R.I.P. Televue 102

[Profiler (Profiler)]

Dear All

Join me in commiserating the passing of the Televue 102 which was officially, and some may argue, inexplicably discontinued from production by Televue on 01 October 2011.

Perhaps external market competition from the many other fine 4inch (102mm) doublets was too great a concern for Televue or perhaps internal competition towards their flagship 4 inch refractor (NP-101) was considered in retrospect a hindrance.

Needless to say a fine refractor is no more and all current owners of a TV-102 have now just inherited a collectors item.

Should you have any additional knowledge or ideas about "why" the TV-102 was discontinued I am sure we would all appreciate sharing in it.

[MortonH]

Certainly not much to differentiate it from the various 100ED f/9 Chinese scopes, except a huge price gap. The NP1010, on the other hand, has no real Chinese competitor, perhaps until the Skywatcher 100mm f/5 is released.

[Profiler (Profiler)]

Unkind but probably true about the poor old TV-102

However, I suspect we won't ever be seeing, or at least for any prolonged period of time (before the injunctions kick in), any Skywatcher Synta type clones of the NP-101

We may certainly see some time in the future some sort of f5 or f6 triplet with an internal flattener tacked on the back but good old Uncle Al now owns the exclusive world patent on the 'Nagler/Petzval' design of a double objective configuration and I suspect the lawyers who represent Televue will be grinning very broadly when any such clone/derivation starts rolling out from any other telescope factory.

[MortonH]

I guess this new Stellarvue quad design doesn't infringe on that patent. Looks nice...

http://stellarvue.com/svq110.html

[Profiler (Profiler)]

Correct.

My suspicion is that it is another triplet that incorporates a flattener somewhere in the optical path not unlike the Vixen AX103 and Tak FSQ106. Given the reasonably contemporary release of both this Vixen and this Stellavue it seems like quad designs may be becoming trendy.

This link shows the light path diagram in the Vixen with the quad lens configuration.

http://www.vixenoptics.com/refractors/ax103.html

I think what may be an exception is the Vixen NA140 probably because it is quite an old scope design (presumably prior the patent) which Vixen have apparenty simply refurbished over the years.

However, I am certainly not saying which amongst the TV, Tak, Stellavue or Vixen may be any better as I suspect all of these designs are pretty fantastic anyhow.

[brian nordstrom (As avatar)]

Yes RIP TV 102 , but Morton I like the look of the Stellarvue 110 Quad , on the link , but how can they sell the CGE mount for $1300 usd , ?
We should be paying about the same here in OZ , with the exchange rate as it is ? At that price the would sell like no bodys buisness?
As usual we are being fleeced ?
Brian.

Originally Posted by MortonH

I guess this new Stellarvue quad design doesn't infringe on that patent. Looks nice...

http://stellarvue.com/svq110.html

[goober (Doug)]

That's quite sad - I got to spend a month with a TV102 several years ago and couldn't sell my dobs quick enough. Lovely scope.