Telescope Reviews: RIP Tak Sky-90

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chboss
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/24/08

Loc: Tokyo Japan

RIP Tak Sky-90
#5733491 - 03/15/13 05:33 AM

According to a dealer here in Japan the Takahashi Sky-90 will be discontinued. Time to report about your Sky-90's and why you love or hate them.

best regards
Chris

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Paulimer
member

Reged: 08/08/03

Loc: Hong Kong

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: chboss]
#5733498 - 03/15/13 05:38 AM

My Sky90 has been with me for 10 years.
I bought it second-handed for $750, including the flattener, because its front element was scratched.

It is giving me some old age problems lately.. like black paint inside falling like powder, weird corners on 35mm format, but I still love it.

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t.r.
Post Laureate

Reged: 02/14/08

Loc: Upstate NY

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: Paulimer]
#5733567 - 03/15/13 07:39 AM

There is only one other piece of equipment that evokes such love-hate reactions so passionatley...Brandon eyepieces!

The Sky 90 in its day really was a marvel and its excellent build quality, compact design and sharp optics, while admittedly showing CA, kept up well into the present. However, now there are plenty of less expensive options and even the Asian triplets can surpass this little gem(my TMB 92L showed less coma and less CA than my Sky 90!), so it comes as no surprise it is being dropped. Still, a great scope for visual in my book (loved it), but plenty of others get wrapped up with the color it shows and scoff (hate it)! As with the FS152, I think we all will come to miss it. These scopes had virtues that get overshadowed with "latest" and "greatest" offerings. Ya know, now that it is being discontinued, perhaps there will be some clearance sale. If so, I wouldn't hesitate to pick up a new one again at used prices! It is the original "Stowaway"! So, as with Brandons...YMMV!

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Paul G
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/08/03

Loc: Freedonia

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: t.r.]
#5733637 - 03/15/13 08:42 AM

Quote:

It is the original "Stowaway"!

It was introduced after the Stowaway.

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t.r.
Post Laureate

Reged: 02/14/08

Loc: Upstate NY

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: Paul G]
#5733654 - 03/15/13 08:53 AM

Okay...it is the "Stowaway" wanabee!

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chboss
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/24/08

Loc: Tokyo Japan

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: t.r.]
#5733734 - 03/15/13 09:50 AM

Nice info guys.... keep them coming...

However where are the PICTURES?

best regards
Chris

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Paul G
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/08/03

Loc: Freedonia

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: t.r.]
#5733767 - 03/15/13 10:06 AM

It was an answer to the Stowaway, small and fast. The Stowaways were selling used for up to $10K at the time and the Sky 90 was seen as a replacement. It didn't have the color correction of the Stow but with the Extender Q its color correction matched that of the FS series. There was an extensive review in Tenmon Guide; at one time there was a translation of the review posted on the uncensored Tak group but the author pulled it after someone noted it might violate copyright. If I can find my old copy of Tenmon Guide I'll scan in the review and post a link here. IIRC, Markus Ludes had a copy of the review as well.

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waso29
sage

Reged: 05/12/10

Loc: Chi-Town, USA, mother earth

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: Paul G]
#5735386 - 03/16/13 12:31 AM

Will miss the little guy.

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Paul G
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/08/03

Loc: Freedonia

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: Paul G]
#5735921 - 03/16/13 10:35 AM

The Temmon Guide review is in the Uncensored Tak Group > Files > Temmon_Guide > Sky_90_Review.

Sky 90 review

Now THAT is a review, not the puff pieces we see in the US mags.

Edited by Paul G (03/16/13 10:38 AM)

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M13 Observer
professor emeritus

Reged: 12/09/06

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: waso29]
#5735941 - 03/16/13 10:46 AM

Quote:

Will miss the little guy.

I won't. I have had a Sky90IINSV with all the major accessories (FF, CAA, ext-Q, 2" adapter, etc) for almost 10 years (serial number in year 2005). It is not going anywhere but outside under the stars and doing solar with my solar filters. While it is NOT an f4.9 Stowaway, it is very close, and is always very happy coming along on vacation in the made-for-it Temba case.

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northpole
member

Reged: 06/28/11

Loc: Ontario, Canada

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: M13 Observer]
#5736304 - 03/16/13 01:31 PM

Mine is not going anywhere either. I love the little guy. Beautifully made, great optics. I also have added the FF and extQ. This scope has come along on 4 eclipse trips. It's very portable in a Lowepro backpack.

Andre

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tegea
professor emeritus

Reged: 11/29/04

Loc: France

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: Paul G]
#5736645 - 03/16/13 04:56 PM

Quote:

The Temmon Guide review is in the Uncensored Tak Group > Files > Temmon_Guide > Sky_90_Review.

