Show us your equipment!

[Striker]

Very nice mate. I'm with you on the clear skies, got about 2 hours last night before the clouds rolled in.

[Kunama]

Beautiful setup Suavi.

[Slawomir]

Thank you Tony and Matt. Just need to sort out the tilt and I will be a very happy camper.

[thomqos]

Thought I'd finally post some pics. of my 10" f6 rebuild that I completed late last year.

Formerly a homemade cardboard tubed Dob. with a great mirror re-figured for me by Mark Suchting in 2000, I've now rebuilt it in an aluminium tube with a Moonlite focusser & EQ mounted using Parallax's rotating rings. There's some photos during construction, as well as showing the Novak 9 point primary cell that I'm lucky enough to have. Thanks to Mark's work, it produces great planetary/lunar views when cooled properly, about as sharp as my TSA-120.
I still use the old Dob. rocker box as a cradle to store it on...Waste not, want not!

Only problem is it's turned out to be built like a tank at 22-23kg & my G-11 struggles, even though I'm visual only. I just need an observatory & a bigger mount for it now!

[FlashDrive]

That rebuild looks great ... nice outcome. :thumbsup:

Col...

[Pleiades02]

Love the Mach1 mount Suavi....

[Slawomir]

Me too Lyndal! :)

It's definitely a keeper. Perhaps one day (50th bday would be a good reason...) I will also get the 1100...

[Kunama]

A little Tak for a little Tak.....

What a cute little mount the Sky Patrol III by Takahashi is.....
Should be a fine companion for the FOA-60 refractor that is going to be my lightweight grab&go setup.

Sitting atop my Manfrotto MT055CXPro3 Carbon tripod is the Skywatcher Star Adventurer Wedge which is grasping my little DIY Dovetail plate bolted to the Sky Patrol III....

Just need the scope now :astron:

[UniPol]

I thought my Feather Touch focusers were good until I bought my first Moonlite focuser for my Tak Mewlon 180C recently, beautifully made and silky smooth. :thumbsup:

[DJT]

Got the chance at the weekend to put the fs60 back together after trashing the original focuser last year.

Feather touch focuser with the fs60 adapter and the adapter needed to be able to use the Takette accessories.

Was really impressed with the feather touch and chuffed to be able to use the scope properly again. Tak LE7mm plus powermate on Jupiter was so cool.

Last photo is the FS60 waiting in the background whilst it's big brother goes through its paces.

[LewisM]

My baby Tak - 1991 FC-60

Natively f/8.3 and razor sharp. Weighs as much as a wet handkerchief :)

[Kunama]

I must agree, I found the MoonLite was better (smoother) than the FT. My current FT has a couple of issues, it likes to catch on the N31T5 and being the lightweight version, it tends to bind if the mounting screws are done up tight...

[FlashDrive]

That's real nice Matt ... :thumbsup:

[Atmos]

And it comes with some SERIOUS extension tube!

[LewisM]

My freshly restored 1990 Astro-Physics Star 12ED (120mm) doublet, serial No. 17 of roughly 100 or so made. These were Roland's answer to the Tak fluorite FC-100 doublets and the Vixen FL-102S, just with more aperture.

Having used it contemporaneously alongside a Tak TSA-120 triplet, they compare almost identically, with the only real difference being the Star 12 showed a TINY amount of yellow on the Lunar limb (COULD be prism diagonal doing that, so retesting when I have the new dielectric diagonal). Typical A-P through and through.

[Slawomir]

A beautifully restored excellent instrument. When you get bored with it, please let me know ;)

[casstony]

You could start a restoration hobby Lewis, buying premium scopes with knocked around tubes (or has that already started?).

[Camelopardalis]

My latest acquisition...I was looking for a portable scope with some ability to image on-the-go if asked of it...it's a William Optics Z61. Maybe teensy scopes don't anger the cloud gods, as it's clear today in Brisbane :shrug:

[Kunama]

Very nice scope Dunk, should go nicely with an Ethos21

[Camelopardalis]

I reckon :eyepop: but it'd be hideously unbalanced :lol:

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Nice scope Dunk..I am a William fan myself. Moving back to Brisbane next year ...a bigger pond...interested in meeting members in a capital centre...cheers Tom :)

[Camelopardalis]

Bigger pond no doubt Tom, but a brighter sky too!

[Atmos]

The cloud gods possibly approve of the blue and consider anything so small as not being worth their anger.

[Capricorn1(Tom)]

Dunk..c14 hyper star will make up for what Hawthorne has to offer...cannot wait. Brissy cultural centre...bicycle trails...the place is great...and the food...how lucky are you guys ..:D

[Camelopardalis]

:rofl: :thumbsup: phew...I don't want to say it too loudy, but it's still clear!



:lol: that only collects the light pollution even faster :lol:

At least it doesn't take long to escape the lights :D

[RickS]

How big is the image circle, Dunk? It would look good with a honking big camera on it :lol:

[Steffen]

How cute! Does it double as an eyepiece? :D

[Camelopardalis]

With flattener, WO quote 43mm :D if you're willing to volunteer your honking big camera for a photo shoot, I'd be happy to oblige :lol:



:lol: yeah I couldn't resist...it looks a little more telescope-like with its dew shield in the angry position :D

I even have an eyepiece that is heavier :lol:

[Atmos]

I think if you put a FLI-16803 on that scope, the camera would be bigger than that scope in every respect haha

[Slawomir]

43mm imaging circle in a 61mm lens is quite remarkable Dunk. In fact, FSQ85 has imaging circle of 'only' 44mm...Speaking of which, I still do not understand how FSQ106 can have fully illuminated imaging circle of 88mm - almost the same size as the aperture - some Tak magic?

