This is a rare TeleVue Ranger made in brass. To my understanding the TV Ranger is viewed as a collectors item and Rangers made in brass as opposed to standard aluminum are especially rare.
In my opinion this Ranger is not suited for someone seeking optical perfection but would be ideal for someone who would nonetheless enjoy using a fine scope which does have a flaw but also has a unique and special sense of heritage behind it. I will now explain what I mean by this comment.
I am the second owner having purchased this scope from a deceased estate. After surviving persecution from Nazi controlled Hungary the original owner migrated to Australia wherein he formed a business in partnership with a fellow countryman who also migrated to Australia in the wake of WWII. Their business partnership prospered and their multi-million dollar business empire remains in Australia to this present day.
Apparently, one of the great loves of the original owner was astronomy and in the latter years of his life he purchased this brass Ranger for occasional use in his Sydney office. When I use the word 'office' please do not confuse it with the smallish cubicles we are acustomed to but rather something which has the same floor space as a small 2 bedroom house. It is my understanding that the Ranger was used occasionally by the original owner for about 2 years before he became terminally ill. Following the owners passing and on the request of his family the office was sealed and the scope along with a lot of other office items remained unused for approximately 10 years. Last year it was finally decided that the office should be opened and used again and as such the old contents sold including this Ranger.
Thus, in many respects this Ranger is in excellent condition with one exception. When I inspected the scope in the office I found it on display without the lens cap placed on the objective and I can’t help but wonder whether it had been left that way for some time in the office. Accordingly, around half of the outer edge of the objective lens has some type of opaque discolouration (about 2mm wide) can be seen in the lens. I have tried to photograph it but while it can be seen by the human eye the camera can’t seem to pick it up – the best photo only seems to show it around the outer edge of the lens when the picture is just out of focus.
I have used this Ranger intermittently for just over a year now and have had quite a few very happy nights use from it. The Ranger’s are known as very well corrected semi-APO’s and this one is no exception. However, the discolouration in the lens effects the optical performance on very bright objects such as Jupiter wherein a faint outer halo appears around the object at low magnifications (high magnifications the hallo doesnt seem to appear). On all other celestial targets the scope is excellent. As an experiment I cut a circle of thin cardboard about 5mm wide to match the outside of the lens shade (rougly 80mm) and when placed around the lens shade the hallo was eliminated. I want to emphasise that while this halo is visible at low magnification on very bright objects (basically the moon and Jupiter) the optics are otherwise excellent. Even on targets like Jupiter and the Moon this Ranger gives a great view. As an example, this Ranger at high magnification gave me a far better view of Jupiter, IMHO, than my old WO Megrez 110.
I don't know what would be a reasonable price for this scope as, in my view, it is quite unique with a small piece of history behind it. Consequently, I would simply like to invite offers from anyone who might be interested in buying it. I am happy to answer any questions to the best of my ability, inspections are welcome and I will ship it anywhere in Australia or NZ at the buyers expense.
Please do not place any postings/comments on this thread
PM’s only if you might be interested in this Ranger.
Thank you for taking the time to look at this listing
In response to a few inquiries I am really not sure what would be a reasonable price for this Ranger.
I was thinking somewhere around $400. However, if this is too much then obviously no-one will offer to buy it. However, if it is too little and I get multiple offers then it is whoever wishes to make the highest offer.
