"Masked" Coulter 13.1" Dob Meets a Televue 102 [Shootout]  | 04/17/03 | by Wing Eng I took out both scopes from my garage and waited no more than 5 minutes for them to equalize in temperture to the outside atmosphere before putting on the . . . 102mm F/5 Refractor [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Gary Hand I played with one for a week or so. Here is my impression. Its a nice scope, real light and versatile. I had a Celestron C80WA 3.15" F/5 and a Celestron C1. . . 3 Months with a Vixen FL102S APO [User Review]  | 01/28/04 | by Rich Harper The Double-Double in Lyra was a nice, easy split, showing all four components. I briefly looked at the Ring Nebula at about 200x with no filter, and it was. . . 8" Celestron SCT vs TMB 4" f/8 APO [Shootout]  | 10/11/03 | by Roger Vine In the Sixties and early Seventies there was nowhere near the vast array of amateur astro’ equipment there is now. Small telescopes were refractors, often . . . A Little Piece of Russian Magic [User Review]  | 09/10/09 | by Neil English There's never been a better time to own a high-quality refractor. Improvements in manufacturing techniques, computer aided design and the ready availabil. . . A Newbie point of view - Celestron 102HD [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Julio Colombo I decided to write this report because actually we are all tired of so many "experts" telling you what to do, how to do it, what to buy or where to So thro. . . A self-made Novosibirsk TAL optics-based 4” achromat [Article]  | 04/16/03 | by Hans Radowan In the early fall last year (2002), I acquired a MEADE 102/ACHR optical tube assembly (OTA) with rings for €235. This f/9 achromatic commonly has a not-so-. . . A Telescopic "Battle of Midway": Takahashi FS-102NSV vs Stellarvue SV102ABV [User Review]  | 05/31/06 | by Larry Carlino Both Takahashi and Stellarvue label their respective scopes as "apochromatic." Though some purists believe that only a three or four-element lens can pr. . . A Zurich Evening with the Borg 100ED [User Review]  | 07/03/03 | by Ric Capucho I see Mars struggling to rise above the trees. What would you have done? Yes, so did I; I nudged the tripod legs apart again, slung in the 26mm (25x),. . . Antares 105mm /f10 Elite Achromat [User Review]  | 08/04/05 | by Jay Moynihan The end of the dewshield has a black rubber rim fitted onto it, which was loose to the fingers. The focuser looks like a Synta, and is rack & pinion. It. . . APM 102mm Triplet Achromatic Refractor [User Review]  | 08/10/03 | by Otto Piechowski The focuser is smooth. There is a screw on the top of the focuser assembly to increase or decrease tension on the rack and pinion motion. The use of the ri. . . APM Triplet 102mm F6 [User Review]  | 09/20/04 | by Michiel Claessen The visual impact of this scope is already worth the price. A big and shiny black tube. Although the tube is quite short, it is very substantial. I was ama. . . APM/TMB 115mm f/7 Apochromat and Zoom Eyepieces [User Review]  | 06/22/04 | by Andreas Braun At the top of the eyepiece an additional eye guard made of foam rubber can be seen which improves the situation with stray light. The magnification ring of. . . Apogee 4" achromat refractor [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Doug Hoy Well, I've pointed the Widestar at everything I can think of, and overall I'm fairly satisfied with it. In the store, a quick comparison with the 80mm Apog. . . Astro-Physics 4-inch f/8 StarFire Apochromatic Refractor [User Review]  | 03/01/03 | by Paul H. Bock Jr. The 4-inch f8 StarFire is an oil-spaced apochromatic triplet refractor of the Astro-Physics “StarFire” family and was manufactured in the days before ED gl. . . Astro-Tech AT102ED [User Review]  | 02/01/08 | by Jon Isaacs The Astro-Tech 102ED is a handsome 102mm F/7 refractor. It is compact, well made with a rotating two speed Crayford focuser. . . Astro-Tech AT102ED [User Review]  | 02/01/08 | by Jon Isaacs The Astro-Tech 102ED is a handsome 102mm F/7 refractor. It is compact, well made with a rotating two speed Crayford focuser. . . Borg 100ED Refractor [User Review]  | 01/03/06 | by Richard Perrella My search for the perfect backyard telescope began nearly three years ago. . . BORG 100ED