Takahashi and Losmandy

Dear astronomers,

I have one question regarding my future telescope. I am thinking of buying
Takahashi FS 128 Apo refractor (because I found that FS 102 is small) and
Losmandy equatorial mount.
Is Losmandy GM 8 strong enough for FS 128 or do I have to go for GM 11??

Any suggestion would be very helpful.

Thank you and clear skies,

Alan

"lagonda" wrote in message
...
Dear astronomers,

I have one question regarding my future telescope. I am thinking of buying
Takahashi FS 128 Apo refractor (because I found that FS 102 is small) and
Losmandy equatorial mount.
Is Losmandy GM 8 strong enough for FS 128 or do I have to go for GM 11??

Any suggestion would be very helpful.

Thank you and clear skies,

Alan
I'd go for the G11.
If you are intending to image, the answer is certain. The lighter mount will
not really do.
For visual use, you might use the GM8, but a more solid mount will track
better, and be more solid. Why is the FS102 'too small'?. If you want to see
really deep sky objects, then you should perhaps consider another design of
scope, allowing you to buy a lot more aperture for your money (the classic
problem of the APO...). If you want to look at widefields, you might
consider an APO, with a faster focal ratio. Conversely something like the
Mewlon is similar money, and will give more than one magnitude more light
gathering ability than the 125. The 125, will only give about 0.5 magnitudes
more than the 102, so will not be a massive improvement (expect limiting
magnitude to shift from perhaps 12.5 to nearly 13 - depends on your local
skies of course).
Don't get me wrong, the FS125, is a great scope, but I do not see it as a
very big improvement over the 102, and just query whether it will really
give you the extra that you are expecting.

Best Wishes

lagonda wrote:

Dear astronomers,

I have one question regarding my future telescope. I am thinking of buying
Takahashi FS 128 Apo refractor (because I found that FS 102 is small) and
Losmandy equatorial mount.
Is Losmandy GM 8 strong enough for FS 128 or do I have to go for GM 11??

Any suggestion would be very helpful.

Thank you and clear skies,

Alan



I had a G-11 and FS-102. The G-11 quality is superb, considering the
price. You can pay $10,000 for the Red Robot, but I'd rather spend the
$7800 difference on travel and optics... Or hookers and rum, but then I
wouldn't live long enough to spend it all.
Seriously, the G-11 does a superb job of keeping a modest sized APO rock
steady, regardless of winds. I found periodic error low and correctable.
It's really a delight to use. And the dovetail accessories mean you
can hang a couple of scopes on the mount with no problem.

You DID mean to say "...regarding my future telescopeS.", didn't you?
Heh.

Etok


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Roger Hamlett wrote in message
...

"lagonda" wrote in message
...
Dear astronomers,

I have one question regarding my future telescope. I am thinking of
buying
Takahashi FS 128 Apo refractor (because I found that FS 102 is small)
and
Losmandy equatorial mount.
Is Losmandy GM 8 strong enough for FS 128 or do I have to go for GM 11??

Any suggestion would be very helpful.

Thank you and clear skies,

Alan
I'd go for the G11.
If you are intending to image, the answer is certain. The lighter mount
will
not really do.
For visual use, you might use the GM8, but a more solid mount will track
better, and be more solid. Why is the FS102 'too small'?. If you want to
see
really deep sky objects, then you should perhaps consider another design
of
scope, allowing you to buy a lot more aperture for your money (the classic
problem of the APO...). If you want to look at widefields, you might
consider an APO, with a faster focal ratio. Conversely something like the
Mewlon is similar money, and will give more than one magnitude more light
gathering ability than the 125. The 125, will only give about 0.5
magnitudes
more than the 102, so will not be a massive improvement (expect limiting
magnitude to shift from perhaps 12.5 to nearly 13 - depends on your local
skies of course).
Don't get me wrong, the FS125, is a great scope, but I do not see it as a
very big improvement over the 102, and just query whether it will really
give you the extra that you are expecting.

Best Wishes



I live in a big city. So, going for a larger aperture will make no sense
because I can't get maximum from the telescope. Apo is the best choice for
that. It is not very cheap, it is not a big aperture, but it is high quality
image in the telescope.
Are you telling me that I should buy FS 102 on G 11?

Hm. Interesting. But, you know when you always wnat bigger and bigger
aperture, and you think that you will see "more" with 128mm rather that
102mm.

Although I know there is just a small difference.



Thank you for your advice. I hope I will be happy with FS 102. If not, I'm
sure that you will buy OTA from me. (just a joke. )


Clear skies

Alan

Etok wrote in message
...
lagonda wrote:

Dear astronomers,

I have one question regarding my future telescope. I am thinking of
buying
Takahashi FS 128 Apo refractor (because I found that FS 102 is small)
and
Losmandy equatorial mount.
Is Losmandy GM 8 strong enough for FS 128 or do I have to go for GM 11??

Any suggestion would be very helpful.

Thank you and clear skies,

Alan



I had a G-11 and FS-102. The G-11 quality is superb, considering the
price. You can pay $10,000 for the Red Robot, but I'd rather spend the
$7800 difference on travel and optics... Or hookers and rum, but then I
wouldn't live long enough to spend it all.
Seriously, the G-11 does a superb job of keeping a modest sized APO rock
steady, regardless of winds. I found periodic error low and correctable.
It's really a delight to use. And the dovetail accessories mean you
can hang a couple of scopes on the mount with no problem.

