Item: Takahashi Mt-160 160mm F/6.1 Newtonian Reflector Telescope
Sold For: $2,010.00
Bids: 15
Date: Apr 29, 2012
Auction: Ebay
Seller: mtloggera
Description and Image By: mtloggera
You are invited to submit bids for an exceptional, rare classic Takahashi M-160 SE 160mm (6.25 inch) f/6.1 Newtonian Reflector Telescope OTA with accessories.
No doubt about it – this is by far and away the finest 160mm Newtonian reflector ever made by this prestigious Japanese manufacturer. In fact, some amateur astronomers who have used this instrument have said that it is the best mid-aperture Newtonian in the world. That is indeed a tall order, but those in the know swear by Takahashi’s fabled mechanics and their impeccable optics.
Takahashi advertised this telescope as having a minimum guaranteed optical quality of 1/16th wave, but often the optics positively exceed that hard to achieve level of optical performance. NOTE: The lower the wave front fraction the better the optics. The wavefront value is simply a measure of the smoothness of the mirrors in this instrument. Obviously, the smoother the surface or figure on the optics the better the image that the observer sees at the eyepiece or the sharper the image that is recorded on a CCD or CMOS chip in a digital camera. Unfortunately Takahashi is no longer making this model telescope. So, you will not be able to find one at your local TAK dealer at any price. So, this rare model TAK has become quite the collector’s item in recent years. Here is your unique opportunity to own a really nice one and to experience first hand what exceptional optics can deliver at the eyepiece or onto the image sensor of your DLSR or astronomical CCD camera.
Offered here is the optical tube assembly (OTA) only (The HEQ-5 equatorial mount shown in the accompanying images is NOT included), but with the following hard to find complimentary accessories (all by TAK except the base plate and dovetail bar): 7×50 finder scope with mounting, 2-inch rotating focuser, focal reducer, tele-extender (field corrector), tube rings with base plate, and dovetail bar. NOTE: The 2” focuser is currently set up for use with 1.25” eyepieces, but optional standard adaptors are available from Takahashi dealers to allow the use of 2” eyepieces, if desired. For digital imaging with a DSLR, the camera can be mounted directly to the focuser with a low profile adaptor thereby providing a full 2-inch aperture for imaging without any vignetting of the image. The large 36mm diameter image circle insures that an unvignetted image will be delivered even if one uses a full size image sensor such as found in the Canon 5D Mark II and other high end DSLRs.
Detailed Specifications:
* Effective Aperture: 160mm * Focal Length (prime focus): 1000mm * Focal Ratio (prime focus): f/6.1 * Focal Length (with corrector): 1330mm * Focal Ratio (with corrector): f/8.3 * Focal Length (with focal reducer): 776mm * Focal Ratio (with focal reducer): f/4.8 * Limiting magnitude (with good seeing): 12.8 * Image circle (with field corrector at f/8.3): 36mm diameter * Photographic field (with corrector): 1.5 degrees * Image circle (with focal reducer): 36mm diameter * Photographic field (with focal reducer): 2.7 degrees * Finder scope: 7×50 with 6.3-degree field of view * Total length of main tube: 35.25 inches (~895 mm) * Diameter of the main tube: 8.75 inches (~204 mm) * Tube weight (with finder scope, base plates & caps): 25 pounds * Shipping weight in carton: ~50 pounds
Special Features:
This telescope is an amateur astronomer’s delight not only due to its super sharp optics and great mechanics but also due to its unmatched versatility. Visual observations of deep sky objects are wonderful at its f/6.1 prime focus. But, add the focal reducer and you have a wonderful fast astrograph for imaging at f/4.8 that yields a perfectly flat field even on a 24mm DLSR CMOS chip. Or, if you are interested in planetary observations, add the telextender/corrector and the resulting f/8.3 focal ratio will allow you to bump up the power on your favorite planets or on the moon, providing, of course, that seeing conditions are cooperative. So in essence, you have 3 telescopes in one – one that delivers wide field, medium field and narrow field views all within a single instrument. Nice!
The rotating 2-inch focuser is a delight to use in that you can easily frame your images by rotating the focuser so your imager will always be in an optional orientation. This instrument also holds its collimation very well – once it is set you do not have to touch it.
Well,” you may ask, “if this instrument is so good, why are you selling it?” The honest answer is that my interests in astronomy have waned since I have become a collector of antique microscopes. So, I find that I use this telescope less and less as I devote more and more of my prime attention and time to collecting and refurbishing antique microscopes. So, there you have it – just a change in interests.
Bonus Items included with the OTA:
1. Takahashi brochure on the instrument that includes a specification sheet and parts diagrams. It is written in the French language, but, if you do not know French, you will find the diagrams showing how certain accessories fit the instrument to be very helpful.
2. A copy of Takahashi’s Model E-160 owner’s manual (In English). While it mostly covers the TAK Epsilon 160, it also has instructions for collimation that are also directly applicable to the MT-160 SE.
3. Wood plate that spans the top of the tube ring assembly (not shown in the images). This wood block or plate can be used to mount a Telrad finder, to piggy back a digital camera, or to support a video camera type finder. A standard ¼”-20 bolt is included at the center of this plate for attachment of cameras along with the hardware to attach this block to the telescope.
Statement of Condition:
The condition of this telescope is excellent in all respects, as the attached images will attest.
But, there is one very minor cosmetic issue worth mentioning. There is a hairline crack in the metal under one of the screws that holds the primary mirror housing onto the optical tube along with a small section of chipped paint on the adjacent optical tube (see close-up image). The chipped area has been touched up with paint, but the color does not quite match the Takahashi off-white of the OTA. These minor blemishes have absolutely no impact on the mechanical or optical performance of the instrument and are hardly noticeable unless you look very closely on the underside of the back end of the OTA.
The coatings on both the primary and secondary mirrors are in perfect condition. This telescope has been kept under a dust cover inside my living room in a low humidity non-smoking environment and has seen very little use. The finder scope comes with an illuminator port, but no illuminator is included.