TSA 120 a good midlife crisis scope? 😆

[Icesheet]

I recently turned 40 and after a rush of blood to the head I sold my Esprit 100. I may live to regret that but the upside is it opens up the possibility for a new scope. 
 

I’m mainly into imaging but I’ve found myself drawn more and more to visual so I’m looking for a scope that does a bit of everything. I’m aware that doesn’t exist but from what I see the Tak TSA 120 might come close. It seems to get rave reviews for visual, particularly lunar and planetary. At native FL it gives a bit more reach for galaxies, and with reducer it gets me close to what the Esprit was giving me.

Does anyone here use this for imaging and visual? I’m happy to hear other suggestions if you have any. I should say I’m limited by my CEM40 mount which I have no plans to upgrade. 

[JeremyS]

Just for visual. The TSA 120 is the perfect mid-life crisis scope. Or any time of life.

Tak makes a fine extender for it, too, which is great for planets.

 

 

Edited June 15, 2022 by JeremyS

[Icesheet]

13 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Just for visual. The TSA 120 is the perfect mid-life crisis scope. Or any time of life.

Tak makes a fine extender for it, too, which is great for planets.

 

 

Thanks, got some helpful advice from you re my FS60Q. I may have caught the Tak bug!

[Sunshine]

Well, I don't have a TSA-120 but a 102 I do! and if my wee 102 is the little brother of the 120 from a visual POV then I can say you're in for a treat!. As Jeremy put it, a TSA-120 would be an "any time of life" telescope.

Don't hesitate, as Nike says, just do it!

[Ags]

I think there is a right way and a wrong way to do a mid-life crisis, and you are definitely doing it the right way.

[ollypenrice]

I don't know the TSA120 from experience but, in principle, a good 5 to 6 inch (ish) refractor is a very versatile choice, lovey visually and, with the right sized pixels, capable of getting much closer than many would think to the limit of resolution imposed by the seeing. We no longer need 2 metres of FL in amateur DS imaging. If it can cover a full frame chip it need not be all that limited in imaging field of view, either. My own incarnation of this formula is a TEC140 but the same principles apply.

Olly

[dweller25]

If I could only have one scope it would be the Tak TSA120

[Highburymark]

Zero colour in or out of focus visually. Takes very high powers without breaking sweat. Perfectly figured optics so SA not a concern. Front heavy like most triplets, but acclimatises well. Pretty light for a near 5” triplet so easy to mount. Just a brilliant all rounder. Here’s mine in white light mode

[Icesheet]

3 hours ago, ollypenrice said:

I don't know the TSA120 from experience but, in principle, a good 5 to 6 inch (ish) refractor is a very versatile choice, lovey visually and, with the right sized pixels, capable of getting much closer than many would think to the limit of resolution imposed by the seeing. We no longer need 2 metres of FL in amateur DS imaging. If it can cover a full frame chip it need not be all that limited in imaging field of view, either. My own incarnation of this formula is a TEC140 but the same principles apply.

Olly

With the set up I would have, ASI2600MC (3.7µm) it would give me 0.86”/pixel at native 900mm FL then 1.2"/ pixel with reducer at 650mm FL. I also have an EOS R with 5.4µm I could use so I think that should cover my bases? Image circle is 40mm with flattener and 44mm with reducer according to Takahashi. 

[Icesheet]

10 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Zero colour in or out of focus visually. Takes very high powers without breaking sweat. Perfectly figured optics so SA not a concern. Front heavy like most triplets, but acclimatises well. Pretty light for a near 5” triplet so easy to mount. Just a brilliant all rounder. Here’s mine in white light mode

Lovely set up! Is that the more blue ring set?0

[Highburymark]

3 hours ago, Icesheet said:

Lovely set up! Is that the more blue ring set?0

Thanks - It is more blue - really nice option for Tak scopes

Edited June 16, 2022 by Highburymark

[newbie alert]

If a midlife crisis is at 40 then damn I missed out on getting a Tak...

Always late finding these things out

[F15Rules]

On 16/06/2022 at 19:17, newbie alert said:

If a midlife crisis is at 40 then damn I missed out on getting a Tak...

Always late finding these things out

I have to agree..when I saw Icesheet has just turned 40 and is having a mid life crisis, I laughed out loud, as mine didn't happen til I was well over 50..

