Show us your equipment!

[stefang]

After a couple of SCTs, refractors and some giant binos I have succumbed to dobsonians apeture fever and added to my quiver.

Thanks to Dave Kriege at Obsession for sorting me out with my first Dob and countless newbie questions.

My new 18" UC Obsession photon eating starmuncher arrived today. I'm calling her "Odessa". f4.2 OMI primary, argo vavis and servoCat.

Now if only these damn clouds would &%$# off!

First light looks to be Wiruna next weekend. Fingers crossed.
Clear skies.
Stefan

[Atmos]

A mirror with struts, looks beautiful :P

[RobC]

Congratulations Stefan on the arrival of "Odessa". As you said its a photon catcher and should reveal many heavenly sights to you. I have watched your accumulation of gear over the last year. All I can say is that you have got a bad ( good ) dose of the Astro bug. Also look forward to some more of your port at the next SPSP.

Cheers and Cear Skies

Rob

[Allan]

Congratulations on your new acquisition Stefan. Fingers crossed for some clear weather, so you can tell us all how good it performs.

[stefang]

Rob,
Another 1938 Para Port has been squirrelled away in the Astro trailer for this year's SPSP. There are a couple of handles with your name on them. :)
Clear skies
Stefan

[Allan]

Very nice. I've got a bottle of 1879, but it's not something I'm ever likely to bring to SPSP.

[ian fry]

Hi all

Well my Tak black 6x30 Finder scope for the DL turned up today looks good in black.

[MortonH]

Finally! Looks good. :thumbsup:

[ian fry]

Hi Morton

Almost one more thing I'm looking at, have you got the FS yet.

[MortonH]

Yes, indeed. Arrived this morning courtesy of Matt.

[Somnium]

fantastic, glad to see you got your Tak !

[brian nordstrom]

After my bit of fun the other night I realised the EQ2 was not up to the job of holding this sweet scope and my LARGE ! 2 inch eyepieces so I dug out my lovely Vixen GP , a perfect partnership .

LP 60mm f7 triplet and Vixen Great Polaris mount .

Brian.

[UniPol]

I thought IISpacers might like to see my TOA-130NFB/FSQ-106ED OTA's to compare their size. Although there is only 24mm difference in the diameter of the objectives, the pics show a huge difference in physical dimensions. Both OTA's have the dew shields retracted. The TOA-130NFB is also shown mounted on my T-Rex which has proved to be a perfect combination for visual observation.

[Kunama]

They certainly are beautiful scopes Steve. The FSQ106 with the ED1.5x also is a brilliant visual scope with only the short draw tube travel hampering for visual use.
They're not lightweights though!

[UniPol]

Thanks Matt, I hadn't thought of using the 1.5x extender, I'm pretty sure I have one somewhere as it probably wasn't sold when I parted with the FSQ-85.

[FlashDrive]

WOW .... Scope Heaven :prey2:

Poppy....

[Kunama]

The new finderscope for my 18" F5.5 Dobsonian arrived today, now I just have to figure out how to mount it on the UTA :question:
The new Takahashi FC100DL F9 (Number 50 of 100 produced)

[Larryp]

Nice, Matt!:thumbsup:

[Kunama]

Thanks Laurie, I've been sweating on the StarTrack guys to get it here safely as there are no more available anywhere to replace it if damaged.... :prey::prey:

Test fitted the Baader ClickLock, Baader BBHS Diagonal and Pentax XW10,
as well as the BV setup of Baader ClickLock, Zeiss T2 Prism, TV Binovue and Tak LE24s.

Just have to wait patiently for some rings or a clamshell........ or make some out of plywood...

[FlashDrive]

Super Nice Matt.... :thumbsup:

Col....

[ian fry]

Welcome to the club Matt , just got from looking at the moon so sharp, just took this with the iPhone

[Allan]

I've just caught up. Looking awesome Morton can't wait to see it in the flesh.

[Allan]

Another sweet setup Matt. At this rate, we could sell tickets to the Tak Star Party for all the poor people without Taks.

[Kunama]

Another vote for the beautiful K-Astec products and for the excellent service from Kyoei-Osaka. :bowdown:
I sent payment for my K-Astec Tube Rings (TB95) and a 250mm dovetail bar (DP75-250L) on Tuesday,
The items arrived this morning, so less than 3 days from payment including freight from Japan to Australia :eyepop:

The items are beautifully designed and made, very light and supplied with extra cap screws.
The finish is excellent. The DP75-250L dovetail bar is a perfect fit in my Robin Casady EM Saddle.

The items came well packed, unfortunately while unpacking them I accidentally punctured a small plastic bag that was packed with them.
It was only after this that I read the warning label on the bag
"Warning - Instant Cloud - piercing this bag will release clouds that will stretch from horizon to horizon"

[MortonH]

That setup looks SO nice!

[Allan]

Very nice Matt. Are you mounting a Nexus DSC on that setup? How good is the class photo at the TSP going to look!

[Kunama]

I'm really pleased with the K-Astec gear.
I have to make a custom bracket to hold the Nexus, hopefully get to that this week. Class photo indeed !

[AEAJR]

My major items are in my signature. My two main scopes are the Orion XT8i and the Meade ETX 80. I also have the red scope, the Tasco 76 mm newtonian, but that is in the shed and is not currently in use. That will probably be loaned out or given away to help someone else get started.

[FlashDrive]

Triplet SharpStar 107PH f/6.5 .... haven't used it yet .... weather is no good....:shrug: .... there is always tomorrow ...!!

Col....

[MortonH]

Didn't you have one of these before? Or maybe the 106?

Looks a cracker anyway. Can never have too many 3"-4" apos. :D

[FlashDrive]

Yes, I did have the 107 a couple of years back .... bought it s/h .... this is Brand New.

I remember quite clearly the views of M42 .... it was amazing.... another nice ' wide field scope ' to use again.

Col....

[GG]

Picked up a 12" Skywatcher on a homemade dob mount, mount needed some work as it didn't have any real way of keeping the OTA secure and kept sliding and losing balance, I changed it so I could adjust the tension on the top part of the holder and added new rubber, seems to go okay now... Don't mind the scope not being "upright" it was a test run... The finder scope "O" Ring was also buggered so I couldn't align that the first night but that is fixed now.

