I am torn…128 vs 126

[Telescope40]

Great stuff. You will enjoy - from a fellow owner 😀

Regards   John 

[josefk]

very lovely indeed @Sunshine - congrats

[MalcolmM]

4 hours ago, Sunshine said:

I have the beauty! It is late and I must be at work early, will report tomorrow!

What a beautiful looking telescope! And big too! I'm sure the views through that will be outstanding!

Malcolm (very envious )

 

[Sunshine]

Any Ideas regarding which losmandy plate would be suited for the Tak FS128 cradle? I have yet to mount the scope on my alt az, I assume maybe ADM or someone makes an adapter from cradle to dovetail.

[JeremyS]

4 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

Any Ideas regarding which losmandy plate would be suited for the Tak FS128 cradle? I have yet to mount the scope on my alt az, I assume maybe ADM or someone makes an adapter from cradle to dovetail.

For my TSA 120 which has the Tak cradle, I use an ADM D series dovetail. This is made for Tak cradles. I think it is this:

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/adm-7-d-series-losmandy-style-bar-to-suit-takahashi-clamshell.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA98WrBhAYEiwA2WvhOvUWb5-Wume-PoiyVAA6p6f70fI6by5TEJpUmoD1OlWMQSwE9PSm8RoCE8wQAvD_BwE

This of course assumes your mount accepts Losmandy D series dovetails 

[Sunshine]

This is exactly what i need, and yes my mount accepts D series and Vixen, I wonder if the round cutout on the plate is same size for 120 and 128 cradles, i would assume but the cradle for the 128 is big!

[Saganite]

Congratulations !

I have held one, but never looked through one , so is on my bucket list...

Edited December 7, 2023 by Saganite

[Sunshine]

2 hours ago, JeremyS said:

For my TSA 120 which has the Tak cradle, I use an ADM D series dovetail. This is made for Tak cradles. I think it is this:

https://www.rothervalleyoptics.co.uk/adm-7-d-series-losmandy-style-bar-to-suit-takahashi-clamshell.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA98WrBhAYEiwA2WvhOvUWb5-Wume-PoiyVAA6p6f70fI6by5TEJpUmoD1OlWMQSwE9PSm8RoCE8wQAvD_BwE

This of course assumes your mount accepts Losmandy D series dovetails 

Are the round seats under the cradles with  the two screw holes the same diameter seat between the different size tak cradles? Just wondering as the cradle for the 128 is huge, it would make sense if Tak kept the deameter of the seat the same on the varying sized cradles. But then again, were talking Tak, they do strange things. 
 

This diameter, i would assume it is the same for a 120 and 128, or i would have to order a losmandy plate specifically for a 128 sized cradle. Not the screw hole size, but the cutout where the cradle seat sits.

Edited December 7, 2023 by Sunshine

[JeremyS]

I think it’s a standard size, but better check with your vendor/ADM to be sure.

I ordered mine from FLO here in the UK at the same time as my TSA 120 package with clamshell.

[Telescope40]

Hello. I use this one with my FS128.  Clamshell attaches nicely. I feel it is safe everytime I mount the OTA.   HTH 

Farpoint Dovetail Plate - Takahashi Clamshell -Two Mounting Positions – FarpointAstro

 

John 

[Sunshine]

Super excited about a huge coincidence regarding my FS128 cradle and my mount, I wasn’t able to mount the scope because I needed the losmandy/Tak plate which os ordered and will ship soon. This left me without use of the scope for perhaps two weeks at most, major bummer. While tinkering with the scope I happened to notice that the bolts which hold the dual saddles on the mount looked like they were spaced apart by the same distance as the holes on the Tak cradle. Just by chance I removed one saddle and held the cradle to the holes, I was stunned to see they are the exact distance apart and the same bolts! What are the odds?? I simply temporarily removed one saddle and screwed the cradle right to the mount, tight and perfectly aligned, the mount behaves just as though the sscope were mounted on the saddle via a plate. Amazing! can’t believe my luck! 

 

 

Edited December 9, 2023 by Sunshine

[Sunshine]

12 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

Super excited about a huge coincidence regarding my FS128 cradle and my mount, I wasn’t able to mount the scope because I needed the losmandy/Tak plate which os ordered and will ship soon. This left me without use of the scope for perhaps two weeks at most, major bummer. While tinkering with the scope I happened to notice that the bolts which hold the dual saddles on the mount looked like they were spaced apart by the same distance as the holes on the Tak cradle. Just by chance I removed one saddle and held the cradle to the holes, I was stunned to see they are the exact distance apart and the same bolts! What are the odds?? I simply temporarily removed one saddle and screwed the cradle right to the mount, tight and perfectly aligned, the mount behaves just as though the sscope were mounted on the saddle via a plate. Amazing! can’t believe my luck! 

