58 replies to this topic

[25585]

My most used is my green TV-85 as its so grab & go. Its also tough & works as a daytime spotter too.

 

My least used is my Tak TSA-120. It is my most expensive, needs a better mount, and "for best" use. 

 

In-between, my 100 Equinox. Not quite g&g, but easy enough to set up on a Giro Ercole mount. 

[cookjaiii]

I observe from my backyard and must dodge trees to observe.  I'm constantly moving so weight is the most important issue for me.

 

Most:  Borg89 ED, f/6.7.  Extremely lightweight for its aperture, so perfect for grab and go.  Breaks down compactly for travel.  Well made and excellent optics.

 

Least:  Orion 100ED, f/9.  Wonderful optics, but too heavy and more importantly, too long for a lightweight grab and go mount.  That long moment arm makes a heavy mount necessary.  

[Sandy Swede]

Most used is my Tak 100mm doublet.  I can cradle it and diag in my arm to the SV M2 alt/az. Eyepieces are in a waist pouch.  With chair and folding table, 10 minutes tops.

 

Others are used for AP, so NA on least used.

Edited by Sandy Swede, 12 January 2021 - 10:16 AM.

[soulprophet]

90mm Stellarvue triplet, its all I got! I'm thinking about buying a refractor in the 128-140 range....but I doubt I'll take it with me as much I have the 90mm.

[rexowner]

My most used is my green TV-85 as its so grab & go. Its also tough & works as a daytime spotter too.

 

My least used is my Tak TSA-120. It is my most expensive, needs a better mount, and "for best" use. 

 

In-between, my 100 Equinox. Not quite g&g, but easy enough to set up on a Giro Ercole mount. 

I'm the same.  My (also green) TV-85 is most used for the much the same reasons.

My only other refractor is an NP-127, on a heavier mount, but does generally give best views.

Weight -- for grab and go the TV-85 is on a Manfrotto 475B + SV M2C,

-- NP-127 is on a Berlebach Planet + DM-6

 

The other reason the TV-85 is used more often is because it has slightly more back

focus than the NP-127, which surprised me.  I roughly measured the TV-85 as 150mm

of back focus, and the NP-127 as 135mm?  This is just enough difference so

- Baader T-2 Mirror diagonal

- T-2 Quick Changer

- Maxbright II with 1.7x GPC

- *Baader* Mark IV zoom

comes to focus with the TV-85, but not the NP-127.  I think if I swapped in a prism

diagonal, the NP-127 will come to focus.  Alternatively, Tele Vue "Group B" parfocal

EPs come to focus in both, so maybe I'll just do that.

[jimandlaura26]

For most often used, presently it’s a toss up between my Stellarvue SV-80S and SVR-102T. No such thing as a least used refractor in my case, except maybe my Lunt 60THalpha, because I’m at work!

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Edited by jimandlaura26, 12 January 2021 - 01:08 PM.

[SkyETC]

I definitely have brought out the traveler the most, so the 155 is less used so far.  I don't think that will stay that way, however.  I have observed maybe 10 to 12 times and I just have to plan a few hours earlier to bring out the bigger scope.  Several times the seeing and conditions were better than expected and that meant grab the traveler on the SVP mount and go!  I did once just for a 10min viewing session.  Most likely the 155 will come out very often when the temps warm back up. The G11 mount will spend its time outside under the 365 cover and then the scope will be easy to carry out and mount.  

[Hesiod]

While use it seldom for visual, the 66/400 sees a lot of use as guidescope.

Strangely, the one I use the least is the FC100DL because it is simply too good, so, if the sky is not good enough "to be worth", often opt for others. It is just silly, but have realized it keeps happening

[John Huntley]

My most used is my green TV-85 as its so grab & go. Its also tough & works as a daytime spotter too.

 

My least used is my Tak TSA-120. It is my most expensive, needs a better mount, and "for best" use. 

 

In-between, my 100 Equinox. Not quite g&g, but easy enough to set up on a Giro Ercole mount. 

You don't mention your Tak FC100-DL ?

 

My most used are my Skywatcher ED120 and Tak FC100-DL which get used more or less equally. The Tak is probably the most used of all by a narrow margin I would think. Very quick and easy to setup and very little cool down time needed.

The Vixen ED102SS and LZOS 130 F/9 get used about 50% as much as the other two. The Vixen I tend to use for wide field observing when I don't want to get my 12 inch dob out and the LZOS is not as quick to set up and cool as the others so needs the promise of a good long session which is not something we have had much in the UK lately.

 

While not a frac, the 12 inch dob gets nearly as much use as the ED120 and FC100-DL.

Edited by John Huntley, 12 January 2021 - 02:29 PM.

[Bomber Bob]

Most:  1984 Tak FC-50 --  Small, light, never disappoints:

 

 

Least:  1960s Hy-Score 457 --  FC-50 makes it redundant:

 

[Candortech]

Believe it or not, my most used refractor is the Galileoscope, built from the kit during the International Year of Astronomy.  It sets up quickly on a tripod.  I use quality eyepieces in it like a Brandon.  The 50mm glass objective lens gives excellent, wide field views. 

 

The refractor I currently use the least is my Meade LDX55 6" AR-6.  It is heavy and takes a little time to set up.  It is great when I have dark skies and time to observe.  But unfortunately. that is rarer for me.

[Jon Isaacs]

My most used is the NP-101. It's a good backyard scope and it goes with me to the high desert for the one to two weeks a month I spend out here under dark skies. 

 

My least used is the ST-80 with the 2 inch focuser.  It's does the 6 degrees with the 31 mm Nagler but otherwise The AT-80LE at F/6 does most everything else better.

