televue owners

[taxman]

Hello,

I am looking at the Televue refractors more and more lately.

It is a substantial investment and it looks like I will probably have to sell nearly all the rest of my gear to get one. Which at the moment does not appear to be easy - my megrez sat with 500 views and no responses for around 2 weeks before I withdrew it.

As far as my patterns, I am definitely a visual observer who steals 20-30 minutes from my family when I can. I like 'touristy' stuff - m42, 47 tuc, a very dense starfield (don't know the name) about 10-15 degrees up from the southern celestial pole and of course the planets. I love meteors (or maybe they are satelites - they move fast) when I chance upon them entering the atmosphere.

I hardly use my dob, but I just can't bring myself to sell that as it was the first gift that my wife gave me when I entered this hobby. Funnily enough, it is my Zenithstar66 on a tr188 tripod that gets the most use. Probably because of the ad hoc nature of my time.

It was when I recently got a 6" Black Diamond maksutov on an HEQ5 mount that I realised that I am not a sit for hours type and that this purchase was a mistake. Sort of annoying too - nothing worse than spending 2K on something you just know you will never use.

I would like some 'hands on' opinions from televue owners regarding their experiences with either the 76 or the 85. I am leaning towards a 76 on a telepod at the moment, due to my experience with the portability and sheer ease to set up of the Zenithstar.

Also, any tips for selling as I was a little disappointed with the lack of response for the Megrez 90. I had it priced at 1K which I thought was reasonable based on the sale of a Zenithstar 80 for $850 a month or two before I tried to sell mine.

The stuff I wil be looking to move will be a Zenithstar 66 with tr188 tripod, Megrez 90 with portamount and argo navis fitted, and 6" Black Diamond mak with HEQ5 mount as well as a set of Meade SWAs and a WO binoviewer kit.

Also, please no responses of the "get a bigger dob" variety - I want this to be my last purchase for at least a year and I know if I get the 'best' gear that suits my habits, I will be better off in the long run.

Thanks for reading,
Matt

[toryglen-boy]

I am not a Televue owner, but have had the priviledge of looking through a few instruments rangeing from Pronto, to Renaisance etc. and i can tell you there stuff is very, very good. Its very expensive, but its not that expensive for nothing.

But i can see where you are coming from, i have a 12" dob, and an 80mm refractor, and the 80mm refractor gets by far the most use! The only troubles i can see with televue stuff (if you can call it that) is fittings for them can be a bit different, specially if you want to mount other stuff on it, and size, but again, although the aperture isnt staggeringly big, the IQ from it is about the best you will see for something that size, small, very portable, and viringally pure images.

TBH, if you have the megrez then, thats another quality smallish refractor, and i dont know if a TV would settle your needs, that said, if you get one, i gaurantee you would never get rid of it

:thumbsup:

[AstroJunk]

Matt,

I'm confused - what exactly is wrong with any of your telescopes that you hope to remedy? I would have figured that for a 20 minute astro fix, a small dob with argonavis would be perfect and good value Megrez refractor for when you are on the move.

Maybe you are a binocular sort of chap. Sell the lot and buy some Pentax image stabilised binos - they are the best I have seen through!

[taxman]

Hello Jonathon,

Nothing is wrong with any of it. It's just that I have finally worked out that all I really want is a high-quality small refractor for short - medium viewing times.

And seeing I have all this other stuff that I never really use, I thought I'd consolidate.

I am putting it down to (a) I'm an idiot and (b) I am married to an angel that indulges me way too much.

Thanks for your reply.

[Miaplacidus]

I like my Megrez 80FD and would not wish to sell it, except for a better refractor I guess. I don't like having to use an extension tube, but at least it gives me the easy option to use binoviewers by simply omitting the extender and using a 1.25" diagonal (no OCS required; although perhaps only because I'm fairly myopic.) It suits the TV panoramic mount perfectly (for which I now have the eyepiece trays). Pick it up and I'm there! Nice birder, as well as a more than competent night-tourer. It's set up for the Argo Navis, too, but that's overkill.
So I love it. But I don't feel quite the same way about my scope as someone I knew who had a TV 102. He claimed he was going to be buried with it.
I'm not sure I'm ready for that level of committment.