Viewed the GRS 2 nights ago for the first time, pretty cool.

[Kunama]

Looks good Col :thumbsup:

[Kunama]

That is a decent bit of aperture especially in rural WA, hope you enjoy it. :thumbsup:

[brian nordstrom]

:eyepop: That's a good looking scope Colin, looking very AP Starfire'ish with the blue and red lettering , hope it performs as good as it looks .
Brian.

[sn1987a]

my 16 Dobstuff kit finally put together :D

[glnn_23]

Finally got my new ap130 mounted.

I got a Tak njp wooden tripod adapter from Claude at AEC and made the legs from Tas oak. Saved a fair bit on a full Tak tripod this way.

Peter from PS Custommade machined up a plate to go between the Half Hitch FTX and the tripod. His work is extremely good and he definitely doesn't charge enough for it.

Just have to play a bit more with the balancing to get everything right.

[Sylvain]

Looking very very good mate, love these grab n go custom mounts. must be pretty sturdy to carry the 130!

[FlashDrive]

Need a set of Rings for it....

80mm f/15 OTA.....

Col.....:D

[Kunama]

90mm rings lined with 3mm felt or cork???

[brian nordstrom]

:) Hi all thought I would show off my new/old mount I grabbed off Zane here last week , it arrived yesterday .

Its a very nice bit of gear , very very solid and last night on the moon discovered it tracks beautifully , and once adjusted and balenced the slip clutches allow extreemly smooth movements around the sky and slo/mo controls work excellently , I am impressed :D.

As you see it holds the iStar with ease and a hard ! smack on the tube dampens in about 1 second , impressive solidness . Just look at those legs !! I am a bit of a leg man myself ;) .

I will post more when I fit the C9.25 .

Brian.

[FlashDrive]

Ooooh .... nice legs eh ..!!

Flash .... :D

[brian nordstrom]

:P Ahhhh ,,,, another leg maN ....
Brian,

[brian nordstrom]

:) If anyone's interested , here is my C9.25 on the CI-700.
Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

:) I believe Celestron missed the boat , so to speak on this set up as I used it last night and its a match made in heaven .

These 2 products comlpiment each other so well , 500x on Jupiter and the image hardly moved as I focused using the FT focuser and the detail seen was impressive ! , watched the GRS move into view and needless to say today at work was tough .

I like this mount and I dont need a Losmandy G11 at over 3x the price and all I will say is , if anyone out there like me who aint rich and gets a chance to grab one of these ,,, I SAY :thumbsup: grab IT !! .

:D I know this will ruffle a few feathers out there in 'mount land' , but I dont care .

The CI-700 is a great mount and it's a shame they aint made anymore . A great loss to us amature astronomers everywhere .

Brian.

[DJT]

Just couldn't cope with the VXL12-12L on a GEM for visual so cobbled together a dob mount a la Stellafane so I can enjoy some views.

Much fun was had putting this together and I finally found a purpose for a router.

Clear skies

[FlashDrive]

David .... way to go mate ...much simpler to use to. :thumbsup:

Col....

[Kunama]

Your neck will thank you David, nicely done :thumbsup:

[Somnium]

probably the last additions i will make to my imaging equipment for a while. gear includes;
AGO iDK 14.5 with thermal control system
Paramount MX+
Optec Gemini rotating focuser
MMOAG
Lodestar X2
FLI CFW 2-7
FLI microline 8300

i am very happy with the set up :D

[Atmos]

So envious Aidan!

[Somnium]

your sextuplet should be a different but equally impressive beast

[Atmos]

Pick it up Wednesday afternoon. First light will hopefully be at the Tak party, even if it is heracy ;)

[Somnium]

i will look forward to seeing that, first light for me has been hindered by the inevitable persistent cloud cover, should be able to get something this week. i spent the weekend cleaning up the cables at the back and running a new tpoint model when i could see the stars.

[Atmos]

Getting away from the clouds is why heading interstate is a good idea haha

[FlashDrive]

Now the original focuser was not all that good being made of ' plastic ' ...had a bit of ' slop ' in it and a bit ' gritty ' in operation.

I didn't really like it that way, so I got in touch with Ron Newman of ' MoonLite ' Focusers. Took some photos of my sad looking Focuser and also a ' digital ' measurement of the ' ID ' of the focuser end of the OTA.

Ron went the extra mile and machined down a ' stock unit ' to my required dimensions.

I asked for a ' single ' speed unit ( the focuser is worth more than the OTA :P ) ... to keep the costs down but still retain an excellent Focuser.

I did all this because the optics ( 80mm f/15 ) is clean as a whistle and performs very well.....I just had to ' pimp ' it up and make it look better.

All I need now is a set of Rings for it.

I contacted Peter Tan who will make up a set to suit this Scope....they haven't arrived yet.

A 'classic ' Scope bought back to life ....:thumbsup:

Pretty good outcome I reckon.

Col.....:D

[MortonH]

Very nice, Col.

What are you going to mount it on?

[FlashDrive]

put it on the FTX....
Just got an email from Peter Tan....Rings being shipped out next week....

Can't wait to set this up and look at Jupiter.

I'd imagine there be no ' CA ' at f/15

Col...

[Kunama]

Maybe you and Lewis should go into business resurrecting telescopes :question:

Looks nice, I'll be up that way in July to test it out...:thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Be my guest.... and no ... you can't take it with you...!! :P

Poppy...:D

[Kunama]

Still it would make a nice finderscope for my reflector :P
I was going to use the FC100DL as a finder but this might suit 'the look' :rofl:

[MattT]

Looks real good Brian :thumbsup:

That mount should qualify for the bargain of the year....the Istar looks perfect on it.

Matt

[brian nordstrom]

If anyone is interested , my C90 and C9.25 side by side .
Brian.

[UniPol]

Who's the father Brian?

[FlashDrive]

:eyepop: :lol:

[brian nordstrom]

:eyepop: Mumma bear .
Brian.

