Show us your equipment!

[Wavytone]

100% Russian Unobtainium...my Santel MK91.

/me has to don a protective vest when observing, as I am aware some would kill to acquire it ;)

[LewisM]

Suffered extreme separation anxiety over selling my AstroPhysics Star-12ED doublet (made in 1990, serial No. 17 of maybe 150 made), so yesterday I reacquired it after many failed prior attempts...

[croweater]

:thumbsup: Used to drool over these in the magazine ads back in the day Lewis. Now drooling again :). Cheers, Richard

[Wavytone]

Damn good idea, actually.

[LewisM]

Should come up and have a look through sometime. There is just something about the image it presents that is hard to describe, and stays etched in your memory - it's a scope you truly feel immersed in the view with.

The BEST Saturn and Jupiter viewing I have ever done was with this scope.

It's a howitzer of a scope, but really quite light.

[Kunama]

Very nice RusMak :thumbsup:

[MortonH]

Good idea. It has been suffering a bit from tube currents despite being a small scope and having passive air vents around the corrector. Mind you, that hasn't stopped it showing Mars, Saturn and the Moon rather nicely. :)


There's a thread on CN about insulating SCTs and Maks: https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/626755-adventures-in-insulating-an-11-edge/#entry8725325

[MortonH]

Now that is a beautiful scope. And it looks brand new!

[croweater]

I would love that. Everything and everybody so far away :mad2: :shrug: Cheers, Richard.

[LewisM]

Well, the Star 12ED was traded away for this lovely Tak FS-102NSV.

And yes Les and Gary, it is Les's wooden case - I bought it from Matt just for this :) Matt brought the FS back in the same trip.

[GrahamL]

Are either of them for sale ?

[codemonkey]

Give it a couple of weeks and that FS-102NSV will be, Graham ;-)

[FlashDrive]

Very Nice acquisition ... :)

[FlashDrive]

:lol::rofl:

[LewisM]

3 ;)

[Kunama]

Lovely scope Lewis, would make a fine half-binoscope....

[LewisM]

Nah, you've got the green dewshield ring version with three elements instead.

Mine will just cool quicker...and have the Fluorite Edge :)

[netwolf]

Nick ur right u need armour that is one nice looking scope. I would love a Russian mak. Last year I came very close to getting an Aries 10" but then the fact I was between jobs back then also drew me back from that lovely dream.

[Striker]

Forgot about this thread, here is my current

[Kunama]

Nice case Lewis ;) though I didn't like the screws through the plywood not lining up perfectly.... :help: Maybe you can contact the guy who built it and see if he can make one for a binoscope :question:

Here is a picture (or four) of what I found in the case when I got to Geelong :D

A big thanks to Les for keeping this scope in mint condition while it waited for me to buy it :thanx:

[Kunama]

Beautiful setup, Striking in fact :lol:

[LewisM]

Indeed, very striking

[codemonkey]

Nice looking kit Tony... I like the roller door channel you used in your ROR too, wish I'd thought of that before I did mine... constantly paranoid about mine flying off every time the wind picks up, even though I've made efforts to secure it

[FlashDrive]

There's something about TAK'S that look so darn good .... that's real nice Matt ....:prey2:
Col...

[LewisM]

Fixed it for you Col :)

[casstony]

Lewis, look here: https://www.cloudynights.com/classifieds/item/145204-takahashi-fc-100-and-em-100-mount/

[FlashDrive]

Nice one Tony ....:lol:

[casstony]

The best looking Taks are battleship grey :)

[RickS]

My QLD Astrofest 2018 equipment: Nikon D800E and Zeiss 100mm f/2 Makro-Planar Lens on a Star Adventurer tracker. Also boots that fell apart and had to be rescued with duct tape :lol:

[Kunama]

In this day and age you should be able to 3D print a new pair of toe caps for those so hang onto the carcasses......

oh, nearly forgot, nice camera/lens combo :lol:

[RickS]

Alas, my wife made me chuck them in the bin, Matt. I was planning to make it an Astrofest tradition and wear them every year with fresh tape. She was horrified :lol:



Thanks! I was very pleased with the results. The lens performed really well at f/4 with very little CA and distortion in the corners and minimal vignetting. I'll post some images soon...

[FlashDrive]

Put them on E'bay .... someone's bound to buy them ...:D;)

[RickS]

Good idea :lol:

[casstony]

Got a spot of solar viewing in today - we're having a nice stretch of sunny weather in Victoria for a change. There were even spots on the solar disc today, though I'm not sure they're big enough to be called sunspots.

Equipment is the Lunt 60 on the Vixen APZ.

[brian nordstrom]

Hi all if you are interested here is my darling's 90mm f10 Saxon refractor finially finished .

OTA , Saxon 90mm f10 achromat that performs very well , especially with the full set of TV Plossls also all from the classifieds here .

Focuser is a sweet Long Perng 2 inch duel speed , diagonal 2 inch Bintel dielectric 99% .

Mount is our Mizar eq that's super smooth and sturdy that holds the 90mm with ease , very well made in Japan mount that's been copied by China these days but sadly not that well .

Tripod , also got here from IIS classifieds by Celestron 2 inch stainless legs , again more than up to the task of supporting this neat setup .

Enjoy and remarks welcome .

Brian.

[FlashDrive]

Lovely set up Brian ..the 2 speed Long Perng Focuser is a nice addition.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Thanks Flash , yes the LP focuser is nice but the whole scope performs very well as a unit and the focuser would be a similar unit to what you have on your Sharpstar ,,, we just need some good weather .

Brian.

[Atmos]

Looks like you've cannibalised that setup from all over the world :lol:

[brian nordstrom]

:D Yep , and thanks , I love to tinker and wonder why manufactures don't put a little effort in researching what makes a telescope better for not much outlay :shrug: like the optics in this Chinese OTA are acftually quite/ very good but the rest ,,, well I will leave it there .