..but if having it at 40 can wangle you a TSA 120, I'd go for it!👍😂

And maybe at 50 you can get a TOA150!!

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/takahashi-toa-150-series-refractor-telescopes.html

A belated "Happy 40th Birthday, Mr Icesheet😊

Dave

Edited June 22, 2022 by F15Rules
Spelling correction

[newbie alert]

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

I have to agree..when I saw Icesheet has just turned 40 and is having a mid life crisis, I laughed out loud, as mine didn't happen til I was well over 50..

..but if having it at 40 can wangle you a TSA 120, I'd go for it!👍😂

And maybe at 50 you can get a TOA150!!

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/takahashi-toa-150-series-refractor-telescopes.html

A belated "Happy 40th Birthday, Mr Icesheet😊

Dave

Superb...can't wait to tell the wife then..

[Icesheet]

2 hours ago, F15Rules said:

I have to agree..when I saw Icesheet has just turned 40 and is having a mid life crisis, I laughed out loud, as mine didn't happen til I was well over 50..

..but if having it at 40 can wangle you a TSA 120, I'd go for it!👍😂

And maybe at 50 you can get a TOA150!!

https://www.firstlightoptics.com/takahashi-toa-150-series-refractor-telescopes.html

A belated "Happy 40th Birthday, Mr Icesheet😊

Dave

Thank you 😊 

Haha, you need to book in your midlife crisis with the lead time on new astro products these days!

[garryblueboy]

I love mine it’s a perfect all rounder and is very portable would take something special to get me to part with it 

[JeremyS]

2 hours ago, garryblueboy said:

I love mine it’s a perfect all rounder and is very portable would take something special to get me to part with it 

That could be a good Summertime thread: “what would it take to part you from your TSA 120?”

🤣

[garryblueboy]

10 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

That could be a good Summertime thread: “what would it take to part you from your TSA 120?”

🤣

Agree Jeremy 

[Highburymark]

35 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

That could be a good Summertime thread: “what would it take to part you from your TSA 120?”

🤣

That question’s easy for me to answer Jeremy - all down to weight. If Tak released an FC-120DC/DZ at 5kg I could see myself eventually moving to that. Only through necessity due to dodgy back though. I will hold on to the TSA as long as I possibly can, and if my back holds up, I will never part with it. 

[Deadlake]

On 25/06/2022 at 17:24, Highburymark said:

That question’s easy for me to answer Jeremy - all down to weight. If Tak released an FC-120DC/DZ at 5kg I could see myself eventually moving to that. Only through necessity due to dodgy back though. I will hold on to the TSA as long as I possibly can, and if my back holds up, I will never part with it. 

Mark you could replace the feather touch with the manufacture's version.

I do realise this would be slumming it... 😀

Also my LZOS has some custom OOUK rings made for it, which weight 250 grams, more weight saved. I've used a vixen dove tail to further save weight, so around 1 kg removed in total.

Edited June 28, 2022 by Deadlake

[Icesheet]

I feel the crisis may have been averted 😆

More pictures to follow… 🔭 

[Icesheet]

This should keep me happy until 50 at least 😉😊

Cant wait to get it out under the night sky! Not much chance of that in Norway just now but there might be a small window for the planets.

This was actually ordered from Japan along with the flattener for the TSA and a reducer for my FS-60. I was pleasantly surprised to find it includes the finder scope and bracket too so I saved even more money than I thought. Even after the high shipping cost and import taxes etc I still ended up with a >20% saving. Fingers crossed everything is ok optically.

 

My only concern is the rings I bought. You can see that they don’t fit flush and I didn’t dare tighten them any further. The scope seems secure but there are some vibrations when I touch it while locked in the saddle. Not sure if the rings could be the source of that?

[F15Rules]

Lovely scope👍

You could perhaps add an extra felt lining to your rings?

That should enable you to get a snug fit on the scope without risk of pressure damage to the OTA, and without you feeling you need to overtighten the ring clamps..

Dave

[Mr Spock]

Very nice 👍

[Highburymark]

Beautiful scope! Just in time for planet season too.   
I was also unhappy with just two tube rings. Although mine fitted tightly around the telescope, there was a degree of sag when I fitted the scope onto my Skytee mount. I eventually moved to a three ring set up, which might seem like overkill, but is much more robust.