Posts Made By: Michael Aaron McNeely

Hi Mike,

I think that the Tele-Pod-Bogen combo is very stable. I know that some TeleVue owners use this setup for 4-inch scopes. Personally, I think that the TV-85 is probably max for this setup.

The original Tele-Pod tripod is convenient to setup, but not stable enough for scopes larger than the TV-76. I also never liked how the legs lack a central support.

The original Tele-Pod is really ideal for a Coronado PST.

Thanks.

How do the competitors compare in terms of quality of view? I have never been able to look through any of these.

I have wondered about TeleVue's competition. TV's scopes have become much more expensive in comparison. I remember when I purchased a Pronto that it was reasonable in comparison. This was before all the imports.

If I were just getting into refractors today, I would probably get a William Optics or some other similar scope. Luckily I have been able to own TV refractors (Pronto, TV76, and now TV85).

One consideration is that used TV scopes are often comparable in price to the imports.

TeleVue scopes are just cool, rather like a Harley compared to its competitors.

It has been over one lunation since Comet Holmes appeared and I wrote the previous post. I had many good views of the comet early on. We next had a long period of cloudy weather, and I haven't been able to observe the comet in the TV85 until tonight.

It was moderately clear. The comet was a naked eye glow in the constellation Perseus. It was quite a bit brighter than the Double Cluster and Andromeda Galaxy, both of which are visible to the naked eye from my semi-rural location.

In the 3-degree field delivered by a 24mm Panoptic in my TeleVue-85, the comet resembled a ghostly sea ray drifting against a background of faint stars. I counted about 17 stars that appeared immersed in the comet's coma. The comet possessed an axis pointed roughly northwest to southeast. Its center was a brighter ellipsoid surrounded by a fainter, half-hemispherical glow. The glow appeared to fan out towards the southeast. I couldn't discern a bright nucleus like the comet had early on.

The TV85 is really an ideal scope for observing such large, faint objects. The comet filled roughly a quarter of the 3-degree field provided by the scope. The sight was incredibly beautiful and mysterious. I felt as though I were witnessing some prehistoric beast coming to life. This has been the most exciting comet since Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp in the '90s. The naked-eye view of Comet Holmes reminded me of a smaller versiou of the immense naked-eye coma possessed by Comet Hyakutake. Yet Holmes has a slow rate of apparent drift against the background stars similar to Hale-Bopp, which was visible many months before its grand appearance.

Happy holidays.

Thanks Ivan for the report. I was interested in comparing TeleVue scopes with the cheaper imports. I have a TV-85, and used to own a TV-76, but have never been able to directly compare either scope to an import. The TeleVue scopes are certainly versatile in going from low to high magnifications, and they are the perfect small scopes in this regard. Thanks.

Bob Young said:

http://www.buytelescopes.com/product.asp?pid=9960

Has anyone retrofitted their Televue focuser with one of these FeatherTouch units? ...or had a chance to use one? Looks like an attractive option if you're content with the stock TV focuser travel.

Was wondering if it performed to expectations and how difficult it was to install. How does it compare to the full FT focuser?

At $220 to $250 they seem a little pricey for what you get, but an easy bolt on upgrade beats replacing the whole focuser.
Bob

Hi Bob,

I would recommend using the TeleVue upgrade for your focuser. With the Feathertouch version, you risk upsetting the collimation of your scope and would most likely void the warranty. I admit that I have little experience with either version, I use the stock focuser on my TV-85.

Michael McNeely said:

Here is a CloudyNights review of the FocusMate:

http://www.cloudynights.com/item.php?item_id=1171

Enjoy.

Here's a repost.

As the moderator of this forum, I do not want to be in the position of recommending products that TeleVue does not support. Do as you wish. Installation of third party focuser upgrades will void you warranty.

As far as the FeatherTouch upgrade, I have never used or seen one. They do make attractive products, and they probably work as advertised. As for me, I will stick to the FocusMate if I ever feel compelled to upgrade the focuser on my TV-85. In my view, TeleVue scopes have an aesthetic quality. Installing the FeatherTouch would be analagous to swapping the hood ornament on your Cadillac for that of a Mercedes.

I am not affiliated with TeleVue, just a happy consumer of their products. Thanks.

Another thing to consider, I try to avoid holding a refractor vertically with the objective lens down. Loose material in the tube can fall on your lens. I wince whenever I see photos of refractors in such positions.

Hi James,

I don't know. I consulted the TeleVue Internet site but couldn't find an answer. If you can't obtain help from this forum, I suggest that you call TeleVue and ask. Thanks.

Margaret Stratton said:

What is the Pronto's system if the 60 is APO? And is the Pronto as good as the 60!!!

Hi Margaret,

The Pronto is a "Semi-apo," there is some false color, but very minimal. Ed Ting's website, "scopereviews.com", has a nice write-up for the Pronto.

I have owned two Prontos, and one Ranger (same optics, smaller tube). Of the lot, the Ranger had the sharpest, most color-free views. My second Pronto was nearly as good. My first Pronto had a bit more false color, but I still enjoyed enjoyed the views. It was my first fine refractor.

The Pronto has more aperture, but less color correction. The Pronto is physically larger and has a standard 2-inch focuser. The TV60 comes in an 1.25 or 2-inch focuser version.

The Pronto will deliver a huge field with a two inch eyepiece such as a 35mm Panoptic. The TV60 will deliver similar wide fields with a 24mm Panoptic, an 1.25 eyepiece. So the weight and eyepiece combos are more convenient with the smaller scope.

The Pronto, being discontinued, is cheaper-approximately $400 used. And TeleVue will clean or repair if necessary.

As for a choice, it depends upon what you want to do with the scope. For low to medium power sweeping or planet views, the Pronto is great. I hope that this is helpful? Thanks.

I love the new AstroMart, especially the "free" telescope reviews. No "Lab Reports" please!