Sky 90 review

Now THAT is a review, not the puff pieces we see in the US mags.

Hummmmm, where can we find a translation of this article ?

I just acquired a used Sky90 a month ago, and I must admit that I felt in love with it !! True that in has a tiny amount of chromatism and some coma compared to the TMB 92, but it is sharper, has a superb contrast and color rendering, and the stars images are textbook ! Great little scope !!

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thesubwaypusher
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 07/08/04

Loc: New York City

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: chboss]
#5737688 - 03/16/13 11:40 PM

No great loss. The only way to buy that scope is used.

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Fomalhaut
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 08/16/08

Loc: Switzerland

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: thesubwaypusher]
#5738076 - 03/17/13 06:44 AM

Hi Chris,

I had bought one of these for spontaneously gazing at a few objects every once in a while, especially in cold winter temperatures when I normally would be too lazy to set up one of my bigger scopes.
In normal weather, it showed some CA (I wouldn't call this one a real Apo) but almost no SA: A nice little scope indeed.
However, in temperatures falling below 30F its objective lens started to show SA caused by being pinched in its lens cell obviously shrinking at a higher rate than the glass, thus deteriorating optical quality.

Since I had bought the Sky-90 especially for the cold season and due to its very obvious inferiority to my FCT100 (in every observing temperature!) it soon had to go...

As you know I'm very fond of Tak - however, in this case I considered the AP-Stowaway (which I in fact once had the opportunity to observe with) the clearly superior contender!

Chris

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chboss
professor emeritus

Reged: 03/24/08

Loc: Tokyo Japan

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: Fomalhaut]
#5738221 - 03/17/13 09:02 AM

It is interesting to hear your report about a thermal problem with the lens cell.
Actually your report is not the first time I heard this. I wonder why the Sky-90 behaves differently than say the FS-60 or the FC-76...
May be that the larger size is no suit for the same type of cell design?

best regards
Chris

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plyscope
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 11/23/06

Loc: Perth, West Australia

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: chboss]
#5738264 - 03/17/13 09:37 AM

The Sky 90 has a very large air gap compared to other Takahashi doublets.

web page

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fetoma
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/26/06

Loc: Southern New Jersey

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: t.r.]
#5738295 - 03/17/13 09:52 AM

Quote:

The Sky 90 in its day really was a marvel and its excellent build quality, compact design and sharp optics, while admittedly showing CA, kept up well into the present. However, now there are plenty of less expensive options and even the Asian triplets can surpass this little gem(my TMB 92L showed less coma and less CA than my Sky 90!), so it comes as no surprise it is being dropped. Still, a great scope for visual in my book (loved it), but plenty of others get wrapped up with the color it shows and scoff (hate it)!

I'll have to agree with Tim here. I'd really like to see Takahashi focus on a larger FSQ from an imaging standpoint.

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Paul G
Post Laureate

Reged: 05/08/03

Loc: Freedonia

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: chboss]
#5738301 - 03/17/13 09:55 AM

IIRC, the Sky 90 I didn't have the pinch problem but didn't hold collimation well. Sky 90 II was introduced in 2003 and had a different cell design that holds collimation well but pinches the optics when cold. It was later redesigned and a different lens fixing glue was used in 2005 to eliminate the pinch problem.

Edited by Paul G (03/17/13 10:00 AM)

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M13 Observer
professor emeritus

Reged: 12/09/06

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: Paul G]
#5738315 - 03/17/13 10:06 AM

Quote:

IIRC, the Sky 90 I didn't have the pinch problem but didn't hold collimation well. Sky 90 II was introduced in 2003 and had a different cell design that holds collimation well but pinches the optics when cold. It was later redeisgned and a different lens fixing glue was used to eliminate the pinch problem.

A friend and I bought our first ones at the same time in early 2004 and it still had the problem. Both were returned to Takahashi by TNR in late 2004. We received brand new 2005 OTAs in early 2005 which no longer had the cold pinch. It actually showed a 'snowflake' type of distortion in focus which turned to a haxagon the futher one traveled from the focal point.
It is an exceptionally nice little light telescope since the cell problem was fixed.

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thesubwaypusher
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 07/08/04

Loc: New York City

Re: RIP Tak Sky-90 new

new

[Re: Fomalhaut]
#5739687 - 03/17/13 09:39 PM

Hi Chris,

Yes, I read about those problems. My gripe was very poor wide field performance, despite the relatively enormous price tag. It is well known that the Sky -90 was the weak link in the Takahashi lineup.

Thanks, Chris

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