This is actually ' FrankenSaxon #2 ' , here is #1 my 102mm Saxon with , GSO , Meade , Vixen , iOptron and Celestron parts :thumbsup: its my most used scope being so easy to set up with only 2 trips ( tripod with mount and CW,s attached then OTA and power pack ) and observing in 5-10 minutes with zero cool down time .

This scope has wonderful optics that perform as good as a 102mm f10 can , I am continually blown away at the views it shows especially double stars , perfect discs with one faint ring around , so nice and peaceful at night just looking at something so beautiful realizing what you are looking at .
That's why astronomy is such a great hobby .

Brian.

[Kunama]

With thanks to Stuart, my little FOA has a new mount:

Tak FOA60 F8.8 with Baader Zeiss T2 Prism on SW AZ-GTi atop a Manfrotto MT055CXPro3 tripod..... Total weight 7.1Kg,

[LewisM]

Unfortunately, it'll be full moon before my new girl from Stuart arrives the way P&S are currently going. :( But it will be worth the wait.

Perfect set-up for the FOA Matt :thumbsup:

[that_guy]

after a long week of waiting my Esprit 100ED arrived at last. Of course it was absolutely clear when I began setting up and about half hour after i started up my sequence it was horizon to horizon clouds! WHO WOULDA THUNK IT.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Nice set up , at work .

Brian

[LewisM]

Tak FSQ-106 fluorite astrograph (it's a non-sliding dewshield model- only made for a few months in 2005 - so it's not even an N/Kai).

Sadly, my FS-102NSV went to Kunama today, but at least she is not far away.

[strongmanmike]

Niiice...I thought all the old model fluorite FSQ 106's had fixed dew shields?

Mike

[LewisM]

Nope, only for 2005 production (first year), maybe some in 2006. Then they switched to sliding type. This one is serial #65.

I prefer non-sliding - one less thing to have issues with :)

[Atmos]

So you found that fluorite FSQ you've been hunting down ;)

[LewisM]

Yup

[Kunama]

That is one beautiful FSQ, the non-sliding dew shield versions always look better. :thumbsup:

[Kunama]

With thanks to Lewis, I can now compare an ED triplet Super Apochromat to a CaF2 Doublet apochromat on my "Blink Comparator"

In the left corner, weighing in at a moderate 5400 grams..... the Takahashi TSA102S with Ohara FPL53 ED glass ........... and in the right corner at a rather svelte 4300grams..... the Takahashi FS102NSV sporting the Canon Optron CaF2 Fluorite Crystal..... Being that both are 102mm F8 instruments with the beautiful EMS-ULS Silver mirrored visual backs and Takahashi eyepieces, it should be a good fight....

Lets Rumble :mad:

[Atmos]

They look surprisingly similar.
Interesting Bino set!

[Kunama]

The FS NSV and TSA102S are built with the same tube, focuser and dew shield. Only difference being the lens cell and objective.

[Atmos]

I was not aware of that. That explains why they look so similar haha

[casstony]

Matt, that might work well enough that you don't need to get another matched scope. I really like the look of that bino setup, very unique.

[UniPol]

That's a very nice nice set up Matt and beautifully engineered. I wonder how you could designate them: FSTSA-102SNLV, TSAFS-102NLVS or simply THE102's?

[Kunama]

Tony,
I'll test the scopes tonight to see how close the focal lengths are, they may indeed work as a binocular.

Steve,
There are just too many possible combinations to form an acronym.....

I will keep up the search for a partner for one of the scopes, whichever I find first will form the binoscope and the odd one out becomes my outreach scope unless I find someone looking to trade...
I have now a lead on a possible NSV overseas just trying to sort out the logistics....

Both scopes are in such fine condition that it will be hard to let either go...

[LewisM]

Just gorgeous Matt - makes my separation anxiety easier ;)

Wasn't really a point me keeping it since I have the extender for the FSQ which makes it f/8. I suppose I could have imaged with the FS at f/6.4, but nah :lol:

[aljo2345]

Meade LX90 with wedge, Revolution Imager V2, and DVR recorder for later image processing.

[Kunama]

SW AZ-GTi with a new saddle clamp:

[Wilso]

Picked up the Tak extension pier with the 3/8 adapter from Hutech earlier in the year before the gst kicked in. Perfect match to the manfrotto mount!
With the extender this little baby q is also growing up to an f8. Have my home made carbon fibre dove tail and Peter tan tube rings to top it all off.

[LewisM]

Gorgeous Darren (the scope, not you :lol:)

[Wilso]

Cheers for that Lewis,
In this configuration it's a good match for my TSA but just lacks the light gathering power.
But at only 450fl compared to 816fl it becomes an excellent grab and go scope that tends to get used more. :thumbsup:

[glnn_23]

Switched to a DM6 from a HH FTX for my 130mm refractor. Will probably need an extension to suit.
Picked up a Vixen 3.4mm also to try and it seems pretty nice observing Jupiter.

[Wilso]

Very nice set up :thumbsup:
I've the standard 200 mm extension pier for the dm6 which works good for my TSA.
I think there are others that are cylinder type will match the base but you'll probably need an an adapter also.
Those vixen HR are top notch when the conditions are just right!!!

[Kunama]

Very nice Glenn :thumbsup:

[Kunama]

"Little Tak Binoculars" all bolted together...... My wife has now cut up my credit cards and changed the account passwords so no more trading for me :sadeyes::sadeyes:

[Slawomir]

Wow - the binoscope looks awesome Matt. It also seems to be a better match to the AZEQ6, at least aesthetically.

The pic of your binoscope reminded me of a certain movie...

[FlashDrive]

I'm sure you'll find a way around that :lol:

[rrussell1962]

Nice! Very happy you found two TSA102's. Can I please put in my advance order for one if you ever decide on a new project ?

