FC125

[mikeDnight]

 Get your piggy banks ready!

[jetstream]

Whats goin on Mike?!!

[mikeDnight]

12 minutes ago, jetstream said:

Whats goin on Mike?!!

Just thought I'd post it with it being April 1st. The jokes on me though as I should have done it this morning. Never mind,  at least it got your heart racing, and you know deep inside that Takahashi will eventually hit us with a 5" fluorite just when we're at our weakest.

Sorry Gerry, I feel mean now!  What a rat-bag!!

Edited April 1, 2023 by mikeDnight

[jetstream]

Just now, mikeDnight said:

Just thought I'd post it with it being April 1st. The jokes on me though as I should have done it this morning. Never mind,  at least it cot your heart racing, and you know deep inside that Takahashi will eventually hit us with a 5" fluorite just when we're at our weakest.

Sorry Gerry, I feel mean now! 

Oh man!! I was ready to buy one! Got me lol I really want another Tak to go with the TAk tattoo I'm getting!

Yes, this was mean.😐

[Space Hopper]

5" Fluorite...?

There's not many of them about......😉

[jetstream]

I was really really excited because of the extra 5mm of aperture over my TSA120- it is after all an extra 5mm of Takahashi aperture! and this could be a game changer visually.

[Highburymark]

You had me fooled for a second Mike……Much as I would love a 120/125mm FC - presuming it would be enough of a weight saving over the 6.7KG TSA-120 - I don’t think it would make sense financially for Tak considering the 100 DZ is now almost £3k. What would another 25mm of aperture add to the price? It would cost almost as much as the TSA. Maybe if they killed off the TSA-120, so a 125mm DZ could challenge Agema for best 5” fluorite doublet, and that would leave the TOA as the only Tak triplet? 

[jetstream]

19 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

125mm DZ could challenge Agema for best 5” fluorite doublet,

If things work out we are going for a Florida vacation next winter and hope to attend the winter star party. I also hope to look through TECs, Taks, Agema and A-P. Should be a great comparison under Florida seeing.

[Space Hopper]

Will you be going to NEAF as well ? I don't think its too far from you....?
Only a couple of weeks away.......

[jetstream]

8 hours ago, Space Hopper said:

Will you be going to NEAF as well ? I don't think its too far from you....?
Only a couple of weeks away.......

Is that in New York? if so its over a thousand miles. Id like to but... Im to busy observing and snowmobiling.

[JeremyS]

5 hours ago, jetstream said:

Is that in New York? if so its over a thousand miles. Id like to but... Im to busy observing and snowmobiling.

Long way to snowmobil, Gerry. Good luck!

[jetstream]

4 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Long way to snowmobil, Gerry. Good luck!

Im thinking of it!!

The  TAKAHASHI TSA120 and its super fantastic, tough old school sand cast parts would be about the only refractor that would make the trip in one piece!

Thats why its called a SUPER APOCHROMAT

Dont want to hurt anyone whos optically fragile here ..

[dweller25]

Hello @mikeDnight, good joke,

BUT lets get real  - a Tak 5” Fluorite 😈😈

 

Edited April 2, 2023 by dweller25

[Highburymark]

Very nice…..     
In relation to the potential cost of a future FC-125 D, can anyone remember the new prices of the FS-128 and FS-102 when they were being produced? 

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, dweller25 said:

Hello @mikeDnight, good joke,

BUT lets get real  - a Tak 5” Fluorite 😈😈

 

 You have a cruel sense of humour Dave - possibly worse than mine!  

 I miss my FS128!! 

[mikeDnight]

1 hour ago, Highburymark said:

Very nice…..     
In relation to the potential cost of a future FC-125 D, can anyone remember the new prices of the FS-128 and FS-102 when they were being produced? 

My FS128 tube assembly with tube clamp, Mewlon dovetail, and 50mm finder & bracket cost me £3,850 from TruTek in early 2003. The FS152 at that time was around £10,200.00, and the FS102 was around £1,750 I think.

Here are a few mouthwatering catalogue images from the past, just to get your hearts pounding.

And then there was this-

 

Nick Hudson at TruTek was a truly great man who'd go to great lengths to deliver a great price.

My FC100DC & FC100DZ  invoices are proof of that.

Edited April 2, 2023 by mikeDnight

[Highburymark]

13 minutes ago, mikeDnight said:

My FS128 tube assembly with tube clamp, Mewlon dovetail, and 50mm finder & bracket cost me £3,850 from TruTek in early 2003. 