[Kunama]

Now that I have had a few opportunities to test out my new "Grab, Grunt & Go - Planetary and Lunar" scope I thought I might post a portrait or three of it:

Takahashi TOA130NFB with Baader 2" ClickLock visual back, Baader Zeiss T2 Prism diagonal, Televue Binovue and Takahashi LE eyepieces on T/Rex Mount & Berlebach Planet tripod.
Monoviewing is done with the Baader BBHS-Sitall 2" ClickLock and a mix of XW, XF, LVW, Delos and the Termi-Nagler 31.

(P.S. I blame Allan for the idea and Steve for making it happen and Colin for providing a part of the funds for it ;) )

[Atmos]

Isn't that just beautiful :)

[Kunama]

Thanks Colin, added you to the list of culprits....

[casstony]

Flash looking setup Matt. I wasn't overly keen on the Tak green T-Rex alone but it looks very good with the TOA130 and their matching colours.

[Camelopardalis]

Yeah the Tak green reminds me of school toilets, just needs some eggshell in it :P

But what a scope :eyepop:

[FlashDrive]

Very Impressive Matt ....

Col....:D

[dreamstation]

You blokes must earn a hell of a lot more than I do because something like that is naught but a dream for poor old me. Very impressive though I must say :)

[Kunama]

I am but a poor SFR (Self Funded Retiree) but thanks, I just choose telescopes instead of fine wines, restaurants, fancy cars etc. For 50 years these scopes were just a dream for me also......

[casstony]

Here's my slightly modified CPC11 HD, single arm dual mount. The refractor saddle is mounted on an extension of the main shaft going through the plastic cap of the clutch knob.

[Allan]

Beautiful telescope and mount Matt. Complete with matching tripod and dining setting. You really have an eye for detail.

[Kunama]

Thanks Allan, I just got the SkySurfer V fitted to the FQR-1 today and will fit 10x60 finder on the right of the scope when Claude sends me a bracket for it.
Cloudy again tonight here in Canberra. :sadeyes:

Unfortunately I am having to spend a small fortune on new furniture etc to keep the astro budget appearing quite reasonable.....

[MortonH]

Does that mean you bought new furniture to match the tripod? :P

[FlashDrive]

One very long Scope .... f/15

I ' bodged ' up a set of rings with thick felt :P ..Peter Tan rings still not here....

Bus loads of Focuser movement....

and it cloudy and raining .... still no chance to use it yet...

Poppy....:)

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: That looks so cool, Colin , hope it performs as good as my wife's 80mm f12.5 Mizar , these early Japanese scope's really perform , ours has zero CA at any powers on any object ,it's a very nice scope , just like yours .

You should name this beauty ' Tooth pick ' .;)

Brian.

[Allan]

I see the other problem you have. Your eyepiece cabinets at the back look like they are full of trinkets. You better get that sorted out.

[Kunama]

I'm not allowed to touch anything in those cabinets....... Jennifer always rolls her eyes when I mention any astro purchase but thought nothing of spending $1K on that glass bird in the cabinet..... :sadeyes:

[LewisM]

Beautiful thing should be imaging, not staring into space :) :P

I am utterly content with my FS-102. I loves me a perfect doublet - acclimates quicker than I can put the camera onto it.I have had more doublets than quads or triplets (though there's been a few quads now!)

Let's see if I can hang onto it at least another month...maybe the skies MAY clear to use it by then (maybe...):windy:

[LewisM]

Oh yeah, pictures...

Had to refinish this one entirely - it was in sad condition. Unfortunately meant the dewshield decal had to go, so I drew it up in Adobe Illustrator and had it cut for me - I had enlarged it, as I liked the look of it bigger. OK, it's not original, but it's mine :)

First shot is before the decal went on, second one is a close up of my new decal applied (quite larger than the priginal, and these are individual decals, not a solid printed sheet like the originals, so won't yellow etc)

[Atmos]

:thumbsup:

[barx1963]

So here is the new imaging kit in it's #1 configuration. Consists of:
Orion AZ/EG G Mount
Stellarvue SVR102T refactor
Stellarvue 0.8 Reducer Flattener matched to the scope
Feathertouch 3" rotatable focuser
Atik One 6.0 Mono camera w internal filter wheel and off axis guider and Atik GP guide camera
Stellarvue D Plates
Losmandy DVR105 guidescope rings
Orion ST80 Guide scope with Orion SSAG pro guide camera
A table from Bunnings with a corflute shield
Whole bunch o' cables 'n' crap
One black puss cat for company!!

At this stage I decided not to try the off axis guider, as I had enough to learn with the camera and scope. Hopefully will be able to move entirely to OAG shortly

I have also picked up a second CCD camera with an 8 position filter wheel and a KAF8300 sensor so will have that as an option to do some narrowband in the future.

Also I have found some covers for the whole kaboodle. Bunnings sell covers that are designed for stackable chairs. Although only in brown, they are the perfect size to put over this type of rig and have little tie downs that can be tied to the legs of the tripod. And only cost about $12.

Malcolm

[PhilTas]

Very impressive Malcolm, the SV102 looks a really nice piece.

[Kunama]

Not sure I really like that weird looking red/black eyepiece thingy on the Stellarvue but the rest of it looks mightily impressive. Congrats, look forward to seeing its produce!

[Atmos]

This is the morning before I left of South Asia, just after I'd packed all of the cables into their Woolies box :)

So this is a Sky Rover 130mm F/5 Sextuplet with a QHY22 and a Everwin 60mm F/3.76 guide scope with an ASI120MM-S :)

[sopticals]

Needs to be some ATM Dobsonians represented here. My 3 current ATM Dobs (actually 4, a 6"f6.5 dob is obscured by the blue 14"er). Also my C102-HD (4") refractor on CG4 mount in the background. All my scopes are visual only.

Stephen.

[casstony]

Looks good Stephen. I'm envious of the scopes and the shed space.

[StephenRH]

Hi Graham. Great telescope. I love your photos of the build on your website. Peter has started on mine now. 28" f/3.3 Kororia. I'll post photos once it's delivered and in my observatory.

I am interested to know what eyepieces you are using.