[Wilso]

Looking sweet Matt,

I bet your mount let off a sigh of relief with the 120's on her.
Would have been close to maxing out with that weight.???(including counter weight)

You seem to be good at sourcing scarse optical gear.
Be a good chap and help me find a T-Rex mount would you. That would be good :D

[Kunama]

Very funny :lol:



She seems pretty adamant !!!!



Your DIBS has been noted Richard



I just saw a nice T-Rex yesterday, had an FSQ85 bolted to it....
Actually if I find one I plan to dismantle it and make a 200% version of it...

[rrussell1962]

I won't hold my breath Matt! You would have to be stark staring bonkers to let that beauty go!

[Kunama]

Good idea :thumbsup:

[Atmos]

So you found another TSA!
Looks great Matt!

[UniPol]

Yes, my FSQ-85EDX/T-Rex which is a great combination. I bought the T-Rex off Claude in March 2011 and it has been faultless, a shame they are no longer made. The T-Rex is even more useful coupled with Argo Navis, just plugs into the already installed encoders.

[FlashDrive]

Just Beautiful Steve ...Love the T-Rex Setup.

Col....:)

[Wilso]

Very very nice indeed Unipol :thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Now I'm really jealous!
I just missed out on getting one from Claude as well.
Placed the order only to discover the manufacturer had just passed away.
Wasn't ment to be.

[DeWynter]

My humble setup from the last night. :)

[Kunama]

Such a beautiful setup Steve :thumbsup:
Did you know that the T-Rex can hold even a pair of Baby-Qs

[FlashDrive]

Now there's a great view ...:thumbsup:

[Kunama]

Looks like the perfect way to spend an evening, I would only add a bottle of Bin389 and a glass......

[casstony]

Steve, what size lever would be needed to separate you from the T-Rex - FC100, TOA130? :)

[DeWynter]

Double demerits. :lol: Had a glass of good wine once I got back home. Next time will camp there. :)

But night there was awesome. Observed Scorpii - Sagittarius region until Moon started rising.

[Tinderboxsky]

Another TRex ready to “do it in the dark” with apologies to those keen to find one.:D

I need to update the photo - completely different set of eyepieces and diagonal since this photo was taken about two years ago. The long flexible drive cables are my own creation. After hearing about the demise of TRex production I ordered a set of the long flexible cables from Japan and was totally lucky to secure the last pair in their run-off inventory.

[casstony]

Some great looking locations there Ilya and Steve - we need a like button.
T-Rex is a little heavier than I like these days. Here's my grab and go set up: Vixen APZ, TV85

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: What a great set up ! , the location ain't bad either .

Brian.

[sn1987a]

Let me know if I'm starting to get carried away :lol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vJAsC3AfxQ&lc=z234jfw4amq0v3211acdp434y4pn4ool zkfyxmvjih1w03c010c

[Kunama]

Very nice collectors of photons Barry :thumbsup: , do you use light baffles when viewing or just take them to a dark site :question:

[sn1987a]

Hey Matt,

I don't usually bother with baffles because in the backyard I'm only looking at the bright stuff. I have a dark site I go to just outside of Perth, there it is dark enough to not bother with baffles. I have a big roll of sticky backed flocking from Protostar for when I find a suitable substrate material to stick it to. I will make some baffles then. Any suggestions?.

PS: The high standard and quality of your work sickens and intimidates me ;)

[FlashDrive]

Book yourself into a Betty Ford Clinic ....:P

Really nice Dob's ....bet you can see a lot thru' them

Col....

[dreamstation]

Sometimes life just isn't fair. Nice collection. :)

[sharpiel]

Just received my long sought after Tak 2" Diagonal from Vaidya (galaxy) who was lovely to communicate and arrange details of the transaction with.

Thanks V.

Ain't she a pretty outfit now...

[casstony]

Tried out the new AZ-EQ6 and everything worked well first time including Starsense for Skywatcher and guiding/imaging.

The AZ-EQ6 is much easier to handle than my previous CGEM; the skywatcher is a few kilo's lighter and the base doubles as a handle.

[RickS]

Borg 55FL f/3.6. Assembly will have to wait until I get home tonight :)

[RickS]

Assembled the scope and managed to collect a few hours of data last night. It's a very neat little unit.

[FlashDrive]

Nice bit of kit there Rick .... I like Borg myself ...:)

[RickS]

Thanks, Col. It seems to be punching well above its weight!

[AstroApprentice]

Congrats Rick, what a little beauty!
If you’re not already aware, k-astec make some nice accessories for the 55FL, including a micro focuser: https://www.kyoei-osaka.jp/SHOP/k-astec-mfa55fl.html

[RickS]

Thanks, Jason! I have a generic microfocuser for camera lenses that should do the trick but it's not quite as neat looking as that one.

https://www.teleskop-express.de/shop/product_info.php/info/p3285_Microfocuser-and-focus-lock-fuer-camera-lenses-up-to-D-80mm.html

Cheers,
Rick.

[sn1987a]

Baba Yaga :D

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WIyDw-W429I&t=44s

[ab1963]

That's unreal ,I think in the binoscope stakes you win.......:thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Yes ...that is nice :)

[sn1987a]

I can't claim any credit for building it. It was built some years ago by Clive Milne (pic).

It had fallen into disuse and Clive couldn't take it with him when he moved so I answered his ad here on IIS and managed to get it back up and running. Still some work to do, light baffles around mirrors, light shielding for uta, mirrors need recoating, no biggies. It would nice to have goto eventually.

I had it out at my dark sky site for the first time for a trial run. You haven't seen 47 Tuc until you see it in a binodob.

[FlashDrive]

This has returned home to me .... thanks to Dave :thanx:
Takahashi FS78

Col....

[RB]

Magnificent !

