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  #21  
Old 22-11-2018, 02:56 PM
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I always let paint cure 3 weeks to a month, so first light is a ways off yet. No rush with the crap weather anyway.
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  #22  
Old 22-11-2018, 03:08 PM
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I’d be interested in putting a M250 up against a few Maks!
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  #23  
Old 22-11-2018, 05:09 PM
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Hi Colin, did you mean a Meade 10” SCT ?
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Old 22-11-2018, 05:15 PM
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Colin means a Tak Mewlon 250
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  #25  
Old 22-11-2018, 07:16 PM
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Here's the bad boy and it's mint, despite its age...
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  #26  
Old 22-11-2018, 10:24 PM
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Originally Posted by Wavytone View Post
Here's the bad boy
Drool... will just have to dream and live with my skywatcher 7” for now. Very hard to find
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  #27  
Old 22-11-2018, 10:30 PM
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Everything is relative; I'm sure that there are people out there that would
love to get their hands on your SW 7 Mak.
raymo
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  #28  
Old 22-11-2018, 11:05 PM
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Well, if you have one in good shape, look after it.

Last edited by Wavytone; 23-11-2018 at 07:27 AM.
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  #29  
Old 23-11-2018, 01:47 PM
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Ok confession time - it’s not a Santel Just a plain Jane Intes from 1994.

Now that Tom foolery over, here it is now restored. I decided to make it in the more recent white as the original “spiky” grey wasn’t going to happen. I did however match the grey on the finder base and the rear backplate. The original grey on the tube had suffered someone leaving masking tape on it,which they then removed taking a massive piece of paint off.

I have had the Intes decals made, but may not put them on. The silver data plate I had made will be enough (not yet fitted - probably later today).
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  #30  
Old 23-11-2018, 01:52 PM
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Incidentally, the Intes grey is VERY close to early Tak green. It matches Dulux “Moorlands” perfectly (Intes, not Tak). I airbrushed it on and had a hard time seeing what I had painted. Absolutely perfect match.

White is Antique White USA, made up as 2 pack and gunned on. 3 coats, semi gloss (more half way between gloss and satin )
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  #31  
Old 23-11-2018, 02:45 PM
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Lewis having seen the bare metal, did you have any idea whether it was machined, rolled (and welded) or pull-truded ? Two of mine are 3mm thick aluminium and I have a feeling they’re machined out of thicker tube, not rolled sheet.
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  #32  
Old 23-11-2018, 05:29 PM
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100% MACHINED from solid. This is VERY VERY military - the walls are indeed 3mm thick! No seams, no welds, and in fact, mine has a step mid-tube where it becomes even thicker for the primary.

Last edited by LewisM; 23-11-2018 at 06:23 PM.
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  #33  
Old 23-11-2018, 07:20 PM
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Here's the bad boy and it's mint, despite its age...
OK Wavey .... your being cruel now ....
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  #34  
Old 23-11-2018, 07:38 PM
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First "light" - looking 200 metres away to the car park . Which was a challenge given the f/10 focal ratio, meaning I was running out of focus! (had to actually ALMOST remove the EP to come to focus).

Verdict: NOICE, really really really NOICE! Tak nice, no doubt about it! VERY pleasing colour rendition, VERY contrasty and exceptionally sharp. The helical focuser inbuilt into the diagonal/visual back is VERY smooth and rather easy to use.

No chance of using it on the stars for a while though. Ho hum.

Using it on a Manfrotto 3030 tripod isn't ideal, but it got the test done at least. Now I regret selling my vixen GPD - got to find another one now!

Also shown is the custom data plate I had made for it, complete with Intes logo, Russian "Made in Russia Moscow 3.94" and "RESTORED 11.18". The decal that was on the backplate (where the data plate is now) replaced the very worn, peeling one on the diagonal, so NOTHING was thrown away (even the original decals are still attached to an A4 card stock sheet in a photo album - they came off in one piece). The original finder is sitting in my spares drawers (I swear the "Tourist" branded scopes sold in Russia in the 80's and 90's are the SAME scope without the reticle!) - the Vixen 6x30 works wonderfully in this role.
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  #35  
Old 23-11-2018, 09:32 PM
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Ah ok it’s an early MK65 with the cemented secondary mirror. Now I understand about the helical focuser. Later versions had a modem star diagonal and the handle on top of the OTA.

Congratulations Lewis, this is only the start. Push this to the max on the moon and planets and look carefully, very carefully. I’ll also suggest you consider making a dew shield for this that extends 150-200mm, it will enhance contrast near bright objects (Jupiter and the moon especially).

I bet your Taks will turn a shade of pale green.

Last edited by Wavytone; 23-11-2018 at 09:51 PM.
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  #36  
Old 24-11-2018, 07:04 AM
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Ah ok it’s an early MK65 with the cemented secondary mirror. Now I understand about the helical focuser. Later versions had a modem star diagonal and the handle on top of the OTA.

Congratulations Lewis, this is only the start. Push this to the max on the moon and planets and look carefully, very carefully. I’ll also suggest you consider making a dew shield for this that extends 150-200mm, it will enhance contrast near bright objects (Jupiter and the moon especially).

I bet your Taks will turn a shade of pale green.
This has a handle on the OTA. The secondary is not cemented either - it is aluminised to the meniscus. The diagonal is incorporated into the visual back, with a helical focuser at the EP holder side.
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  #37  
Old 24-11-2018, 10:32 AM
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Ok, yet another variant...
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  #38  
Old 24-11-2018, 10:44 AM
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Ok, yet another variant...
Rarer than a Santel
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  #39  
Old 24-11-2018, 02:46 PM
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Tried it today terrestrially in bright daylight (rather than dusk yesterday), trying a range of EPs.

It LOVES the Parks/Antares 25mm and 15mm "pseudo-Masuyamas" (then again, all my telescopes do), nice with the Masuyama 20, VERY nice with the Tak LE12.5 and Vixen NLV 15 (though I felt the Antares 15 was better for colour rendition, since I prefer warmer tones). The NLV needs the rubber eyecup rolled down for me too.

VERY flat field too - leaves at the edge of the field looked for all intents and purposes identical as those near the centre. Defocusing solar reflection spots on parked cars showed also very nice rings and a centred secondary, so I guess I reassembled it spot on

Have a GPD coming eventually, so the mounting issues are also sorted out.
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  #40  
Old 28-11-2018, 07:56 PM
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I bet your Taks will turn a shade of pale green.
Having used it now on the Moon (early morning), I disagree with this comment.

The image is EXCELLENT indeed, but NOT as good as a refractor, simply because of the "shadow" of the secondary. It is quite noticeable to my sensitive eyes on bright objects, and in my opinion, distracting. I find this with ALL reflecting telescopes - one of the most obvious to me is the Mewlon (REALLY distracting) and any of the Schmidt-Cassegrains. It is something my eye-brain cannot "put aside", and it doesn't matter what size secondary there is - I always see it.

As I said, the image presented is exquisitely sharp, but the differential dimming is a distraction to me.

So, no, the Tak refractors are whistling merrily.
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