Kind regards

Stephen
Pukemaru Observatory
341 Snelgar Road, RD 2
Kaitaia, New Zealand 0482
+173° 20' 07.67" -35° 05' 39.52"

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: I lived on Heads road Hauhora for many years , awsome dark skies up there , wish I had a scope like yours when I was there , looking forward to a viewing report Stephen .

My family has land in Awanui be good to look you up when I am there next ..

Brian.

[FlashDrive]

Finally received rings from Peter Tan....

easy to carry ...

Col...

[Kunama]

The rings turned very nicely Col. Now you need an old mount and a wooden tripod to complete the look......

[FlashDrive]

Early Wooden Tripods aren't easily come by these days.... I'd love to have one for this Scope.

:D

[UniPol]

After a lot of perseverance Col its all come together and you've got a great scope. I'm biased of course as my Polarex/Unitron achromats are all f/15 & f/16 and they provide great views. I notice you finally received the tube rings from Peter Tan (Lee Man Ho), mine took some time as well but at least they are custom made and of excellent quality. Off topic, Peter Tan's astro gears website can't be reached anymore, at least the original one. Do you know if it is up and running or can he only be reached by email?

[FlashDrive]

Thanks Steve .... the views are sharp and crisp at f/15

Col......:D

[glnn_23]

Have been looking to improve my Half Hitch FTX as I'm not convinced the standard saddle attachment to the mount is as good as it could be.
Also I prefer having the rings connect to the dovetail with 2 bolts rather than just the one.
I came up with the idea of a plate that bolts to the mount then a Losmandy style saddle can bolt to that. This is way stronger than standard. Just need to attach the altitude stops now to finish.
All machining was done by Peter from PS CustomMade and he's done a fantastic job.

[thebonz]

I have looked at some unique scopes on this page that enthuses me to dust out the cupboard. I have a tasco 20te that I will clean up and present for a photo shute if any one is interested.
John

[Kunama]

Great idea and Very nice work by Peter, the Casady saddles are beautiful also.



Bring it on :thumbsup:

[ab1963]

An iis member asked me to post some pics of my new to me scope a Stellarvue SVR102T WITH 3'' Feathertouch R&P focuser ,very happy with it and on the porta ii head even with the heaviest eyepiece i have a ES 30 82 handles the scope easily,

[FlashDrive]

Very nice Andrew ... looks good ... nice setup.

Col....:D

[Atmos]

Very nice Andrew :) Does the ES weight more than the telescope? :lol:

[ab1963]

I was a little worried at first Colin with the ES but the OTA is so light for a 102 the porta ii plays with it and with the Hal 130 is very stable ,would'nt be so with the original tripod that came with the porta head i don't think

[MortonH]

Nice. I want one!!!

[Kunama]

Looks like a very nice setup Andrew, I was looking at the last pic trying to work out which was the objective end ..... ;)

[ab1963]

Yes it's a monster

[ab1963]

The previous owner of the scope had lost the test report that comes with it when you buy it so I contacted Vic Maris at Stellarvue and he sent me another copy,the strehl came in at 974 so was very happy with that and the scope has already given me the best views of Saturn I've ever seen.

[ian fry]

Hi everyone

Picked this DM4 mount up at the weekend, works great with the FS 78 and the FC-100DL

[Atmos]

Very nice Ian, there is/was a DM4 on AstroBuySell that I have had my eye on for a while but just don't have the cash for at the moment :)
Beautiful setup :) I don't mind using my HEQ5 though, easy to move. Once it is polar aligned I can put my 4.5mm EP in, walk away for an hour and still have Jupiter in the FOV :P

[Kunama]

Nice mount/tripod combo, suits the little Taks well, the Nexus is also a nice unit.

[ian fry]

Thanks Colin. Yes this was the one from astrobuysell, Wanted something to just to set up and start viewing. Little tight on time when I'm on call at night only have mins to get to the station.
I'm using the AZ-EQ6 on nights I'm off.

[ian fry]

Hi Matt
Both scopes are great with the mount, nice easy movement and Just set the Nexus up to work with the iPhone and iPad looking good.

[Allan]

Classy looking set up Ian. The DM4 is a very nice mount and makes observing a pleasure.

[StephenRH]

Hi Brian. I am not sure when my new telescope will be ready but please keep in touch. :welcome:
My email address is srh@xtra.co.nz. It's nice up at Houhora Heads :-)

[pluto]

My new little travel AP rig: a William Optics Star71, Skywatcher Star Adventurer, and Sony A7s.

Thread here:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=147145

[Camelopardalis]

Very neat Hugh :thumbsup:

[zippeyjhon]

This is my new Orion SkyQuest XT12g Computerized GoTo Dobsonian Telescope. I've had it for just over 2 months and the views are amazing.
The scope is fitted out with Red LED's on the base, a CPU fan on the Primary mirror, Secondary mirror dew heater, Eyepiece dew heater, Telrad dew heater, a USB jack to charge my phone and a 12v outlet to power any other accessories. The whole system runs of a 12v 7.2amp battery mounted to the base.
With the large size of the scope I've had to build a heavy duty box to transport the scope in, the box is fitted out with Red and White LED's, 2 CPU fans and a jack to power the inbuilt CPU fan fitted to the Primary mirror. The whole system runs off a 12v 7.0amp battery.

[Allan]

Nice set up Zachary. Looks like you've gone to a lot of extra work.

[glend]

X2 Allan's comment Zachary. The combined weight must be pretty substantial, how do you manage getting it in a vehicle?

[traveller]

Just picked this up as my next imaging rig. FLT 110 f/7. Will match it with a reducer to cut down on imaging time.
No chance to test it yet due to the magnificent weather weather we are having in Melbourne :mad2:
Bo

[MLyons]

So my obsession resulted in an Obsession...:D...the 18" f4.5 Classic with Argo Navis and StellarCAT etc.:eyepop:
What a beauty!! :thumbsup::thumbsup: (The scope, not me.....):rofl:

[croweater]

Very nice Martin. But your scopes in your signature show you were already obsessed before you got the obsession :lol: Cheers Richard

[Kunama]

TOA130NFB safe inside the Pelican 1740 Long Case

[FlashDrive]

Very Nice Matt ..... :thumbsup:

TOA130 in the Tak-elican Case ....