:love:

[Atmos]

Having been amazed by the TSA-120 binoscope, that bino-dob would be spectacular!

[Wilso]

Looking sweet Col!

Those fluorite Taks bat above their weight.
Give most triplets a run for their money!

Let me know when you want to sell, would look good on my pm-1 mount :D

Enjoy!

[FlashDrive]

Thanks RB :thanx:




Thanks Wilso ....it is a nice Scope :)

Col....

[RickS]

Nice looking Tak, Col!

[FlashDrive]

Thank You Rick ...

[Logieberra]

I like the end caps. Shame they moved away from that design.

[LewisM]

I have BOTH for my FSQ-106. While the "manhole" is aesthetically beautiful, the pressed steel modern variant is more practical and doesn't hurt when you drop it on your toes :lol:

I keep the manhole cover wrapped in bubble wrap in a drawer and a new pressed variant on the scope

[ab1963]

Very nice Col.....:thumbsup:

[MortonH]

Dammit - you're making me want another one! :lol:

[FlashDrive]

Thanks Andrew :D



There's still some out there Morton ...grab one ...!! :D

[Wilso]

Picked up a pre loved Pm-1 mount a couple of weeks ago thanks to the ice classifieds, a perfect match for my Fsq :thumbsup:
A very versatile mount, can be used in equatorial, planet fork or alt/az mode. So I added an ex demo planet fork set from Hutech, now no counterweights req!
Loving it so far!

[Atmos]

And it matches the colour ;)

[FlashDrive]

Darren, nice setup ....looks good. :)

[Wilso]

Thanks guys!

Going to give it a go spraying the clamshell to match over the Christmas break.
Spoke to a few guys at work about matching the Tak texture finish, hopefully all goes well :thumbsup:

[Joves]

Hi guys and girls (can’t just say guys in this world anymore, apparently?!),

A couple of coupled options on an AZ-EQ6GT...

Tec MC200 f15.5 riding alongside Tak FS128... both previous scopes of Matt (Kunama) at differing times and both absolutely beautiful scopes.

And for when the widest 5” refractor view I can muster is on the menu, combined with high power planetary/lunar, the same Tec MC200 combined with the Televue NP127.

Imagine if I actually got the chance to use them....

[Kunama]

Hello Aaron, Nice scopes you have there :D, those pictures bring up a lot of 'Seller's Remorse' though somewhat mitigated by the fact that they have gone to a caring home :thumbsup:
(I am in negotiations for yet another piece of fine astro equipment .......;))

[Joves]

Thanks Matt. I do kind of think we are all just custodians of fine equipment (provided they are lovingly cared for), as they will likely outlive us all (again, provided they are lovingly cared for).

Looking forward to hearing more of your new purchase :)

[casstony]

Very nice collection Aaron. I've moved away from premium scopes in favour of the kids education, but this TS115/800 triplet should do just fine for imaging.

[Kunama]

:thumbsup:
TS looks the goods Tony :hi:

[casstony]

Thanks Matt. The optics are a good few strehl points below a Tak, but still decent; the tube is superbly made.

[Wavytone]

Aaron you really need a Berlebach Planet under the AZEQ6. From personal experience with a long focal length scope like the TEC200 the standard SW tripod just doesn’t do justice to the mount.

My MK91 (The Beast) has a beauty for company - an APM MN86.

[Joves]

Thanks for the advice, Nick. I’ve not noticed anything lacking in the SW tripod, but will look into the Berlebach. They certainly look the part, that’s for sure!

[Joves]

Thanks and lovely looking scope, Tony!

I know what you mean about kids education. Not cheap in the slightest!

My eldest is only about to start school, so we’ve been dealing with childcare in the meantime. Fair to say, even if we decide on private schooling, it’ll be a welcome relief compared to a full-time nanny plus daycare!

[Joves]

Great scopes, btw. Those Santel’s certainly look the business!

[Atmos]

That looks a bit like a dream setup on the EQ6!
Some pretty good views from a 5” & 8” could be had on a good night ��

[Joves]

Thanks Colin.

“On a good night”... being the operative words! Being in the middle of Sydney, I really wish I had more of a chance to take them to better skies. Sometime in the future, I’m sure.

The plan now is to get a big dob, say a 20”, and then I think that will be it for me... famous last words, I know!

[FlashDrive]

I've had these for several years now ... ' Mint Condition '

https://agenaastro.com/vixen-kasai-review.html

Quite a ' Wide Field ' view .... Amazing to look thru'

They offer about 1.5 magnitudes of brightness over the naked eye while still allowing most observers to take in entire large constellations such as Orion, Cygnus, and Ursa Major. Because of their relatively simple Galilean design.

Col....:)

[FlashDrive]

:xmas:

Col...

[Kunama]

That is a very nice scope Col, wherever did you get it :question:
The guy who posted that to you must be a top bloke ;)

[FlashDrive]

No doubt he is .... ;)

[bigjoe]

Thats a lovely scope Tony..SACRIFICES you made for the Kids ..you STILL ended up with a great scope..I have the FPL53 TRIPLET 130mm goes WELL with Tak EPs and Vixen SLVs.. RAZOR SHARP. I posted my pics in earlier posts...some of my babies below.
ENJOY!
bigjoe.

[bigjoe]

TWO of my babies.
THE 130mm TS TRIPLET FPL 53 GLASS..10kg of Bliss..JUST ADD TAK ABBES!
bigjoe

[casstony]

Classy looking Mak Col; is it replacing the fs78?

[casstony]

The TS triplets are nice scopes Joe and nicely priced. I may get the 70mm fpl53 doublet or triplet in future to get half the focal length of the TS115, though I've still got a full calendar of imaging targets with the 115 at the moment.

