Reluctantly, my Takahashi MT-160 is up for sale. A very rare and special f/6.2 Newtonian, it deserves to be used more than mine is. Add an optional f/4.8 reducer/flattener and you have an imaging system that will rival much more expensive APO refractors of similar size. The optics in these scopes are reputedly figured to 1/20 wave RMS on the primary & 1/14 wave for the secondary. Some say that these are probably the best commercial Newtonians ever built.
It comes with: Takahashi MT-160 f/8 Corrector, extension tubes, 1 1/2" visual back, tube clamshell and Tak 6x30 finder. The focuser is typical Tak quality, and has an in-built lockable camera angle adjuster (360 deg. fully-rotating focuser).
The tube shows the usual collection of scratches and small dents attributable to a scope that has been used frequently. It is internally flocked. There is a microscratch on the mirror, about an inch long at around the 2/3 radius mark, but this doesn't affect performance one iota. Imaging and visual are both sublime.
Effective aperture 160mm
Focal length (prime focus) 1000mm
Focal ratio (prime focus) 6.1
Focal length (with corrector) 1330mm
Focal ratio (with corrector) 8.3
Focal length (with reducer) 776mm
Focal ratio (with reducer) 4.8
Resolving power 0.7"
Light gathering power 522
Limiting magnitude 12.8
Image circle (with corrector) ø36mm
Photographic field (with corrector) 1.5°
Image circle (with reducer) ø36mm
Photographic field (with reducer) 2.7°
Finder scope 7 x 50 6.3°
Total length of main tube 895mm
Diameter of main tube 204mm
Gross wt. of main tube assembly 8.3kg
A thread here on IIS in reference to a very good moon shot that this scope managed:
http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/a...se.php?a=59905
TOTAL PRICE: $1,250 plus shipping from Sydney
Some reviews and articles:
http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=444
http://www.bttechnologies.com/telesc...kahashi_mt.htm
http://www.astronomyalive.com.au/exo...newtonian.html
http://www.takahashiamerica.com/incl...of%20Takahashi
http://www.telescopebluebook.com/ref.../takahashi.htm
http://www.takayuki-astro.com/my_degallery.html