REVIEW [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Dale Ibis I am affiliated with the U.S. BORG distributor, Hutech Corporation, as a part-time Regional Representative. On evenings and weekends I demonstrate BORG pro. . . Borg 100mm, f-6.4 Achromatic Refractor [User Review]  | 01/28/03 | by Brian Murphy Over the years I have wished for an airline friendly travel scope when business or a vacation takes me near dark sites. My main requirement is that the sco. . . Borg 101 Refractor [User Review]  | 12/31/05 | by Larry Carlino When science-fiction aficionados hear the word Borg; they immediately cringe at the image of the malevolent human-machine hybrids that wreak havoc . . . Celestron 102HD - Back to Basics [User Review]  | 01/21/06 | by Steven Frank I was lonesome. I missed my old backyard friend. . . Celestron 102mm F/5 achromat and Tele Vue 102 f/8.6 APO [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Wing Eng In August of this year, I submitted a review article on the Celestron Wide View 102mm f/5 Spotter Scope that was published in Cloudy Nights (thanks to Alli. . . Celestron 102mm F/5 Wide View Refractor [User Review]  | 05/15/01 | by Wing Eng Background in viewing covers 15 years on mainly fast to medium focal length Dobsonian scopes such as the Coulter Red Tube Odyssey 8, 10.1, 13.1 and 17.5, a. . . Celestron C102HD [User Review]  | 09/28/03 | by Richard Beasley I decided to take the scope apart, and see if there were any obvious problems, but there were none I could see. After a couple of days scratching my head I. . . Celestron C102HD [User Review]  | 04/27/00 | by Phil Ouellette Scope is well packed, no damage in shipping. Optical tube is bigger than I visualised. I guest I have been looking at too many department store refractors.. . . Celestron C102HD [User Review]  | 04/27/00 | by Phil Ouellette Scope is well packed, no damage in shipping. Optical tube is bigger than I visualised. I guest I have been looking at too many department store refractors.. . . Celestron C4R 4" Achromat [User Review]  | 03/15/04 | by Donnie Bigers I ordered the scope from Astronomics. It has been on sale for a while now at $399. I have since learned that this is a great price for the amount of perfor. . . Celestron NexStar 102SLT test review [User Review]  | 09/25/10 | by Ian Roberts I wanted a light, GOTO refractor scope of at least 4 inches aperture for casual use and possible activities at “star parties” where it could be set up easi. . . Celestron Nexstar SLT 102mm Refractor [User Review]  | 09/15/11 | by George Stonebreaker The Nexstar SLT 102, is a real keeper, don’t hesitate to buy one even if you can’t get a deal on yours like I did on mine.. . . Celestron Starhopper 8" Meets a Tele Vue 102mm [Shootout]  | 12/01/03 | by Wing Eng In any optical comparison between two “different” types of telescopes, the first consideration for a fair “apples to apples” type comparison involves the c. . . Helios Star Travel 102 f/5 Refractor [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Kenny Jones The focusing tube on this instrument comes able to accept either 2 inch or 1.25 inch eyepieces and the package I bought comes with 1.25 inch 25mm plossl , . . . Impressions of the TeleVue 102 [User Review]  | 11/03/00 | by Paul Leuba I have been actively involved in amateur astronomy since I was 12 years old. I am 32 now and during that time I have owned a wide variety of telescopes. Re. . . Meade 102 Achro vs. Tele Vue 102 APO [Shootout]  | 04/17/03 | by Walter Lucas I now am of the opinion that not only are these scopes the epitome of optically perfect instruments, not just because of the elimination of CA, but for the. . . Meade DS-2102AT-TC Refractor with Autostar [User Review]  | 01/06/10 | by Shane Passmore The Autostar controller motor and controller function as they should and as they did on two other Meade scopes that I’ve had (a DS2130-AT and a DS-2090AT-T. . . Meade's 102mm Achromat on LXD500 Mount. A refractor for the budget-minded and a great telescope for the urban astronomer [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Jay Michaels In today's age of computer controlled, micro-precision mounts, and expensive refractors with optics constructed from exotic elements to