[FlashDrive]

:lol: ...nice try ....:lol:

[bigjoe]

Tony..
You'll have your hands full with targets for the 115 mm TRIPLET, it gets rave reviews all over the internet!..ESP the one by Olly Penrice!
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.altairastro.com/public/115-F7-APO/Review%2520Altair%2520115-805%2520ED%2520Triplet%2520APO%2520 Astronomy%2520Now%2520Magazine%2520 2011%2520(compressed).pdf&ved=2ahUKEwijnqDria7fAhXIpo8KHesODX IQFjALegQIAhAB&usg=AOvVaw0puBYO2zoGhu_0dMBGpKMe
bigjoe.

[rsbfoto]

Hi,
Long time no show but I have been busy since April this year after I got my two CEM 120EC2 mounts and a couple of weeks ago I finished the installation.

Every mount is carrying 3 differente telescopes for different uses.

Mount one has

Takahashi TOA 130 native focal length 1000mm used for DSO
Takahashi FS-78 focal length 630mm for chasing satelites
AstroTec RC 8" @ f5/6 for spectroscopy

Mount two has

Takahashi Mewlon 250S for Arp Galaxies imaging
Takahashi FS 85-ED for Sun imaging in H-alpha Double stackec 60mm Coronado
Takahashi SKY 90 also for Sun imaging in H-alpha Quark filter

The iOptron CEM 120 EC2 mounts are working great and I am at the moment learning how to swueeze out the best of both.

Thanks for reading and looking

Rainer

[kustard]

Well it's been a good few years since I've done any observing with my own scope, mainly due to the fact that my 14" dob was suffering failure and it is quite awkward for me to manhandle after getting back issues.

However, I've finally got the bug back for pushing a scope around the sky (instead of leeching off fellow scope owners on star party nights) and have invested in a small downgrade, a 12" Skywatcher GOTO Dob.

First thing was to set up my iPad and SkyFi controls and a place to put my coffee ;)

Also, if anyone has a new-ish 14" Skywatcher GOTO Dob, I have a few questions about the GOTO mount if you could PM me.

[Ralf]

I have finally got around to taking some photos of my 30 year old + 14 inch Newtonian in its roll off roof observatory. The old girl is showing its age and I have recently upgraded the scope to a Celestron Edge HD14 with a Paramount ME. If anyone has any suggestions on what I can do with the current scope, I would be glad to hear from them!

[mr bruess]

13mm ethos

[AndyG]

Is that a "Monkey" reference? Gold :thumbsup:

[bigjoe]

Wow. Got your hands full with that lot!
Nice mounts BTW.
bigjoe

[casstony]

Added a little TS 72mm fpl53 doublet for wide field imaging and grab and go visual. Both scopes have the same focuser and my WO Flat6A screws onto the drawtubes giving f/5.6 for the TS115 and f/4.8 for the TS72.

[FlashDrive]

My Joy at the Moment......!!

Col...

[sharpiel]

Wow. That's beautiful Col...look at that corrector coating. Like a glorious sunset!

[FlashDrive]

Many thanks Les :)

[Ukastronomer]

My gear

[Ukastronomer]

scopes

[sharpiel]

Looks like you've got all the bases covered there Jeremy! :welcome:

Quite a bevy of lovelies.

[brian nordstrom]

Hi all , here are my 3 main refractors , these get the most use out of my 6 :help: or so I own , but most were got here in the IIS classifieds for little money . Thanks .

The smallest here is my sweet LP 60mm f7 triplet ( the only one brought new ) that matches my long sold Takahashi FS60 easily at 1/2 the price .:scared3: . Out and ready for use in minutes on its EQ2 mount .

The middle one is my most used refractor , the sexy carbon fibre LP 110mm f6 APO , it sits perfect on it's Vixen SP mount all on a Meade HD field tripod , very sturdy . This is a very good all round scope , wide field that's simply breathtaking with my 1kg 31mm Celestron 82* Axiom and able to get high powers easily and cleanly for luna/planetary viewing .

The big one is the awesome iStar 127mm f8 that I made from parts all got here , the OTA , the focuser ( 120mm Esprit R@P ) , finder etc with the lense from iStar for $630 aud , this scope really performs but its quite big and needs the large CI700 mount to be used at its best , so it's only out on those few perfect nights ,,, :thumbsup: but well worth it .

Hope you all enjoy .

Brian.

[FlashDrive]

Very Nice Brian .....:)

[brian nordstrom]

:D Thanks Flash , I am happy here about now , if I need to see deeper I have my sweet C9.25 .

I see your collection now is about where you want it to be :face::face:

Brian.

[ab1963]

I have finally got myself one of these thanks to Dave in lovely condition

[skysurfer]

My equipment:

Camera bag, Telescope ED110, Canon 85mm 1.8 (in pouch), filters for AP, binoculars 16x56, Canon EOS 6, box with eyepieces and other visual stuff, box for other AP stuff, tripod + Vixen SP mount.

And all this crap I took to Australia.....

[Saturnine]

Your a brave and dedicated astronomer to bring all that gear with you from Europe but having it here on clear nights would absolve the pain of carrying it around. Had an ED110 for a while and it was quite a good scope for visual and photography. Interesting choice of underware that you are packing too, maybe the photo should have been cropped a bit, a slight oversight.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Yes I have the Carbon Fibre version of this scope , very nice telescopes that perform really well .

Brian.

[brian nordstrom]

Hi all , just thought I would show off my latest refractor , its a Saxon ED100 that I got here for just over $300 .

It was missing a Focuser , Rings and diagonal but never to worry as i have all these parts in my box of bits so here it is completed sitting on the Mizar mount all on a Celestron 2 inch s/s tripod .

Looks rather handsome don't you think :thumbsup: ? and its very solid , but it's raining here so unless it clears up I won't be testing it tonight :sadeyes: , yep the new scope curse is alive and kicking around here .

