[glend (Glen)]

My TS71 SDQ arrived today, thanks to UPS once again; I ordered it last weekend, TS shipped on Monday their time (Tuesday here) and it cleared customs at Botany late yesterday, then overnighted to my place, everyone did their job. I had a call from UPS rep in Botany on Wednesday, who asked some questions then I paid the inbound charges over the phone ($230 I think it was, comprised of GST, clearance charge, etc).

I have attached the first photos. This is a new scope that TS has just released. What is pretty clear to me is that this is probably not a scope built by the same people that build the TS Triplet APOs ( you know the TS80, TS115, TS130, etc), which I believe are all built by Kunming United Optics. If anyone has an idea, let me know.

From the photos you can see many of the little things that say it comes from somewhere else, or it's a new direction for Kunming.

It is a heavy little thing, being a Quad, but is is pretty well balanced compared to a Triplet. I tried out my dovetail for my ZWO guidescope and it fits perfectly on top of the rings, but I need to enlarge the guidescope ring holes abit so I can bolt through into the scope ring holes. Pretty happy it fits, saves me making another carbon fibre top plate.

One of the photos shows the optional rear fairing M63-M48 adaptor, which I purchased as well, with my old M48 Nikon adaptor ring attached. Initially I will be testing with the Nikon D5300.

With the Moon in the way for now I may do some visual trials for first light.
More to come.