eliminate false col. . . Orion 120 mm F5 Short Tube Achromatic Refractor [User Review]  | 10/30/09 | by Richard Evans After owning the scope for a while, I decided to try some color deep sky imaging with it. My thought was that maybe problems caused by chromatic aberratio. . . Orion 80mm f/7.5 ED Refractor vs Masked 80mm Televue 102 ED Refractor [Shootout]  | 12/14/03 | by Wing Eng In particular, I tried out an Orion Expanse 6mm eyepiece which yielded 100X and found the sun’s point-image as reflected by telephone pole insulators sever. . . Orion Apex 102mm [User Review]  | 12/29/09 | by Anthony Rogers I am asked about the most is my Orion 102mm Maksutov. I use this scope primarily for splitting double stars which it does superbly, plus planetary and . . . Orion AstroView 100mm refractor [User Review]  | 09/27/03 | by Florian _ The scope comes double-boxed and securely packaged from Orion. An instruction booklet written by Orion is included as well as the "student" edition of TheS. . . Orion Skyview Pro 100 EQ [User Review]  | 12/18/05 | by Scott Manley If you're buying a first scope and have $500 to play with, this is absolutely the best use of your money. . . Orion SkyView Pro 100mm f/6 Refractor [User Review]  | 10/05/03 | by Bill Grass On deep sky objects, I was very pleased with the SkyView Pro 100’s performance. I live in a suburb of Baton Rouge, so the sky here has a pretty high degree. . . Pentax 105SDP Refractor [User Review]  | 08/20/08 | by Pollux Chung Pentax 105SDP - Great (little) apochromatic refractor. . . Review of TeleVue SDF and a Takahashi FC100 [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Johnathan Moore This past fall at Astrofest I was able to look through a FC100 and compare it to my SDF. I set up my SDF on "refractor row" right next to a FC100. So I had. . . SCT's Vs APO's - a NexStar 5 Vs a TV-102 [Shootout]  | 04/17/03 | by Tom Trusock Somewhat frustrated with goto, and always in search of the perfect telescope I began to search for an upgrade/lateral transfer. I wanted something around t. . . Showa 100mm f/10 SD APO [User Review]  | 09/16/05 | by PJ Anway If you are not familiar with Showa refractors, you are not alone. They are rarely seen in these parts and few US amateurs know of them. However, they a. . . Sky Watcher 102mm F/5 Refractor [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Gary Hinks Okay I think the first thing one should say about this telescope is that it's not designed for looking at the full moon at high power! Some people are buyi. . . Sky Watcher 102mm f/5 refractor (SW102) [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Bill Reinehr The Sky Watcher 102 is a small rich-field refractor. It is very similar in design to the Orion ShortTube 80 and it's variants. Since the two instruments ar. . . Sky-Watcher 100mm ED Refractor [User Review]  | 12/17/09 | by Tom Howard So since this was a floor model, I can’t speak to packing and assembly. Also, you will have to take some of my experience with a grain of salt since the s. . . Sky-Watcher ED 100 Refractor [User Review]  | 08/24/05 | by Clive Gibbons It didn't take long to realize how difficult it was to aim a 100mm f/9 refractor, with no finderscope! After futzing around, peering down the tube of the. . . Sky-Watcher Pro 100ED [User Review]  | 02/14/09 | by Dave Ponder I love refractors!. . . Skywatcher 102AR-AZ4 [User Review]  | 04/23/09 | by Ted Moran I was instantly struck with two first impressions, both of which have totally stuck. One, this thing is quite a bit bigger and heftier than I had thought a. . . Skywatcher 102mm f/10 Refractor [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Jacques Putzeys The original tube in the box was a Helios Evostar 102 which I later exchanged for a Skywatcher tube with adjustable lens cell. The optical performance of t. . . Small Scope Impressions [Shootout]  | 01/29/04 | by Rich Harper I've owned or used a number of small scopes in the past few years. With the interest in small scopes we have on the forum, either for a good starter scope . . . Sovietski 4" f/10 Achromat Refractor [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Damian Peach Racking the scope either side of focus several times, revealed what so many have