[Camelopardalis]

Even more remarkable Suavi on a scope under US$400 :D but consequently my expectations aren't that grand...I sold my full frame a while back to focus more on smaller chips less demanding of glass...I became a little disillusioned with the behaviour not inexpensive DSLR lenses :shrug:

[Kunama]

I was trying to wait till the arrival of my FOA-60 to post this but the FOA is still 'in transit' so here is my 60th birthday present "From Me to Me with Love"

The beautiful TEC Maksutov-Cassegrain 202mm F15.5 now with new 'Kunama' carbon fibre handles to safely carry her about.....

Thanks to Mark for keeping this aside for me until I could pick it up, and to Yuri Petrunin for fast replies to my enquiries, supplying information about this scope, it is now safely at home in Canberra ready for 'first light' later this week....

[LewisM]

Just perfect Matt. Makes me want another Mak!

Oh, Wavy, care to sell that 180? :)

[Slawomir]

A beautiful telescope Matt, Happy Birthday indeed :thumbsup:

[Mark Axisa]

Stoked my old scope has gone to a loving new home!!
Matt you will love the views!:eyepop:

[LewisM]

He's a proud Papa Mark :) Was grinning like a Cheshire Cat showing me pictures of it this morning - hope to use it soon :)

Funny we both said we would not buy Yank scopes, and look what we both did LOL. I am Tak-less as of this Saturday, but Matt retains ONE :)

[FlashDrive]

Gee, that looks nice... awesome views I'll bet

Col...

[FlashDrive]

I'll show you mine now .... :P

Col....

[Kunama]

Nice one Col :thumbsup: when did you get that?

[FlashDrive]

About 4 months ago, I found it on my front verandah in a big box.
It had my name on it, so I figured I'd keep it. ;)

Col...

[Kunama]

Fair enough, if they wanted it they shouldn't have left it outside your house !!!

Jennifer asked me if I wanted a big party for my 60th..... I asked how much she intended to spend on the party....... when she told me the $$$ I said "NO !!" to the party and sent the money to Mark for the TEC instead ;)

[FlashDrive]

A bit of ' covert ' maneuvering of funds eh ....!!

I must try that .. I'm 62 in Sept' ...thanks for the ' tip '

Col...:D

[LewisM]

Mine's 7 days before you, and 18 years younger, so get in line Pops :) :P

[Atmos]

Over mounted much ;)
So over mounted that I've had to stack multiple 14" Losmandy plates together to get purely for added weight and to get the camera further away for greater torque!

Need a shorter counter weight shaft!

[LewisM]

Should counterbalance it with another DSLR on the CW shaft Colin - dual imaging into the bargain. Seen it done a few times.

[Atmos]

It isn't a silly suggestion but that still requires a shorter counter weight shaft ;)

[LewisM]

Hmm, or a bit of lateral thinking AKA as camera shelf for a CW bar, ala, voila, ipso facto and here it is: http://myastroshop.com.au/products/details.asp?id=MAS-029G7

TADA. See - already been thunked of

[Atmos]

That would work really well with my EQ6 where the CW Shaft rotates with the rest of the mount!

[LewisM]

Or you could manually adjust it for Dec lol. Lazy bum :)

[Atmos]

That may require rebalancing or adjusting the PID parameters :lol:

[Steffen]

Colin, what did you put under the feet of your Planet?

[Atmos]

Bought them earlier this afternoon, they're bases for small terracotta pots :)

[Allan]

Oh Matt, what a beautiful TEC Mak. A friend, who has now moved back to the US, has the same scope. I really enjoyed the observing sessions with it. I was certainly lusting after one for a while, and Mark's ad didn't go un-noticed.

Any chance it will make a Coolah visit?

[Steffen]

Do they work? I'd love to hear about your experience with them. Is there no wobble? I bet they keep the tripod feet clean. I usually push the spikes into the ground, which can get messy if the ground is wet and soggy.

[Kunama]

Takahashi FOA-60 F8.8

[Atmos]

:thumbsup:

[LewisM]

Thank goodness my tax return was processed today.... FOA here I come :)

[FlashDrive]

Now that's nice ... :thumbsup:

[benklerk]

GSO RC 6"
HEQ5 Pro
ZWO ASI 071
80x400 Guide scope with ZWO ASI 120mm guide camera

[Allan]

I keep reaching for the like button, and it's not there.

[Kunama]

:thumbsup: It is a pretty little Takker, that's for sure :D

Here it is on its mount, the Tak SkyPatrol III with Skywatcher StarAdventurer wedge and Manfrotto MT055CXPro3 tripod, a true Grab with one hand and Go
that will be by the backdoor for those quick looks....

[LewisM]

Here you go Allan - I added one for you. Click to your heart's content :lol:

[LewisM]

You know Matt, green and blue is a nice combo together.

I'll put the airbrush away again.

[Atmos]

Kinda funky looking setup but as you say, truly Grab and Go!

[LewisM]

Tak Skypatrol - the mount that did not know which way to bend :lol:

[Kunama]

The RA motor acts as a counterweight, the mount tracks well and silently using just 4 AA batteries. Coarse adjustments are by the clutches, then both axes have slow motions to home in on the target before switching on tracking in right ascension.

The polar scope is surprisingly good as is the operation of the wedge.

Retrograde Aperture Fever at its best

[Atmos]

It is a bit more portable than my HEQ5 :)

[DJT]

Hmm..looks like it's serious
Takahashi 76-DCU on an FTX alt-az mount. Really enjoying this as a grab and go. Works well with the manfrotto tripod.

Then I put an eyepiece to the FSQ106N today and was blown away, viewing the rather bright moon and Jupiter.

TAkahashi FSQ106n on a Televue Gibralter Alt-Az setup. Viewing Jupiter with an LE 7.5mm and a 1.6 extender straight through.

[Kunama]

Nice kit David, I too was blown away by the FSQ106ED as a visual scope, adding the extender 1.5xED gave superb views !!!.

[Kunama]

Made a few scope handles in the last week, here is one for Lewis for the old AP:

19.05 mm aluminium solid bar cut to 144mm then machined to 143mm & drilled and treaded for M8.
Glue grooves cut every 8mm,
Carbon fibre 20mm/22mm gloss tube epoxy glued over the aluminium,
M8x35mm S/S Button head socket screws

[LewisM]

Absolutely - NEVER listen to the old twats that tell you you don't use an imaging scope for visual "It's an astrograph - you can't look through it". Pure dribble.

