Posts Made By: Evan Chan

I know this is supposed to be the best 3 inch scope in existence. But I'm seeing some color on Jupiter (using Tak 2.8) which isn't there in my FS102.

BTW, I spent MORE on the FCT76 than on my FS102!

Any thoughts?

With this current sale that just happened prices for the FS-152 have dropped down to $6995.

In relative terms that makes this a really good deal yes?

Is there anybody out there that has done a comprehensive side-by-side with the AP130EDT? I know of one person but that particular TOA 130 had some issues.

My own comparison with the AP130EDF has been called an "apples and oranges" one and I absolutely agree.

As the AP130EDT has long been the standard by which others are measured, I'm wondering how the TOA-130 measures up visually...in actual use and not in theory.

How is the performance of the AS100? More specifically, how would it fare in a side-by-side with a Tak FS102 or TV102?

Is the AS100 a triplet or doublet? Any help would be appreciated.

Has anyone visually observed this dwarf galaxy near Regulus? I've tried several times from my club's dark site without success using a variety of instruments from apos to big dobs.

Found this on the refractor forum. From a Japanese website testing all sorts of scopes. Looks nice yes?

Since receiving this scope, I've had to try and observe through sucker holes in the clouds. Here's my first impressions of this new offering from Takahashi:

1) Excellent correction for chromatic aberration, the best I've seen at this aperture level. Takahashi has taken color correction to a new level. I was unable to discern any false color in the star test at over 200x. None on Jupiter at all. This is the only measure of performance I feel ok to comment on at this juncture.
2) It is just 25" long with the 2" adapter on. Needed the included extension to reach focus with a TV 40mm Plossl. Reached focus just fine without the extension with 16mm Nagler, Tak 3.6, Tak 2.8.
3) I really like the aesthetics of this new tube. Green lettering instead of blue. Very pleasing to look at.

More eyepiece time will be needed to see how this scope stacks up against the competition. A few nights of brief observing through sucker holes does not afford me a good "feel" of the TSA102 yet. But I can say I'm excited by this new offering by Tak.

Here's a pic.

-Evan

See attached file. Note the nice straight lines, the excellent color correction (virtually perfect), and the lack of any zones.

Retrieved from http://homepage3.nifty.com/cz_telesco/refracter_test.htm

After many more times out with the scope, under a variety of seeing conditions, I feel like I have a better grasp on the performance of my new TSA102.

I had the TSA102 side by side with the SV105 several times. Did Jupiter first and felt that seeing hasn't been good enough to tell a definitive difference. What surprised me was the star test. Vega focused down to a smaller, tighter airy disk in the Tak. Tak was at 226x and SV105 was at 232x. I think what's happening here is that at f6, the SV105 was showing that its more susceptible to seeing whereas at f8, the Tak isn't as affected. Maybe tomorrow night I'll pull out the venerable FCT100...

Two times I had the TSA102 side by side with the TEC6MC. On the night of excellent seeing, there were no surprises as the TEC6 showed more detail on Jupiter with more brightness. Tonight's bad (maybe even horrible) seeing makes an excellent case for 4" apos. If one was to just take this one night, one would have to say that the TSA102 "wiped the floor" with the TEC6. But it wouldn't be wise to take one night's result and generalize would it? A 30% c.o. doesn't like bad seeing very much. So, on bad nights the TSA102 will be better but on good nights the TEC6 will be better. On a side note - I don't remember seeing being this bad ever...

So tonight I also went ahead used Vega to try and force my TSA102 to show chromatic abberation. I knew it wasn't going to show any at 226x so how bout bumping it up to 291x? I've read where people say their scopes show "no color in or out of focus." Well, the only apos I ever owned that I can say that about are the TOA130 and the NP101; I can't say that about the long list of apos I have either owned or still currently own. Would the TSA102 be added to that list? Using my shortest f/l eyepiece (2.8 LE) yielding 291x, the TSA102 showed no false color in focus on Vega. Using averted vision to check out the glow/scatter around the star, it was the same color. So defocus to five rings inside and look for the signs of purple - none. Defocus five rings outside and look for signs of green/yellow - none. Do it again, super careful to look for any signs of false color. Again - none. The TSA102 shows no false color, in or out of focus.

I was right in my initial assessment, this is a special one. Takahashi got it right.

I was observing Jupiter last night with the TEC6 and TSA102 and believe I got the Oval BA. Without looking at any pics I memorized where I thought I was seeing it, then went to Chris Go's latest Jupiter shot and verified that I saw it. I shouldn't say verified...I'm 75% sure I bagged it.

This morning, I went searching to see if I was crazy to think I could see Jr. with such small aperture. Apparently, people have reported seeing it with aperture as small as 80mm.

I know it was already difficult to cleanly pick out the Oval BA from the south polar region with the TEC6 (it was ify through the TSA). Yet people have done it with 80mm!

Can anyone confirm?

-Evan