Jeronimo Cruz
super member
Reged: 09/01/08
Posts: 141
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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Hi all,
Now that I have your attention, why has there never been an upgrade to the Telrad? I understand that *if it ain't broke don't fix it* but its been HOW looong?! I mean, even the manual looks like it came straight out of the 70's! Sometimes it can stand out as a huge eyesore on an otherwise beautiful OTA. I think it's time for a change!
My suggestions:
1) A 50% reduction is overall dimensions
2) Rounded corners
3) A much larger, oval viewing area
4) Metallic (aluminum?) construction
5) Timer device that automatically turns off in say, 12hrs
6) A nice storage case
7) Built in dew shield
8) Offer different outside color schemes
9) More reticle options (color, pattern)
10) Custom inscribing
11) Waterproof
What are your thoughts? Do you agree? What would be some of your improvements? Should it be left alone?
Thanks for your responses!
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Jeronimo
TeleVue 101 + Gibralter
Celestron NS11 GPS/wedge + Hyperstar
Photon Instruments 127mm + SV F50W2
Lunt Solar Systems LS60DS Ha + Celestron CG-5
Naglers, Panoptics, Radians, Nikon binoviewer
Fujinon 10x70 FMT-SX, 7x42 CD; Canon 15x50IS;
Pentax 7x50 PCF WP, 10x50 PCF WPII, 10x50 DCF SP
Work
20" R/C RCOS on Paramount + Tak FSQ
16" R/C RCOS on Paramount + TEC 140
16" Meade LX200 SCT + TV 76
Ethos, Naglers, Panoptics
Coronado Solarmax 90mm Ha
Coronado Solarmax 70mm Ca
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Jeronimo Cruz
super member
Reged: 09/01/08
Posts: 141
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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BTW, I love my Telrads!
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Jeronimo
TeleVue 101 + Gibralter
Celestron NS11 GPS/wedge + Hyperstar
Photon Instruments 127mm + SV F50W2
Lunt Solar Systems LS60DS Ha + Celestron CG-5
Naglers, Panoptics, Radians, Nikon binoviewer
Fujinon 10x70 FMT-SX, 7x42 CD; Canon 15x50IS;
Pentax 7x50 PCF WP, 10x50 PCF WPII, 10x50 DCF SP
Work
20" R/C RCOS on Paramount + Tak FSQ
16" R/C RCOS on Paramount + TEC 140
16" Meade LX200 SCT + TV 76
Ethos, Naglers, Panoptics
Coronado Solarmax 90mm Ha
Coronado Solarmax 70mm Ca
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Sarkikos
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/18/07
Posts: 1036
Loc: Suburban Maryland
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You can get a storage case that will fit the Telrad, a riser, and have room for a bit more stuff from stores like Harbor Freight Tools for $12 or so.
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Celestron 10" f5 Newt on 1stBase (DSO)
Zhumell 8" f6 Newt, Bosma 6" f12 MCT (NSO)
6" f5 Newt, 130ST, 4.5" f4.4 Ball w/GLP, ST80 w/Crayford (RFTs)
C4-R (NSO/DS)
90mm f13 MCT (Luna/DS)
SkyMaster 25x100, 15x70
Zhumell 20x80
Barska XWA 10x50, 8x40
OptiView LPR 10x50
Const View 2.3x40
BV-125C
CG5, 2 drv / CG4, 2 drv, wood legs, ScopeStuff saddle / CG3, 1 drv
SV AZ / 501HDV on Bogen 055XB / P+ on Oberwerk
QuikFinder, Telrad
Orion Dynamo Pro 12, Dew-Not
Have GLP and not afraid to use it!
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RAKing
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 2069
Loc: West of the D.C. Nebula
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You got a manual?!!! I bought four of the doggone things and never got a manual. 
The Telrad is the epitome of Function over Form - it's ugly, but it works great.
I'm sure if someone thought there was a decent market for it, they would design an "improved" model.
Ron
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Time spent looking at the stars is added to your life.
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scott m
super member
Reged: 12/06/07
Posts: 189
Loc: Hatfield Pa
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I would like to see an automatic shutoff feature.
