Franklin Posted March 5 Author Share Posted March 5 2 hours ago, Alan White said: but not at the cost of rejecting other makes of kit, I have a couple of Skywatcher 6x30 finders and some Baader filters, so I am not entirely a 100% Vixen purist🙂. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan White Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 11 minutes ago, Franklin said: I have a couple of Skywatcher 6x30 finders and some Baader filters, so I am not entirely a 100% Vixen purist🙂. Really, how could you do that 😉😉 Go hide those finders straight away! Keep the filters though as not seen Vixen filters other than a immediately binned solar one. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franklin Posted March 5 Author Share Posted March 5 7 minutes ago, Alan White said: Really, how could you do that 😉😉 Go hide those finders straight away! Keep the filters though as not seen Vixen filters other than a immediately binned solar one. The Vixen 7x50 illuminated reticle finder is really good but unfortunately "straight through" and I just can't use it. The SW 6x30 right angled finders work very well and I prefer them. I do have a set Vixen colour filters from back in the day but they don't get used, the Vixen ND filter is quite nice though. Not really a filter user, my Baader ones are an ND0.9, UHC-S, OIII and Neodymium, but they don't get used much to be honest. My most used filter is the Baader SC with the Lunt wedge. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeremyS Posted March 5 Share Posted March 5 I use a Vixen 50mm illuminated finder on my C11. Far better than the Celestron finder provided. But I’m a stickler for OEM finders on my Taks 😊 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1964 Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 I really fancy the VMC110L. A Mak that sits between the ubiquitous 102 and 127. I really wish more manufacturers would look at that point. Mind you I suppose a 5" Schmidt cassegrain meets my desire for a bit more aperture than a 102 but not the focal length of the 127.... But outside of a C5 what to choose... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
900SL Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 A lovely 'skulk' of Vixen equipment. Enjoy! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixies Posted March 8 Share Posted March 8 I must admit that I have benefitted from some of Tim's cast-offs! Was watching an apparently rare Vixen 120S on a Japanese auction site last week - but thought better of risking trying to get it delivered to the UK! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franklin Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 (edited) On 08/03/2023 at 15:00, Pixies said: Was watching an apparently rare Vixen 120S on a Japanese auction site last week - but thought better of risking trying to get it delivered to the UK! Japan auctions are great if you're looking for a "hard to find" eyepiece or something that is small but of high value. With scopes and mounts you'll get clobbered with the shipping costs big style, which is a shame because there's some incredible kit on there. Edited March 10 by Franklin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franklin Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 On 07/03/2023 at 19:04, Marc1964 said: I really fancy the VMC110L. This is a scope from Vixens starter line-up. Not really a Vixen but made in China, unlike the VMC200 and VC200 which are Vixen Japan made. I had one for a while and it was a nice little grab and go scope and the optics were very good. The internal flip-mirror design is a nice idea but unfortunately it caused some collimation issues when in the 90deg position. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1964 Posted March 10 Share Posted March 10 12 hours ago, Franklin said: This is a scope from Vixens starter line-up. Not really a Vixen but made in China, unlike the VMC200 and VC200 which are Vixen Japan made. I had one for a while and it was a nice little grab and go scope and the optics were very good. The internal flip-mirror design is a nice idea but unfortunately it caused some collimation issues when in the 90deg position. Well one day I may find one in good nick at a less than extortionate price! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franklin Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 (edited) 24 minutes ago, Marc1964 said: Well one day I may find one in good nick at a less than extortionate price! Yes, I don't think they're worth what they retailed for, Vixen charge silly prices and you can get a similar scope from the likes of Skywatcher and others for far less. I practically gave mine away, under £50 I think but it did have a few cosmetic scars. There's one on the Japan auctions right now, probably go for a bit more than what it says plus shipping. Edited March 10 by Franklin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1964 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 13 hours ago, Franklin said: Yes, I don't think they're worth what they retailed for, Vixen charge silly prices and you can get a similar scope from the likes of Skywatcher and others for far less. I practically gave mine away, under £50 I think but it did have a few cosmetic scars. There's one on the Japan auctions right now, probably go for a bit more than what it says plus shipping. I don't suppose you could insert a link to the Japan Auction please? Thanks! I dread to think what the import taxes would be but... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franklin Posted March 11 Author Share Posted March 11 24 minutes ago, Marc1964 said: I don't suppose you could insert a link to the Japan Auction please? Thanks! I dread to think what the import taxes would be but... Just google "Buyee" and it's the "Yahoo auctions" then search for Vixen VMC110, should still come up if it's still running. There would be no import charges only the Buyee fee for packing, checking and insurance which is 1000yen (about £6.50) and the shipping (guesstimate £40 for something that size and weight). So you'd probably be looking at about £50 on top of whatever it sold for. You have to register and open an account using PP or your card. Nothing dodgy about any of it and i've used it a lot and think it's an amazing service, far better than Ebay and the delivery times from Japan are unbelievably quick. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franklin Posted March 11 Author Share Posted March 11 (edited) Just had a look myself, 19 bidders and at £75 now with 3 hrs left on the auction. Bet it will end at around £120. If it did it would end up costing around £170 which is quite high imo. Vixen VMC110L 鏡筒のみ /【Buyee】 "Buyee" Japanese Proxy Service | Buy from Japan! bot-online Edited March 11 by Franklin 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc1964 Posted March 11 Share Posted March 11 5 minutes ago, Franklin said: Just had a look myself, 19 bidders and at £75 now with 3 hrs left on the auction. Bet it will end at around £120. If it did it would end up costing around £170 which is quite high imo. Vixen VMC110L 鏡筒のみ /【Buyee】 "Buyee" Japanese Proxy Service | Buy from Japan! bot-online Just taken a look and yes would be quite high. I will lurk on this site for a bit and see what comes up in the future. Thanks for the guidance! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixies Posted March 12 Share Posted March 12 On 11/03/2023 at 09:37, Marc1964 said: Just taken a look and yes would be quite high. I will lurk on this site for a bit and see what comes up in the future. Thanks for the guidance! It's very good for eyepieces and smaller items. Pretty much all my LVWs and SLVs have come from here - at around £50-£80 each. Be aware, if a 17mm LVW ever comes up on it, I will be bidding! Note though. If you buy from a retailer on the site, or the value is significant (over £100 say) you are much more likely to end up paying import duties / VAT. I'd estimate I've been landed an extra bill from DHL about 20% of the time. If you are getting a few things and accept their offer to combine into one single parcel, it always seems to get caught. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Franklin Posted March 12 Author Share Posted March 12 1 hour ago, Pixies said: If you are getting a few things and accept their offer to combine into one single parcel, it always seems to get caught. Package consolidation, no thanks! Protective packaging is another one to avoid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inspectapart Posted May 26 Share Posted May 26 Very nice collection. A nice vintage 102 fls would have been a nice addition and I think then you would have covered the field. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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