Larryp
03-10-2014, 04:55 PM
I finally got my Takahashi FC-100DF last week. I went for the DF because it has the 2" focuser from the Sky 90 and is a shorter optical tube than the DC version with the 1.25" focuser.
Last night was first light, and it didn't disappoint! No major planets to view, but the moon was superb. I was using a 3.5mm type 6 Nagler, which gives 211x and the image was extremely sharp, with great detail. I feel I could have used a lot more magnification without any image breakdown. There was just a fine line of green showing on the lunar limb, and this was the only CA I saw through the scope in the entire session. Colour correction is excellent.
I also used the 3.5mm Nagler to do a star test. Diffraction patterns were textbook inside and outside of focus, and in focus was of course, perfect-and no CA evident at all.
I will have to wait until the major planets are back to see how it performs on them, but after how it performed on the moon, I would expect it to be excellent.
This scope is very light, and fitted with mounting rings, dovetail bar, 8x50 RACI finder and quick release, 2" mirror diagonal and eyepiece, weighs only 6Kg. So it's very comfortable on my Vixen GPD2 mount. I guess for visual use, it could even go on an EQ3, making it a very portable system.
Last night was first light, and it didn't disappoint! No major planets to view, but the moon was superb. I was using a 3.5mm type 6 Nagler, which gives 211x and the image was extremely sharp, with great detail. I feel I could have used a lot more magnification without any image breakdown. There was just a fine line of green showing on the lunar limb, and this was the only CA I saw through the scope in the entire session. Colour correction is excellent.
I also used the 3.5mm Nagler to do a star test. Diffraction patterns were textbook inside and outside of focus, and in focus was of course, perfect-and no CA evident at all.
I will have to wait until the major planets are back to see how it performs on them, but after how it performed on the moon, I would expect it to be excellent.
This scope is very light, and fitted with mounting rings, dovetail bar, 8x50 RACI finder and quick release, 2" mirror diagonal and eyepiece, weighs only 6Kg. So it's very comfortable on my Vixen GPD2 mount. I guess for visual use, it could even go on an EQ3, making it a very portable system.