Another thing is that the lens in this Saxon has blueish/purpleish coatings , a lot like the EMC coatings on my iStar 127mm and every site I have visited on the ED100's ( and there are 1000's ) shows the typical ' China Green ' coatings so I :question: wonder why this Sazon seems to have coatings a step or 2 above the SW and Orion ED100's ? , comments welcome .

The tube and dew shield is also flocked , a nice bonus .

Brian.

[DJT]

This little gem arrived this week. Now installed in the observatory, just need to tidy up the cables.

Serial number 1 of 1.

Now patiently waiting for clouds to clear.

[ab1963]

Bargain Brian the ED100 is a very good scope and the coatings a mystery to me I’ve had 2 ED100’s and 2 ED80’s and the coatings have always been green will be very interesting to hear about your first light with this one but whatever it’s a score....:thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

My TAK .....

[beren]

Enjoying lunar views through a wonderful long FL achro built by Andy Jackson :)

[anj026]

Nice one Stuart, so glad you like it.

[doug mc]

As of right now there are very few of these in private hands. GSO 8inch classical cassegrain.

[ab1963]

After getting my hands on a Tak FS102 the scope I have always wanted came up for grabs a Tak FC100DF and had to have it and think the previous owner of the FS102 was happy to get it back

[Dave221]

You’re correct Andrew, he was!

[astroron]

16" Newtonian,81mm Binocular Telescope
Rolloff box that doubles as a observing shelter for
eyepieces computer etc.
And to top it off,a 2 acre dark sky country residence
with No light pollution,that I can observe from at a moments
notice too myself:P
Cheers:thumbsup:

[JA]

You've got it all Ron: Rock on :thumbsup:

Best
JA

[astroron]

Thanks JA:thanx:
Cheers:thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Looking Good Andrew ... !!

[FlashDrive]

Bragger ....that's not fair ....:(

:P

[stefang]

What is the Scope Manufacturer / Model?


http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/attachment_browse.php?a=241422


Nice looking rig.
sG

[astroron]

Col,it's been a very long time since I posted on here, so I thought
a little bit of bragging was in order as people might have thought
I was not in the observing game anymore.;)
Cheers:thumbsup:

[DJT]

Hi Stefan


I left the details in the post title which probably isn’t helpful.


The manufacturer is CFF Telescopes and this is an RC250mm F7.

[UniPol]

Setting up my FSQ-106ED/T-Rex for tonight so thought I would share some pics of the set up. The FSQ is now six years old and the T-Rex eight years so have good use out of both of which have been faultless. With the 35mm Pan and 1.6x extender Q fitted (converts native FL from F5 to F8) it gives around 24x for great wide field viewing. The Taks certainly are very well made and give a great deal of pleasure just looking at and using them.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup: Almost as good as it gets ,, thats lovely .

Brian.

[DJT]

Not exactly a Binoscope but much fun with these two squaring off against Jupiter.

The FC60 at F8.3 and the FS60Q at F10

Mounted on an FTX-1, sitting on a Samson quickset tripod, using a TV zoom eyepiece and Takahashi LE 25 and 18mm eyepieces.

Jury is out until Jupiter gets a bit higher.

[UniPol]

My latest acquisition is this superb f15 refractor from Takahashi. Reputed to have a Strehl ratio of over 99% (with the extender) I can well believe it after viewing Jupiter and Saturn these past couple of weeks. Has also been outstanding at splitting double stars.

[beren]

:party2: sensational Steve, congrats the FOA looks a winner

[LewisM]

My truly final rig, after years of swapping, trading, selling, trying out them all.
You will have noticed I haven't sold anything in a LONG time...here is the reason. Nirvana. Tak EARLY FSQ-106 (it's even pre-N - scarcer than scarce) on Vixen SXP - portable, precise as hell, and the optics of the FSQ are the best of ALL the scopes I have had (and that is a LOT)

[Tropo-Bob]

My C5 and Unitron 75mm set up for observations last night.

The Unitron gave better images of Jupiter and Saturn.

With the C5, I did find the Mag 8 globular NGC 5927. (Under the Full Moon).

[Tropo-Bob]

My Tak is ready for the evening.

[MortonH]

My recently acquired Pronto, now giving excellent images since the lens retaining ring was tightened up.

In the diagonal is a Meade Series 4000 SWA 24.5mm I just got from Gary in NZ.

These two kids from yesteryear play rather nicely together. :)

[casstony]

Trade the old FSQ for a new Redcat Lewis? :)

Another little astrograph arrived yesterday (Sharpstar 61EDPH: 60mm f/5.5, f/4.5 with reducer) - very interesting to see how it compares to the Redcat when I get a chance.

[Startrek]

My current Astro set ups

6” f6 GSO Bintel newt on a HEQ5 mount in main residence Sydney

8” f5 GSO Bintel newt on an EQ6-R Mount at holiday home south coast near Ulladulla

Both cabled from mount to Laptop workstation enclosure ( I usually leave set up for a week or 2 at a time )

Maybe a permanent Obs down the track ??

[GrahamL]

pronto gone whaleing loving this little scope so portable .

[casstony]

Nice background for a nice scope Graham - green grass, blue ocean and warm sunshine :)

[bigjoe]

JUST preparing to GO OUTSIDE YES with the big CPC 925 AND 130mm TS Triplet 910mm Apo..and about to pop in some Tak Abbes and Meade Astrometric and trusty VIXEN
ZOOM

BOTH with OUTSTANDING OPTICS..
for some quick Double Star Measurements tonight
Bigjoe

[bigjoe]

Looks nice Brian You have also a BIG CPC 925 /C9 AND large refractor like me ..A Great Combo I find..

I'm now in the hunt for A lil Tak 78 to mount on top of my CPC 925 for when the seeing is bad.
bigjoe

[GrahamL]

it was a lovely afternoon ..cape byron in the background .. no whales till i packed up .

[FlashDrive]

Just an Update ....