It's a MAGNIFICENT visual view through an FSQ - flat to the edges, pin point stars, port-hole like views.

[LewisM]

OK, I might make a drive around after school-o'clock yet :) Itching to get it on the A-P.

[Atmos]

Unless of course said astrograph doesn't have enough back focus for even the shortest of 1.25" diagonals and an EP ;)

[ausastronomer]

Well that isn't exactly what the old twats who know what they are talking about will tell you.

Petzval Refractors like the Tak FSQ106 and the Televue NP101 and several others, will all perform superbly as visual telescopes. I have used them both for visual, I know :) These are both unobstructed systems of very high quality.

Where it all falls apart for using imaging scopes for visual is with Newtonian astrographs with > 30% central obstructions and insufficient backfocus to reach focus with an eyepiece and with other imaging specific scopes like Ritchey Chretiens and the Planewaves with large CO's.

Cheers,
John B

[LewisM]

That is the problem - the urban myth goes wild, without the caveats attached - a true Chinese Whisper.

I was still staunchly told by 3 guys on Cloudy Nights that an FSQ cannot be a good visual instrument because it's an astrograph. You just grin and smile.

[LewisM]

I used each and every FSQ 85 and 106 I have owned for visual without a hitch. Just use the Tak 1.25" diagonal and where needed the "In" adaptor, and all good to go.

[LewisM]

Now let's see if a certain red and black Italian light bucket will come to focus for visual :) :D Good luck with it :)

[Atmos]

I'm sure that with a helical focuser I could straight through visual but it would be mighty uncomfortable without a variabale height observing bed ;)

Still waiting on one adapter and then I'll be good to go!

[LewisM]

Congrats BTW.

[Atmos]

Mewlon-210 sitting on my EQ6. Didn't get much time (AGAIN!) before the clouds rolled in but long enough to get a quite nicely centred secondary shadow. Collimation is now good enough to split a double, now just need some half decent seeing to actually be able to see something that resembles a diffraction ring.

[Kunama]

I think you will enjoy the views through the M210 when the curse clears... but your Polar Alignment was off by 90º so I fixed that for you...

[LewisM]

We need to send Colin a cradle or at least some velcro - look at the hand controller just hanging there...tsk tsk tsk

[Atmos]

That explains why I was struggling with collimation, I was pointed at the ground!



It was in a perfect place, kneeling and viewing near zenith I could just reach down to recently the out of focus star ;)

[Wilso]

Fsq 85edx for travel and grab and go.
Just for visual at this stage. The baby q is mounted on a manfrotto fluid video head (1.6kg) rated to 7kg and gitzo carbon fibre tripod (3kg) and rated to a whopping 40kg load. Really light weight comes in under 8 kg total + eyepiece.
I removed the CAA ring to give plenty of in focus ranging from a Tak Le 5 - nagler 31 = sweet views

[that_guy]

my budget(ish) setup from this years astrofest

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Nice , I had one of those 127mm triplets and it was a good one .
Brian.

[GaryPlum]

My gear, just a newbie but loving the learning!
TS-PL-80mm-F6-Triplet, Sony A99 24MPix 5.97 microns, 50mm Orion guidescope Prostar Guidecam Sony IMX224LQR, 3.75microns. HEQ5-Pro, QHY Polemaster, ASCOM, EQMOD, PHD2, Cartes-Du-Ciel running on my HP Spectre I7 Ultrabook.

217691 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/garphoto/36360782491/)

Rho Ophi
217694 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/garphoto/35808924282/)

M42/3
217692 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/garphoto/32399985380/in/album-72157641242899133/)

B33 Horsehead:
217693 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/garphoto/35662807054/)

[Kunama]

I am pressing the LIKE button but nothing is happening :question:
Looks good Gary :hi:

[Kunama]

TEC MC200 F15.5 with supercharged Zeiss binoviewers and acting as a counterweight, Takahashi TSA120 F7.5 with TV Binovues, both fitted with Takahashi Abbe eyepieces.....

[_Jimmy]

Bit of a selphie from the last trip!

[DJT]

Oh wow...very noice..

[LewisM]

When are you selling them? :lol:

[DJT]

Now there you go, all equipment images should be selfies so we get to see the big Cheshire Cat grin that should always go with new kit.:thumbsup:

[Wavytone]

Meh... I'll see you and raise you one... inch that is... an MK91 (9" f/13) with a 7" f/15 counterweight (!) on AZ8 with encoders, Nexus II and SkySafari.

[_Jimmy]

You'll get that big cheesey grin out of me everytime i'm out!

[Atmos]

All that nice glass and no binoviewers haha

[Kunama]

A few little tidy-up changes to the AZ-EQ6GT mount......

It now has a pair of ADM saddle clamps which have been draw-filed and polished to make them pretty....

The saddle locking knobs have been recessed into the top bar by 4mm to turn the 'Slide-in' map into a 'Tip-in' one.....

The counterweight bar now has a flat ground into it that allows dual-mount mode without the threat of the c/w bar rotating as the factory screw is nearly useless....

The itty-bitty factory clamping screw has been replaced with an industrial strength M12 HT clamping lever.... (the lever handle was a bit long so out with the hacksaw, etch primer and satin black epoxy..)

The custom DewBuster Controller is now fitted to the top of the mount using a Polemaster adapter making for easy removal and less stuff hanging off the mount...

A few pics:

[GC - South Aus]

Looking good Matt,

It is an impressive setup!

Gav

[croweater]

Gorgeous setup Matt. I have turned a very deep shade of green. Cheers Richard.

[croweater]

Here is my old Parks 8" f6. Still my only scope. Mirror still good. Cheers Richard.

