It truly breaks my heart - and that is no advertising BS - to offer this package deal, but I have decided to settle on a Takahashi FSQ106ED, and so it shall be.
So...{takes a VERY deep breath}
Vixen FL102S LEGENDARY 102mm fluorite refractor. This is an air spaced doublet, with INCREDIBLE colour correction up there with AP/TV/Tak. It has a mean sample Strehl of 0.977 - that's damned near perfect! Visually, this scope leaves other more expensive scopes in it's wake, including in independent tests comparable Takahashi and Zeiss offerings. Photographically, it is SHARP. REALLY sharp. Natively, it is f/9 - perfect for galaxies and planets - in fact, it is a planets SLAYER (not planet killer like some other scopes are called). It INCLUDES the dedicated Vixen focal reducer, bringing this to f/6.3 - nice speed for most other DSO's, without the finicky focus issues in faster systems. It is lightweight, yet not offering ANY compromises for optical quality.
The focuser is the original R&P - change that to a Moonlite or other Crayford design would be downright foolish. The original focuser holds a LOT of weight without ANY shifting or slipping. I can hang an SBIG ST-8XE with FW and all cables off the back of it, hold it vertical, and even jostle it and it will NOT slip. I updated the focuser with the pinion and knobs of a Vixen AX103S, including the dual speed attachment, and readjusted the tensioner grub screws, so focus is VERY VERY precise.
The tube has a few tiny paint scratches, but I wax the tube, so there are no issues with corrosion etc. Included is a Vixen metal carry handle as well as a Vixen 6x30 finder. All fittings are the old famous - LOVELY - Vixen hammertone green, including an ADDITIONAL finder shoe with bracket for a 7x50 finder (no 7x50 finder included though, unless you want a generic Chinese one included). Tube rings are green, and will include the original Vixen saddle plate.
ADDITIONALLY, I am including a Vixen SXW Sphinx GOTO mount. This one has been updated to the NexW motor control board, and is controlled either by ASCOM or a Celestron NexStar hand controller (NOT INCLUDED - I always ran it from the PC. Never had an HC for this). The original Starbook motor board and Starbook hand-controller/tablet will be included if you wish to revert (fine visually, but the Starbook had Dec jump issues in photography - the NexW board solves all the issues, hence why the NexW boards were made for these otherwise exacting mounts). The mount includes the tripod naturally, and ONE counterweight (more than enough for the lightweight FL102S). I am undecided though at this stage to include the pillar extension or not - if I DO, it will be additional $.
Pictures up soon, but you can show your interest until I get the chance to get home to take the images.
The price will be set in STONE: $2650, INCLUDING all above, INCLUDING postage across Australia.
I don't want to, but there you go. Two other IIS members have owned this scope, both of them INCREDIBLE astro-imagers, and both sincerely regret selling it, but moved UP in aperture (please moderators, IF either chimes in here, do NOT delete their comments - I ENCOURAGE them discussing this scope!)
Preliminary photo of both the Scope (on the right) and the mount (on the left, with the now sold DED108SS on top)
At this point in time, I will NOT separate the package, unless you team up with someone to do a split. It all needs to be sold simultaneously or not at all.
