80 replies to this topic

[tim53]

Bought a Televue Renaissance 102 with Altaz mount (brass fittings) at the swap tables of one of the last RTMCs.  Wonderful telescope.

 

-Tim.

[rksturm]

As the proud owner and die-hard user of a TeleVue Ranger (produced at some point in the mid-1990s), I am curious as to which TeleVue refractors are now considered to be classic telescopes.

 

And ALWAYS eager to see pics of your "classic" TeleVue scopes!

 

PEACE!

The early model TV-85's are old enough to have that classic Tele Vue refractor look - gloss black, chromed drawtube and big "mag wheel" focuser knobs:

 

 

-Bob S.

Edited by rksturm, 17 February 2025 - 11:49 AM.

[alnitak22]

The early model TV-85's are old enough to have that classic Tele Vue refractor look - gloss black, chromed drawtube and big "mag wheel" focuser knobs:

 

tv-85 on ober tr3 600x450.JPG

 

-Bob S.

Yep…looks like mine. Beautiful rig there!

[Terra Nova]

Still looking for an MPT myself

My brother has an MPT and I’ve used it several times. They are very interesting instruments. They have an internal iris diaphragm.

Edited by Terra Nova, 17 February 2025 - 02:40 PM.

[tim53]

Bought a Televue Renaissance 102 with Altaz mount (brass fittings) at the swap tables of one of the last RTMCs.  Wonderful telescope.

 

-Tim.

I would love it if there were digital setting circles or even a goto upgrade kit for the Gibraltar altaz mount.

 

-Tim.

[ccwemyss]

A PiFinder is supposedly a great push to option for an alt az mount. 
 

Chip W.

[Compressorguy]

I would love it if there were digital setting circles or even a goto upgrade kit for the Gibraltar altaz mount.

 

-Tim.

I love my TV Genesis with Orion Sky Wizard digital setting circles on my TV Panoramic mount, it is an absolute joy to use. Push to’s are extremely accurate (it is an F5 after all) . I would think you could find it for the Gibralter mount as well if not the same one. I also have an original TV 2 speed focuser which makes focusing extremely precise. It’s one of the few scopes I have left and plan to never part with. 
 

 

 

Edited by Compressorguy, 20 February 2025 - 06:37 PM.

[Compressorguy]

Original TV 2 speed focuser, very smooth

 

[clamchip]

The TeleVue Ranger has a helical focuser.

People ether don't like this arrangement or they will tolerate it, I don't know of anyone who craves it.

There is a drawtube for coarse focus and then you rotate the brass barrel for fine. It works well and

no pinion shaft with knobs to get hung up in your backpack. Between this style focuser and the unique

mounting system this is a very slim telescope.  

I bought this Ranger with a stiff almost frozen focuser, a common problem now that these Rangers

can be as old as 30 years, the grease has dried up. Cleaning and relube is a easily done job.

First light I made a few mistakes, I wasn't thinking. I plugged in my favorite star prism and vintage

eyepieces and well, lets just pretend I didn't do that and start over again. This time I will use a mirror

diagonal and maybe it will like my Celestron Ultima eyepieces, these work well in just about anything

even fast scopes like the Ranger.

This telescope will survive a drop test no problem. I remember my WW2 B&L 7X50's were supposed

to survive a 6 foot fall onto a sandbag, the Ranger will too no problem. The ultimate camper special.

Robert

 

Edited by clamchip, 20 February 2025 - 07:20 PM.

[deSitter]

The TeleVue Ranger has a helical focuser.

People ether don't like this arrangement or they will tolerate it, I don't know of anyone who craves it.

There is a drawtube for coarse focus and then you rotate the brass barrel for fine. It works well and

no pinion shaft with knobs to get hung up in your backpack. Between this style focuser and the unique

mounting system this is a very slim telescope.  

I bought this Ranger with a stiff almost frozen focuser, a common problem now that these Rangers

can be as old as 30 years, the grease has dried up. Cleaning and relube is a easily done job.

First light I made a few mistakes, I wasn't thinking. I plugged in my favorite star prism and vintage

eyepieces and well, lets just pretend I didn't do that and start over again. This time I will use a mirror

diagonal and maybe it will like my Celestron Ultima eyepieces, these work well in just about anything

even fast scopes like the Ranger.

This telescope will survive a drop test no problem. I remember my WW2 B&L 7X50's were supposed

to survive a 6 foot fall onto a sandbag, the Ranger will too no problem. The ultimate camper special.

Robert

 

IMG_2932.JPG

IMG_2935.JPG

IMG_3181.JPG

My Pentax J60c has a helical focuser which works beautifully, like a camera lens after re-greasing with Nyogel damping grease. I generally detest helical focusers so that says something about how nice this one is. Of course this is a 60/300mm scope so not hard to focus due to low powers.

 

-drl

[deSitter]

Original TV 2 speed focuser, very smooth

 

IMG_1153.jpeg

Who made the DSSes? That's a nice setup. Orion is usually just a rebrand.

