Opinión on FS 60 CB/Q.

[tico]

Hello,
I'm looking information on one good small refractor like the Takahashi. FS 60Q , for example.
I like observing the Moon, planets, some Messier brilliant, also Terres trial vistas, and for my astro-passion, observing double Star.
In your opinión how is this refractor for this purpose?
What mount you use?
And for eyepieces and magnificatión.. How is your arsenal?
In the field of double star visual observing it've good contrast and sharp image?

I'm looking information on one good small refractor like the Takahashi. FS 60Q , for example.

I like observing the Moon, planets, some Messier brilliant, also Terres trial vistas, and for my astro-passion, observing double Star.

In your opinión how is this refractor for this purpose?

What mount you use?

And for eyepieces and magnificatión.. How is your arsenal?

In the field of double star visual observing it've good contrast and sharp image?

Which is the diagonal star or the diagonal Prism that you use? 

I heard that the FS 60 have some problem for focus.. 

is true? 

Thank you very much.

Best regards,

Tico

[DirkSteele]

I have reviewed both of these scopes on my website.

 

http://alpha-lyrae.co.uk/2016/04/03/takahashi-fs-60-review/

 

http://alpha-lyrae.co.uk/2018/03/31/takahashi-fs-60q-review/

 

Love both, and the reviews should give you a lot of the info you seek.  But I will leave you part of the conclusions to consider....

From the FS-60 Review:

The baby Tak is perhaps one of the ultimate grab-and-go scopes available, especially for the internationally travelling astronomer, but unless you are really pressed for space or must always travel to do any kind of observing it should not be your primary scope.  It is expensive (OTA, clamshell and finder will set you back about £740 as of the date of this review) and you will see a lot more in a good 80mm scope and immeasurably more in an 8”.  But as a second (or in my case sixth) scope to compliment your main larger instrument, it is worth serious deliberation.

From the FS-60Q Review:

If you happen to be new to this hobby, the FS-60Q is definitely not for you.  Unless you always have to travel to observe or have no room to store a larger scope, you will receive far more bang for your buck buying a larger scope such as a 4” refractor or better yet a 6-8” reflector which will be easier to use and show you far more of the heavens than the little Takahashi ever could.

 

[tico]

I'm really looking for small and quality.
I have little time, my sky is unstable by nature, I already have an SCT 8"... but I barely use it because the cooling time is what I have..., my back is terrible, I have three locations in my backyard from where I can observe a small part of the sky... that is... I have to move the telescope to three different places,...,
what more can I say

Edited November 15, 2023 by Cornelius Varley
background colour to text removed

[Elp]

I've got a WOZ61, so similar experience. It's nice to see wide starfields with it, even planets though they're tiny. DSOs are quite difficult due to the short focal length. I generally don't use the C6 for visual other than on planets as it's too much focal length so star hopping becomes more difficult with it. A 4 inch refractor is a nice in between the two. Consider lightening your mount and a carbon fibre tripod is much better to move around than the steel tripods.

[DirkSteele]

15 minutes ago, tico said:

I'm really looking for small and quality.
I have little time, my sky is unstable by nature, I already have an SCT 8"... but I barely use it because the cooling time is what I have..., my back is terrible, I have three locations in my backyard from where I can observe a small part of the sky... that is... I have to move the telescope to three different places,...,
what more can I say

In which case, could be a perfect second scope.  I would say if you are considering Takahashi, the FC-76 is not that much heavier (i use the same mount and tripod combo with both) will show way, way more than the FS-60.

http://alpha-lyrae.co.uk/2017/03/12/takahashi-fc-76-dcu-review/

This is the upgrade module for the FS-60 but you could build it your self if you want the split tube without buying the FS-60 as well as detailed in the review, or just the regular OTA.  The reality is, you could even go to the FC-100DC (I just bought one two weeks ago) as it is still light weight at 2.8kg and I think the same mount and tripod will still work, and that is a big step up from the FC-76 and would blow the FS-60 away.

[MalcolmM]

@tico, your descriptions of your observing conditions, in my opinion, reinforce my reply to your PM. Everyone has different ideas of what small and light is and whereas a 100DC or 76DCU would indeed be light, I find the 60mm on a light mount and tripod so much easier to move about the garden than the 100 and 76. For me,  the compromise in aperture would be well worth it in order to have an ultra portable setup. And the reviews mentioned above, and the other ones I mentioned, show that the little 60mm can put up great views of the objects you are interested in.

This is what I consider portable; I don't normally have the finder attached so it's normally even smaller and lighter 🙂

[IB20]

The Tak 76DCU is a fabulous solar system scope. I’ve added the Q module to mine which makes it slightly longer and heavier but it’s now performing not far off a 4” with its increased magnification range.

Without the module it’s still a brilliant scope and very, very light and portable. The OTA is around 1.8-1.9kg and I can’t recommend it highly enough. 

Last night it took mere seconds to deploy and after 5 min cooling I was observing some fantastic views of the moon, Jupiter’s equatorial bands and Io’s shadow transiting the Great Red Spot.

Edited October 31, 2023 by IB20

[Elp]

7 minutes ago, MalcolmM said:

portable

DEFINED.

[YogSothoth]

There was an FS 60 in the for sale section, which might still be there