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What was the most expensive line of scopes offered to amateurs?

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#76 starman876

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Posted 29 January 2025 - 09:23 AM

OUCH!  It is really 17k better than my 826?

I would not buy it then Chas.  If the 826 is that good why buy anything else?



#77 rob1986

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Posted 29 January 2025 - 09:28 AM

Go ask cave

#78 Dwight J

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Posted 29 January 2025 - 02:18 PM

OUCH!  It is really 17k better than my 826?

I guess if you appreciate contrast it is.



#79 TxStars

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Posted 29 January 2025 - 08:54 PM

In the 80's & 90's GOTO Optical and SHOWA Optical both made some really nice scopes if you could afford them..

The Tenmon Guide had a full color page or each of them almost every month.



#80 CHASLX200

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 06:50 AM

I guess if you appreciate contrast it is.

Not gonna be a huge jump and sure as heck don't like it enough to lay around 17k for a tiny bit of it.  17k can get me the rare AP 155.



#81 TOMDEY

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 09:02 AM

It's a nearly impossible question to answer without some qualifiers, since the line between amateur and professional can be so blurry. As has been mentioned, there's nothing preventing you, as an individual, to order a professional-size telescope from any maker. If you can pay for it, Zeiss will be more than happy to build you a 2-meter Ritchey-Chretien on a huge mount, complete with observatory. And we don't have to go all that far back in time, before a 12" scope was considered suitable for a professional observatory. Many of the Japanese (and some German) larger amateur scopes really are made like mini versions of professional telescopes. In some ways, I wish we could get manufacturers like that again, but in all honesty, very few would buy their scopes, most likely.  

 

If we rearrange the question a bit, things might be easier to answer:

 

- what was the most expensive 60-65mm refractor ever offered? 

- Ditto 80mm?

- 100 - 110mm? 

- 120 - 130mm?

- 150 - 155mm? 

- The most expensive 150mm Maksutov? 

- The most expensive 180mm Maksutov? 

 

And so on. You get the idea. 

 

Also, as you already hint at yourself, telescopes were WAY more expensive in the past, so should we limit ourselves to the period after WW2? It's only really after WW2 that telescopes truly become available in larger numbers for the average amateur and they start to become mass produced. Or at least in larger batches. 

 

Finding accurate prices on a lot of the scopes might be fairly challenging, though. 

 

 

Clear skies!

Thomas, Denmark

Oh! --- I mentioned in a previous thread some years ago >>> The custom build of extravagant toys for notable customers is occasionally commissioned. Almost always arranged and consummated ~On the QT~ in private conversations. Dave Garroway and Johnny Carson come to mind. They were both passionate amateur astronomers and enjoyed their hobbies beyond what we might imagine. For obvious reasons, celebs rarely boast over their acquisitions, most often keeping that on the private life side of the fence.    Tom

 

"On the QT" is an informal phrase that means in a secret or quiet way. For example, you might say "She told me about it on the QT" to indicate that the information is private. Explanation "Q.T." is an abbreviation for "quiet" The phrase is often used as an adverb Synonyms of "on the QT" include "in secret" and "secretly" Examples "All the arrangements were made on the QT" "They told her on the QT that she was being promoted" "It will be possible to have one spree on the strict q.t." ~



#82 grif 678

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 12:36 PM

Questar started in 1954. That was a 3.5. In 1967 they introduced the 7. It never sold well, because of the high price. About $15,000, there were variations.

LZOS was selling some large refractors about then, but price info is very hard to come by, I think mostly they were custom built.

Takahashi and Vixen were pretty much only making small scopes at that time.

For the small size, I would think the Questar.



#83 Dwight J

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 01:01 PM

Not gonna be a huge jump and sure as heck don't like it enough to lay around 17k for a tiny bit of it.  17k can get me the rare AP 155.

It isn’t a tiny bit.  It would blow the 155 outta the water to boot.



#84 CHASLX200

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 07:24 PM

It isn’t a tiny bit.  It would blow the 155 outta the water to boot.

Would on a  image at 450x of Jup. But as far as snap and pop i don't see it. 



#85 RichA

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 07:37 PM

There is an 8.5” Cerevolo for sale on Astromart for $17,000 USD sans mount.  He made less than 20 of them.  The 5.7” are more numerous and new went for about $2500 for the OTA.  I couldn’t find one for sale currently.  

The Ceravolo will give the AP 175mm a run for its money.



#86 CHASLX200

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 07:39 PM

The Ceravolo will give the AP 175mm a run for its money.

And cost just about as much.



#87 starman876

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 07:40 PM

It isn’t a tiny bit.  It would blow the 155 outta the water to boot.

I agree the scope would blow most scopes out of the water.  I have had and have looked though some of these high end maks and they are breathaking



#88 RichA

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 07:42 PM

There is an 8.5” Cerevolo for sale on Astromart for $17,000 USD sans mount.  He made less than 20 of them.  The 5.7” are more numerous and new went for about $2500 for the OTA.  I couldn’t find one for sale currently.  

The 8.5 inch was $5500.00 I think.

 

https://astromart.co...volo-collection



#89 CHASLX200

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Posted 30 January 2025 - 07:48 PM

The 8.5 inch was $5500.00 I think.

 

https://astromart.co...volo-collection

I think someone was asking 20k for one not long ago.




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