Takahashi FS-60

[philjay]

A quick look at the Takahashi FS-60 kit I won at auction last week and the wife picked up for me yesterday.

 

First impressions, it's small 😀 When in it's native focal length (f5.9) guize it is short and when fitted with the Q1.6 extender it is only slightly bigger. It weighs next to nothing even with the bits fitted to it, so light the HEQ5 counterweight was fully inboard on my quick test this afternoon.

 

The scope came with Takahashi 25 and 5mm LE eyepieces, a Tak prism, 5x25mm finder and bracket, a Q1.6 extender and a host of adaptors.

 

I am used to longer FL refractors and this is an opportunity to have a go at a wider field refractor. Initially I will play with it visually then maybe imaging if I can bring myself to face the price of the flattener and adaptors, they aint cheap.

 

Today I converted an old homemade dovetail bar to accept the Tak clamshell and that allowed me to have a play with the scope on the HEQ5 just to check balance etc and practice swapping focal lengths plus see if my Televue and Vixen eyepieces could be used.

 

 

Here is the scope and bits without clamshell, it's a dinky little thing

 

I modded my dovetail to accept the clamshell

 

Here it is in F5.9 mode with diagonal and 24mm Tak LE on the HEQ5 Pro. This set up is very stable

At f5.9 the views are super sharp and the field of view with the 24mm eyepiece is rather wide. I tried my Televue Delites and Vixen UW eyepieces and all reached focus nicely. I had to pull them out of the clamp slightly as the Tak clamp would not clamp on the eyepiece undercuts but all went well. I tried the Vixen 3.5mm ep, which is a monster, and decided it was a bit too unwieldy for this scope.

 

With the extender fitted plus a host of extension tubes the fl goes out to F9.4. Again the views are clear and sharp. I am never keen on hanging loads of extension tubes off the back of focusers but the Tak focuser takes it in its stride. There is a Q module available which is basically a main tube extension with 0.76 extender in it which would reduce the number of extension tubes but yet again that isn't cheap but it's nice to have the option.

 

 

The objective is in superb condition, in fact the whole package looks like it has been only used a couple of times, it's almost mint,

 

The focuser is the best rack and pinion focuser I have ever come across, very smooth and locks with the slightest twist on the lock screw. It has to be due to the short focus of the scope, getting a sharp focus point is more challenging than with a longer focus so a predictable focuser is a must.

 

Its a fixed focuser and doesnt rotate, which could be a fiddle in the dark for some but I am used to classic refractors so it isnt much hassle. However for imaging, a camera  rotator is available and again at a price

 

The scope is a 2001 model and came with original packaging and receipt. The last owner bought it in February of that year from TrueTechnologies  February of that year, remember them?

 

So far I am quite impressed with this little scope but the proper test will be under the stars.

 

I shall update when I can get out there with it.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 7 by philjay

[+Graham]

Sounds like you have got yourself a great little scope there Phil. 👏

[Glafnazur]

Nice looking scope Phil 👍

[+Bino-viewer]

I like it.........!! 🔭

[Nightspore]

Looks great Phil. 

[philjay]

Clouds and after effects of Covid have restricted me a bit but I managed a play with the scope on the Moon last evening. It was still a bit light but I tried various eyepieces in the scope with and without extender.

With the short FL a lunar/planetary scope it aint but from what I saw I am quite taken with it.

 

The views with the Tak, TV Delites and Vixen eyepieces were very sharp and my old eyes couldnt detect false colour and it stood magnification really well without image breakdown.

 

Altogether a pleasant observing experience.

Cant wait to get this under darker skies and the stars

 

 

This is an uncropped stack with the Olympus OM D EM 1, 200asa, 1/200s x 100 PIPP & AS3

Edited June 11 by philjay