[Kunama]

That is a classic Richard, on a proper mount !!!:thumbsup:

[croweater]

Hey Matt, thanks for looking. I haven't seen any reason to replace it yet though it gets a little heavier every year. :P Cheers Richard

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Nice . I used to lust over these in the Sky and Telescope in the day.
Brian.

[FlashDrive]

Good Scope .... Excellent ' Zambuto " 8'' inch Mirror...

Col...

[FlashDrive]

Biggest Binoculars I have owned ( APM 100mm Semi APO 45*degree ) ..... still to try on night sky because of weather.

I especially like being able to use ' different ' focal length eyepieces....

Terrestrial views are magnificent...

Col...

[croweater]

That is very nice Col. :) Does the curved sec. holder mean there are no diffraction spikes at all? Cheers Richard.
PS those binos look stunning mate.

[Kunama]

That's very flash mate! :thumbsup:

[LewisM]

So, your ball(s) are now portable Col?

[FlashDrive]

Thanks Richard



Cheers Matt



:confuse3: .... wait a minute ... oh yeah ... I can carry them anywhere :evil:

Thanks y'all :D

[croweater]

Thanks Brian. When I was a young decky on a rock lobster boat we had a big haul and instead of blowing the dough down the pub(which sometimes did happen :screwy: )I got the ota (new) and the mount (second hand) off Claudio. :)

[PCH]

Lovely binos Col,

I used to have a pair of the same Oberwerk 45/100's on a height adjustable stand for comfortable zenith viewing. The views were spectacular and so comnfoprtable to view thru, even for extended periods.

[JA]

Hi Folks,

No they're not some strange pair of binos, although you could try if you have very wide set eyes. I just acquired the 2nd of these 2 lenses. They are a pair of Nikon 400mm f2.8 lenses for my take on the dragonfly array thing (x2 for now), - "Bumble Bee" :D. for a 400mm f2 ... (equivalent exposure) or 600mm f2.8 equiv. or 800mm f4 equiv. with 1.5x and 2x Teleconverters resp. (Need to test the Image Quality and acquire some more Nikon TCs before going crazy on that (the TC) route).

I now need to find time to make a fixture to hold both lenses on a mount whilst also (possibly/probably) providing a means of optical alignment. I need to rope in my brother for some of his wonderful welding work (Hi Den)

Best
JA

[UniPol]

Finally got around to assembling my very rare circa 1960 Polarex (Unitron) 6" achromat after a few years in storage in preparation for a ground up restoration. I'm hoping the tube and astrographic camera will fit in my conservatory as the mount alone to the top of the cradle is 2800mm and the tube perhaps a little longer. It seems a pity that the telescope is destined to be for display only as the construction of an observatory is out of the question. The complete set up has a weight clock drive, F4 astrographic camera and Polarex 4" F15 guide scope plus a 2" F10 finder scope and the cast iron base measures 800mm x 600mm. I estimate the overall weight to be around 350kg's.

[LewisM]

Steve, as discussed recently, you need to make your conservatory roof roll-off :)

[Atmos]

That looks fantastic Steve. Will be so shiny when restored :P

[Slawomir]

Looks awesome! What a mighty mount :thumbsup:

[strongmanmike]

Wow, great scope :eyepop:...aaah the memories..

Mike

[UniPol]

Thanks for your interest guys, and Lewis, I thought about a roll off roof for about 5 seconds but decided it was over the top at 6m x 5m.

[Aelk5579]

I've got a Celesteron Nexstar 6se

[Mamba]

Finally got it all together and am very pleased with the outcome of my latest scope.
It's a TSA 120 on a G11 with Gemini 1. I have recently purchased a pair of Zeiss binos from Denis together with the Baarder T2 prism and because I was so sure that I would have problems coming to focus I also purchased the 1.7 GPC. I am delighted to find that I can come to focus by the use of a 2" TV x2 powermate and the standard Tak 2" 75mm extension piece used for straight through viewing without the need for the GPC, this means the 30mm prisms in the binos will not be restricted by the GPC which only measures 24.5mm diameter.
I have mated the binos with a pair of 8/24 Baarder Mk IV zoom eyepieces so the magnification range is 75 to 225, well within the TSA's capacity.
I spent last night observing Saturn and came in feeling that the not inconsiderable sum of money the binos and eyepieces cost was money well spent.
Dave Cooke
For some reason I am unable to attach photos but will post anyway.

[croweater]

Great setup David. Sounds a lot like my wish list. Though that dream includes a TOA 130 :P:) Cheers Richard.

[Atmos]

Very nice David, once you go bino you cannot go back ;)

[Mamba]

Photos here

[Mamba]

Colin, yes I was very impressed with Saturn and hoping weather will allow me a scan of the moon tonight even if it is a bit on the full side.
Richard, thanks but I'm not sure I could grapple with a 130.
Dave Cooke

[UniPol]

They look like a great set of bino's David. I've found my Tak "Twin View" bino's about the best I've ever tried so far. I think the TSA-120 is possibly the best all round refractor ever produced by Tak as it excellent for visual and AP. I owned a TOA-130s and a TOA-130NFB but think the TSA-120 is more versatile.

[LewisM]

Aw, I dunno Steve, the TSA-102 is hard to beat :)

[UniPol]

Yeah, and that one too:thumbsup:

[Mamba]

Thanks for the comment Unipol, I was a little nervous about paying out so much to a guy called Denis but he appears to be highly regarded on Cloudynights so I took a chance and right now I am very pleased I did.
Clearly you take better photographs than I do.
Dave Cooke

[UniPol]

You won't regret your purchase David, the TSA will give exceptional views.

[Kunama]

My latest scope purchase :D :

With thanks to Simon :thanx: , I now have the perfect scope for my public outreach efforts at Mount Stromlo..... (I really never felt comfortable having people climb a ladder to my big scope's eyepiece)

For the princely sum of $250, I bought Simon's 10" GSO Dobsonian which had been unused for quite some time. The scope came with a perfect laser collimator, 8x50 RACI finder and Telrad finder as well as an extension tube.