 

[John]

That looks the business 😁👍

 

[Sunshine]

17 minutes ago, John said:

That looks the business 😁👍

 

It’s HUGE! compared to my 102, it’s big bertha! The behemoth in your avatar looks the business lol

Edited December 9, 2023 by Sunshine

[John]

36 minutes ago, Sunshine said:

It’s HUGE! compared to my 102, it’s big bertha! The behemoth in your avatar looks the business lol

My avatar is a 5 inch F/12 Cooke refractor owned by Sir Patrick Moore. 

My 130mm F/9.2 is a LOT bigger than my ED120mm. When a true 5 inches is reached refractors seem to get bigger rapidly 😲

Edited December 9, 2023 by John

[Sunshine]

13 minutes ago, John said:

My avatar is a 5 inch F/12 Cooke refractor owned by Sir Patrick Moore. 

My 130mm F/9.2 is a LOT bigger than my ED120mm. When a true 5 inches is reached refractors seem to get bigger rapidly 😲

Refractors are awesome, many scope designs in our hobby, but refractors are just so classic.

[Roy Challen]

3 hours ago, Sunshine said:

 Just by chance I removed one saddle and held the cradle to the holes, I was stunned to see they are the exact distance apart and the same bolts! What are the odds??

 

 

Not luck, not coincidence, design. I believe that all Tak cradles have the same bolt hole spacing - 35mm iirc. I had the same thing when I bought my FS60-CB early this year. The cradle bolted directly to my 40+ year old Tak mount. Very convenient 😃

Btw, I like your front (?) room, looks like a telescope showroom 👍

Edited December 9, 2023 by Roy Challen

[Sunshine]

57 minutes ago, Roy Challen said:

Not luck, not coincidence, design. I believe that all Tak cradles have the same bolt hole spacing - 35mm iirc. I had the same thing when I bought my FS60-CB early this year. The cradle bolted directly to my 40+ year old Tak mount. Very convenient 😃

Btw, I like your front (?) room, looks like a telescope showroom 👍

Thanks! That’s a corner of my basement meant to be my scope corner, gotta have a scope corner.

[Sunshine]

Dust cap insanity, I am compelled to find an alternative to the monstrosity of a dust cap on the FS128. A dust cap that weighs in at an ounce short of a pound is hilarious! this hulking metalic man hole cover throws my alt az mount off balance when removing it, so much so that I must be sure to tighten the friction knob as tight as possible and have a hand on the OTA when removing the cap. This is crazy, must a dust cap be bulletproof? I will see what alternatives I can find/make that will protect and yet be mich lighter. This cap can serve as a spare rim for my Toyota.

Edited December 9, 2023 by Sunshine

[josefk]

1 hour ago, Sunshine said:

Dust cap insanity, I am compelled to find an alternative to the monstrosity of a dust cap on the FS128. A dust cap that weighs in at an ounce short of a pound is hilarious! this hulking metalic man hole cover throws my alt az mount off balance when removing it, so much so that I must be sure to tighten the friction knob as tight as possible and have a hand on the OTA when removing the cap. This is crazy, must a dust cap be bulletproof? I will see what alternatives I can find/make that will protect and yet be mich lighter. This cap can serve as a spare rim for my Toyota.

If you manage to find the Tak “shower cap”  “sailors hat” style soft lens cap in ~130mm friendly sizes for sale anywhere (as used on the Mewlon I think) be sure to post on here as I would fancy one myself. 

[Stu]

6 hours ago, Sunshine said:

Dust cap insanity, I am compelled to find an alternative to the monstrosity of a dust cap on the FS128. A dust cap that weighs in at an ounce short of a pound is hilarious! this hulking metalic man hole cover throws my alt az mount off balance when removing it, so much so that I must be sure to tighten the friction knob as tight as possible and have a hand on the OTA when removing the cap. This is crazy, must a dust cap be bulletproof? I will see what alternatives I can find/make that will protect and yet be mich lighter. This cap can serve as a spare rim for my Toyota.

Sacrilege! 🤪 I love the cap but do totally agree that removing it can mess with balance. I’m reassured that if ever anyone steals my manhole cover, I have a spare 🤪.

More seriously, have a look at LensCoat Hoodies. These are soft covers with a hard insert for a bit of extra protection. I would think the XXX large which is 6.25” to 7” or XXXX large which is 7” to 7.75” would suit. The larger one would likely.be easier and they are long enough to stay on by ‘vacuum’ pressure. You could even have a camo one if you wanted to hide the Tak 🤣

https://www.lenscoat.com/lenscoat�-hoodie�-large-black-p-395.html?page=6

[JeremyS]

+1 for lenscoat. I have used on on my FS 102 in place of its manhole cover.

