[LewisM]

A couple of words on the FSQ-106ED.

1. Yes, use the CAA. The capstan wheel on these is NOTORIOUS at inducing some tilt, hence why most owners use a CAA as well (and why Tak removed the Capstan Wheel with the revised FSQ-106EDX III). You CAN avoid tilt issues with the capstan wheel by making sure the wheel is tightened up fully after rotation. Sometimes easier said than done.

2. Focus lock - why Tak put it under in an awkward position was anyone's guess - the older (and marvellous) FSQ-106N used a standard locking nut on top of the focuser. Works fine, no image shift. The ED's on the other hand usually induce some image shift if fully locked, so, as Greg Bradley has pointed out before, you 3/4 lock it - the camera won't move, unless you have a monster cam on it.

3. adapters - avoid the compression ring ones, even though Tak's proprietary compression rings are SO finely made to extreme tolerances that you fight air pressure putting things in!!! use threaded connections. For CCD, I use an M92 to T Thread adapter I had made that screws my ST-8300 straight onto the CAA at the requisite spacing. It cost me $120, but worth it.

4. CA-35's... they work, and do get the WIDE adapter version - mitigates vignetting.

Mounting can be a problem with Tak's locking lever position, so make sure the rings have a base tall enough, or fit risers. Or use the clamshell. I have parallax rings, and with a Losmandy plate, at balance, the Losmandy fouls the locking lever. So, I fitted a solid Vixen bar instead, and no issues. There are other ways around it, though it looks like Kyle had risers on the Parallax rings he included in your sale(?)

Focussing - I am sure you know at minimum you will need an F/5 Bahtinov (not a generic Farpoint or somesuch). I recommend Morris Engraving in the UK, though someone posted a local version recently. You WILL need to refocus every 30 minutes or so, as the shift with temperature changes is significant at f/5, and noticeable. I suggest automating focus - the Sharpsky Pro unit works BEAUTIFULLY (as it is fitted to the micro knob, it is VERY accurate). The Robofocus works too, but it attaches to the coarse knob, so not sure if it can resolve as fine steps? (I am far from engineering inclined) The Sharpsky also doubles as a dew heater port, as well as having temp probes to automate with temperature shifts. WELL worth the $500 (re-ordering one myself shortly).

In a nutshell, I have tried avoiding the Tak system charts for a while, and just design myself the threaded parts I need - usually VERY simple (I mean, M92x1 to T thread is not rocket science - just getting the spacing considering the SHORT focuser travel is the mathematical part). Precise Parts in the US will make them for around $330 posted, which is more expensive BY FAR than my machinist astro mate in Brisbane, but he now has his lathe in a shipping container awaiting a house move, so...