Col...!!

[LewisM]

Why do you always do this to me AFTER I make a major astro-outlay Col? There's 5 FS-78's here :lol:

[FlashDrive]

EM-200 :question:

[LewisM]

Yes

[FlashDrive]

Picked up this piece of Russian Voodoo up Sunday.

ALTER MN56 ...I've yet to get this on a Mount to try it out ...!!

Very pleased with the Condition of it .... rave reviews on CN and elsewhere ...!!

Col...

[MortonH]

Nice! Heavy?

[FlashDrive]

Yes it is .... heavier than I expected .... 1 person can handle it OK...it's the mount / tripod you got to get right.

Col...

[FlashDrive]

I couldn't pass this up .... it came at a very very good price ... mainly for the wife to enjoy.
It's Brand New , never seen ' first light ' until I bought it home also on Sunday .......

There goes my ' Pension ' for the fortnight ....:P

Col...

[Rainmaker]

Very nice bit of kit Col, very Flash indeed :thumbsup:

[FlashDrive]

Thanks Rainmaker :)

[bigjoe]

Nice Col..Same fabulous BAADER Prism diagonal as I have ..love it on my big SCT.
everyone should have a Nice Refractor of 71mm up and an Sct Newt or Mak of 6" or more for visual..enjoy.
Bigjoe.

[JeniSkunk]

Been on IIS for about a year, and I'd just realised that apart from my tiny avatar pic on posts, I'd not posted a pic of my beginner scope.
Time to fix that.

[brian nordstrom]

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup: What a perfect ! beginners setup , you bought wisely my Padawan ;) .

Brian.

[GrahamL]

mewlon 180 cooling down dm4 on a gitzo 5533 wider leg angle for extra stability and the one day chance i'll find a little reclining chair that slots in .

[JeniSkunk]

Maybe this would be low set enough to do the job, Graham.
Amazon Australia - X Rocker 5143601 II Video Gaming Chair, Wireless, Black (https://www.amazon.com.au/Rocker-5143601-Video-Gaming-Wireless/dp/B002S7H920)

[GrahamL]

They would be fun , music and all ,, I have tried a cheapo eb ay adjustable stool they are a bit tipy as with the cheapo drum thrones , I tried a very nice one today very stable and comfortable just not cheap guess you pay for what you get .

[Atmos]

I'm thinking about getting a Berlebach Charon (from memory) adjustable chair. One of the important aspects for me is that they fold flat for transportation but if it's just in your back yard then comfort is probably more important over portability.

[Wavytone]

Colin I have a Charon chair, it was a good choice IMHO. It's a total no-brainer to adjust, and you can lean back on the upright section if you like. The ply chosen for the back provides just the right amount of flexure making the seat quite comfortable without feeling flimsy.

[Atmos]

Thanks, good to know Nick :)

[GrahamL]

They look nice , no one seems to sell much in aus these days



I bought one of these today , I ve tried a lot of this one is very comfortable and well made , got it for $200 floor stock


https://reverb.com/au/item/15601584-dixon-psn-k900-black-cloth-drum-throne

[FlashDrive]

a ' Big ' Thank You to Matt for allowing me to purchase ( on the never never ) my previously owned FTX Mount which came with some special Mod's like ' Encoders ' Beautifully made Handle etc.

I can now use all my Scopes ' rock steady '

Col..

[MortonH]

Awesome. I think you have the prettiest collection of scopes and mounts! :)

[MortonH]

Today I upgraded my Pronto with the Tele Vue balance aid and finder bracket. The scope now balances perfectly even with heavy eyepieces like the TS ED 40mm.

I can now comfortably sweep the Milky Way at 12x and a 5.7º field of view.

[MortonH]

Gondwana make something similar.

[FlashDrive]

prettiest ....nah, but no good looking at them without a good Mount to use them...with thanks to Matt.

Col....

[Davearmen]

Sweet

[pike]

Hey All

So I've recently gotten back into astronomy and astrophotography ('back into' is generous since last time I only had a scope for about 6 months).

I got my hands on a C8 (circa 1980 I believe) OTA, then added the tripod and wedge (thanks to a member here) and got the original matching finder from the US.

For the photo part I'm running a D5300, manfrotto pod and a couple of lenses (24-80 and 70-300). I also have a starwatcher star adventurer (not pictured) for tracking.

Been having collimation issues with the C8, I think, it throws a good image of the moon but jupiter is a splodge, anyways that's the learning journey I guess I have to go on. :D

[beren]

:) the little winter grab and go kit

[FlashDrive]

Nice...!! :)

[GrahamL]

pronto moved on to a better place ;)

[FlashDrive]

That's a good score Graham .... very nice.

[Wavytone]

The holy grail... russian voodoo at its best - Strehl 0.98 with central obstruction 22%. ... and it comes with a built-in cheese-grater ! The mount for the focuser is now anodised black, of course.

Grab & go ? That’s my finderscope ...

[bigjoe]

ABSOLUTE BEAST Wavy.. Staggering optics on these , youll have all those lil 3/4 inch Apo owners running embarressed for cover after looking through that.. HA!..

Wonder how it will go regards cooling /insulation?
Bigjoe.

[MortonH]

Wait - there's an Intes M615 in your sig. When did that happen???

You really are the unicorn collector!

[FlashDrive]

WOW .... Behold and Admire ...!! :eyepop: ...!!

[bigjoe]

Can we see pics of the front etc Wavy if you can.. looks like a "MEWLON KILLER" too!
Bigjoe.

[Wavytone]

Joe, done.. the central obstruction is umm .. interesting. What’s more there is an additional disk that fits on to increase the CO if desired near the moon (when did your hear of a cat that needs MORE CO ?!?). Focal length is 3200 - a tad longer than the MK91. Will be experimenting with the thermal aspects but I expect an insulated dewcap extending back to the rings should do well. The corrector is thick - quite a huge hunk of glass - so there is a considerable thermal mass right there. I have photos of it in pieces on the bench for final assembly.

