Just like to see how many Takahashi FCT owners there are here in Australia, and add you all in to the global FCT poll - we have VERY VERY VERY few reported still so far! Please let us know your full serial number to add to the list.
I know there is at least an FCT-150 here, unless it went overseas again (it was in North QLD, then sold via Claude). I own an FCT-100, recently imported from the USA, and I know of ONE other FCT-100, that sadly disappeared after the death of the owner (his wife gave it to his friend, and now who knows where it is).
The FCT series are fluorite triplets. The FCT-100 in particular is an astonishing piece of optical craftsmanship - Roland Christen (AstroPhysics founder, owner and master optician) will even tip his hat to the FCT-100 acknowledging even he could not surpass it. The FCT series were basically Tak custom telescopes, though did appear in their catalogues as purchase items, though even in 1990, an FCT-100 cost $3700 US - a LOT for a telescope back then.
The FCT series :
FCT-65
FCT-76
FCT-100
FCT-125
FCT-150
FCT-250 (
)
My FCT-100 was imported directly from the USA from a close friend of Art Campiani (US Tak dealer) - this one was hand selected by Art and kept in his own collection, before he sold it to Brian S, who sold it to me (I had actually enquired about a signed TSA-102 he had advertised on Astromart, when he mentioned the other Taks he had - my heart missed a beat when I read FCT-100. I thought nothing ventured, nothing gained, and asked if he would sell it, and after some negotiation, the rest is history). As some may recall, I sold my ENTIRE collection of scopes to afford it, but it was worth EVERY sacrifice. Yes, I am finally satisfied enough with a telescope.