What did the postman bring? V2

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

Thats correct Sunshine..and mine is 99008, so 1999 build, and the 8th one of that year, so probably built in January 1999.

Built? Takahashi scopes are not built. They are lovingly crafted and have life breathed into them by highly skilled artisans deploying the mysteries of precision instrument creators 

Edited December 14, 2023 by JeremyS

[F15Rules]

20 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

Built? Takahashi scopes are not built. They are lovingly crafted and have life breathed into them by highly skilled artisans deploying the mysteries of precision instrument creators 

Have you been drinking this evening, Jeremy?? 🤔🙃

Dave

[JeremyS]

3 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

Have you been drinking this evening, Jeremy?? 🤔🙃

Dave

I’ve only been drinking in starlight gently, but precisely and reassuringly, bent by superbly handcrafted crystals of fluorite, Dave.

[F15Rules]

8 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I’ve only been drinking in starlight gently, but precisely and reassuringly, bent by superbly handcrafted crystals of fluorite, Dave.

That's cleared that up then..so, was it Merlot or Rioja??🤔😁

[Telescope40]

1 hour ago, F15Rules said:

Thats correct Sunshine..and mine is 99008, so 1999 build, and the 8th one of that year, so probably built in January 1999..

John (@Telescope40) said: "Mine is - 99025 -  A 1999 scope, number 25 of that year". 

John, our scopes are only 17 build unit numbers apart, so virtually sisters (or brothers!)😊

Dave

Hello Dave. Yes. I think we checked this out when I became a lucky owner. 
Funny to think they might have been only hours,days,weeks apart on the Tak production line 👍👍

John 

[Sunshine]

1 hour ago, JeremyS said:

Built? Takahashi scopes are not built. They are lovingly crafted and have life breathed into them by highly skilled artisans deploying the mysteries of precision instrument creators 

Oh this does nothing to relieve the stereotypes associated with Tak owners, but you are right. 😄

Edited December 14, 2023 by Sunshine

[John]

Lovely scopes, both the 125 and the 128 👍

I wonder how many FS-128's were made annually ?

 

[Hans Joakim]

55 minutes ago, JeremyS said:

I’ve only been drinking in starlight gently, but precisely and reassuringly, bent by superbly handcrafted crystals of fluorite, Dave.

Aha! https://alternativedistribution.com.au/product/fluorite-water-bottle/

Jeremy has had his spiritual detox it seems!

Edited December 14, 2023 by Hans Joakim

[IB20]

2 hours ago, F15Rules said:

Nice scope!!👍

Once you add finder, diagonal, eyepiece, (and binoviewers?), you'll be able to push the scope much farther back towards the focuser..maybe a beefier dovetail too?

Dave

I asked FLO about the dovetail and they said it should be fine which it is but agree, I may get a longer one. Not had much luck with BVs so far but the focused travel looks long, maybe this is the scope that’ll work with them!

I’ll stick an XW on the end of it, that’ll right it. 😅

 

[Zermelo]

13 minutes ago, Hans Joakim said:

Aha! https://alternativedistribution.com.au/product/fluorite-water-bottle/

Jeremy has had his spiritual detox it seems!

That is hilarious, thanks for sharing.

Even with all the new age language, it accidentally managed to hit the spot: "Fluorite ... aids in staying focused"

[Whistlin Bob]

Vixen x-y adjuster- courtesy of @Franklin. Will be very handy for my little dual rig - a lot easier than the shims and tweaks I have been using!

[Paz]

3 hours ago, IB20 said:

I asked FLO about the dovetail and they said it should be fine which it is but agree, I may get a longer one.

 

I upgraded from the 200mm dovetail bar to a 220mm the point being I didn't want to have to move the scope through the rings out in the field. I found 220mm wasn't enough and then got a 300mm dovetail bar and I'm happy now. This allows me to balance whether I'm just using a tak prism with an SLV, or if I've got a pair of Delos in a binoviewer plus a 10x50 finder hanging on the focuser.

Note that the handle only fits with the rings at 200mm, if the rings are further apart then the handle won't fit.

