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makemeshutter
member
Reged: 02/19/08
Posts: 33
Loc: rumson new jersey
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I want to purchase a 3.5 Questar(used). What is a top combination...for around 3 grand. what mirror coating combo...and best years of production? Thanks
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Billydee
super member
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 183
Loc: Winter Haven, FL
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I like the Duplex 3.5" it can be used on or off the base (off on a stable camera tripod). It is a few dollars more but worth it. Buy the latest model possible for the money you want to spend and of course look for a clean one that has not been used much. For $3000 your should be able to get a 1990s model with a Zerodur mirror with Broad-band coatings. The serial number on the base would be something like 5-DP-Z-10000-BB (1995,Duplex,Zerodur mirror,SN 10000,Broadband coating). You might want to check out the website www.company7.com. They sell new Qs and have great discriptions and article on the Q that will tell you much of what you want to know. Took me about a year of looking but I finally found a perfect one for just under your $ limit.
Luck, Bill
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Erik Bakker
professor emeritus
Reged: 08/10/06
Posts: 528
Loc: Haren, The Netherlands, Europe
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I agree with Bill on functionality. On esthetics in the Q 3.5, I just love the Standard Questar. I do like the Broadband coatings package a lot. Zerodur/Pyrex/Cervit/Quartz mirror? Doesn't really matter to me. Powerguide II would be nice though, as would a full aperture solarfilter. Tubes are a beautiful purple anodized until ca. the mid-late eighties. Elsewhere on this Q-forum you can find more info on that. Anyway, you can't go wrong with any Questar that has been well taken care of.
Clear skies,
Erik
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Visual astronomer, main instruments:
Fully mounted Questar 7 P-BB
Celestron C 102F f/8.8 fluorite
Vixen FL 70S f/8 fluorite
Celestron C 55F f/8 fluorite
Sets of Zeiss, TeleVue and Brandon eyepieces
Zeiss 7x50 Marine B/GA
Zeiss TM german equatorial
Gitzo 224 with Manfrotto 501 fluid head
Unitron alt-az mount
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Billydee
super member
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 183
Loc: Winter Haven, FL
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Read and study. Join the Yahoo Questar Group (it is free). They will confirm your application in a day or two and then you will have access. They have great files and photos and you can read all Posts back to the start. This CN Forumn has a ton of really interesting Posts and you should review them all to give yourself a mind set. Go to the CN classifieds and do a search on the word Questar under the Telescope Cat listings to give yourself a price feel (note is prices are down a bit from 2 years ago due to the economy). Go to AstroMart and join (cost was only $12 when I joined). AM has a very good history file on most listing ads for Qs. Then there is FleaBay, the problem there is a large number of Qs are resells by people that do not know or care about the Ladies they Pimp. You can get deals but it is buyer watch your lower backside. When you do get one consider sending it to the Mother Ship at New Hope (the birth place of all Qs) for a complete checkup, teardown, rebuild and wash, wax and buff job. That runs around $400 but you are sure it will be perfect. Many members of Yahoo and CN will help you through the process and become your friends. The above is part of the fun and enjoyment.
Take your time, Bill
Edited by Billydee (10/09/09 05:31 PM)
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Billydee
super member
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 183
Loc: Winter Haven, FL
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I just checked and here is the best news. New Hope, PA (the home of Questar) is only 73.8 miles (1 hr / 30 min) from Rumson, NJ. They will be glad to show your the place and talk Questars. If you go, ask Jim R. (his father worked there before him) to show you a Q in a bucket (that is fun).
Luck, Bill
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Rat8bug
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/07/05
Posts: 1471
Loc: Michigan
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Questar, a VG scope.
http://www.barrie-tao.com/faq.html
Ciao....Barry
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Nikon D40/D50/D70 DSLR
WO 105mm Triplet APO
WO Zenithstar 66SD APO (Black 'n Blue)
WO 8 x 45mm APO Bino
UO 20 x 80mm Bino
Vixen 80SS Refractor
Orion 127mm Apex Maksutov
Vixen GP-DX with Skysensor 2000
SBIG STV and e-finder
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John F
sage
Reged: 02/16/04
Posts: 383
Loc: Washington State
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I recently bought a used 1983 Standard Model in virtually mint condition (which came with the 24mm & 16mm Brandon eyepieces plus a full aperture solar filter) for $2450. It was also recently (8 months ago) serviced by Questar.
At some point I'll probably add the PowerGlide II and that will push my total cost up to close to $3000. I'm also planning on getting adding a Tristar mount for it so that will push my total cost up around $4300 which is still not bad when you consider what a similarly outfitted new Questar Standard would cost.
John Finnan
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BINOCULARS
Nikon 7x50 Prostar
Swarovski 8.5x42 EL
Nikon 10x70 Astroluxe
Zeiss 15x60 B/GAT
Takahashi 22x60 Astronomer
SCOPES
Questar 3.5-Inch
Tele Vue NP-127 with TV Bino Vue
EYEPIECES
Deep Sky: 31Nagler, 17-13-10-8-6 Ethos
Lunar & Planetary: 16-10-6-4 ZAO-II
Binoviewing: 24Pan,16Nagler, 10ZOA-II,7.5Taks
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Billydee
super member
Reged: 01/23/08
Posts: 183
Loc: Winter Haven, FL
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The time is right to purchase a Q. There have been good buys on eBay in the $1500 range. The best one I know of was a Duplex that last week went for $1555. There are a number of unsold ones on FleaBay for $1500 or less (after they don't get any bids, send a message to the person that lists it and make him an offer). There have been some good ones on AMart for under $2000. There was a TriStand that just sold on AMart for $1000 (or maybe a little less than that) and it was a very rare blue one. The FJR TriStand (he is the person that makes every Questar TriStand) is available for about $300 less than the one sold by Questar or Company7 and it is 100% the same thing.
Luck, Bill
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deadshot
journeyman
Reged: 02/12/09
Posts: 6
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I purchased a field model in excellent condition for $700.00
on Craigslist from a gentleman in BC.I think I lucked out because it has F-Z-35xxx BB. I bought a used Ioptron minitower and a ADM dovetail. Now for about $1200.00 I have an excellent all around scope for land and sky.Look for a good Field model and with this combination you save a lot of cash.
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hfjacinto
Almost got me
Reged: 01/12/09
Posts: 2068
Loc: Union,NJ
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Jerry,
Since you are in NJ our club has a 3.5" Questar that they asked me to sell. I am up in Union, it hasn't been listed anywhere but if you want to look at it, let me know. I have approval from the Executive Committee to sell it.
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C9.25 ASGT 9*50 MM Finder,FT Focuser & 2" Diagonal
Meade LXD 75 6 Inch SNT w 9*50 MM Finder
5,6,9,14.5 MM Zhummel Planetary EPs
13,17,21,24,31,36 MM Baader Hyperion
6.7,8.8 MM Meade UWA & 11 MM Nagler T6
Planetary, OIII and Narrowband Filters
Thousand Oaks Dew Control w Kendrick Heaters
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