[casstony]

Hi Matt, don't feel too bad about buying stuff that ultimately doesn't suit you - a lot of us have been there - but will the Televue gear do the trick or will it be another mistake?

If you want to spend a bunch of cash I'd second the recommendation of image stabilised binoculars - no jitters and no 'equipment set-up barrier'.

Also a laser mounted on the dob makes it super fast to point at the 'touristy objects'.

[dannat]

I would keep the tr188 & buy a decent set of binos - selling the WO66 will get you most of the way there - now ..how big, I have recently purchased 15x70 ultras from AOE - terrific views and none of the telescope setup hassle, you are out in 1minute -
where abouts are you - can you look thru some big bnos -
i would not waste more money on a scope till you have sold atleast some of the gear (too many waste money in this and other hobbies imo)

[goober]

I sold off two dobs and ETX90 after spending a month looking through a TV102 that I bought for my uncle. On a gibraltar it set up in about 6 minutes and the views were very undob like. Crisp and clean. No cooldown, no heavy lifting, no collimation, no dark sky transport issues with a big scope.

I ended up with a 101 and love it.... used it heaps (although no much in the past six months as we have a baby in the house).

Expensive.... sure, but boy it's a beautiful scope. I've seen the 85, but never looked through it. Looks just as rugged at the 102 and 101.

PM me if you have hand-on questions.

Also, there was a guy in QLD trying to sell a TV102 about a year ago.

[Phil]

I owned a NP101mm for about 4years now and love the scope. Nothing is like looking down a 31mm neg. eyepiece and sweeping the milky way with this scope.
Phil

[gts055]

Hi Matt, I have two Televue refractors and Canon image stabilised 12x36 binoculars. Binocs are nice for scanning but of course fixed in magnification. The Pronto is very convenient to carry and great for wide views, its on a small Unitron 114 alt/az tripod left set up in the house. The NP101 is nice for wide field or high power and is mounted on a large Unitron alt/az mount and can still be carried all set up. Your mounted 6" mak would compare in portability to the NP101. Here or Ebay are perhaps the best options for selling. In selling your gear, you will take a loss. The market is flooded with new cheap telescopes. Do you really think the small gain is worth the expense :) Mark

[ausastronomer]

I have to agree with all the others. I haven't used the TV 76 but I have used the TV85, NP101 and the NP127 for visual observation. They are all excellent instruments. However, the Megrez 90 is also a fine scope. I think you're going to lose a truckload of dough to gain very little, if anything. The Megrez 90 is slightly faster and has a little more aperture, yet is a touch lighter than the TV85. I also think the Megrez has a nicer focuser. The TV85 may be 2% to 5% better optically than the Megrez but at this small aperture that gain is pretty academic anyway IMO. I would be taking that Megrez 90 and sticking it on a Vixen Porta Mount and selling the rest.



Phil,

Try this with the Fujinon 25x150 FMT-SX Binoculars. They kinda like smoke the TV combo into tomorrow. They also cost 4 times as much and weigh about 6 times as much, but the pain is worth the gain IMO. You haven't scanned the Milky Way until you have done it in the big Fuji's.

Cheers,
John B

[taxman]

Thanks for all the replies.

As far as taking a loss - I am well aware of that and will put it down to an expensive lesson.

However, had I known that this past time would have grabbed me so hard, I would have spent the money I have buying this and that (which I didn't really want) towards the TV85 when our dollar was on parity with the US.

I am fairly sure of my viewing habits though - I like portability and wide field.

Thinking about the gear I have, the Megrez 90 was sort of close but there was something about it that never quite got me out as much as I wanted, so I tried an Argo thinking it was that I didn't *really* know where to find things, but when I fitted that, that wasn't it either. Then when I got the Zenithstar 66 and TR188, I was out every night.

So that is why I looking at consolidating everything into a TV76 or 85 and telepod.

[UniPol]

Hi Matt,

Perhaps this link might help you on your way if you haven't seen it already: http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1952

Cheers,

Steve

[Chippy]

Good ole' TT. He's always been a big Televue supporter. I probably would be too if I had the money to indulge in one of their fine scopes. I just can't get past the bang for buck that you get with say a WO or SW Eon, etc.

