First light - Tak FS60-C fluorite doublet

[Omaroo]

Can't wait - getting the FS60-C with normal accessory list (finder, ring, adapters,etc) as well as a Nikon T-Mount and camera angle swivel adjuster. Paid the extra and will be getting it in 3 days from HK. It'll be mated to my Tak Teegul SP-II for a lightweight go-anywhere w/f imaging solution.

:cool:

[montewilson]

Congratulations! I love mine......

Did you order a field flattener? It needs one. I took a shot with a DSLR and while the middle of the shot is great the coma out a bit from the centre is not pretty.

Don't fret. It is a top scope and you will also love the views it gives with a wf eyepiece.

Regards

Monte

[Omaroo]

Thanks Monte. No, I didn't order an f/6.3 flattener. I can't imagine that the coma is bad - maybe it's just a relative thing to you, an experienced Tak owner? I'd be pretty disappointed if a scope of this quality required extra gear to correct what should already be a top-notch fluorite doublet. :shrug:

[Omaroo]

Monte - I've just managed to get the store in HK to include an f6/3 flattener in the package before he sent it today.

Thanks for the heads-up.

[avandonk]

Chris even the best APO doublets have field curvature. It is not coma but can resemble it. This is more apparent at shorter focal lengths. The FR/FF just flattens the field. As long as the FR/FF is a decent achromatic doublet no CA will be introduced to the final image.
Looking forward to seeing what it can do.
Bert

[Omaroo]

Cheers Burt. I understand what you're saying. Coma is relative I guess. Anyways - I'm looking forward to both visual (all reports state that for such a small aperture, visual is stunning) and photographic. I'm also ordering a Tak focal reducer to bring it down to f/4.4 - which should make it a fabulous wide field imaging scope. I'll post photies.

[Omaroo]

Monte/Gary Beal:

Do you guys know if I'm going to need a Tak diagonal to reach focus with typical 1.25" Plossls on this unit? I read on CN that some people have had difficulties because the average diagonal is optically too long, and don't provide enough in-travel?

[montewilson]

Firstly - I was wrong to say Coma, it is as was noted below, field curvature and the flattener will fix it.

You won't need a tak diagonal for the '60. It is the FSQ that has this problem. I used a cheap diagonal from a chinese scope and it worked fine. There is so much back focus with it. Actually to get it to focus striaght through you will need to the use two tube extenders that are part of the kit.

PS be careful when looking for the silver eyepiece holder. It should be wrapped in bubble wrap and is small enough to look like just a bit of packaging. I nearly threw mine out.

[Omaroo]

God to hear about the diag Monte - I was a tad worried that I'd have to source one before I got to use the scope. I'll keep an eye out for the EP adapter - thanks!

[gbeal]

Chris,
Monte has answered what I would only be guessing at, but if you do need a diagonal, and the 1.25" is what you select (as opposed to the 2" models), then you would be hard pressed to better the Tak prism anyway, and they are quite reasonable. Your HK source will be able to supply one as well.
Gary

[Omaroo]

Thanks heaps for your help and advice Gary - it's been much-appreciated. I'll get the Tak prism soon, but will see how the WO one I have goes until then. I'll look to get the 3rd party 2" adapter at some stage. Did you say you had one?

[gbeal]

No, I used to, but it went with the TSA when I sold it.
About all I have of note is a Baader 43mm/T thread adaptor, screws onto the rear of the Tak stuff, and gives a T Thread (male) output, so you can screw on the likes of an SBIG or others.

[montewilson]

The example I gave of the cheap diagonal was to infer that there is no need to use the genuine Tak article as you must with the FSQ.

The Tak diagonal would be a great addition but in the meantime no one will kick sand in your face if you are using a WO unit.

[Omaroo]

Wow. The Tak left Honkers yesterday (Monday), and tracking the unit, I can now see that it has arrived in Sydney already Tuesday - overnight. Not bad! Delivery hopefully tomorrow. :)

[Omaroo]

The delivery details. Pretty impressive for an international transit:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++

Jan 16, 2008 11:2618 LEIGHTONFIELD PDC - Item delivered.
Jan 16, 2008 7:2053 LEIGHTONFIELD PDC Committed for delivery.
Jan 16, 2008 4:0151 MINTO DCReceived at delivery hub.
Jan 15, 2008 21:4849 METRO DELIVERY OP SUPPORT Received at delivery hub.
Jan 15, 2008 16:2956 AUSTRALIA - SYDNEY Transferred for delivery processing.
Jan 15, 2008 11:4224 AUSTRALIA - SYDNEY Received and awaiting clearance for delivery.
Jan 14, 2008 17:2600 HONG KONG - HK AMC Processed for despatch.
Jan 14, 2008 12:2500 HONG KONG - FOT Item lodged
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ ++++++++++++++

[Omaroo]

Upon opening, the box was well packed. The scope was well and truly adequately cushioned, which was nice.

