82 replies to this topic

[Optics Patent]

My understanding is that the Questar-made eyepieces offered for a brief period were of the Brandon optical design but not labeled with the word Brandon.

[JHollJr]

My understanding is that the Questar-made eyepieces offered for a brief period were of the Brandon optical design but not labeled with the word Brandon.

My 24mm eyepiece is marked “Questar 24mm E.F.L. U.S.A.” I have the Questar aluminum canisters for my eyepieces and they are marked “Questar Brandon 24mm E.F.L. U.S.A.” 

[Optics Patent]

Just received a recent (#4945) Field model with a barrel color I've never seen.  I'll call it "midnight blue" and in interior room light it looks as black as the anodized support ring.  Only a blue outdoor sky reveals the blue tinge.  The dew shield is much brighter and lighter blue.  This one was specially acquired to mount on my "Ralph" duplex mount that has a factory new 0-20-40 blue RA ring that's not quite suitable to host a purple barrel.

 

 

[Hosea100]

Did I read somewhere that Questar will no longer be providing a red case with their new scopes?

[Optics Patent]

Not sure when but yes I’m told their supplier will no longer provide the current cases and they apparently will provide Pelican type cases.

[cbwerner]

In my book, that's a blow from a nostalgia perspective, but not from a practical one. The old style case I got with my 50th is nice, but a Pelican case is so much more functional.

[Gregory Gross]

I would imagine that offering a Pelican case in lieu of the more traditional leather/vinyl case is a simpler and easier thing for Questar to offer in terms of production. But I agree: it’s kind of a sad step. If one wanted the functionality of a Pelican case, one could always go out there and get it (as a number of folks indeed have). But to obtain a more traditional case as a supplement to a Pelican case that Questar will apparently offer as the stock option is a much more difficult undertaking.

[Gregory Gross]

Not sure when but yes I’m told their supplier will no longer provide the current cases and they apparently will provide Pelican type cases.

Am I reading this right in thinking that it’s not Questar opting to dispense with the current case so much as it’s the supplier forcing this decision by no longer being willing to make it?

[Optics Patent]

Update:  Based on past classified listings, the last polished arm example was in 1986, and the first brushed arms were in 1987 (around 9200).  If anyone has a scope in the 9180-9290 range please let me know what the arm edge finish is.

 

For context, the leg hole plugs changed to flat in 1985.

[architel]

9189 has polished edges on arms.  Invoice date 15 Dec. 1986.  Received 2 Jan 1987.

[Gregory Gross]

Does anyone know when Questar switched from the etched and enamel-filled dew shield to the smooth, screen-printed version? Company Seven says that the etched dew shields were "discontinued by the late 1960’s when the charts became silk screened," but it would be nice to have a more precise date.

[Darkskyaz]

Does anyone know when Questar switched from the etched and enamel-filled dew shield to the smooth, screen-printed version? Company Seven says that the etched dew shields were "discontinued by the late 1960’s when the charts became silk screened," but it would be nice to have a more precise date.

You can talk to Jim at Questar to confirm, but as I recall from a conversation I had with him it was around 1972. The reason for the change was environmental regulations. The 50th anniversary models with the etched star charts had to be made in a different state - Maryland as I recall. 

[Stew44]

My '84 has original Powerguide 1 installed.

[Gregory Gross]

Does anyone know when Questar switched from the etched and enamel-filled dew shield to the smooth, screen-printed version? Company Seven says that the etched dew shields were "discontinued by the late 1960’s when the charts became silk screened," but it would be nice to have a more precise date.

You can talk to Jim at Questar to confirm, but as I recall from a conversation I had with him it was around 1972. The reason for the change was environmental regulations. The 50th anniversary models with the etched star charts had to be made in a different state - Maryland as I recall.

Following up on these two posts, I wanted to add that an owner of a 1969 Questar tells me that that scope has a dew shield whose markings are etched. Confirming what Darksyaz mentioned last year in May--that is, that 1972 was the year that Questar switched away from that style of marking and adopted screen printing for the dew shield--I saw a 1972 Questar in person this past summer with a screen printed, non-etched dew shield.

 

It would be interesting if anyone with a 1970, '71, or '72 Questar could add to this discussion. Are there examples out there with etched dew shield markings from any of these years?

[Terra Nova]

I always wondered why Questar didn’t make the focuser knob larger at some point? It is awfully small (not that I’m complaining, I wouldn’t want to anger the Questar Goddess).