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Orion Astroview 120st EQ w/rigel+2"diag(Cosmo)
Zhumell 10 inch dob w/telrad (Oddball)
Nikon AE 10x50 Binos
Astro-Tech Paradigm 5,8,12,15,18,25mm
GSO SuperView 30mm,20mm,15mm,10mm
Knight Owl EWA 6mm,9mm
Zhumell Plossl EP Kit
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Joe Lalumia
Post Laureate
Reged: 01/24/07
Posts: 3598
Loc: Rockwall, Texas, USA
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THE Telrad STORY:
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php/Cat/0/Number/3026880/page/0/view/expanded/sb/5/o/all
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LX90 8" LNT, SV Nighthawk & TelePOD, SV 80/9D & M4 mount, ETX 90, Orion XT10i, 20x80 binoculars, SV-BV3s-- www.texasastro.org
"Great minds discuss ideas;Average minds discuss events;Small minds discuss people." Unknown
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Bob Griffiths
Postmaster
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 6547
Loc: Frederick Maryland
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I knew the basic story....But I was under the impression that when His family sold the rights etc to manufacture the Telrad it was NOT to be altered ... So it remains today exactly as it did in the 70's...
The extra length was originally needed to hold the D cell batteries....Today if you are short on space you can saw the "box" down to size to fit a 9 Volt
Guess I'll have to read the Thread Joe posted
to refresh my memory...
Bob G
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CPC1100
Nexstar 8i + GPS & Rays Brackets
Denk S1 power switch
Orion 100 mm Refractor
Meade LXD 55 ...AR-5 127 mm Refractor
Exploradome Observatory S.I.E. (Smiling Irish Eyes)
Gerbring Heated Motorcycle clothing in the winter
39*21'03" N
77*28'12" W
The sky over my head....
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Solar Ken
sage
Reged: 02/07/06
Posts: 287
Loc: Oregon
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I'd like to see the Telrad made shorter. Yes I know you can saw it in half yourself, but not something I want to mess with.
I've used a Telrad on my 8" SCT for 9 years now, but I couldn't put a Telrad on my XX12i Dob because the upper tube is a little too short. I went with a Rigel.
I'd also like to see an auto-shutoff feature.
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Daytime:
Coronado PST Ha
Lunt LS60THa/B600C
Nighttime:
Meade LX90 SCT 8"
Orion XX12 Intelliscope Dob 12"
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RAKing
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 12/28/07
Posts: 2069
Loc: West of the D.C. Nebula
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Quote:
....but I couldn't put a Telrad on my XX12i Dob because the upper tube is a little too short. I went with a Rigel.
You can always drill more holes in the base to fit short spaces. A couple of my bases look like Swiss cheese.  For my old Orion Dob, I used the Scopestuff Telrad mount for the Orion finder shoe. It just slips in and replaces the Orion finder. No holes to drill.
An auto shutoff might be nice, but I have accidentally left my Telrad on for a day or two and the batteries were still pumping out juice when I discovered the problem.
Ron
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Time spent looking at the stars is added to your life.
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Mirzam
super member
Reged: 04/01/08
Posts: 118
Loc: Lovettsville, VA
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I would like to see an auto on/auto off feature on a high quality red dot finder. The auto-on could be through sensing the resistance change caused by a slight finger touch; the auto-off could be after one minute. A lithium battery would last for years. (Maybe centuries if the weather stays as rotten as it has been for the past few months).
Jim
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dave b
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/10/05
Posts: 3528
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i have left my telrad on a month or longer and it still was illuminated just fine.
in cloudy MI, some people are still on their original set of batteries, years latter.
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dave bonandrini
30" f/5.2 Dobsonian
President of GCAC
Astromart Moderator
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ssatko
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 03/05/05
Posts: 891
Loc: NC
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Nah...all those changes would probably just add to the cost. Believe it or not, I actually like the way mine looks! And like you said, if it's not broken, don't fix it.
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Scott
SV80/9D
SV102ABV
Orion 4.5" Starblast
Meade LX90 8" UHTC
Orion XT12i
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Tiny
super member
Reged: 05/02/08
Posts: 191
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i'm just surprised the body hasnt been made smaller as a basic cost savings measure.