Though dry stored, the mirror had a seriously thick layer of dust that had accumulated during storage. I got the scope home and dismantled it completely into its components, then washed both mirrors, the primary was left to soak for a few minutes before a soap and water wash revealed a decent mirror that had been hidden by the dust.

I then dismantled the focuser, cleaned it and replaced one screw and refitted it. Then I noted that the secondary was too far down the tube to line up with the focuser axis, so after a minor modification to the mounting, I had the optics aligned as they should be. A quick collimation with the laser showed all was lining up well but the collimation screws were a nuisance so out they came to be replaced with M4 x 30mm stainless cap screws.

Hoping for a "First Light" tonight :thumbsup:

Who says I am an equipment snob :shrug:

Pics: GSO 10", Clean Mirror, Collimation screws, Clean focuser and Finder

[Atmos]

That last photo has be imagining the dob saying “I’ll never be good enough to sit in that corner with those Takahashi snobs.”

[doppler]

I notice that the focuser is on an angle, does this mean that it's rotatable on the base plate?

[Kunama]

Yes, there are two grub screws on the sides of the baseplate, you need a 2mm Allen key to turn them. :thumbsup:

[Kunama]

:lol::lol:

[joelshort]

So I'm new here, and I'm excited to show off a new scope that arrived a few weeks ago. It's a CFF250RC (10" f/8). Here it is mounted on my Mach1GTO along with an SV80ST.

As you can see I'm primarily an imager and have two cameras for a dual scope/imaging rig that I am testing out: Moravian G3-16200M and QHY163M.

[Atmos]

The CFF is a gorgeous scope!

[joelshort]

It sure is! It looks even better without the shroud on. :)

[LewisM]

Is this the contingency scope in case of BTSA issues? :P



No one :whistle: (yet)

[Slawomir]

Very nice dual setup Joel :thumbsup:

Good to know that Mach1 can simultaneously carry a 10" RC and a small refractor.

[joelshort]

It can, and my initial tests with guiding are favorable. The total weight on top of the mount is around 55lbs (25kg). Now that Astro-Physics has "upped" the capacity weight, I'm still under the 65lb rating ;)

[traveller]

Family portait time!
WO FLT 110 (Gold Member) top, WO 66 Petzval (Mini Me) with guidescope to left and ASI1600 with EFW and OAG (Red Baron) to right.
Big Bertha needed a separate photo. :)
Bo

[Atmos]

Phil is just as bad as Lewis :lol:

[MortonH]

How good does that Star12ED look!!!

[LewisM]

More than a bit miffed it wasn't offered back to me before sale, especially after selling it at a rock bottom price for a mate... :(

[issdaol]

Me hoard !?!?! :P



Hey :P I have ways to go before I reach the stage of the Master :lol:




Things can happen when you don't answer your phone :doh::whistle:

[LewisM]

Mr Technology who doesn't send SMS's when people don't (can't) answer....

[Kunama]

Just a gratuitous flaunting of a few pics of my binoculars:
( I hope nobody is offended :P)

Taken at Mount Stromlo Observatory on New Year's Eve while waiting for the fireworks to start....

Takahashi TSA120F7.5 x 2
EMS-Matsumoto EMS-ULS
SW AZ-EQ6GT on Stilts
Takahashi TMT70300 Tripod
Casady 10Kg counterweight
StarGPS

[bigjoe]

Who could be offended ..the Envious perhaps..Hope you've sent a pic or two over to theses folk..
www.takahashijapan.com

bigjoe.

[croweater]

Really nice Matt. I watched a Brian Cox show last night. Was that your Gweneviere at Mt Stromlo? Cheers Richard.

[Kunama]

Yes Richard, it was "Guinevere", alas no longer mine. Joe (OzEclipse) now takes care of her while I am planning the construction of "Sir Lancelot" , a planetary observation focused successor (f6 or longer) to be built during winter of 2018.

[croweater]

Beauty, will give me something else to drool over. :) .Cheers, Richard. PS Gueneviere looked stunning

[Steffen]

Fireworks at Mt Stromlo Observatory? That sounds a bit insensitive :P

[bigjoe]

This little baby arrived around 2pm from Telescop Express , Germany .
So far RAZOR SHARP and contrasty ON ALL TERRESTRIAL...using a 9mm Orthoscopic.
Hate having to put up pics with low file size ..for now anyhow..will put some better ones soon.
PS: Its bigger than the 6 inch doublet and much heavier.

Will do some testing over next few days.
bigjoe.

[Tinderboxsky]

Very nice Joe. I am looking forward to your first light report.

[bigjoe]

Thanks Steve .

It looks vastly better in the flesh than those awful , very low res pics I took 200kb ..its bigger than the 6 inch F5 and 10 kg looked at some buildings over Burwood way ..and the clearest view Ive seen in years..Augers well.

Got the Orthos ready..but of course ...out side CLOUDS.

Oh well ..I knew this was on the cards.
bigjoe.

[The Mekon]

I have just checked out the Teleskop Express site, and noted these scopes offer incredible value! I think you have chosen wisely Joe.

[bigjoe]

Thanks John ..Indeed ; all up with A Flattener 68mm thread, some more Orthos massive strong 8.5kg Case , all for about $4100 including customs fees and shipping ...UNBELIEVABLE ..
AND its RAZOR SHARP...best views ive had in years in that department..cant wait to test it out ..some of these have been showing .96 Strehl and above ,so I think I may have got Lucky ..artificial Star test looks great both sides..will confirm later on Real stars and Planets .. For now CLOUDS!
What did you expect ..Sunshine !
bigjoe.

[LewisM]

My latest Tak I acquired from Ice Trades this week, as I continue to help Beta-test them for Takahashi-Seisakusho :)

My THIRD FSQ-85ED - I like them THAT much to acquire another example by selling my much-loved TSA-102S (yes, downsizing - aperture fever is for the birds :lol:). VERY hard to beat in flatfield, widefield imaging in this size range.