[Optics Patent]

I suspect that ergonomically, knob radius is preferably inversely proportional to the number of turns (or focus sensitivity). With the small knob that spins easily one can get several turns using the length of a finger as a rack to the knob’s pinion.

The original had a larger flange and the Seven does too.

[Terra Nova]

I suspect that ergonomically, knob radius is preferably inversely proportional to the number of turns (or focus sensitivity). With the small knob that spins easily one can get several turns using the length of a finger as a rack to the knob’s pinion.

The original had a larger flange and the Seven does too.

I’m trying to wrap my head around this. You’re saying that the smaller the radius of the knob, the more sensitive it is to focus change. I get that, but is that a good thing? That would mean a small amount of movement would bring about a big change in focus. For precision focusing, wouldn’t you want it the other way? Isn’t that why large knobs on single speed focusers are considered a plus? Think about this, a 1/2” diameter knob vs a 1” diameter knob with 45° of angular rotation. You’re moving 1/8 of the circumference on each, but twice the circumferential distance on the larger knob. Same deal with big tuning knobs vs. little ones on old-time radios. More precisely tuning is possible with the big knob? Isn’t that so? Anyway, just a thought.

Edited by Terra Nova, 14 February 2021 - 11:16 AM.

[Steve C.]

Yep, it's real easy to speed past sharp focus with the tiny knob. Ideally, you would have a two-speed focuser, but that would be hard to engineer on a small scope.

[Optics Patent]

My point is that when you have 20 turns from close to infinity, and a smooth rotation, you don’t need as large a radius as with fewer turns. Relatively speaking. Bear in mind that the fast focus version (big knob) does the same in about half a rotation.

Edited by Optics Patent, 14 February 2021 - 03:20 PM.

[emh52]

My point is that when you have 20 turns from close to infinity, and a smooth rotation, you don’t need as large a radius as with fewer turns. Relatively speaking. Bear in mind that the fast focus version (big knob) does the same in about half a rotation.

I am good with going back and forth a few times to get the focus right, add to that I am using a mask to get it right these days, but what I'd like is a little lever lock for  the focus so once I have it I'd like to fix it in place. A little lever lock would be consistent with design and not add much to the size.

[JamesMStephens]

I am good with going back and forth a few times to get the focus right, add to that I am using a mask to get it right these days, but what I'd like is a little lever lock for  the focus so once I have it I'd like to fix it in place. A little lever lock would be consistent with design and not add much to the size.

 

You use a focusing mask with your Q?

[emh52]

You use a focusing mask with your Q?

Yes I have Astromania Bahtinov Mask Focusing Mask for Telescopes - FM100mm for a Tube Outer Diameter (OD) works fine, all of 16$, for double stars and using a spectrum grating I have found it very useful. It slips on and off so doesn't impede anything and it is very light so there are no balance issues. It is very slightly loose I think it needs one more mm, but not enough to be a problem as it is only on briefly for a focus. The loose might be good as I can slip it off without jarring the scope.

[Opie Taylor]

Following up on these two posts, I wanted to add that an owner of a 1969 Questar tells me that that scope has a dew shield whose markings are etched. Confirming what Darksyaz mentioned last year in May--that is, that 1972 was the year that Questar switched away from that style of marking and adopted screen printing for the dew shield--I saw a 1972 Questar in person this past summer with a screen printed, non-etched dew shield.

 

It would be interesting if anyone with a 1970, '71, or '72 Questar could add to this discussion. Are there examples out there with etched dew shield markings from any of these years?

New to this forum (and Questars), and have spent the better part of 2 days reading all of this stuff....  

 

Gregory, and All -

 

I have a 1971 example that indeed has the etched dew-shield.      

[rcwolpert]

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of Questars!

[Gregory Gross]

This morning, I dug around a bit and found that #1-922 currently listed on eBay is actually quite an interesting scope. According to my set of notes, #1-902 as listed on Astromart back in 2005 was the latest example known to me of a Standard Questar with the moon map orientated with the lunar north pole at the front end of the scope. It seems that this #1-922 currently up for auction is 20 units newer than this other one that was on Astromart.

 
The modern standard is for the south pole to be toward the front of the scope. Company Seven has a nice discussion of the star map dew shield and moon map on their website here. In particular, C7 describes their #1-1043 having the modern moon map orientation.
 
So between #1-922 and #1-1043, the orientation changed.

 

Does anyone have a 1961 Questar newer than #922 with the lunar north pole positioned at the front of their scope?