Morton one has to understand the “use case scenarios” :) The M615 is for the occasions when I don’t have room in the car for the cheesegrater, ie weekends away with the family. Wife likes to travel... often, and it works for me :)

[ausastronomer]

Very Nice !!!

The Russian Scopes just look classy. I rate the Russian Maks in a different League to their Asian counterparts, although some of them are decent optically. One of my all time favourite scopes was an Intes MN-61 (6"/F6 Mak Newt)

Pretty sure that the Intes Micro M615 has a built in cooling fan which is nice on a Compound Scope.

Cheers
John B

[Wilso]

Nice one Wavy,
You’ll have to let us all know how the new cheese grater goes :thumbsup:
I haven’t had a chance to make a dew shield for my intes yet, but it’s next on the to do list also!
I did read an old thread referencing about having different extenders used for your scope on cn as well.
Looks great

[MortonH]

I didn't word my previous post very well. I've always wanted an Intes M615 so I'm pretty jealous! ;)

[bigjoe]

Lovely..
That is indeed a very small, almost too small collimatable secondary, considering the focal length...Wirth and Russian optical excellence!
Bigjoe

[FlashDrive]

I've had this for a little while now .....absolutely wonderful condition .. no scratches / dings / Optics ' squeaky ' Clean / Focuser is Butter Smooth / Paint is Pristine .


Fabulous for Terrestrial Viewing and the occasional Moon and Open Cluster Look.


Came with the TeleVue Foam Line Padded Bag ..... It's condition might as well be ' Brand New '


Wide Field ' Nirvana ' with the Masuyama 32mm @85*degree.....!!

Col...

[Rainmaker]

That's a very Flash outfit Poppy :thumbsup:

[Rainmaker]

The FS78 arrived safely this morning Col, it got a few adjustments and is now ready for a test drive tonight....
I have been pruning my scope collection a lot lately and have ended with a much simpler lineup: 457mm, 210mm, 140mm, 102mm & 78mm :thumbsup:

[croweater]

Hi Matt. I thought pornography wasn't allowed on this site. :) Cheers, Richard

[FlashDrive]

Nice lineup of Scopes you have there :thumbsup: ..... NICE

[Wilso]

You guys are using some really nice gear there!!

My latest set up on the Pm-1 mount is the intes mk-65 thanks to Col and Lewis. Has limited range in planet fork mode when polar aligned, the mount is suited to planets, solar and moon. The scope is actually lighter than my fsq85ed, go figure.

[FlashDrive]

Nice Darren .... king of the mountain on that Mount ....!!:)

[Wavytone]

Tis such a pity Skywatcher couldn't learn something about aesthetics from Takahashi.

Darren that looks so... right !

[UniPol]

Nice set up Darren, the PM-1 mounts are very versatile, it's a pity Tak have just discontinued production. In fact my PM-1 is supposedly the last one Tak made not that it is of any consequence but I'm glad I've got one. The planet fork system is great for planetary and solar viewing and is capable of seeing around 30 degrees either side of the ecliptic, you just have to be careful not to run the OTA into the mount particularly long tubed ones like my FOA-60Q shown. The advantage of the planet fork system is that no counterweights are required; in effect the OTA acts as the counterweight.

The PM-1 has a number of modes such as the the two shown in the pics and it can also be placed in Alt/Az mode and a number of cameras fitted to the RA head.

The tripod is Tak's latest offering for small mounts such as the P2-Z, PM-1 and EM-11 with appropriate adaptors. It has proven to be quite light and rigid so is an excellent tripod for going away.

[Wilso]

Steve your photos always look superb:thumbsup: I have to stop using my phone! Good to see your Pm-1 all up and running with the new tripod, looks to be a great match for the FOA too.
The planet fork configuration has proven to be my favourite so far! Not having to worry about counterweights and still light enough to use as a grab and go.
Could be the last of Takahashi’s small mounts?

Enjoy!

[JeniSkunk]

Seeing as how everyone else posts daytime photos, where their gear is easily visible, I figured I ought to do similar.
Since my scope has no eyepiece rack, I have to put any eyepieces and Barlow I think I might want to use, either side of the brace piece on the back of my scope's mount.

[MortonH]

Nice use of limited space. One of my balconies is about the same size. I would imagine you have problems with stray light, especially with an open tube scope? I usually hang towels everywhere to block it out unless I'm observing the Moon.

[JeniSkunk]

Glad you like my set up, Morton. :)
The limited space is the major reason I use a tabletop Dobsonian.
The secondary reason is the scope has to be one I can manage to carry up and down the stairs here. No elevators. At my block of flats, ground floor is garages/laundries, and the top 2 floors are flats. I'm on the top floor. A 150mm solid tube Dobsonian would simply be too big and heavy for me to get up/down the stairs, safely.

Stray light is rarely an issue. I occasionally notice it when someone drives in or out of the block, but that's it.
No. The real problem I have is all the sports fields about 500 or so metres east of my block of flats, and the floodlights of those sports fields which is the problem, as while I try to spot what few targets are eyeball visible in a Bortle 8 sky, I'm also looking straight at those floodlights. My patio/balcony is east facing, and those floodlights are on pretty well every night of the year.

[UniPol]

Thanks Darren, the set up has come together well, I'm hoping to fit my FSQ-85EDX4 in planetary mode this week. Will post some pics when it is set up.

I notice that the RA motor housing on your PM-1 is reversed to mine. I suppose the MK-65 has a higher centre of gravity than small refractors, good that the mount can accommodate both.

[Wilso]

Yes Steve, balances quite nicely in that position with the intes.
I think you’ll find the Fsq will balance better as your set up with the Foa and then also you can use the offset plate which might change things again.