:D

[Tropo-Bob]

My Unitron 60mm is a light and useful telescope. It cost $200+ in 1975 and some of my lay friends were amazed by my extravagance. (Imagine their shock if I had brought the 4 inch Unitron!)

The scope come with six Unitron eyepieces, which I replaced with Vixens EPs about 20 years ago, although I still have the Unitron 9mm (shown). It also was supplied with an attractive, wooden, carry box.

Its good for its size, performing similar optically to a Skywatcher 70mm (900mm), which I previously have owned, although the Unitron is of a much better quality construction. Note the strange arrangement with the focuser with only a knob or wheel on the right-hand side.

It is a great "Moonlight" telescope, as I can have a quick look at things on a Moonlight evening, without wishing for a larger aperture.

My only real disappointment was that it does not have enough resolving power to show Uranus as a disc.

I have had some really good experiences with it and it have found it a pleasure to use. For reasons that I still do not fully understand, it gave the best and sharpest views of the transit of Venus (outperforming my fine 102mm ED Vixen) back in 2012.

[FlashDrive]

That's a very nice Scope Bob.

Col

[FlashDrive]

80mm f/15

[Tropo-Bob]

OMG Col,

You have really modernised that scope, I have never seen anything like it.
It looks great!

[UniPol]

Just like Col, an oldie but a goodie :)

[UniPol]

I thought I would post some pics of my recent Tak TSA-120 purchase after downsizing from a Tak TOA-130NFB. I haven't had a chance to use it at night owing to the rather poor weather conditions but have used it for landscape viewing to check the focus on my binoviewers, 5-position turret and WO erect diagonal. The scope feels just right on the EM-11 Temma 2M mount and needs just the one 6.5kg c/weight shown in the pics. The build quality is up to the usual Tak high standard and I'm sure it is not going to disappoint optically.

[Kunama]

Very nice setup Steve, I think that scope will be a keeper but just in case "Dibs" . Love the Tak Binoviewers.

[FlashDrive]

Thanks Bob .... I'm very pleased how it turned out also.



Like a Bottle of Red Wine :thumbsup:



Just as nice Pappy ;)


Col...

[FlashDrive]

Steve ... very nice outfit ... love the eyepiece ' turret ' and the Bino's .

Col...

[UniPol]

Thanks Col, I'm glad I kept them over the years as they are no longer made and complement the TSA perfectly, cheers.

[FlashDrive]

Another nice oldie ...

Col.....

[ab1963]

Very nice Col

[N1]

The main instrument in its natural environment. Illumination by starlight only. (http://darksky.org/idsp/reserves/aorakimackenzie/)
FC76 & TV32PL on Vixen Porta II and surveyors tripod. No mirrors thank you. (http://www.scopereviews.com/page1ah.html)
Thanks Matt and Brian, (http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=139526&highlight=surveyors) it worked!

Cross eyes for 3D effect.

[vlazg]

Had this made locally by a good friend.
Thanks to Strongmanmike for allowing me to copy his design

[Atmos]

Looks like a nice rig George.

[Clancy Lane]

Out with the old and in with the new!

A Tak FS102 courtesy of Lewis;

A TS Optics 130mm direct from Teleskop Express;

A Stellavue CF 80mm w Feathertouch focuser courtesy of Zane.

I used the 80mm at Astrofest and the sharpness of the images and the detail shown were amazing!

[Kunama]

I like the FS102 Phil, but that red eyepiece looks rather odd, nowhere near as pretty as a Delos.......

[Kunama]

My Chief Financial Officer's new reflector, autographed by Brian Cox and Naomi McClure-Griffiths for her..... :prey2:

80mm F6.75, helical focuser, 12.5mm Plössl eyepiece @ 43x, TFOV 1º, 1.9mm exit pupil.......

Only tried it on the moon so far but results were encouraging....:lol:

[Atmos]

That's awesome Matt!!

[JupiterP30]

Hey,

I am hoping someone out there could please shed some light on a telescope I have inherited.

Nikon 65mm telescope, no exact date but around 1970s.

you can see the same type of telescope on youtube

https://youtu.be/1tCb6pyCbVs

any info would be very helpful.

Thank you in advance!

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Looks like it's a keeper , not many manufacturers make them like this anymore. , very nice and if its as good as the Zeiss you will be very impressed.
Brian.

[ab1963]

This should help with info and a ball park value

http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=869935

And a youtube video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1tCb6pyCbVs&feature=youtu.be

[torr]

Hi folks , I expect some clouds tonight with the new edition of a CGem mount, just now assembled an ready for action :P
Well you'll all know who to blame :shrug:
This will be my entry into astro photography :D

That's just a cheap achro SW120 at F5 bolted on top, the CA for visual doesn't bother me too much and I'll see how much it effects photography in the near future, either way I'll have to put up with it until I can decide the direction I'll take.
I brought the sw120 originally for a quick grab and go scope and its been brilliant for that purpose.

The Xt12g I've had for a while and I love the views.
The Binoculars are great too.
Thats my little collection for now :thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Nice gear James ..... got the hobby well covered there.

[ian fry]

Hi all

My little grab and go turned up today from japan the FC-76DCU PLUS EX-CQ in the new blue.

[Atmos]

Looks very nice Ian!

[ian fry]

Thanks Colin

[anj026]

I like it too Ian, a great one to add to the collection.

Is that a 28mm Erfle? I am curious about them. It seems an unusual type of eyepiece to introduce in this day and age. But then it is light and should have good transmission.

[Atmos]

Here is my brand spanking new ASA DDM60 mount!! Picked it up yesterday, kinda played with it last night but set it up in the lounge room this afternoon.

As it is my purely imaging mount I figured I'd mount my DL (visual scope) on top as it is likely to be the one and only time it's riding on it. Had to put on a 2" diagonal, 7x50 finder and 35mm Pan just to get it to be able to balance in RA hehe Going to be less of an issue once I get my 130mm astrograph on there, considerably heavier.

Sorry to everyone in Melbourne for the shocking weather that is going to follow.

