My first impression when I unpacked my TAO was jaw dropping...Wow, this scope means business, what a beauty...I have owned and used a number of outstanding refractors, starting with Meade EDs ( 102 & 152, both very good ) then moving to a Tak FS-128, FSQ-106 and a very good FS-60 which each OTA being a delight and pleasure to use...My first evening to view was less then adequate, very heavy light pollution and marginal sky conditions at best...I have my TOA mounted to an EM-200 and after my initial alignment and go-to in place, I immediately headed to M-31, The Andromeda galaxy...Starting with a TV 31mm naglar M-31 & M-32 was staring back at me in no time...By far the best refractor I have ever looked through, the TOA not only gave outstanding views of these magnificent objects but the adjacent star field, pin point percession of each tiny star were the sharpest, best color free images I have ever seen...IMHO, the TOA goes beyond just being a great telescope, to now setting new bounderies from a great Manufacturer...Once you own a TOA-130 youll thank that day you decided to! JAE

After waiting 3 months, my TOA 130 arrived. It has met all my expectations. Light and easy to use, the optics are superb. Of all the apos Ive owned this is the best. I recommend it to all

I have owned my TOA-130 for a little over six months now and I can say only this. I would never trade or sell it for an AP scope. If you want the best in visual or CCD imaging, I highly recommend this scope. The first time I looked through this scope was at the moon. My jaw just dropped and the only thought for words was WOW! The image was so crystal clear and sharp. The experience was similar to the first time I viewed a HD TV for the first time. I doubt I will ever consider trading or selling this scope for another scope. It is a life time keeper in my opinion. The only small criticism I have of the TOA is I wish they would have made the focus tube travel a little longer for CCD imaging. That is the only thing I wish would have been different. TAK quality, both optically and mechanically, is just outstanding! Do not pass up a chance to own one of these fine scopes. Charles Hover

I have repeatedly been able to see a level of clarity with my TOA-130, that even my other astronomical friends have not been able to see with their scopes and equipment. We use a full range of optical instruments we have when we get together for a night of viewing, when I’m not alone at home in my back yard. Everyone present notices these visual differences in how the TOA presents the sky. There are differences compared to other scopes, and the more experienced your eyes are in detecting minute details, the more you will see. The differences have nothing to do with the size of the aperture, it has to do with the clarity in the way space is displayed through the optics. This scope isn’t about aperture. It’s about how Takahashi has designed its optics, to give you every last bit of definition the sky has to offer. One thing others and myself have noticed that happens with the TOA refractor is that it brings out details that arent so noticeable in other scopes. It’s not that they arent there in some other scopes, but the smallest details become more obvious in the TOA. As one friend told me, once you see these small details in the TOA, they become easier to detect in your own scope, which in his case, was his FSQ. An example of this was in looking at the Double Cluster in Perseus. Once the double clusters were seen in the TOA, the multitude of red giants present in the TOA became so obvious, they became easier to detect in other scopes. He also went on to say that everywhere you point the scope, there is something amazing to view in the eyepiece, even if its just a scattered assortment of nameless stars against the darkness of space. That in itself says quiet a bit out the optical performance of the TOA.