You DID mean to say "...regarding my future telescopeS.", didn't you?
Heh.

Etok


I just don't want to buy something what is very good, and then to be
disapointed. It's a little bit difficult to be realistic because what we are
talking about is very seriuous things for an amateur and cost a lot. That is
the problem.

Thank you anyway.

Clear skies

Alan

Subject: Takahashi and Losmandy
From: "lagonda"
Date: 12/10/03 12:10 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

*****************
A GM-8 wont hold a FS-128 to well!

Even on my EM-200 mount the FS-128 was under mounted.
The G-11 should do fine for a FS-128, i am very picky about mounts...

Chas P.

CHASLX200 wrote in message
...
Subject: Takahashi and Losmandy
From: "lagonda"
Date: 12/10/03 12:10 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:

*****************
A GM-8 wont hold a FS-128 to well!

Even on my EM-200 mount the FS-128 was under mounted.
The G-11 should do fine for a FS-128, i am very picky about mounts...

Chas P.

EM 200 is barely holding with FS 128?

I have another question. Should I buy FS 102 or FS 128?
FS 128 cost twice as much as FS 102. And it doesn't give two times light
gatering ability.

What would you do if you were me?



Best regards

Alan Jadanic

"lagonda" wrote in message
...

Roger Hamlett wrote in message
...

"lagonda" wrote in message
...
Dear astronomers,

I have one question regarding my future telescope. I am thinking of
buying
Takahashi FS 128 Apo refractor (because I found that FS 102 is small)
and
Losmandy equatorial mount.
Is Losmandy GM 8 strong enough for FS 128 or do I have to go for GM
11??

Any suggestion would be very helpful.

Thank you and clear skies,

Alan
I'd go for the G11.
If you are intending to image, the answer is certain. The lighter mount
will
not really do.
For visual use, you might use the GM8, but a more solid mount will track
better, and be more solid. Why is the FS102 'too small'?. If you want to
see
really deep sky objects, then you should perhaps consider another design
of
scope, allowing you to buy a lot more aperture for your money (the
classic
problem of the APO...). If you want to look at widefields, you might
consider an APO, with a faster focal ratio. Conversely something like
the
Mewlon is similar money, and will give more than one magnitude more
light
gathering ability than the 125. The 125, will only give about 0.5
magnitudes
more than the 102, so will not be a massive improvement (expect limiting
magnitude to shift from perhaps 12.5 to nearly 13 - depends on your
local
skies of course).
Don't get me wrong, the FS125, is a great scope, but I do not see it as
a
very big improvement over the 102, and just query whether it will really
give you the extra that you are expecting.

Best Wishes



I live in a big city. So, going for a larger aperture will make no sense
because I can't get maximum from the telescope. Apo is the best choice for
that. It is not very cheap, it is not a big aperture, but it is high
quality
image in the telescope.
Are you telling me that I should buy FS 102 on G 11?

Hm. Interesting. But, you know when you always wnat bigger and bigger
aperture, and you think that you will see "more" with 128mm rather that
102mm.

Although I know there is just a small difference.



Thank you for your advice. I hope I will be happy with FS 102. If not, I'm
sure that you will buy OTA from me. (just a joke. )


Clear skies
So long as you are aware of what you are doing/getting, that is fine. It was
just that I felt the 128, was a very small improvement, and if you were
really feeling the 102 was 'too small', might not fix that feeling.
On this basic, go with the G-11, with 128.
However don't be misled into thinking that larger scopes do not gain
anything in cities.

I already have a 102. Also an 8" Mak Cass, which on the G11, is a real
'cracker' for planetary work. Also an 11" SCT, which is what I use for the
most light gathering power.
I have a GP-DX, which I sometimes use with the 102, for visual use, and this
is a very comparable mount to the GM8, which I don't really feel would be
suitable for anything much larger.
For me, the GM8, would be very marginal for the larger scope.
You initially seemed to be talking as if you had the 102, and had found it
'too small', but in the posts it now looks as if you are still considering
things. On this basis let me make a suggestion:
Consider two scopes instead of one. For the price of a FS128, you could buy
a smaller APO, together with something like a 10" Newtonian tube, and run
either on the same mount. When conditions are good, the Newtonian, will see
_far more_ than the APO, while the APO, is the fast solution for casual
viewing.

Best Wishes

Subject: Takahashi and Losmandy
From: "lagonda"
Date: 12/10/03 5:20 AM Pacific Standard Time
Message-id:



I have another question. Should I buy FS 102 or FS 128?
FS 128 cost twice as much as FS 102. And it doesn't give two times light
gatering ability.

What would you do if you were me?



Best regards

Alan Jadanic
********************
I would get the FS-102, its much lighter and cost much less! Plus you dont
need such a big mount.
Or go all the way and a get a 6" Tak...

Chas P.

I have another question. Should I buy FS 102 or FS 128?
FS 128 cost twice as much as FS 102. And it doesn't give two times light
gatering ability.

What would you do if you were me?

I'd get the FS-152, it fits much better on a G-11.
rat
~( );

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