[badhex]

18 hours ago, Ratlet said:

AliExpress is a financial oddity.  The price can fluctuate wildly depending on exchange rate and any offers.  Can get some fantastic bargains though

Agreed. Quite a few people had mentioned that they'd seen or bought the Zoom for about £75 from Svbony's official storefront, but I could only see it at about £110. I then searched again a few hours later and found it at £75 from Svbony's 'microscope storefront' 🤷

I've bought one or two other bits and bobs but overall I find it a bit hit and miss - long shipping times are understandable but a bit annoying, especially if the thing doesn't turn up which has happened more than once. That said there's some really interesting stuff, electronics etc, that you can't really see anywhere else. 

[Ratlet]

6 minutes ago, badhex said:

Agreed. Quite a few people had mentioned that they'd seen or bought the Zoom for about £75 from Svbony's official storefront, but I could only see it at about £110. I then searched again a few hours later and found it at £75 from Svbony's 'microscope storefront' 🤷

I've bought one or two other bits and bobs but overall I find it a bit hit and miss - long shipping times are understandable but a bit annoying, especially if the thing doesn't turn up which has happened more than once. That said there's some really interesting stuff, electronics etc, that you can't really see anywhere else. 

I was going to post here but wanted to include some examples, so I just created a different post.

There are 2 official SVBONY stores, one of them used for the 'Choice' discounts, and the difference in price between the two stores can be quite large.

 

[JeremyS]

Another old book

[F15Rules]

20 hours ago, John said:

Lovely scopes, both the 125 and the 128 👍

I wonder how many FS-128's were made annually ?

 

Hi John,

Thats a good question.. I do suspect that a good number were sold in Japan and the USA, but not so much in the UK, EU etc.

I'm aware, I think, of 6 or so in the UK and 1 in Australia, so not what you'd call a common scope compared to the more modern FC100 range..

Dave

[Franklin]

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

Another old book

Are you starting a library by any chance?

[SwiMatt]

No postman involved, but I finally got myself a chair! Super portable, I can just put it in the bag with the Mak. Very happy with this. 

Someone on the forum suggested this to me a while ago, but I don't remember who... sorry about that!!

 

[Elp]

8 hours ago, SwiMatt said:

chair

I've got one of these (different brand, well no brand), great for taking to a dark site included with your equipment bag, minimal footprint and weight, also useful as a makeshift accessory table. Surprisingly comfortable and stable but does hurt the knees after a long while.

Edited December 16, 2023 by Elp

[PeterStudz]

An Astronomik UHC filter courtesy of @PeterC65. In superb as good as new condition. Thanks once more Peter. 
 

[Zermelo]

22 minutes ago, PeterStudz said:

An Astronomik UHC filter courtesy of @PeterC65.

I've heard of astro suppliers throwing in a bag of sweets with each order, but I think Peter goes one better with a free gift of juggling balls.

[bosun21]

Postie dropped off a SW electric focuser. Now fitted to the new scope. Just waiting for first light and some planetary imaging.

 

[Hans Joakim]

New Willmann-Bell additions to my astro library. The Uranometria volumes are the 1987-1988 versions, in perfect conditions, and were acquired from a fellow SGLer. Thanks again for passing them on, it was a pleasure doing business with you! Can’t wait to use them. Also looking forward to reading up on telescope designs and about orbital calculations in analogue times. 

Edited December 16, 2023 by Hans Joakim

[JeremyS]

1 hour ago, Hans Joakim said:

New Willmann-Bell additions to my astro library. The Uranometria volumes are the 1987-1988 versions, in perfect conditions, and were acquired from a fellow SGLer. Thanks again for passing them on, it was a pleasure doing business with you! Can’t wait to use them. Also looking forward to reading up on telescope designs and about orbital calculations in analogue times. 

I’m more interested in those lovely Nikon eyepieces 🤣

[Alan White]

I played courier and collected, so not what the postie brought at all.

In an attempt to out Vixen, the Vixen King himself aka @Franklin…..

I now have a second Vixen HAL tripod, really nice bit of kit and has a favoured name on it too

 

Mind you, got talking about SX mounts while collecting from a fellow SGLer and it’s wafted the flames