Thanks Mike - wow, quite a bit more than I thought. So probably around £3.5k without accessories. How much would that be today? At least £4.5k - significantly more than the £4k TSA-120. Sadly I think the FC-125 will remain a dream.

[mikeDnight]

33 minutes ago, Highburymark said:

Thanks Mike - wow, quite a bit more than I thought. So probably around £3.5k without accessories. How much would that be today? At least £4.5k - significantly more than the £4k TSA-120. Sadly I think the FC-125 will remain a dream.

I'd sell my wife and kids to get one. That should pay for the dovetail, so at least I'm part way there! 

[Highburymark]

Fantastic - thanks for posting the catalogues - looks like you got a very good deal with the DC. The OTA alone was around £1750 in 2016/17 when I got mine.     
So the 5” FS was more than double the price of the 4” !! Back in those days I only had a 4” Maksutov, so wasn’t aware of the more exotic end of the market. 

[F15Rules]

On 02/04/2023 at 17:53, Highburymark said:

Thanks Mike - wow, quite a bit more than I thought. So probably around £3.5k without accessories. How much would that be today? At least £4.5k - significantly more than the £4k TSA-120. Sadly I think the FC-125 will remain a dream.

Hi Mark,

I have the original receipt for my FS128, dated March 1999. Also bought from Tru Tek.

It included:

FS128 OTA, cradle, 50mm finder, EM2 equatorial  mount with RA Drive, Tak SL90 tripod, illuminated polar finderscope with reticule, Vari-Extender,(adjustable  barlow) and 2 LE eyepieces.

Total cost was £5295 less £95 discount.

The individual items weren't broken down by cost, but I think a likely individual cost of OTA, finder and cradle would have been around £3.5k as suggested by Mike.

The tripod shown is not the Tak one, which I replaced with this more stable one, and I replaced the excellent original finder with a RACI one to save my neck!

HTH,

Dave

 

Edited April 9, 2023 by F15Rules
Typo

[Highburymark]

Very interesting Dave - thanks for posting. £3,500 in 1999 would be £7,315 today accounting for inflation. Or £5,500 would be £11,495. Puts today’s prices into perspective. TSA-120 triplet is just over £4k for the OTA.

[F15Rules]

I should also have mentioned that since the scope photos I've  fitted a Tak Micro Edge Focuser (MEF3) 3 7:1 microfocuser which I found in great used condition.

These are still available for some current Takahashi refractors at £247.

They need adjusting every so often but mine works very well, particularly for high power fine focusing.

I know some observers like the Feathertouch focuser for Taks but at over £1k for a complete FT replacement  focuser for the FS128 I'm quite happy with the original👍

Dave

[JeremyS]

6 hours ago, F15Rules said:

Hi Mark,

I have the original receipt for my FS128, dated March 1999. Also bought from Tru Tek.

It included:

FS128 OTA, cradle, 50mm finder, EM2 equatorial  mount with RA Drive, Tak SL90 tripod, illuminated polar finderscope with reticule, Vari-Extender,(adjustable  barlow) and 2 LE eyepieces.

Total cost was £5295 less £95 discount.

The individual items weren't broken down by cost, but I think a likely individual cost of OTA, finder and cradle would have been around £3.5k as suggested by Mike.

The tripod shown is not the Tak one, which I replaced with this more stable one, and I replaced the excellent original finder with a RACI one to save my neck!

HTH,

Dave

 

Just noticed the OTA has Takahashi written on it (In addition to on the dewcap). Is that original, Dave, as far as you know?

[F15Rules]

Hi Jeremy,

Yes, I believe it is. I'm only the 2nd owner and the first owner hardly used the scope . He stored it unused for  c12 years and it was literally like new when I collected it back in 2017.

I've never actually seen another FS128 "in the flesh" so to speak, and it never occured to me that mine might be unusual in any way (apart from being rare in the UK). Why do you ask?

Dave

[JeremyS]

37 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

Hi Jeremy,

Yes, I believe it is. I'm only the 2nd owner and the first owner hardly used the scope . He stored it unused for  c12 years and it was literally like new when I collected it back in 2017.

I've never actually seen another FS128 "in the flesh" so to speak, and it never occured to me that mine might be unusual in any way (apart from being rare in the UK). Why do you ask?

Dave

I only ask as I don’t recall seeing it before (ok, and second reason is I’m a Tak nerd). Perhaps on some scopes it’s hidden by the clamshell . My FS 102, of a similar vintage, does not have it.

Maybe @mikeDnight recalls if his FS128 had that marking.