I'll TRY not to sell this one. Maybe.

[bigjoe]

At least 2 of us are happy here..well done...
Ill try not to sell mine also.
bigjoe.

[Wilso]

Make it three,
Congrats Lewis, excellent for visual as well!!
With the extender 1.5x it's an f8 as the TSA .
I don't think I'll part with mine.

[bigjoe]

Wilso ..well done also.
3 indeed.. that scope would punch well above expected.

Looks like Im going to turn into a refractorholic afterrall!
bigjoe.

[LewisM]

Yep, mine came with the extender, and Claude ordered the reducer for me, so all bases covered. Flat field viewing is very enjoyable, and not having to mess around with spacers etc makes imaging less troublesome.

[LewisM]

Refractorholic...it's not a disagreeable habit :thumbsup:

Before Wavy says so, yes, Maksutov's are highly addictive too :P

[bigjoe]

Too true ..people pulling their hair out ..trying to get the spacing just right..The Tak takes care of that bigtime.
Enjoy.
bigjoe.

[rrussell1962]

Nice mount too Lewis! My new grab and go set up, ED100 from flea bay and Star Discovery mount, cheap AA batteries from Coles, Synscan WiFi. Mount seems slightly overloaded but who cares, it is fun. Miraculously clear at the moment. How the heck do you guys get your pictures the right way up?

[bigjoe]

Dont laugh.. I once put a 7 inch Mak on one and It worked perfectly ..no hiccups..very underrated mount , prob becuse it looks a bit plasticky.
Enjoy.
bigjoe

[LewisM]

Yeah, nice guy traded me that mount. It's a corker! (now if someone I know is selling GPD's...)

Enjoy that ED100 - they are fantastic scopes! Every one I looked through was really good - better, I felt, than the 120 big brother.

[bigjoe]

One more pic of objective..massive temperature compensating cell .
bigjoe

[LewisM]

Lovely!

[traveller]

Coronado Solar Max II 60mm Double Stacked.
Lovely visual, but looking at upgrading the plasticky helical focuser for imaging work.
Bo

[skysurfer]

Within a few hours (girlfriend+) I leave for Sydney (and then dark places in NSW and possibly QLD...) so here my camera and other stuff (including the ED110 OTA with focuser detached, in the blue inner bag, top left) in my carry-on luggage.
It fits in the 55x35x20cm carry-on limits.
Eyepieces, mount and tripod and other AP gear are in my suitcase.

[Atmos]

Hopefully we have a nice clear new moon period for you!

[Wilso]

Finally have got my set up the way I wanted.
2yrs in the making, a lot of penny pinching and many thanks to ICE members for their contribution for main telescope and accessories :thumbsup::thumbsup:
Much appreciated!

[bigjoe]

Enjoy and well done..I've just fallen for refractors all over again ..even though I have other scope types.

Esp my new 130mm FPL53 TRIPLET from TS.
The view will be special..try binoviewing as I have.. couple 24 or 19mm Pans or equivalent.. and dont forget some doubles...heaven!

Below my baby with Delos, still waiting for a clear night.

bigjoe.

[Wilso]

Looking sweet Joe,
Just started getting into double stars myself.
Haven't tried looking through binoveiwers yet ,
I think ASSA has an star night this month hopefully someone has one I can take a peek through(hopefully not contagious though) ;)

Hint: try to take photos with the light source behind the camera so as not to wash out the photo- will show more detail as well!

Cheers

[ab1963]

Hi Darren
Is there a noticeable difference between the Baader bbhs diagonal vs the Baader Clicklock and if so what

[bigjoe]

With doubles and these Apos youll notice how much more intense the star colour contrasts will be ..eg.. Gamma Volantis and Upsilon Carinae.... an easy catch for your new Tak..and there just near or part of the Diamond Cross Asterism ...Enjoy!
Good hint Darren...I actually washed out colours and brightness etc.to get down to 200kb..The upload kept getting rejected!

bigjoe.

[bigjoe]

Hope this is a better one Darren under 200kb ..Ha ..at least youll get an idea of its size for now ..

Will take some more when I get a chance ..may get the silver Baader diagonal...crappy phone camera anyhow.
bigjoe.

[Wilso]

Hi Andrew,

The major difference is the cost!
The minor differences I don't think are that noticeable for me visually, but everyone is different.
Possibly a tad brighter but impossible to confirm without side by side comparison. You could try a prism diagonal, depends if your telescope has been configured for this.

Enjoy

[bigjoe]

On that note too..I find a prism diagonal works better above F7 ,esp in a Maksutov ..where the Baader ZEISS PRISM is outstanding on Planetary detail from what I witnessed against a GSO mirrorred one.
Bigjoe.

[bigjoe]

Good choice that Airplane friendly 110 ED.

Been cloudy and rainy over Sydney and some of NSW..but its due to clear for you Skysurfer..good luck on your Oz Astro Adventure.
bigjoe.

[Slawomir]

Hi all,

It’s been nearly a year since I got my 105mm and I have been using it exclusively for imaging, although not as often as I would like to.

Inspired by a quick glance through this beautiful instrument when I first got the telescope, I finally got a system to also start enjoying visual astronomy.

CFF 105mm f/6 on Berlebach Planet and M2 alt-az mount from Stellarvue.

Just need to wait for clouds to pass...

[Wilso]

Sweet set up Suavi, :thumbsup::thumbsup:
I was wondering which Alt/az mount you had inbound from your post the other day.
The stellavue mounts have a good reputation and are a compact unit.
Enjoy!

[Slawomir]

Thanks Darren. I was going to get AYO II but in the end went for the M2C, as I do not need a dual mounting system and, if one beautiful day in the distant future, the universe will allow me to host a larger refractor, I can always upgrade the mount and keep the tripod.