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nobody special
sage
Reged: 12/30/08
Posts: 391
Loc: Connecticut
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Love the telrad!!!!!!
Built in dew shield would be nice. 
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Tom
Orion XT8 Classic
Hyperion 13mm (With 28mm Tuning Ring)
Orion Sirius 25mm
Meade Series 4000 Plossls 32mm 6.4mm
Orion Shorty Plus 2x Barlow
Telrad
OPT OIII Filter
ND Moon Filter
80a Blue Filter
Smart Seat III
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b1gred
Enginerd
Reged: 04/01/04
Posts: 15703
Loc: Castle Rock, CO 6677' MSL
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Does it work?
Is ANY part of it non-functional?
Don't MESS with it.
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"Dark Skies & Great Viewing"
RandyR / W0RDR
GPS 9.25 XLT/Sky Align /FeatherTouch
TV85 w/FeatherTouch
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ccs_hello
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/03/04
Posts: 3298
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My new old Telrad:
old CN post Hacksaw Telrad here.
Clear Skies!
ccs_hello
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csa/montana
Wild Spirit
Reged: 05/14/05
Posts: 40137
Loc: montana
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My Telrad is big, clunky, black plastic; but oh how I love it. I bought mine for my first scope, & am still using that same one!
I wouldn't change a thing on it!
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Carol
AstroTech 16" Dob (Thanks ASTRONOMICS!)
Vixen 80MF/AstroTech Voyager
Masuyama's 7.5, 15, 25W, 35mm,
Pentaxes; 5XW, 7XL, 10XW.
14mm Meade 4000 UWA
TV Panoptics; 22, 35
DreamCatcher Dobservatory, #2
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Sarkikos
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 12/18/07
Posts: 1036
Loc: Suburban Maryland
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I wish the Rigel QuikFinder had the three rings - 1/2 deg, 2 deg, 4 deg - like the Telrad. Then it would be better than the Telrad! Blasphemy!!! 
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Celestron 10" f5 Newt on 1stBase (DSO)
Zhumell 8" f6 Newt, Bosma 6" f12 MCT (NSO)
6" f5 Newt, 130ST, 4.5" f4.4 Ball w/GLP, ST80 w/Crayford (RFTs)
C4-R (NSO/DS)
90mm f13 MCT (Luna/DS)
SkyMaster 25x100, 15x70
Zhumell 20x80
Barska XWA 10x50, 8x40
OptiView LPR 10x50
Const View 2.3x40
BV-125C
CG5, 2 drv / CG4, 2 drv, wood legs, ScopeStuff saddle / CG3, 1 drv
SV AZ / 501HDV on Bogen 055XB / P+ on Oberwerk
QuikFinder, Telrad
Orion Dynamo Pro 12, Dew-Not
Have GLP and not afraid to use it!
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hudson_yak
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 11/15/07
Posts: 1105
Loc: Hyde Park, NY, USA
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Quote:
The extra length was originally needed to hold the D cell batteries....Today if you are short on space you can saw the "box" down to size to fit a 9 Volt
We've probably talked about this before. There isn't as much free open space in there as one might assume looking at it from the outside (even without the blinker circuit I have in mine). That area behind the target emitter has to be left clear. One D-cell would fit but would not provide enough voltage for a good range of led intensity. Seems unlikely to me the current model ever had D-cells, though there's mention in the other topic linked above that suggests perhaps models sold before the plastic molds were created did. Would be neat to see one of those.
One can certainly chop the front off and either go with a button battery or hang batteries on the side or string a wire to a remote power source.
Mike
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Meade 8" LX10
Orion ED100 + Losmandy GM-8 + Berlebach UNI 24
Meade 12" LightBridge
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Gargoyle
super member
Reged: 03/13/08
Posts: 134
Loc: Long Island, New York
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I don't have one, but have had the opportunity to utilize one in multiple applications. It's a great tool, really so. But its too big. I would not deploy it on my primaries just because of this.
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Meade 8" f/10 LX90 GPS
Meade 10" LX200-R on permanent pier
MoonLite CS 2" Focuser
ETX-125 PE
StellarVue SV80ED(Blue)and F50M2 Finder Scope
DSI ProII
DSI III
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