reported about these scopes. An excellent star test, with only the slighte. . . Starmax 127 vs. C-102 HD [Shootout]  | 08/01/01 | by Jim Gleeson Next, both scopes were pointed at Saturn. The image was beautiful in both scopes with no false color to be found in either scope. In the Starmax 127, the v. . . Stellarvue 102 EDT and Tele Vue 85 [Shootout]  | 05/17/02 | by Craig Carver The difference between the two was especially apparent to me during daytime terrestrial viewing. Having used the apo for a couple of years as a spotting sc. . . Stellarvue 102D [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by David Owen In January of 2000 I was in the market for a "Short Tube 80" scope to use as both a quick look scope and as a travel scope. I had heard many conflicting re. . . Stellarvue 102EDT [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Steven J. Mack, Esq. The sliding dew shield is a nice feature for portability and is tight and smooth, feeling like it locks into place. The paint finish is smooth and glossy w. . . Takahashi FS - 102 Fluorite Doublet Apochromat [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Tony Addino While my nine year old son and I were out in our rural backyard one clear evening this past Fall, my son gazed up into the sky and remarked on the endless . . . Takahashi FSQ 106 [User Review]  | 12/18/05 | by William Drelling It is amazing how whenever you buy a nice new astronomical toy the first time you look through it you'd swear it gave the best views you've ever seen. . . Takahashi FSQ-106N 106MM F/5 "Quadruplet Fluorite Apochromatic Refractor" [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by David A. Novoselsky The Takahashi FSQ-106 that just landed on my doorstep is an interesting entry into the most crowded section of the current refractor market - the world of . . . Tele Vue 101 and Sky Tour [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Kevin Berwick I recently received my TV101 on Gibraltar mount with a Sky Tour computer. I've now had the opportunity to test it for about six months and thought I'd post. . . Tele Vue 101 Apochromatic Refractor [User Review]  | 05/01/04 | by Jeff Kramer As for mechanics, this scope is built like a tank. It is very solid. The focuser is smooth as silk and the satin like finish to the focuser, dewcap, and tu. . . Tele Vue 102 [User Review]  | 07/29/08 | by Neil English I've been an observer on and off for nearly 30 years and have had the immense good fortune to look through many types of astronomical. . . Tele Vue Genesis SDF - Staying Old School [User Review]  | 07/30/05 | by James Shepard While the Genesis sdf is not really designed as a DSO scope it can be used as such within the limitations of the 4" design. On the down side, in . . . Tele Vue Genesis vs 8" SCT [Shootout]  | 10/08/03 | by Chuck Zdeb Mechanically, the Genesis was the nicer of the two. Aside from the beautiful fit and finish, it had a very smooth focuser that made focusing a pleasure. Th. . . Tele Vue NP101 [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Chris Adamson Now that I have had my Tele Vue NP101 for 3-4 months, and so have kicked the tires appropriately, I thought I would share my thoughts on it. This is my "sm. . . Tele Vue Pronto and the Celestron 102mm F/5 [User Review]  | 10/11/01 | by Wing Eng I have previously reported in August of this year, via my cloudynights article/with gratitude to Allister St. Claire, on the Celestron 102mm f/5 Short Achr. . . Teleskop Service 102mm f/6.5 Refractor [User Review]  | 09/27/06 | by Neil English I stumbled across a German-based company called Teleskop-Service (TS) which offered a 102mm air-spaced doublet achromat with a focal length of 660mm . . . Televue 101: First and Second Light [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Jason Newquist Jamie Dillon told me that the wonderful thing about the "new equipment brings cruddy weather" superstition is that it holds water. So it was when I took re. . . TeleVue NP-101 vs. Celestron NexStar 8 [Shootout]  | 10/25/03 | by A. Irizarry The image on the 4" was also impressive, though much less detailed. Spoke structure was not seen although variations in the B ringís brightness hinted of i. . . Testing the William