Takahashi announces the new Epsilon 130D Astrograph

[Hans Tucker]

Takahashi is re-introducing the new Epsilon-130D digital version of this astrograph which was first released in the 80's


http://translate.googleusercontent.com/translate_c?depth=1&hl=en&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dtakahashi%2Bjapan%26bi w%3D1024%26bih%3D701&rurl=translate.google.com.au&sl=ja&u=http://www.takahashijapan.com/ct-news/news_topics/news_e-130d.html&usg=ALkJrhjMlbYBrOIOJnxKRbnR02A5BTf xJg

[multiweb]

Is that $43k for the tube assembly only?

[tlgerdes]

No Marc, 249000yen is about $3000:lol:Aud

[multiweb]

Ha... I just copy/pasted - check this (http://www.google.com.au/search?q=%C2%A5+241,500+&rls=com.microsoft:en-au&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&startIndex=&startPage=1&gws_rd=cr&ei=_rkEUtCuAuiHiQf504CgDA)out. Google says Yuan not Yen. It's all Chinese to me. :P
Symbol must be wrong on their website.

[Hans Tucker]

:confused2: I am not sure where you got $43K but I calculate the price around
$3K AUD at an exchange rate of 85.

[multiweb]

All good Hans. I was out by a couple of thou.

[tlgerdes]

Google does some strange things with translations. I was using the voice to text on my phone the other night while my wind screen wipers were on, it translates that sound to kdkdkdkdkdkdkdkd :lol:

[jase]

Image circle size is still 44mm! Thats a bummer. Hmmm, the KAF-16803 is 52mm diagonal, so that ain't going to work. That said you'd definitely want a chip with smaller pixels instead of 9u of the 16803 to reap the rewards of better sampling at this focal length (430mm) as 9u gets you 4.3 arcsec/pixel which is ridiculously undersampled. A KAF-8300 would be a nice sweet spot with 2.5 arcsec/pixel. Was hoping they would make a larger aperture i.e go beyond the e180 as opposed to go down in size.

[clive milne]

At that focal length, the fsq is still the preferred option I think.

[jase]

Too right! With double the image circle size at 88mm, it'll take the large format chips with ease. Still, there must be a niche market for the e130D for Tak to bother producing them. Don't think it'll be their flagship astrograph however!

[Hans Tucker]

At a price difference of $2800 AUD between the e130D and the FSQ EDXIII I think the little Epsilon will find a market.

I hang out for the day Takahashi decides to make a refractor larger than the TOA-150 :prey:

[Steffen]

Also, it's f/3.3, more than twice as fast as the FSQ.

Cheers
Steffen.

[blink138]

they do make a 200mm apo do they not?
pat

[Hans Tucker]

200mm APO that Takahashi manufactures is about $168K

So...Ok...I will expand on the comment.

I hang out for the day Takahashi decides to make a refractor larger than the TOA-150 at a reasonable price and availability to the amature market...maybe a TOA-180

[gregbradley]

Perhaps coupled with the new Sony 694 chipped cameras it could be a fast and powerful imaging machine. Hard to read the specs but it seems to say star sizes are 1.3rd the size they were? Or is that 1.3rd less than before??

Either way it sounds like tight stars and so a small chip could make it a sweet imaging machine that is light and well made.

As you say Jase not intended for the big chip cameras. The focuser may not be able to handle it either. The ED180 was known for focuser issues with heavy loads. I also heard it was extremely hard to collimate.

I have never had a Tak scope that let me down though. They are always excellent performers.

$168K for a 200mm APO is silly when TEC were making them for a long time for under $20K or so. A TEC180 FL is about $19K.

Greg.

[Hans Tucker]

Sad thing is that TEC discontinued the TEC200, the only option now is APM and I am not sure how good their line of big APO refractors are.

[gregbradley]

Yes that's true. Its the way these refractor makers always go. Its the big glass companies that make life hard for them.

The cycle seems to be they enter the market all keen to strut their stuff. They make exotics like a 200mm. Then the reality of dealing with the glass companies and their could not care less about a small producer attitude and so the scope maker loses out so they discontinue.

I thought the TEC180FL was the next casualty as Yuri stopped making those for about a year due to inability to get the glass.

It is still possible the product life cycle of the 180 may be limited due to supply problems. At present it is being made again but for how long - who knows.

Roland Christen and Yuri have posted about this many times. The glass supply is the issue. Also the guarantee of quality is often lacking with no comeback.

Greg.

[Hans Tucker]

OPT announced that TEC are doing a run of TEC160FL's, so they are accepting pre-orders. Maybe the next run will be TEC180FL.

I purchased a second hand TEC160FL but I haven't had the opportunity to use it. So now I have four refractors not getting much use.

[gregbradley]

Holy cow! Personally I think the 160 may be all the scope you will need. A 180 gives that extra resolution but I think in 90% of your images the 160 is a nice balance of portability, resolution and weight.

Do you realise how rare an AP160 is and how much they go for and thats not fluorite either? Man you are sitting on gold.

If you got an extension tube just the right length you can use the awesome AP155TCC reducer/corrector as Yuri does not believe in reducers - grrrr. I have seen shots with this setup and it would be worth going for. I should do it for my 180. If you could do the AP 155TCC and use a MMOAG you would have one awesome machine there. Probably 2nd to none.

Greg.

[Hans Tucker]

You think the AP160 is rare, well..yes..they are, but Astromart has a ZEISS APQ 150 advertised for sale...for $25K.