TeleVue 102mm f/8.6 Refractor

2 element ED glass apochromatic refractor.

Specifications:

Model: Ivory Complete (WXC-4086)

Objective: 102mm Aperture, APO Doublet

Focal Length: 880mm

Focal Ratio: F/8.6

Max Visual Field: 3.0 degrees @ 16x (55mm Plossl)

Weight/Length: Ivory O.T.A.: 9lb./Ivory w/Diagonal: 11lb.

Length of O.T.A: 30-3/4", Length of O.T.A: w/Diagonal: 33-3/4"

Includes:

Custom hard shell case, screw-on lens cover

sliding dew shield,

2" Everbrite Diagonal,

1-1/4 - 2 inch adapter,

20mm Plossl eyepiece,

Ring Mount and Ivory powdercoated tube

September 28th, 2006, Scope has arrived, laser collimator shows good collimation, I am presently adding refinements, waiting on work and weather for first light.

This will be a direct comparison between achromats and apochromats to decide on which instrument will give me the best visual and digital lunar/planetary views.

***

After the first two sessions with this scope, no contest, my decision was easy, the Synta 6" has since been sold.

First Light Report, October 2nd, 2006.

Instrument was mounted on the EQ6 mount with one counterweight and dew control was applied, finder was a 6 X 30 which was adequate however a Starbeam finder has been mounted for better pointing and my Vixen 7 x 50 used for far better comet hunting. All testing was done with TeleVue plossl and Radian eyepieces.

Star test on Polaris at magnification up to 440x shows identical rings on either side of focus and clean round diffraction pattern at focus, companion also seen.

Epsilon Lyrae split at 146X, clean separation above 176X, seeing about 5 Pickering and 8 at times toward the zenith, I suspect I could have used lower magnification if seeing was better.

Moon was observed with powers up to 220X, yielding sharp color free limb, crisp contrasty detail with black shadows instead of violet tinged ones, peaks emerging from shadow were bright and sharp and free of secondary color.

Binoviewer view at 176X was equally sharp with enhanced detail, despite seeing of AIII, the Alpine Valley rille was seen along with 3 craterlets in Plato. Hortensius Dome field was nicely defined.

Some lunar imaging was successfully accomplished.

Double Cluster was beautiful and sharp with individual star colors very obvious.

Second Light Report, October 22nd, 2006.

Two things are really noticeable in contrast to achromats, first is that there is a real 'snap' to focus, you know that you are in focus immediately instead of the mushy slide into approximate focus you get with a short f/ratio achromat. Second, you notice star color when observing open clusters, with the achromat every thing was grey, yellow or white, with the apochromat, orange, red, and blue star colors stand out.

Starbeam 1x led dot finder, very easy to locate objects with star maps.

How the Starbeam finder works.

Easily aligned with the adjusting and lock screws, probably the best reflex finder I've ever used.

I simply set it up so my target is directly above the red dot which puts it dead center in my 55mm and 40mm plossls.

Handy way to get the sun in your eyepiece.

Rock solid piggyback mount for camera and telephoto or wide angle lenses.

All these accessories mount with the QRB-1002 quick release mount and QRD-1006 dovetail, this mount which attaches to the slot in the clamp ring also fits my 7 x 50 Vixen finder scope or any Synta/Vixen base finder bracket.

Particle Wave Technologies Dessicant Cap

Switching to the TV 4" ring set makes mounting to dovetails easier and more solid, allows more accessories to be mounted to the rings and allows the use of a handle to make mounting to a tall pier much easier.

A better dovetail than the Synta is Scopestuff's EQD6 8" 5/8" solid bar to the rings, far more satble.

Side by side saddle plate from Losmondy allows solid mount of tv102 and tv76.

Solar rigged for star parties with pst piggyback, thousand oaks white light filter on field tripod.

The bino viewer opens up a three dimensional view of the universe, especially the moon and planets, I use it with two 20mm tv plossls and the big barlow (2X), blows you away on lunar detail.

Overall this is a very well built telescope, having all major components machined from solid stock to very fine tolerances, it is a pleasure to use and has that fine feel that only quality well fitting parts can produce. The optical quality is superb, no secondary color was seen at all with both lunar, DSO's and double stars showing superior contrast and sharpness.

Having this scope mounted on the EQ6 allows the mount to track much more accurately than it did with the 6 inch, less leverage and weight along with the massive pier allow unguided digital shots of up to 30 seconds with no trailing.