It's hard for me to comment on this thread given I've never looked through a Televue. I can only say I'm not really tempted by them given their price (and the low AU$). If it were me I'd probably be sticking with your M90 and maybe just splurge on a really nice Alt/Az mount and tripod for it (if your not happy with your existing setup). Personally, as much as I love my 66SD, it just doesn't have enough punch as a primary viewing instrument. My ZS80ED does pretty well, and the M102SV a bit better again (but more weight). I'd have thought the M90 would fit your needs pretty well really. I'm just not sure how much extra you'll get for your money with a TV76 or 85.

Have a think about what was lacking with the M90. Was it the scope or the mount setup?

[taxman]

Hello Nick,

Thanks for the reply.

What's missing in the Megrez (for me) is it is just over my portability threshold. I realised this when I got the Zenithstar 66 and have been out every night since and have even taken it with me on work trips.

But the Zenithstar is just a little light on magnification on Saturn and Jupiter. And the 6" mak just did not fit me at all.

I know this makes me sound like some sort of neurotic Astro-Goldilocks (wah - this one is too big, wah - this one is too small).

At the end of the day, if I had have bought this in the first place when the dollar was on parity (or even now) and got the small, top shelf refractor, it would have been cheaper than the garage full of stuff I don't really use.

Having said all that - I appreciate these sort of replies as responding to them makes me think about my motivations for wanting the TV76.

[Miaplacidus]

Well, if you're worried about the cost, can you afford to wait a year or two? The way the States is printing greenbacks, chances are you'll be able to buy your TV for half price or less...

[anj026]

I had a Megrez 90 for over a year and really liked it a lot. It was my grab and go with the Vixen porta mount. I only sold it when I needed the money for an equatorial mount for my TSA 102.

I like the TV76 and TV85 and would be tempted too if they weren't so expensive. You can get a SKY90 Tak for less money. Another tempting option is the Vixen ED81S. Excellent japanese optics in a lightweight ota.

[UniPol]

I see there is a second hand TV76 currently for sale on Astromart here (http://www.astromart.com/classifieds/details.asp?classified_id=619829) . Even with shipping and customs it still represents a fair saving on the new price here in Oz.

[charsiubau]

We have a TV85 and it is our most used scope. However if you don't think the Megrez 90 and portamount is portable enough you may be better off with the TV76 than the TV85 as the TV85 is quite heavy for its size. We got the TV85 secondhand and bought a Telepod to go with it - but we don't use the Telepod for astronomical use anymore because we found when you change eyepieces (especially heavy 2 inch ones) it tends to move and you lose what you're looking at from the field of view - no good for higher power viewing. In fact we bought a portamount to replace the Telepod for astronomical viewing. We do use the Telepod for terrestrial viewing with the TV85 (e.g. bird and whale watching) and also for our Coronado PST (the holes fit standard photographic tripod screws).

[Fox]

Hi Taxman,

As the owner of a 20-year old TV Genesis, I can vouch that the optics are sensational and build quality is first-class. Last Saturday from my dark sky site, it was observing heaven - the Genesis/LXD75 combo was superb as usual. No doubt the equivalent current TV scope would be better again because of advancements in optics and materials. If I have a gripe about my Genesis, the rack and pinion focuser is a bit old hat and non-TV upgradable; I'm rather hesitant about adding a 3rd party feathertouch micro-focuser. Other than that, the Genesis is fantastic for its vintage.

Having said all that, I agree with Ausastronomer, ie. I would simply keep the Megrez 90 - for all intensive purposes, it's as good as if not better than a TV 76 or 85. Weight-wise, the Megrez 90 is 3.2kg, whilst the TV 76 is 2.7kg and TV 85 is 3.6 kg. Considering these weights and optics we are talking about, for what its worth I simply don't see the value or advantage of switching to a TV scope, unless you want to start to consider going up in aperture such as the 4 or 5 inch TV (which you obviously don't want).

Are you sure you really don't want a 'Televue' just for the sake it? - which is fine if that is really the case, and you can afford it - I'm just a bit confused about what your expectations are given the above. Cheers, Fox

[taxman]

Come on Fox, getting a Televue, Takahashi or any other high end scope is more than about optics - otherwise you would not have gotten one. There is an emotional investment as well.

My expectations are the same as anyone else considering any high end equipment for their hobby - mostly for the increased improvement in the performance, but also partly for the knowlege that you have the best you can get.