[Atmos]

As 95% of my visual work is done with a 4” doublet and can say that the views of the moon and planets from our heavily light polluted locations are worth while with a meager 100mm of aperture. Surfing the moon at 185x with binoviewers or Jupiter with a nice planetary EP at 200x is bliss :)

Lovely setup

[Slawomir]

Visual astronomy is an uncharted territory to me, so I look forward to using this minimalistic setup for stargazing. 3.5mm Delos will give 180 magnification which should be about max for comfortable viewing with a manual mount. Now I just need to get a nice medium power eyepiece...

[Zoran]

Got my new scope and mount now slowly adding the accessories.

Celestron Edge HD 9.25
Celestron CGX Mount and tripod to suit
Celestron ILLUMINATED RIGHT ANGLE CORRECT IMAGE FINDERSCOPE
Kendrick Dew Heater and Controller
Dew Shield
Additional Dovetail for accessories
Losmandy Camera mount
Losmandy DVA front dovetail balance weight
Televue eyepieces various
Celestron eyepieces various
Colour Filters various to suit
Celestron DSLR Camera adapter

Planning on using my Nikon DSLR on the rear of the scope for some imaging for a while and the Nikon P900 on the top dovetail for alternate views. Planning on a Faststar adapter in the not too distant future with a new dedicated camera (ZWO Atick SBIG) still doing my research on those.

In the meantime everything is connected to my notebook and all of the driving is done with Stellarium.

I'm looking at getting a Lhires III spectrograph to do some alternate observations. does anyone have any experience in spectography?

[Mamba]

Here is my FS78 on the P2Z mount with Tak 1 1/4 prism using Fujiyama eyepieces. The only stranger in the bed is the Stellarvue finder, I can’t use straight throughs.
It is hard to believe that the mount is ten years old and the scope was built in the last century. Thanks must go to Lewis for the respay of the dewshield which like all 18 year olds was suffering a bit of acne.
Thanks must also go to my wife for pretending to believe that second-hand means cheap.
Dave Cooke

[Kunama]

Nice one Dave !!!

[casstony]

My new grab and go mount, the Vixen APZ, much like an EZ touch/AYO II but with slow motion controls in addition to clutches.

The tripod is of good quality and the mount fits on the HAL130 for carrying bigger scopes.

[casstony]

I've tried the Vixen APZ out with different scopes.
The lightweight tripod it comes with is good for the William Optics 66 but my NP101is is too heavy for the TL130 tripod - takes a few seconds to settle with legs extended.

The NP weighs about 13 pounds plus diagonal and eyepiece, so about 15 or 16 pounds total.

The NP does ride well on the APZ mount with HAL130 tripod - settles in about one second with legs fully extended.

[FlashDrive]

I'm enjoying this Scope .... WO TMB 110mm Triplet.

Col....

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup:Nice Flash ! , is it ' Bino ' friendly ? looks a little like it is .

Btian.

[FlashDrive]

Yes .... all I got to do now is get some 'Bino's ' ( again )

Col...

[brian nordstrom]

:shrug: Know that feeling so well ,,,, this scope would be awesome in bino mode .

Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Very nice set up ! .

I knew an older amateur astronomer years ago who did spectograghy and really did some serious work for the professionals , sadly passed now .

Brian.

[rsbfoto]

... but yet not finally installed where they belong to

About 3 weeks my two CEM 120EC2 arrived but still testing them and waiting for custom made plates and accessories

Here mounted with a tandem setup (test setup only)

as well as a comparison to one of the G11 which will be replaced by the CEM 120EC2

Rainer

[ab1963]

Finally got the little scope I’ve been after ,My first Tak to see what all the fuss is about and now I really understand ,Takahashi FS60CB,Fantastic widefield scope and razor sharp with some magic I can’t quite put my finger on,Swarovski Zoom ,ES 20,14 100 deg come into focus no problem and the focuser doesn’t break into a sweat with the 2 ES eyepieces at zenith,Have not tried it with the 1.7x module yet and looking forward to that......

[Marke]

Added the 102 on top and absolutely no issue wish I had done it earlier.

[Wilso]

Looks like 1 beefy mount Rainer.:thumbsup:
Makes the g11 look small.
I see you have some lovely Taks and jacaranda's as well!

[FlashDrive]

Andrew ...very nice looking Scope.:thumbsup:

[ab1963]

Thanks Col it punches well above its weight and just bought the 1.6x extender to go with the 1.7x so you have f5.9 up to f16 in this little scope ,been lucky as i have all the necessary adapters to do the job but must say Takahashi make it so complex on that front but has been well worth the hassle and the mount and tripod i got from you are excellent and will stay with me until i'm 6 foot under

[casstony]

Had the NP101 and FC100 out last night to compare the views and it wasn't much help in deciding which one to keep in the long term. Star tests were very similar, even to the point of both patterns being a little cleaner inside focus. The most noticeable difference was less precise focusing needed at f/7.4 vs f/5.4. Both gorgeous scopes, especially once the FT focuser goes on the FC.

[Nikolas]

Finally made a pier and mounted my rig, even in badly light polluted melbourne, now if the weather will comply.....
Remove scope remove mount lock it all up and cover the pier.
Pier was a discarded metal road bollard I faithfully restored, barely any nay no vibration when it's all mounted so happy with the result

Also have the Orion ed80 for widefield which I am currently making a side by side saddle

[Kunama]

Nice little scope Andrew :thumbsup:

[ab1963]

Very happy with it Matt ,Optically superb and will have to be careful that i don't fully catch Takahashiitis as it's an illness i cannot afford to treat...:sadeyes:

[DJT]

:help2:

Great scope by the way ;-)

[ab1963]

There you go David you have the symptoms that I’m worried about......🔭

[Wilso]

Hi David,

Nice scopes.:thumbsup:
Is that a fluorite FSQ you have there in the back?

[DJT]

Hi Darren
Yes it is. From back to front, that’s an FSQ106N, a 76DC with the 1.7 CX Module attached and the cause of the malady, the FS60.

[Kunama]

But what a nice way to suffer :lol:

[Tropo-Bob]

I purchased a Tak FC100D (F7.4) earlier this year and finally have it kitted out with appropriate assessors. (Clamshell and bracket to hold normal finders).