Optics Zenithstar 110 [User Review]  | 01/21/07 | by Fred Hissink Testing the Zenithstar 110 triplet APO. . . The Story of a Journey: the Skylight f/15 [User Review]  | 07/08/10 | by Neil English The Skylight f/15 is a beautifully designed and well executed instrument. Far from being a copy, it’s a well studied re-interpretation of the best the past. . . The Televue TV-85 versus the Vixen VX-102ED [User Review]  | 10/15/00 | by Alan Figgatt Last January I brought a new evergreen Televue TV-85 APO refractor for use as a portable and quick setup scope. My main scope is a Celestron 9.25" SCT on a. . . TMB 100/800 Apo Refractor [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Matt Brown I purchased a TMB100/800 recently from TMB Optical. It is the model with the Vixen tube. I couldn't justify the extra expense for the nicer tube. I purchas. . . TMB 100/800 Lightweight Refractor with Feather Touch Focuser [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Paul H. Bock Jr. The 100/800’s tube length is such that the telescope will reach focus without any tube extension if the observer is using a 2-inch diagonal. If using a 1.2. . . TMB 100MM F/8 APO REFRACTOR [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by David A. Novoselsky This is a review of something a lot of you believe to be 'vaporware' -- the TMB Optical 100 mm f/8 APO. I ordered this telescope last year and took deliver. . . TMB 100MM F/8 APO Refractor (New Version- German CNC Tube) [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by David A. Novoselsky Early last year, I bought and reviewed what I came to conclude was the best 4" refractor I ever owned or used, the TMB Optical 100 f/8. The optics for that. . . TMB 105/650 [User Review]  | 09/27/03 | by John Ford The expectation of workmanship, fit, finish, and optical quality for cutting-edge apochromats is rising very rapidly. The history and reasons for the rise . . . TMB 105/650 Vixen Tube with Feathertouch Focuser [User Review]  | 09/02/01 | by Motti Pikelny I have been involved in amateur astronomy for 5 years. Most of my observing has been done at the University of Illinois Astronomical Society's dark site an. . . TMB 115 APO [User Review]  | 01/24/09 | by Tim Snowdon TMB 115 F7 Apo, AOK AYO Alt-Az Mount, Denkmeier Binoviewer. . . Two Refractors [User Review]  | 12/11/09 | by Wade Johnson Refractors use lenses to bend or refract light instead of mirrors that reflect light. When light is refracted not all colors are bend the . . . User Review: Orion Premium 110mm ED Refractor [User Review]  | 06/27/10 | by Will Day I’m comfortable recommending the Orion Premium 110 ED to those seeking a scope of this size. The build quality is well above average and the optics on mine. . . Vixen 102mm f-9 Fluorite Refractor a Brief Impression. [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Phil Barker Structure in the feature in the NEB above the GRS superb detail around the GRS and all 4 moons as disc as usual you get lost in space with the D&G. The Vix. . . Vixen ED100sf on a Vixen PortaMount [User Review]  | 06/15/10 | by Ging-Li Wang This scope was a great purchase and I plan on using it for a long time. The ED100sf allows me to escape our terrestrial world and revel in the wonders of o. . . Vixen ED103SWT Refractor [User Review]  | 12/16/05 | by Pernel Johnson I've been an amateur astronomer for about 10 years. I have owned 12 different scopes . . . Vixen ED115S Refractor [User Review]  | 03/26/07 | by Larry Carlino For refractor aficionados, the seemingly huge gap between the ubiquitous 4-inch ED and APO scopes and the much heavier and more costly instruments in the 5. . . William Optics FLT 110 and Polluted Skies [User Review]  | 02/27/08 | by Howard Lazarus WO FLT 110 APO and polluted skies. . . William Optics ZS110 Refractor [User Review]  | 06/06/06 | by Kurt Friedrich I have always had a visual grab-and-go scope, including the Gilbert, Renaissance, Questar, and now my WO 80mm ZenithStar. I am very happy with my $350 ZS. . . Zeiss Jena 100F (APQ 100/1000) [User Review]  | 04/17/03 | by Kevin Barker It is very solid and rated to carry up to 16 kg loads. It rides on top of a 3VS tripod which is similar in construction to the astrophysics tripods of more. . .