Takahashi TOA-150B Teleskop are people content with that telescope?
Takahashi TOA-150B Teleskop
On 21 Feb 2026 I will celebrate the 10th anniversary of my TOA-150B. The telescope is mounted on my AP1200GTO in my observatory. I use it mainly for comet photography and solar observation with Baader Herschel wedge. I am very satisfied with this telescope.
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thank you very much .
met welke bent u meer tevreden met de Takahashi Epsilon 180 ED of met de Takahashi TOA-150B . Heb zelf nog een Takahashi FSQ-106EDX4. wil nog een extra telescope kopen weet niet zo goed welke . Hartelijk bedankt
Dat zijn twee telescopen met verschillende eigenschappen en toepassingen. Indien voornamelijk voor deep-sky zou ik de Epsilon 180ED kiezen (lichtsterk, groter beeldveld), terwijl de TOA-150b meer geschikt is voor een bredere toepassing (zon, maan, voor deep-sky minder lichtsterk). De TOA-150b is ook een zware telescoop waarvoor een stevige montering nodig is (langere tubus en 15kg zonder extra’s). De Epsilon 180 kan nog vrij gemakkelijk als verplaatsbaar toestel gebruikt worden (korter en zo’n 10 kg) maar mijn TOA-150b zou ik niet graag telkens weer moeten op- en afnemen vanwege gewicht en lengte!
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Het zal ook afhangen van de objecten die u wilt fotograferen. De Epsilon is zelfde beeldveld maar sneller dan de FSQ. De TOA heeft veel grotere brandpuntsafstand, en een klein beetje langzamer. Voor emissie/Ha/donkere nevels zou ik de Epsilon nemen, voor sterrenstelsels, planetaire nevels, sterrenhopen zou ik de TOA kiezen. Zelf heb ik de TOA-130 en de FSQ-106 en het zijn beide super-telescopen. Maar als ik zou moeten kiezen, koos ik de TOA. En als budget het toelaat is de TOA-150 alleen nog maar beter. En als meer snelheid gewenst is, kan hij ook nog gereduceerd worden tot 770mm f/5.2.
Overigens komt er binnenkort ook een opvolger voor de FSQ106 uit. Takahashi kennende zal ook dat vast een mooi instrument zijn.
Overigens komt er binnenkort ook een opvolger voor de FSQ106 uit. Takahashi kennende zal ook dat vast een mooi instrument zijn.
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hartelijk bedankt
I know I am going to be scolded by the Takahashi owners but I am also one owning 5 Takahashi’s 🤣
Takahashi is not anymore what is what 20 years ago when there where no good alternatives to good scopes except the overpriced european ones and the USA made ones.
Take a look at ASKAR, Williams Optics, AstroTech, you name it, etc. etc.
BTW more then 25 years ago I started with a Williams Optics Megrez 80 and that was a real PITA and so I decided never ever again a chinese telescope and only bought Takahashi. I own a TOA 130, Mewlon 250, FS-78, FSQ 85 ED and a Sky90 (all from Takahashi)
I also had for a short time a FSQ 106EDX but sold it back again to the guy who sold it to me before. So I was missing this focal length and I bought an ASKAR 103APO. Absolutely the same quality in construction as well as optics. The ASKAR is even less prone to the problems of the FSQ 106EDX in regard to temperature. Much more forgiving and stable. The R&P focuser I ahve from takahashi are laughable compared to the one on my ASKAR 103APO.
You can save a lot of money but OK if you want a Takahashi then buy it…
And BTW the backfocus distances of Takahashi are a nightmare…
No risk of being scolded from my side…
. You are totally right, there are lots of other very good options at a more comfortable price point than the Tak's. Telescopes is just one of many areas where Chinese products are hard to beat from a quality/price perspective. And still I like driving a German car, flash with Swedish strobes and put my Japanese telescopes on an Italian mount. Many purchase decisions are driven by emotion as much as by ratio.
. You are totally right, there are lots of other very good options at a more comfortable price point than the Tak's. Telescopes is just one of many areas where Chinese products are hard to beat from a quality/price perspective. And still I like driving a German car, flash with Swedish strobes and put my Japanese telescopes on an Italian mount. Many purchase decisions are driven by emotion as much as by ratio. Well Written Insightful Respectful Engaging
Then there is AP. Hard to get even the small ones but well priced for the quality which is second to none and the service is fast and friendly.
I would just enter their lottery (which they have gone to except for those on decades-long wait lists). It costs nothing and maybe you will get lucky.
I have had four Taks (still have one) and two AP and the AP (especially the new 155mm f/6 StarFire CS) is not only better but is reliably so, unlike Tak where the quality can be hit and miss.
There is also Stellarvue. A bit slower optics but very good and also good service.
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Bill McLaughlin · Feb 5, 2026, 08:29 PM
I would just enter their lottery (which they have gone to except for those on decades-long wait lists). It costs nothing and maybe you will get lucky.
I think astronomy life is too short for playing Poker … 🤣
Albert Klinkenbergh · Feb 5, 2026, 08:36 AM
Takahashi TOA-150B Teleskop are people content with that telescope?
I don’t have a TOA 150 but two other tubes from taka : FS 60 and TSA120 . Both are optically very good or excellent, and both were fitted with FT focuser.
Mechanical design of the focuser from taka could be a tad better , but problem it easy to solve : go FT (yes, a few more bucks but that’s the price of excellence).
According of what I have heard from TOA owners, it’s probably one of the best triplet-chromatic correction one can buy along with AP, TMB, TEC etc. Sorry to say high-end Chinese scopes have definitely a better price point, but also higher dispersion of tuning quality at the end of the production line.
Second end can be a good option, even if TOA are not very common.