I find it to be a lovely combination of performance at a light weight; a fantastic grab and go scope on an Altz mount.

[casstony]

Nice scope Bob. How does the AZ4 perform - smooth for small movements?
Where did you get the Finder base?

[Tropo-Bob]

I ordered the Finder Base directly from Ali Express. From memory, it cost about $30 US with postage and took about 2 weeks to arrive. In their extended list of Astronomy items, look from about the 40th page onwards.

The AZ4 works well for me, and the tension is easy to adjust. It has a tiny bit of slack in it sometimes,but does not bother me.

[Tropo-Bob]

Tony, more information on a Tak Finder Bracket:-

https://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?initiative_id=AS_20180530 224910&site=glo&g=y&SearchText=Telescopes&needQuery=n&page=52

HERCULES S8039 Takahashi finder Bracket Astronomical Telescope
Price:
US $21.00 / piece
Shipping:
US $5.99 to Australia via Singapore Post
Estimated Delivery Time:26-51days

Quantity:
1
piece (995 pieces available)
Total Price:
US $26.99

[casstony]

Thanks Bob, I've ordered one of those and a similar black one with a flat base. I'm planning on attaching the finder base to the top of the clamshell for finders or a guide scope.

[LewisM]

My FSQ-85EDX "Baby Q" was finally weened and out of nappies. She's grown a LOT overnight!

Wonder if she'll further blossom into an FSQ-130...;)

[Kunama]

:thumbsup: though it looks increasingly like one half of a pair of Siamese twins :question:

[LewisM]

Child swapping for a TSA-120...hmmmm....does the TSA have a reducer? Do I get Guido's or the GOOD one?

[Atmos]

Baby Q - 0-24 months
FSQ106 2-10 year’s
FSQ130 10-21
TOA150 21-50
FCT300 50+

[Kunama]

;) the Guid one :P

[LewisM]

Col, you don't want to know how many Baby Q's, 106N's and 106ED's I have had lol (and if my wife ever finds out...ouch!!!)

So, must be time for an FSQ130, especially with the new job :)

[issdaol]

Stop Faffing around with the Daipers :P and get a TOA150 with Reducer/Flattener......you know you want one :D

[LewisM]

TOA150 on an SXP - typical Phil comment....

[issdaol]

Excuses ...Excuses .....you have to upgrade the mount at the same time Doofus :P

[LewisM]

Why would I want to do that? SXP is perfect.

TOA 150 is too heavy and too long for my transportation requirements. Not all of us have an observatory :P

[rrussell1962]

If you ever do change your mind Lewis, can I have first dibs on the SXP please?

[Robmozzy]

Celestron 11" Edge HD

[LewisM]

Not happening Richard, but in the infinitesimal chance it does, yes :)

[casstony]

Impressive looking setup Rob; carrying that lot around will keep you fit.

[Robmozzy]

I'm a big boy, gotta have big toys. I decided that the 17" and 14" were over the top :shrug:

[Kunama]

Excalibur 18" F3.5 is ready for First Light.......albeit while still awaiting Nexus and Noctua :D making the wheels system today...

[Atmos]

:thumbsup:

[Decimus]

Wow, Matt, where did you get this beauty made? I am interested in an 18" and looked at SDM, among other sites. Did you have it made in Australia? Is the mirror an Obsession one, or a Zambuto, for example?

Cheers,
Richard

[croweater]

That is stunning Matt. Has a mean, purposeful look about it. :)

[OICURMT]

That Telrad is... well.... RAD!

[Atmos]

It was made by a bispoke garage not meters from where Matt resides (his backyard) ;)

[Kunama]

Hello Richard, as Colin mentioned, it's a home made scope, though I did farm out the welding to 'Revolution Welding' in Queanbeyan and the powder coating to ACT Powder Coating Services also in Qbn.
the primary is an 18" F3.54 by Mark Suchting, lots more on the project here: http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=164454


Thanks Richard, I will definitely bring this to SA on my next trip.


:thanx: somehow I just couldn't leave it without some alteration, the 'skin' is 0.25mm kevlar/carbon fibre from Protech in USA,



:rofl::hi:

[FlashDrive]

Just Beautiful Matt :thumbsup: :prey2:

[astrowoody]

My first telescope was a National Geographic 3in desktop Dobson, a 20mm and a 4mm eyepiece and a 2X Barlow
I then purchased this set used about two months ago
An NEQ6 Skywatcher mount and a Meade LX80 203.2 mm f/10
The Meade come with 26mm Super Plossl.
I found I was unable to left the NEQ6 due to my lung condition so today I purchased a new HEQ5 which I can lift.

[Kunama]

Kunama Telescopes "Excalibur" 18" F3.54 ;) is finished :D ....... almost :question:

[Ric]

Quite the work of art Matt. :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Outstanding Achievement .... you going into ' Production ' ;)

[croweater]

Stunning workmanship Matt. Now, according to legend you have to throw excaliber into Lake Burley-Griffin. :lol: Cheers Richard.

[LewisM]

Guinevre was gorgeous, but I think Excalibur is indeed a finely crafted weapon for the stars.

The blue CF is just the bee's knees.

Compare this to the famous blue sonotube abomination from You Know Who :lol:

[Imme]

Looks great Matt, awesome work.

Ahhh......might sound like a silly question but, um, you sure that monster will make it through the lounge room door???
:lol::lol::lol:

[Kunama]

Thanks guys, no plans to go into production nor to drop it into the lake;) very happy to finish it. Double width doors in the lounge room will see it under stars soon....:thumbsup:

[MortonH]

My latest addition to the stable, a pre-loved Intes Micro M500.

[Kunama]

Nice little Mak, may I suggest that you wrap it in reflective type insulation foam, helps a lot with calming the tube currents of Maks...

Even those reflective car sunshades wrapped around the tube and extending past the front for dew control... :thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Morton ...Nice One ....:)