[goober]

Nothing wrong with that, taxman.

I just had a peek at the current prices on an Australian site and nearly dowsed the screen in coffee. The 85 is basically the price I paid for a 101 two years ago.

[Fox]

Hah! Now we're talking!
Seriously, I don't think the TV optics are that much better than TMB. I was considering the TMB Signature 130 to replace my Genesis, since the NP127 is so damned expensive - but then again the TV has an inherently flatter optical design I believe.

Anyway, in my 'defence', I did get the Genesis 20 years ago, so there was no to very little competition/other choices around at the time, and it was to replace my 8inch SCT for very specific reasons. At the time of deciding, I was in the UK, I saw a 4inch Celestron/Vixen fluorite next to the (first generation!) Genesis, the quality and finish of the TV was superb in comparison, that and the comparo/review on 4inch refractors in Astronomy magazine won me over.

If you raise most of the $ buy selling off your other equipment, I'm sure you will enjoy the TV, although I would lean to the 85. Tell us how it goes, cheers, Fox!

[taxman]

Sorry Fox, wasn't trying to make you 'defend' yourself :D. Just saying that hard-headed logic isn't the only factor to consider in a past time.

Otherwise we'd all own GSO dobs and Skywatcher EDs - after all, 90% of performace vs 25% of cost...

As far as price is concerned, this is where it is handy to have a brother in law that stays near OPT Corp in California during their Televue sale...

[Fox]

Taxman, no problemo! When I got the Genesis, TV refractors were just in their infancy - around 1990, Astronomy magazine ran pics of the TV "MPT", then came the golden Renaissance, and finally the Genesis. I assume my scope would be worth a small fortune now - I think I paid around $2,500 AUD in the UK for it. Who knew it would become such a classic, and when the day comes - my folks will have trouble prying it
'from my cold dead hands...' hehehe...

Needless to say, I am pretty stoked with the scope, it's really the mount that I am obsessing over now, wrt to upgrading at some stage. The noise of the LXD75 is so damned offensive, and I have also now become rather critical and picky regarding both the hardware & software I would ideally want in a mount.

That one handy contact you have in the States! Fox.

[ausastronomer]

Hi Fox,

That's a bit of a loaded comment. I have used both the TV85 and the TMB80 (not at the same time) and I "personally" felt the TMB80 was a better telescope than the TV85. We are comparing slightly different animals with the TMB being a flourite APO triplet and the TV85 being a non flourite APO doublet. The TMB also has a much nicer focuser for visual use in the dual speed Feathertouch. The TMB also has less false colour than the TV85, which is itself very good for colour correction.

At the end of the day it really is all a bit academic at this small aperture. Any differences between the top end scopes appear to reduce as the aperture is reduced IMO. Don't forget we are talking about a telescope of the same aperture as the finderscope on the two 25" Obsessions I regularly use. Put another way, does it really matter a whole lot if one is a tick better than the other because an 80mm telescope doesn't show a lot for visual astronomy anyway. Are you really going to see that much more in a Televue 85 than you will in a Williams Optics 90mm or a TMB80? Somehow, I don't think so.

Cheers,
John B

[MarkN]

Taxman,

I'm also tending to think you have unrealistic expectations for the TV. That is a lot of loot for not a whole lot of 'scope. Have you actually been able to look through one yet?

As you can see, I have a Skywatcher 100 ED. Yes, it yields very pretty views of open clusters and a tad more contrast on planets. Very nice on the moon too. Would I have it as an only 'scope? Not on your life.

There was a story about the financial advisor telling a client who had a less than stellar idea about making some easy money.

"Go down to the beach, lay down in the warm sun and wait for the feeling to go away".

I'd be looking real hard for a used unit. Good luck with whatever you do.

Mark.

[Fox]

Hi John B, agreed I think the Megrez 90 is better than the TV85, albeit the differences are likely to be small at these apertures. Thus, if it were me I would keep the Megrez 90 and use the $$ elsewhere eg. better eyepieces or upgrade the mount. Fox

[Merlin66]

I was lucky enough to find and buy a TV 4" f5 Genesis in the early 90's.
Since then I've built and used almost everything up to 18" reflectors..... but you know what, the Genesis will be with me for life ( and death!!)
If you can find one, or the newer TV 102 you will NEVER be disappointed....