What a nice machine. The fit and finish is out of this world. Everything about it is function, function, function. The paint finish is superb and even all the screws are plated, which leads to smooth operation of everything that opens and shuts. The focuser is, well, beautiful. The action is liquid smooth and has no backlash whatsoever. I never liked R&P focusers before, but this one has changed my mind. It's way smoother than the crayfords I am using everywhere else.

Not being night yet (and having to go out tonight to say farewell to some finds going back to Europe) I took a quick squizz through it down the street and across the valley. I get the feeling that night-time views are going to be fabulous as the daytime view far exceeds the quality of the image I get through my WO66 Petzval. No contest. Even the finderscope view is crystal.

I can't wait for a clear evening now - so I won't get one now for months. :lol:

Very happy indeed.

[RB]

Tak scopes are truly a work of art !

Congrats on your new gear Chris.

:thumbsup:

[Omaroo]

Thanks Andrew :)

Are there clear skies anywhere in this country right now? Please let me know - I'm on a plane if there are!

[Omaroo]

Well, I had a small window though the clouds last night and for the first time in what seems like weeks I could see the whole Orion constellation at one time. Below that was Mars - and it was in a clear spot.

The Moon destroyed the western half of the sky - exacerbated by residual cloud that lit up the west like a ball room.

Anyway, I persisted, and with an 11mm TV Plossl was rewarded with incredible PIN-point resolution as I focused on Mars. Only the tiniest of halos appeared courtesy of the sorry air quality.

M42 wasn't very bright, but neither would I have expected it due to the conditions. Any real nebulosity was hidden thanks to the Moon and the cloud. Nevertheless - the trapezium was so clear that it resolved all stars at only 32-power (355mm fl / 11mm) and it was still easy to view without squinting. Not bad for a 60mm scope.

Turning to Rigel and Betelgeuse I managed to view these rather bright little guys without undue colour. Even Sirius was startlingly bright but my eyes still didn't see any purple. I didn't get long enough to just sit there and get a good appreciation of the quality of view - 10 minutes later - solid cloud again.

I turned to the west to look at the Moon through it's slight layer of cloud and it was stunning at 32x. The halo was horrible because of the air, but what I saw promises fabulous Moon performance out of this scope.

Today I'm going down to Bintel and picking up a 2.5mm Nagler Type VI. Yep - 2.5mm. This will yield 142-power and a 0.58 degree FOV which, by all reviews on this scope that I've seen, is easily achievable without undue loss of quality. The little Tak reportedly handles high power better than its Televue rival, not that I'd know, but that's what I read. I want to really push it and see what it'll do when we get good steady air one day. I'd go for a longer EP, like a 5mm and Barlow it, but I believe that the scope is good enough to deserve its own dedicated EP of that length. I'll get Don or Mike or Mike to argue the point about which one I choose this morning. They're good at that sort of thing.

Next - clear sky, a polar-aligned Teegul SP-II and a camera :)

[Omaroo]

Right - bought the Nagler this morning. A lovely 2.5mm Type6.

PLEASE rain... rack off!

[astronut]

Chris,
So you're the reason my scope is growing fungus on it!!:lol:

[Omaroo]

Sorry John...... :doh:

I though putting the Petzval up for sale would balance things out a little.... but obviously not - it's raining, raining, raining.

[g__day]

What went wrong Chris - seems like the scope was beautiful - then suddenly its not what you need. I hope to be buying an apo soon - is there a mistake I should avoid too or is it just aperature fever?

[Omaroo]

?? Sorry G'_Day - not sure what you mean?

I LOVE this little scope - and with the 2.5mm Nagler it's simply awesome!

[g__day]

I was rather confused there. Just worked it out - you keep new Tak, you sell older WO Petzval - the grey matter is slow today!

[Omaroo]

:thumbsup:

[Omaroo]

I swapped the 2.5mm Nagler for a 5mm today. I figured that with potentially poor seeing for the next few weeks or months, the 2.5mm would just be too much power for the moment. The f/l of the scope is 355, so I figured that a 5mm Type6 would be more favourable. The air is good over southern Sydney tonight - for once.

Anyhoo - first light tonight was just wonderful. The 5mm on the Tak FS60-C (355/5=71x) gave the BEST VIEW OF THE MOON I'VE EVER SEEN. The view was so crystal clear and the contrast so different to what I'm used to I was just utterly blown away. The Nagler gave me around 45 arc secs of field, so the moon took most, but not all of it. Gee - talk about crisp - I still can't get over it.

I donned the O-III and pointed to M42. Again - wow. The trapezium was easier to resolve than I find it to through my C8. Again the contrast was incredible - even without the filter.

Happy, happy, happy.