tec and tmb refractors

[lloyd guna]

Hi everyone,
I am a new member. Does anyone know of people using tec or tmb refractors for imaging in Australia?
I have read good reviews about both these companies. The TEC refractors are supposed to be similar or of better quality than astro-physics from what I have read on the net. But I have not looked through either.

Thanks,
Lloyd.

[Dennis]

Hi Lloyd,

Welcome to IIS.

Cheers

Dennis

[Kal]

Hi Lloyd.

TEC and TMB both make fine refractors.Roland Christen has said before that he expects TEC will eventually have a wait list as long as AP's.

What size refractor are you looking at getting? The Tak TOA series is another refractor well regarded, and I know of at least one IIS member that has one of these.

[lloyd guna]

Thanks Andrew. I am looking at least 140mm for an apo refractor. I am already in the waiting list for AP140, the waiting list started last year and I placed my name last year as well.
I think the Takahashi TOA refractors are overpriced. For the same price as a TOA 130, I can get an AP140 or a TEC 150mm refractor with field flattener.

Thanks,
Lloyd.

[marc4darkskies]

Hi Lloyd and welcome!

I looked at TMB back in '06 before getting my scope and the late Tom Back himself told me they would not ship to Aus. Rather I had to go to Europe to buy one (new) - a thought I didn't particularly relish from a warranty support perspective. Pretty sure that hasn't changed but perhaps someone else has tried recently(?). Since I wanted to use my equipment before dieing of old age I didn't get an AP (although my name is still on the waiting list for a 160!)

If your budget allows I'd put Tak equipment on your to-be-researched-list too - local (Aus) supplier, a fairly short wait and optical and build quality beyond reproach.

Cheers, Marcus

[marc4darkskies]

Yes, very expensive no doubt, but take my word for it - you get what you pay for!

Cheers, Marcus

[Kal]

I've been on the AP wait list since about 2002 - been so long I can't even remember! :eyepop:

With the AP140 wait list, I've read somewhere that the wait list is approximately 1 year for every day after they created the wait list for it. So if you signed up on the day it was announced, you would get it in the first year, but if you signed up 3 days after it was announced you might have a 3 year wait! This is only an approximation though, so take my word with a grain of salt ;)

[lloyd guna]

Thanks for your information. It is very informative and greatly appreciated.
I don't mind spending good money on good equiptment. I have a new appreciation of the long wait lists for AP refractors. I can get TEC refractors from the US from Anacortes Telecopes but I am worried by any damage due to shipping. Have to talk to them.

I must have a really good look at the TOA130.

Thanks,
Lloyd.

[Stephen65]

I think of APs and TECs as pretty equivalent in quality, the difference being though that the TEC waiting list is considerably shorter than the AP - unless you know you are right near the top of the AP list you will literally be waiting years for your scope. I can't recall what the current wait is for the TEC140 but its usually around six months, though it depends on exactly when you order with respect to their production cycle. Sometimes the larger TEC scopes can be bought on much shorter notice though, either because the demand is less or because TEC produced more of them in a production run than they had orders for. Right now for example there is a TEC200ED that is sitting there waiting for a buyer.

TMB in the USA was selling a TMB130SS scope but I don't think any more are being made until some issues about the estate of the late Tom Back are sorted out. APM in Germany (who were TMB's partners) do make their own line of APOs using TMB designs and Russian glass but they tend to be pricey. Another option is A&M in Italy.

Tak scopes do tend to be expensive and heavy for their aperature but the advantage is much shorter delivery times and local support by the Tak dealer in Australia. Tak build and optical quality is extremely good.

The other option in this aperature range is the WO FLT132, which is what I ended up buying because I didnt want to wait (no wait period when they were first released) or pay Tak prices. But that now has a wait of about 6 months from what I last read.

PS: another option are the TV imaging scopes, like the TV NP127is. These are light, short focal length and optimised for imaging. You can buy them via Bintel but they are not cheap.

[toyos]

I read that the LZOS optics of Russia used by TMB might have some inconsistency in their quality control.

Just my 2c

[MRieck]

Hi all. I've peeked in at this site from time to time over the past couple of years, and have just joined. For the record, LZOS made objectives(originally called TMB, but are known as APM) are of the absolute highest quality and consistency. Having followed the progress of this line since it's infancy, it's noteworthy that until they became available, A-P was the only reasonable(since the Tak FCT's were insanely priced)way to obtain an apo triplet of this quality. It's completely accurate to say they quite literally revolutionized the refractor market to what we see today. TEC, the Tak TOA's, and now a hoard of medium grade refractors now flood the marketplace. All of these changes came after the LZOS and LOMO made triplets became available, and set precedents doing so.

Pricing is every bit as competitive as any other of the very few top tier apos, and in many cases better. Wait times are superior to that of any other make, due to LZOS having multiple Master Opticians. Selection is far better than any other make as well, with more aperture/focal ratio options, and even different tube designs options as well.

As for my business, Teton Telescope; I opened it due to the lack of support for the line in the US. The mention that Tom Back was not willing to ship down under is a surprise, but testament to the long line of service related issues that spurred me to open Teton. If you don't hear from many of the large number of LZOS and A-P optics owners, it's likely due to a common factor. They are pleased that they own an instrument of a lifetime, along with a majority being highly experienced, so they feel no need to participate on internet venues to learn more. Some of the world's finest imagers still do in order to share their work with others.

Since opening Teton, I have already made many friends in AUS/NZ. Unlike my predecessor, I do ship to Australasia on a regular basis.

Clear skies!
Mark