Show us your Tak

[MalcolmM]

15 hours ago, Nicola Fletcher said:

My new Mewlon 180C double mounted with an FC100DZ on an AZ-EQ5. I’m still not sure if I like this mount. I’ve started using it in tracking only mode rather than GoTo which is better. The very quick session with the Mewlon was fantastic though - barely first light as the clouds rolled in but M42 and the Pleiades looked fantastic, and the double cluster with the 41mm Panoptic was the best view I’ve ever had of this target. I’m looking forward to getting to know this beautiful scope a lot better!

Fabulous!

Malcolm 

[Stu]

Perhaps this should be in a different thread, but has anyone used both 180 and 210 Mewlons? Any views on the relative merits? I’m tempted at some point (when I’ve sold a few scopes and have some money 🤪) to buy another having had a 210 before. Cooling was always a challenge on the 210, not sure I ever got it right, and there is something that might make me prefer the lighter, faster cooling 180. 6 smaller diffraction spikes may be nicer too?

[dweller25]

2 hours ago, Stu said:

Perhaps this should be in a different thread, but has anyone used both 180 and 210 Mewlons? Any views on the relative merits? I’m tempted at some point (when I’ve sold a few scopes and have some money 🤪) to buy another having had a 210 before. Cooling was always a challenge on the 210, not sure I ever got it right, and there is something that might make me prefer the lighter, faster cooling 180. 6 smaller diffraction spikes may be nicer too?

I have had both, the extra mass of the 210 made it harder to cool down and keep up to dropping evening temperatures in the evening. 
Even with active cooling the M180 can take 90 minutes to fully cool down but when it does it matches the planetary performance of the FS128.
A fully cooled M210 will probably be close to a 140 APO on the planets and deep sky will be better than the M180.
I prefer the 6 spikes as they are much less noticeable.

Overall I did not like the M210 as much as the M180 as it was frustrating to use.

Edited March 13 by dweller25

[dweller25]

@Stu

The Mewlon secret weapon…

If Tak made it, it would cost £150 🤣

 

Edited March 13 by dweller25

[JeremyS]

9 minutes ago, dweller25 said:

@Stu

The Mewlon secret weapon…

If Tak made it, it would cost £150 🤣

…just for the battery

[DirkSteele]

Forecast was not promising last night for the monthly Baker Street Irregular Astronomers star party in Regent’s Park so I decided to just take the baby. And then loaded him up with an eyepiece that weighs almost as much as he does….

[Nicola Fletcher]

1 hour ago, DirkSteele said:

Forecast was not promising last night for the monthly Baker Street Irregular Astronomers star party in Regent’s Park so I decided to just take the baby. And then loaded him up with an eyepiece that weighs almost as much as he does….

That’s absolutely brilliant 😂 talk about confusing members of the public - ‘Where do I look?’ Is a valid question! 

 

11 hours ago, dweller25 said:

Overall I did not like the M210 as much as the M180 as it was frustrating to use.

I’m glad you think that @dweller25. I had a hard time choosing between the two. I read everything online that I could and went for the 180. Cool-down time and mounting requirements were my biggest concerns. I got a clear plastic box for the scope and I just put it outside a few hours before use. I really like the fan on the front of it too and will get one for it. In the end, it would be ideal to try these scopes before you buy one but unfortunately I don’t have any neighbours that have both a 180’ and 210! 🙄

[DirkSteele]

Had a good session last night with the Tak FC-100. Plenty of Open Clusters, a few globs and a Galaxy or two.

 

[John]

On 14/03/2024 at 08:34, Nicola Fletcher said:

That’s absolutely brilliant 😂 talk about confusing members of the public - ‘Where do I look?’ Is a valid question! 

 

I’m glad you think that @dweller25. I had a hard time choosing between the two. I read everything online that I could and went for the 180. Cool-down time and mounting requirements were my biggest concerns. I got a clear plastic box for the scope and I just put it outside a few hours before use. I really like the fan on the front of it too and will get one for it. In the end, it would be ideal to try these scopes before you buy one but unfortunately I don’t have any neighbours that have both a 180’ and 210! 🙄

Thats a good solution to cool down.

And I already have the clear plastic box ......... 🤔

 

[dweller25]

On 15/04/2024 at 09:52, John said:

Thats a good solution to cool down.

And I already have the clear plastic box ......... 🤔

 

I have a plastic box too now 🙂

[Mr Spock]

Terrific lunar session last night. I was at it for hours. Stopped half way to take in a few doubles.

Views through the 3.5mm LVW were magical - x211.

[Space Hopper]

@Mr Spockgood to hear the LVW 3.5 is performing well ; i had mine out last night as well 🙂