 

Jon

[PKDfan]

I only have two refractors one is 50mm and the other 100. I use the 50 as a finder for the 100mm. The 50 is single power so has limited use. The 100mm is high rez and wide field.

🙂😁😅🤣😇

Clear skies & Good seeing

[25585]

You don't mention your Tak FC100-DL ?

 

My most used are my Skywatcher ED120 and Tak FC100-DL which get used more or less equally. The Tak is probably the most used of all by a narrow margin I would think. Very quick and easy to setup and very little cool down time needed.

The Vixen ED102SS and LZOS 130 F/9 get used about 50% as much as the other two. The Vixen I tend to use for wide field observing when I don't want to get my 12 inch dob out and the LZOS is not as quick to set up and cool as the others so needs the promise of a good long session which is not something we have had much in the UK lately.

 

While not a frac, the 12 inch dob gets nearly as much use as the ED120 and FC100-DL.

My DL is like Hesiod, or for when I want the best but quicker cooling than my TSA. Dew & condensation/precipitation also influence what scope I use. 

[Rutilus]

My most used scope is my 6 inch f/8 achromat refractor. When set-up in wide field viewing mode it gives me a FOV of

just over 5 degrees in the eyepiece. At the other end of the extreme it takes magnification well on the solar system objects.

Last night it showed me the moons Titania and Oberon around the planet Uranus at 960x.

 

My least used scope is my 80mm f/7 triplet refractor. The only reason why I don't use it very often is that my 6 inch scope

just does everything so well, so I tend to stick to the larger scope.

[Jon Isaacs]

When set-up in wide field viewing mode it gives me a FOV of

just over 5 degrees in the eyepiece.

 

 

So how do manage that?

 

Jon

[Allan Wade]

My NP101is is my most used and the one I’ll always keep. I had four refractors for a while, but it was the NP101is that was always the best complement to my larger dobs. 
 

My TOA130 then has to be my least used. It’s a beautiful scope, as good as a 5” can get, but with more optimisation of my scope family, the TOA has become a less relevant option. My 16” dob is quicker and easier to get observing with, and it’s powered by a very thin Zambuto quartz mirror, so is the optical equal of my Tak. There’s nothing in the night sky that looks better in the TOA than the 16”, so there’s not as much reason to get it out these days except for sentimental reasons, and the occasional Tak fix.

[leviathan]

Over the years I've sold least used refractors and kept only FSQ-106 which I use for imaging almost every clear night.

[bobhen]

My Tak TSA 120 gets the most use: Very portable, and does everything with classy glass. The TSA 120 is a great general use refractor, especially if portability is a concern.

 

My 102mm F5 achromat is second: This wide field refactor has gotten more use in the last 5 years because I can use it from my light polluted home for wide field deep sky observing with an image intensifier, without the need for a dark sky.

 

My LUNT 100 Ha solar-scope falls in here and is either second or a close second. In the summer the Lunt 100 can get used more than any scope.

 

My Celestron 102mm F9.8 GR achromatic refractor gets the least use, even though the GR was the least expensive: I use it for solar white light observing and at public star parties and for a few grab-and-go sessions. The scope, however, always impresses the public at those public star parties.

 

Bob

[KerryR]

Most use: Orion "Thermos Bottle" 80mm f4 achromat. Rock solid on a Telepod and Dwarfstar, one hand out the door and around the yard avoiding trees. Surprisingly well-corrected optics, wide enough for most open clusters, holds power well enough to reel in smaller show piece targets and easier doubles to 3" or so. Most of my sessions are short, and most of my targets bright. No real need for something better. 

Least used: Vintage Meade 127ED F9 (Closely followed by a C150 f8 with Chromacorr). The mounts necessary to get those scopes to acceptable dampening times for high-magnification use are very large and bulky, and I dislike counterweights. No good for 'tree hopping'. I pretty much reserved their use for planetary oppositions and good seeing... both of which are rare.

[Rutilus]

So how do manage that?

 

Jon

Built in twin focal reducer system.

[Echolight]

I only have two.

 

Sometimes I lament not getting a used TV-85 when I had the chance. But I'm glad I didn't choose to start out with an expensive 85mm scope. My most used refractor is the C6R on a Unistar mount because it sets up fast and easy, and it shows me big, bright, detailed images compared to my little SW 80ED.

 

Obviously the least used is the 80ED. But it is still used far more than my third scope, a C8 on an AVX. Likely because I don't have a more convenient manual alt/az mount for the C8. The Unistar is too tall for the C8, and the mount head stays permanently attached to the C6R.

 

"Big Easy" in action.

Edited by Echolight, 13 January 2021 - 11:21 AM.

[Piaget]

My most used is a Tasco/Vixen 10VR. For a little scope , it throws up some fantastic views & is so portable. Thanks Pi

Edited by Piaget, 13 January 2021 - 11:22 AM.

[aa6ww]

In the colder winter temperatures, my Tak FC-60 and AT-92 are definitely the most used with my CG-4 mount. I use my FC-60 mostly for solar observing in the colder weather and the AT-92 gets used for an hour of back yard fun when the weather is clear and I have time to observe.

My APM 152 is not used in the colder weather, mostly because of the time it takes to set up my larger mount. 

 

In the spring and summer time. I mostly use my APM-152 and my smaller scopes seldom get used, unless something is happening in the sky and just takes a quick look, then my AT-92 would come out. Like when comet Neowise was present. My AT-92 got uses mostly or binoculars.

 

...Ralph

Edited by aa6ww, 13 January 2021 - 11:38 AM.

[Paul G]

Stowaway/Traveler most, 175 EDF least. Size.