[Kunama]

Another beautiful Tak , looks even better in person , pinpoint stars and it showed 47Tuc and Omega Cent beautifully for just 3" aperture. Thanks for the test drive Ian. Great to meet up with you. Cheers.:hi:

[Kunama]

I am pressing the 'Like' button but nothing is happening......
Lovely mount Colin......

[ian fry]

Any time Matt and thanks for coming round for the test drive, its a great little scope cant wait to bring it along to the next tak star party.

[ian fry]

Hi Andy

Thanks it's a great little scope, eyepiece is the LE 30 used that last night with the televue 2.5 powermate and could see banding in the disc of Saturn.

[anj026]

Hi Ian

I've never tried any of the Takahashi eyepieces. The 28mm Erfle intrigues me. For Takahashi to re-introduce this older type of eyepiece must mean there is a market for them in Japan. I presume it is the combination of wide field and light weight that makes them viable in the marketplace. I have not seen much in the way of user reports.

[Kunama]

Toa+tsa

[Atmos]

Where's that Like button :P

[FlashDrive]

You've got too much money kido ......:D

[MortonH]

You Tak guys never stop!

[Kunama]

:D


Change that to "had too much"


It is an illness, the remedy should be available on PBS ;) " Take 2 Taks and go to bed"

Set the new toy up today but the rain gauge tells me there will be wait for first light :mad2:

[OzEclipse]

Matt
Nice.....

BTW - Clear tonight 80k east of the ACT - Braidwood way.

See you at Warri Rest. :)

Just kidding about seeing you there, I have a cold :sadeyes: but not kidding about it being clear out there.

Joe

[Atmos]

I've just arrived at Bega for the clear skies, getting dinner and then setting up at the caravan park.

Also finished packing my Pelican Case last night for the trip :)

[Windston]

Here is the my current setup! The 130SLT OTA has a bit of a story behind it, I bought it off of a user called ChiefDreamer, who I believe got it off Richard (rmuhlack). I only noticed it when searching through astrobin for images and I came across the scope, when I saw what he had done with this little tube, I knew I had to get it!
EDIT As it just so happens, after some forum searching detective work, I have traced the OTA back to multiweb in 2009! :eyepop: This is one well traveled OTA that has seen a LOT of light over the years!


Bonus image of me being overexcited whilst imaging the Tarantula Nebula!

204226
204227

[Kunama]

Nice to see the new gear Dan but you've gotta lay off the caffeine :thumbsup::thumbsup:

[casstony]

TSA120 with 3" FT focuser and Peter Tan rings. The handle is a $30 trailer grab handle from ebay.

[ab1963]

Very nice Tony ,perfect combination and would think it's a keeper

[casstony]

Thanks Andrew. I sold the first TSA120 and repurchased so this one should stay - it'll be used for visual and imaging. I've just received an ES 0.7x reducer to try with it too.

[ab1963]

I think Tony if more Tak owners had the Feathertouch R&P fitted they would never sell them as they really get the optimal performance out of the scope

[casstony]

They probably don't have any money left after buying the Tak scope :)
I already owned the FT before buying the TSA, but the adapter still cost $280 new.

[FlashDrive]

Bought a Pier Extension for the 80mm f/15

Col....

[Slawomir]

The new mount looks great and the Berlebach tripod looks very solid too!

[Atmos]

The Berlebach Tripod feels so much sturdier than the standard EQ6 one!

[Profiler]

This is why you need to consider buying a current model Televue instead as they have subcontracted the construction of all their new 10:1 focusers to Starlight and thus FT focusers are now standard kit on their refractors:P

[Kunama]

TOA came back home this week after being out on loan.....
The AZ-EQ6-GT counterweights turned green with Tak-envy.....
(I'll have to be careful that the whole mount doesn't get a colour change as well........ :question::question: )
Wouldn't it be nice if Takahashi reverse-engineered the AZ-EQ6 ...

[Atmos]

So ow it's green at both ends but white filling to hold it together hehe

[RB]

Ohhh... that TOA !

:cool:

[Allan]

What, you loan out your TOA? :screwy:

[Kunama]

Only to people more pedantic about looking after it than me... ;) That narrows the field down to about 3 people at most...

It will now remain with me till the Grim Reaper comes looking for me..... such a beautiful scope..

My latest astro purchase may require me to cut back on my horse trading of astro gear and I may even need to reduce the inventory a little.....

More details to come in the days ahead if things pan out well......;)

[Atmos]

Do I hear a TOA-130 bino in order? :P

[Kunama]

Now that would be impressive!!!!! and HEAVY !!!! alas not yet :shrug:

[Atmos]

Permenantly mounted in the back of your van... Make it a ROR merc?

[Kunama]

Testing a new counterweight setup for the TOA:

The TSA and two 5Kg weights are perfect to balance the TOA130NFB

but after I took the photo I thought something didn't look quite right, so out with the wet and dry, Autosol Paste and a couple of polishing cloths
and after a couple of hours the ADM logo was gone from the saddle, all the sharp corners and edges were draw filed to a 2mm radius and a little bit of 'bling' was added to it.......

OCD is contagious....... keep clear !!!

[beren]

:eyepop: eye candy galore Matt, very nice with the monster Dob behind. What brand is the Finder on the TOA? Nice work on the saddle.

[Kunama]

Thanks, the finder is a Baader Sky Surfer V, probably the nicest rdf I have seen.

[Allan]

Matt, we knew you had problems, but now you're just throwing it in our face.

[Atmos]

The mount isn't Tak green yet :P

[Kunama]

I am going to get help as soon as I finish the tripod bracing system I am making at the moment...... :thanx:

[Kunama]

It's early days Colin..... early days..... I am considering polishing the whole mount.... :D

[sharpiel]

I love all my ten TOEs. But I'd sever them all to keep the eleventh,...my TOA..

Unless of course someone wanted to straight trade with me for a Mewlon 250 CRS...?

[Clancy Lane]

Thanks Brian!

Here's the new gear!

Cheers mate!

[Kunama]

Nice setup Phil, should keep you happy for years to come..... :thumbsup:

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Very nice Clancy ! , should be you for many , many years :question:.
Brian.

