TV Made in America

I was curious about the origins of my TV85. It has a sticker that indicates the product was "Made in America". But I was under the impression that the lens was made eleswhere. Given that the lens is the heart of the telescope, is it appropriate to put made in America on the instrument?

If the lens is indeed made in America, can anyone tell me where?

Thanks,
john

Tele Vue has their manufacturing plant in Chester, NY. I've not been there for a tour, but some lucky few have seen the inside and there they manufacture the mechanical parts, even including fabricating some metal screws for their telescopes!

The optics for their telescopes are not produced there. However, the optics are mated with the locally manufactured optical tube and focusers there, collimated and tested. Tele Vue has *never* said where the optics for their telescopes are made. Never.

Many have speculated that the telescope optics are made in the far east, as Tele Vue eyepieces are marked either "Made in Japan" or "Made in Taiwan" so they have subcontractors in that geographic region. However, the telescope optics may very well be produced by a USA or less likely a European based optical shop. Questar, for example, uses Cumberland Optics (http://www.cumberlandoptical.com/) to produce their optics. There are a number of such high quality optical shops in the USA which Tele Vue might use.

The bottom line is that even if the Optics are ground, polished and figured overseas (a big if), the unmounted lenses are put in cells and tubes and focusers fabricated by Tele Vue in the USA. Enjoy your Tele Vue scope.

Philip

OK let me ask this, If the tube of a TV scope is made from recycled 1981 Yugo car's does that mean that it should say on the sticker made in Yugoslavia. A scope is more then just the glass used in it, it's a unit, a unit made up of many parts and in TV case one person's hands, and those hands are right here in Chester, New York USA.

Bob