Frequent readers will have seen a previous thread I started asking for opinions on the Televue 76 and 85. A post from Doug (username Goober) reminded me about an old ad for a Televue 102 on a Gibraltar.
Being genetically predisposed to tight a*sery, I emailed despite my misgivings about size and weight. I met with Andrew (username Cresendo) and saw the setup - it was in very, very good condition for a frankly astonishing price. I could not pass it up and so welcomed a new member to my family.
Of course, the clouds then immediately rolled in but I fooled the gods by getting up early. The skies were clear and I had a very good run with my new scope.
I started with the Jewel Box. Very pretty - the different coloured stars were gentle yet vivid at the same time. I started with a Meade 34mm SWA, but was most happy with the view through the 24mm SWA (36.6x, ~1.75 degrees) and stayed with it for 3/4 of an hour or so.
I then moved on to Jupiter. WOW!! I could not leave it and stayed there until dawn! My 8" dob is definitely miscolimated if this is what the gas giant really looks like. I saw more detail in the bands and in the polar regions than I have ever seen before. I tried my 4mm (220x), but it was just a hair too strong, with my 6mm (146.7x) giving the best clarity without sacrificing too much if any detail.
There is some false colour, but it is at the edge (of mine at least) of perception. Much less than my old Megrez 90.
I find the mount very solid indeed, a rap on the legs produced no vibration at all! As far as nudging it through the high magnifications, I had a little difficulty at first but then realised I had not loosened the altitude screws after assembly. Once I loosened them off and rebalanced, it was buttery smooth. Balance is important, and this mount is not ideal for flipping between eyepieces of differing mass quickly - you need to plan what you are using next and rebalance accordingly.
I don't find the bulk as cumbersome as I thought I would - I am beginning to suspect I just flat out did not like my Megrez 90 for emotional reasons and found fault for the sake of it. Perhaps portability is a function of utility, ie if you know the views are going to be good, the setup becomes lighter.
All in all, I am very happy with it. It performs better than I had imagined and am looking forward (although I'll likely have to wait a few months now) to m42.