[Clancy Lane]

OR, until the next big thing comes along!

Phil

[RickS]

There's always something bigger and better but looks like a great set up, Phil!

[Clancy Lane]

Thanks Ric!

Loved your fabulous set up at Astrofest.....an astronomers dream!

cheers,

Phil

[MortonH]

New-to-me Takahashi FS-78 just arrived from Steve, sitting on my old DSV-1 recently re-purchased from Col, with my DeLite 11mm recently re-purchased from Matt.

After reading several reviews that say it's almost as big as a 4" scope I was pleasantly surprised by how small it is in the flesh. The photos make it look bigger than it is.

[FlashDrive]

Very nice Morton .... ' dibs ' when your done with it.

:D

[Kunama]

No excuses now not to be at Yass 24 Feb ;) Nice portable setup :thumbsup:

[DJT]

Picked up a new to me AP Mach1 earlier in the week along with an adapter for the berlebach tripod for use at the dark site.

Will see how it runs tonight. Where is that happy as a pig in S... emoji?

The FS60 is a tad over mounted now but something else will be arriving early next year :D

Dang, these things are well made.

Clear skies.

[MortonH]

That is a very, very nice looking setup. :)

[MortonH]

Haha. No problem, Col!

Had some clear skies tonight and managed some excellent views of the crescent Moon & Venus while it was getting dark. Then I put it on the DSV-3 so I cud look at a few fuzzies and was very impressed by how well it picked things out of the light pollution, even a couple of mag 9 galaxies.

I love how compact and light it is. The DSV-3 doesn't even know it's there.

[toc]

Here is my new CGX mount with a Skywatcher 190mn scope (Mak Newt)

[FlashDrive]

Nice bit of gear you got there Tim :)

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: I agree , very hefty looking , those 190's are quite large and the mount is not even breaking a sweat by the looks , nice .
Brian.

[diegocolonnello]

This is mt NEWT.....

Saxon 8in F5
Carbon fiber tube by Klauss Helmerich
Home made focuser control using Arduino and a stepper motor
Bob Knobs
Polemaster
Qhy ccd camera, guidecam, FW and OAG
Home made control box.

[hoverge]

My new equipment: FS-128 on FTX V2.

[jenchris]

Now that I have pretty much finished my dome I'll post a pic of the rig I am using.
QHY8L Saxon 100ed eq6 sw102 guide scope with ssag camera.monitor and laptop. The pic actually shows a450d camera but that's because I use that sometimes as well

[FlashDrive]

Ooooh .... Nice

[UniPol]

Recently received my new Mewlon 180C from Claude and it's a beauty. The collimation is spot on, light weight, balances perfectly on my EM-11 and T-Rex mounts, no issues at all focusing with my Tak Twin View binoviewer and parfocal 5 EP turret. The weather hasn't been the best lately but managed to view Jupiter, Saturn and the moon and I can say that the images have been quite sharp right up to 200x which gives an acceptable image size. Cool down is great, no signs of turbulence after 20 minutes (from about 22C in the house to around 15C outside).

The Mewlon is mooted to be for visual planetary and lunar viewing which I am happy to do however milky way views were more than acceptable, the brighter stars just showing modest six diffraction spikes. I think the scope will complement my Tak refractors well owing to its greater light gathering power.

I have attached some pics of the Mewlon on my T-Rex mount and Tak's description of the 180C (Google translation from their site).

[LewisM]

'Tis nice to be sure Steve.

Just finished wrapping my FS-102 for the relocation to CBR... looked like a photon torpedo LOL

[Kunama]

Nice scope Steve (though I would miss the old green colour scheme ;) )

[UniPol]

Thanks Lewis, hope all goes well relocating to the capital, it's a shame the skies won't be quite as good as when I left there in the early 1980's but the surrounds should be OK.

[UniPol]

Thanks Matt, I think Tak might have mixed their left over grey paint with the green and this is the result. I must admit that the OTA looks a bit odd against my EM-11 mount but OK on the white T-Rex.

[Kunama]

Nothing wong with the skies Steve, I can still see the Moon naked eye!!! :lol:

[jenchris]

Not tonight you can.

[LewisM]

I've seen many Mewlons with this colouration - not sure it grabs me like the early machine blue-grey or the more common chalky green, but its still pleasant and not yak-tastic like some other brands (like the anodised gold of WO that just makes me think of a 1970's pimp!)

[LewisM]

Had long promised a Russian mate a view through the FS-102 before we left (they'll be down to CBR to visit). I had to sucker-hole all the time, but managed to give him a simply glorious view of M42 with a 32mm EP - he too saw colour in it, despite our absolutely sordid street lighting and building lighting around. The Trapezium stars were all so easily split , even with that wide field el-cheapo Orion ultrascopic! And Betelgeuse was a ruby with not even a hint of CA on it or Alnitak or anything else we jumped around looking at. A doublet no less! :) Simply magic.

[DJT]

Having much fun getting to grips with a new to me FSQ106N.

I added an MEF4 focuser just to help things along and even though it's destined for imaging, it gives great views with, god forbid, an eyepiece attached.

The Finder scope on this thing is awesome..

With the stock focuser it's been very solid with an STL6303 and CFW on the back of it, no apparent flexure so far. It's been a real pleasure doing some NB imaging from Sydney and self guiding behind the filters with 20 seconds guiding subs. I did try shorter binned guiding subs but Maxim DL thinks they are hot pixels so giving star fade errors but unbinned and with a well polar aligned mount at this focal length longer subs work well.

Looking forward to trying this at a dark site.



Still can't find the happy as a Pig in &h@" smilie though!

