This is the scope for me!
I have had this beautiful piece of work and craftmanship for a little more than 4 years now and it has provided me with much enjoyment (day and night) every time I take it out. I have seen the polar caps and surface markings (Syrtis Major) on Mars (Televue 3mm Radian) and an Osprey eating a fish in a tree from about 200 yards. (televue 8-24mm zoom) I have taken it with me on an airplane as it stows beautifully under the seat or in the overhead compartment. I cant imagine a more perfect combination of portability and performance for the money. If you buy this scope, be prepared to fall in love with a whole new universe that will open up for you!
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10/16/2009 1:48:49 PM
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This is the scope for me!
I have had this beautiful piece of work and craftmanship for a little more than 4 years now and it has provided me with much enjoyment (day and night) every time I take it out. I have seen the polar caps and surface markings (Syrtis Major) on Mars (Televue 3mm Radian) and an Osprey eating a fish in a tree from about 200 yards. (televue 8-24mm zoom) I have taken it with me on an airplane as it stows beautifully under the seat or in the overhead compartment. I cant imagine a more perfect combination of portability and performance for the money. If you buy this scope, be prepared to fall in love with a whole new universe that will open up for you!
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10/16/2009 1:48:49 PM
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The little scope that does..
I recieved this scope two years ago with a 20mm Plossl. The first object i looked at was the Plaiedes. With 1.6 degrees i could see a big portion of it. Very impressive! I then looked at the Orion Nebulae. At 30x it was small, but it glowed very nice. On the moon i can go up to 200X when the atmosphere allows. The images are sharp and color free. I occasionally see a little yellow on the edge of the moon when it nears the edge of the eyepiece(Radian). I think it is the eyepiece not the 85. The only othe color i have seen is when the lens dews. This scope is nearly color free. For an 85mm scope it is terrific, but it is only an 85mm scope. Jupiter and Saturn are not as detailed as i have seen in an 8 Schmidt-Cassagrain.I can see alot of detail on Jupiter with steady skies but not as easily. Its at the threshhold of my acuity. Aperture...what can i say!The 85 is fine on the moon...Very sharp and the atmosphere always supports 120x. Really! I can use this telescope at 120x on the moon, Jupiter, Saturn and Mars on any clear night. I use this scope alot. I can set it up in 2-3 minutes and in south Florida it performs well immediately, and in 30 minutes it is noticably better. This telescope is capable of 4.4 degrees with the right eyepieces. I am looking forward to taking it to a dark sky site. It is the little scope that does.
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Created on:
10/16/2009 1:48:41 PM
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TV85
Perhaps the perfect compromise between portability and aperture. Not to mention optics. Not limited to 125x at all on Jupiter from my Manhattan location. Most nights I can use 166x with a 9 Nagler T6 and 2.5 Powermate. Saturn almost always looks stunning at this power and Ive been at 214x on not a few nights. This is about as good as it gets for 85mms and shouldnt be marked down by comparing it to an 8scope.
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10/16/2009 1:48:39 PM
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Great Little Scope
This thing is only a pound and a half heavier than a Pronto and lets you see so much more. Is much closer to a TV 102. A really fine little refractor. Also, cannot agree with first review in downgrading scope because, for the same money, you can get more aperature in a Dob. That is almost always true for all refractors of note.
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10/16/2009 1:48:39 PM
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Excellent scope
The TV 85 is a wonderful little scope with superb build quality. My only reason for not giving it a 10 is at this price point, would a user prefer a larger aperture Dob. The reason I mention this, is that for all practical purposes I found that magnification on Jupiter was limited to about 125X. With an 8 inch Dob I can go to 300 to 400X magnification. But, this scope is a real jewel - finely crafted, and very light and portable. It does not demand a heavy duty mount - so it is a light package to carry.
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Created on:
10/16/2009 1:48:36 PM
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