[Alan White]

Nice arrival @Sunshine 👍
The purchase I fully expected from your initial posting, congratulations.

As to the Manhole Cover lens cap, I have never understood why they made or fitted them,
perhaps the tube is old drain pipe and the cover fitted 😉 I joke obviously....pleas Tak mob forgive my humour.

I look forward to the enthusiastic first light report.

 

[F15Rules]

Late to this great thread, so firstly, many congratulations to Sunshine on your fine acquisition, its great to see your delight, I well recall feeling the very same when I acquired my "Trinity" almost 7 years ago.. see thread below:  

Mine is a 1999 build and she sits on a Tak EM2s equatorial.mount of 1998 vintage. Both of them could fairly be described  as being in "mint" condition for their age: Takahashi make stuff to last!

A few quick points having used mine quite a lot since 2017..

1. The clamshell is IMHO a work of art and so much easier to handle than tube rings, having a single very large knurled knob to adjust the tube position & orientation.

2. The retaining sunken hex bolts are I believe M6 threaded at 35mm centres and will readily fit most Vixen style dovetails to attach the clamshell to a mount.

3. The "FS" Moniker simply means Front Surface, referring to the fact that new (at that time), hard coatings became available cost effectively which would protect the previously vulnerable and uncoated Fluorite element. This initiative, according to Takahashi, allowed the very best control of light scatter available, even better than the previous "Fluorite element at the back" configuration.

4. The Clamshell (aka Manhole Cover) was probably designed specifically for the FS doublets precisely to protect them from the possibility of knocks and bumps..better safe than sorry, I think, given that these Fluorite objective elements would be virtually impossible to replace today! I cheerfully use mine when the scope is not in use - it only necessitates a single rebalancing adjustment at the start of the viewing session.

5. At 7.5kg sans finder, diagonal etc, the OTA is remarkably light for it's size, and a joy to use under the stars.

6. The sometimes maligned focuser is actually very solid, robust and smooth if you take the time to "fettle it" properly. The optional MEF3 7:1 microfocuser is an excellent addition, again take the time to adjust it properly.

Enjoy using your new scope, and you can now discard the junk scopes sitting behind it in your scope.corner! (only joking!😂).

Dave

 

 

[Sunshine]

9 minutes ago, F15Rules said:

Late to this great thread, so firstly, many congratulations to Sunshine on your fine acquisition, its great to see your delight, I well recall feeling the very same when I acquired my "Trinity" almost 7 years ago.. see thread below:  

Mine is a 1999 build and she sits on a Tak EM2s equatorial.mount of 1998 vintage. Both of them could fairly be described  as being in "mint" condition for their age: Takahashi make stuff to last!

A few quick points having used mine quite a lot since 2017..

1. The clamshell is IMHO a work of art and so much easier to handle than tube rings, having a single very large knurled knob to adjust the tube position & orientation.

2. The retaining sunken hex bolts are I believe M6 threaded at 35mm centres and will readily fit most Vixen style dovetails to attach the clamshell to a mount.

3. The "FS" Moniker simply means Front Surface, referring to the fact that new (at that time), hard coatings became available cost effectively which would protect the previously vulnerable and uncoated Fluorite element. This initiative, according to Takahashi, allowed the very best control of light scatter available, even better than the previous "Fluorite element at the back" configuration.

4. The Clamshell (aka Manhole Cover) was probably designed specifically for the FS doublets precisely to protect them from the possibility of knocks and bumps..better safe than sorry, I think, given that these Fluorite objective elements would be virtually impossible to replace today! I cheerfully use mine when the scope is not in use - it only necessitates a single rebalancing adjustment at the start of the viewing session.

5. At 7.5kg sans finder, diagonal etc, the OTA is remarkably light for it's size, and a joy to use under the stars.

6. The sometimes maligned focuser is actually very solid, robust and smooth if you take the time to "fettle it" properly. The optional MEF3 7:1 microfocuser is an excellent addition, again take the time to adjust it properly.

Enjoy using your new scope, and you can now discard the junk scopes sitting behind it in your scope.corner! (only joking!😂).

Dave

 

 

Thank you! I can't wait to look through your post 7 years ago, you've had lots of time to enjoy it and figure out its quirks, thank you for the advice! 

PS: I can't count how many times I have seen images of your 128 with stars in my eyes, and a little despair at the thought of never finding one.

Edited December 11, 2023 by Sunshine