[Kunama]

Kunama Lightweight Pier + Takahashi EM400 + Takahashi Mewlon 300

[Atmos]

You finally obscondered with it when someone wasn't looking ;)

[Boozlefoot]

I see so much on this site and DROOL! But this is how its done in the bush with little funding, and at the end of the day I still love it!:hi: 150mm solar scope (pinhole lens and translucent screen in finder / homemade); Bush binocular mount; 12" Dob with a 90mm Mak finder(cause I cant see the 8x50 crosshairs on dark nights, and the grandson can also view the same target through the Mak when I'm on the Dob) The digital compass mounts on the turntable and is used in conjunction with a digital inclinometer. I couldn't afford a DSC so use this with Stellarium. It's rough (cost $53) but it works fairly well. Too damn heavy to move lately so a sliding roof ob is being built, lower half in stone (plentiful/cheap) and a ply over steel two half sliding top. Then there'll a homemade steel wedge mount to replace the wooden Dob base. 114mm binoscope also in design stage.(Just for the fun of it) And I've got the most priceless gift of all......a truly dark site on a quiet no through road, nearest neighbour 1/2km away.

Cheers to all and thank you for the advice and support I've been given.
Rod

[Kunama]

Nice setup Rod! As we know, a dark site is worth much more than fancy optics...

[tim.anderson]

My EQ8 + Long Perng 126mm triplet apochromat (thanks Adox) + Atik 420 mono imager (thanks Screwdriverone) + ZWO electronic filter wheel (LRGB+Ha) + Orion ED80T CF used for finding with a Baader Zoom + Orion SSAGPro camera and guidescope + a red dot finder.

Ten degree horizon 360 degrees around from the back deck on a concrete platform.

Cowra dark skies and a retirement to enjoy it in. Some pics at:

https://plus.google.com/+TimAnderson1956

[FlashDrive]

339 ... 80mm f/15

Col....

[Kunama]

Nice scope Col but I think you need my Husqvarna chainsaw for a few hours !!!

[LewisM]

No point Matt - he shaved the beard and mo off :) :P

Baby-Face Flash

[FlashDrive]

I take it out the front .... no trees in the way there..



Since when .....:confuse3:

Col .....

[LewisM]

Much worse...err..better :P :P :P

[StephenRH]

Here's my big beast. It's way bigger than I thought it would be. I call it 'Kororia'. The name is Maori for 'glory' and it comes from Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God." It's a fully laden 28" f/3.3. It was made by Peter Read, SDM Telescopes, in Bunbartha, VIC, Australia. It's a real work on art - aesthetically pleasing to the eye and tests revealed excellent performance.
The mirror is by Mike Lockwood of LCO in USA.
It has ArgoNavis and Servocat (with two handboxes - one on the stalk and one at the eyepiece.
Kororia has an 80mm f/6 Explore Scientific Triplet APO Finder with a 20mm Nagler. That has a 3.4° FOV at 24x magnification. A Telrad is fitted. There is also an 11x60 RA Finder to help balance the scope (which is as near to perfect as you can get).
I use Nagler eyepieces and have ordered a Stellarview 20mm 100° eyepiece as well.
It has fans fitted to cool the mirror and heater straps around the smaller instruments and eyepieces.
The rocker box is larger than usual as Peter wanted to raise the height to see closer to the horizon over my 1.200m fold down walls on the observatory.
It's permanently set up in Pukemaru Observatory, on my property near Kaitaia and about 100m up f the house.
I will be using it for visual variable star observing (CVs, RCBs, NLs, and a few Mira/LPVs). Plus of course, public viewing.
I have asked people not to ring me if it's a fine night between Last and First Quarter. I will be busy (unless it's raining).

Oh and by the way, it's been stormy for the past 2 days so no viewing and rain/storms/thunder predicted for the rest of the week so I haven't had a chance to observe yet. That is so often the case with a new telescope.

[Allan]

Beautiful dob Stephen, you must be very happy. I saw it near completion in Pete's workshop, and you have to love the quality and attention to detail Peter puts into the dobs he's building these days. Certainly in my travels around the world observing with friends and at star parties, I haven't seen another dob that rivals what Pete builds.

So it's your variable star scope. Do you plan to turn it onto some other deep sky objects?

[Kunama]

Love the scope Stephen, looks beautiful.

Peter was a great help to me when I built my scope, offering lots of free advice and supplying some custom parts. He sure does fine work!

Hope the Long White Cloud gives you some sky time!

[Kunama]

My new observing ladder, with treads at 150mm spacing for better viewing heights:

[Atmos]

Smaller than your previous one?

[Kunama]

Actually about 150mm taller....

[Atmos]

Oh, well it looks more ergonomic from my pretty bad memory :P

[Kunama]

I actually bought two identical ladders today, then dismantled one of them and used the treads and a few other bits to make this one.

I cut about 16mm off each of the donor treads and fitted them halfway between the existing ones. I also installed a second brace on the back and then drilled some 53mm holes in the top for 2" eyepieces.

I will also be installing a taller folding handrail once I work out how to lock it securely in the up position....

[UniPol]

Very nice Matt, another stairway to heaven if your not careful.

[FlashDrive]

:lol:

[LewisM]

I don't get it...why on Earth do YOU need a ladder Matt?

;)

[Kunama]

It's not for me, it's for all the Short-RRRRs wanting to take a look.........:thumbsup:

[StephenRH]

Thanks, Allan. Yes, it's a work of art all right. As good to look at as to look through. I will look at some deep sky objects and planets -- and show them to the public -- but mainly variables. It's performing way beyond my expectations. I saw mag 17.3 in the field of RU HOR and the seeing hasn't been great so who knows how deep it will allow me to see.

[StephenRH]

Peter is a terrific guy all right, Kunama. His telescopes are delights to look at and delights to look through. Mine is exceptional.

Land of the Long White Cloud? We have not had a decent night so far -- partially clear skies but lots and lots of fog! Now we have a week of rain forecast -- remnants of the storm that hit northern Queensland :-(

[Slawomir]

My current imaging setup after over four years of evolution. Ready to test camera's orthogonality, just need clear(ish) skies...

[RickS]

Looks great, Suavi! Good luck with the weather.

[JaseD]

WOW! Public viewing... nice. Next time in NZ, I would love to come check it out. My FIL is in Warkworth, you're really only a hop and skip away. Lovely bit of kit.

Cheers
J

[Slawomir]

Thank you Rick,

Weather was good last night. Riccardi reducer highlighted a tilt somewhere in the optical train, so will need to investigate that. Stars with the flattener are pretty good, but could improve also. Will try to sort this out in the following weeks.