tak prism diagonal and TV 3-6mm zoom to arrive. Good old FLO have been super quick with shipping as usual and it’s landed in Dublin this morning 😊 I’ll stick with Tak accessories for the moment and I’m almost set on getting the 17.5 Morpheus and a 24mm Panoptic for it (and maybe a Nagler or Delite to fill in the gap) but will also see how the BSTs and Baader Zoom work with the Tak prism. FLO really meant what they said with the clouds and I am still waiting for a good night. Thursday has a good forecast on Clear Outside and I’m hoping for a nice long night of observing with a day off on Friday 🙏🏻
 

Thank you for all that information and I wish you plenty of clear skies and look forward to hearing more about your impressions of this fabulous little scope! 

Edited by Nicola Fletcher
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3 hours ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

Im waiting for a Tak prism diagonal and TV 3-6mm zoom to arrive. Good old FLO have been super quick with shipping as usual and it’s landed in Dublin this morning 😊 I’ll stick with Tak accessories for the moment and I’m almost set on getting the 17.5 Morpheus and a 24mm Panoptic for it (and maybe a Nagler or Delite to fill in the gap) but will also see how the BSTs and Baader Zoom work with the Tak prism.

I was looking at the Tak prism, but as I already had this Baader 1.25” T2, it would be superfluous. I’m sure they’re very good though.

I can certainly say that the Panoptic 24, Morpheus 17.5 and TV 3-6 Zoom will work well with this scope, as I tried all of them quickly. The TV Zoom will likely live in the scope for “grab and go”, giving approx 100x to 200x magnification. 

I’ve also got the Baader 8-24 Zoom and that’s excellent as an all-rounder eyepiece. 

I would also highly recommend the DeLite range, having had (and only recently) sold the 13 and 18.2... Very sharp, flat field and lightweight👍

I’m looking forward to some good night observing with this new setup, as you say, hopefully next week 🤞

Enjoy yours too and keep us updated as well 😃

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  • 3 months later...

Hello!  I've just stepped up to a used Tak FC-76D and have been reading your posts with great interest.  Although rather late to this party, I'm really wishing to know how things turned out for Nicola.  Especially the diagonal question as I have (and plan to stick with) 1.25 for now.  I purchased the TeleVue 1.25 Everbrite Star diagonal and am contemplating the Baader Zoom.  Unfortunately, it's been raining buckets for weeks and there's been no opportunity to test the telescope at night.  Is the TeleVue a bad choice?  Should I have gone with the Tak prism?  Was Nicola able to resolve focus problems (and how)?  Do you recommend the Baader Zoom for this scope?  Many thanks in advance for your thoughts

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After months of research (mostly reading what the eyepiece gurus at CN say), I decided on the following accessories for my FS-60CB:  TV Plossl 32 (mainly as a finder), TV Nagler Type 6 13, Tak Abbe ortho 12.5, Nagler zoom 3-6, Tak prism, and Nikon 1.6 Barlow.  These, plus a Scopetech Zero and Tak extended hood (420 grams, a big help in balancing), all fit nicely in a very small case. 

 

   

20210709_124857.jpg

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