 

-drl

[Jon Isaacs]

 

 

The TeleVue Ranger has a helical focuser.

People ether don't like this arrangement or they will tolerate it, I don't know of anyone who craves it.

 

I bought a Ranger about 4 years ago, the focuser was frozen. I was able to unfreeze it and get it working. It really needed new thrust washers. 

 

The Ranger I bought last year has a superb focuser.  I'm not sure crave is the right word but it's part of what I like about the Ranger. It can be configured as a spotting scope without the typical issues or as an astro scope..

 

The PiFinder is pretty amazing. Last night I was using my 16 inch and I was putting objects near the center of the field at 430x.

 

Apps like SkySafari have the compass mode, they tell you what the phone or tablet is "pointed at " only they're not very accurate.

 

Last night I realized I could use the PiFinder with the Telrad in the mode except that it's extremely accurate. I looked up at the sky and asked myself, I wonder what DSOs are around those three stars.. the PiFinder is linked to SkySafari I saw the correct chart right away.

 

For the who are not familiar with the PiFinder, it's essentially an encoderless set of DSCs. It's based on plate solving. It can be used as a standalone device or linked to SkySafari. It only requires a 1 star alignment and can be swapped from scope to scope with some limitations. I've used it with the NP-101.. it fits a standard Vixen dovetail finder mount so swapping from one scope to the next is as easy as swapping a finder.

 

 

Jon 

[CHASLX200]

Ranger i used showed color.

[starman876]

TV Genesis, TV Pronto and TV Ranger and loved them all.  Sold them years ago.  Everyone should try a TV scope.   I think I should have kept mine.  But with all the thousands of scopes I have had they were my favorite. 

[CHASLX200]

TV Genesis, TV Pronto and TV Ranger and loved them all.  Sold them years ago.  Everyone should try a TV scope.   I think I should have kept mine.  But with all the thousands of scopes I have had they were my favorite. 

Well i have had near 10k scopes and want to try a 127 deven.

[deSitter]

Well i have had near 10k scopes and want to try a 127 deven.

You are the Wilt Chamberlain of optics

 

10k days is about 30 years. That is a new scope every day for 30 years.

 

-drl

[CHASLX200]

You are the Wilt Chamberlain of optics

 

10k days is about 30 years. That is a new scope every day for 30 years.

 

-drl

I was joking. But still want a 127 for cheap.

[deSitter]

I was joking. But still want a 127 for cheap.

I don't have much interest in small boutique scopes - I like my proletarian ETXes and royal Astro-Optical scopes But the one Televue scope that really appeals is the NP-127. Something about the Petzval design - that took some good optical and mechanical work to perfect. I would love to read a comparo with ED and APO designs. The Petzval scope is something like f/5. Just about a perfect wide-field sweeper. Not sure how much of an upgrade from a 127ED it would be. I can get a 5mm exit pupil already at f/9.

 

-drl

[deSitter]

I bought a Ranger about 4 years ago, the focuser was frozen. I was able to unfreeze it and get it working. It really needed new thrust washers. 

 

The Ranger I bought last year has a superb focuser.  I'm not sure crave is the right word but it's part of what I like about the Ranger. It can be configured as a spotting scope without the typical issues or as an astro scope..

 

The PiFinder is pretty amazing. Last night I was using my 16 inch and I was putting objects near the center of the field at 430x.

 

Apps like SkySafari have the compass mode, they tell you what the phone or tablet is "pointed at " only they're not very accurate.

 

Last night I realized I could use the PiFinder with the Telrad in the mode except that it's extremely accurate. I looked up at the sky and asked myself, I wonder what DSOs are around those three stars.. the PiFinder is linked to SkySafari I saw the correct chart right away.

 

For the who are not familiar with the PiFinder, it's essentially an encoderless set of DSCs. It's based on plate solving. It can be used as a standalone device or linked to SkySafari. It only requires a 1 star alignment and can be swapped from scope to scope with some limitations. I've used it with the NP-101.. it fits a standard Vixen dovetail finder mount so swapping from one scope to the next is as easy as swapping a finder.

 

 

 

Jon 

I guess i am officially wanting a PiFinder

 

Pretty amazing report. I still want to see big red coordinates displayed on the mount or telescope itself! It seems like that should be pretty easy to pull off with dedicated wireless connections (like a keyboard or mouse).

 

It would also be nice to have conversion to say Epoch 1950.0 so you could use the coordinates in Burnham or the like directly. Maybe that is already happening. I keep threatening to make something useful if only to me.

 

-drl

[BillinBallard]

If I remember correctly, Televue made a handful of 140’s about 20 years ago.

 

I did some digging on Google and found a CN article from 2005 on the 140. I also found an old article about the restoration of a TV 140 on the Televue site.

 

I tried copying and pasting the links, but that doesn’t seem to work. However, a Goggle search will take you to the articles on both sites.

Edited by BillinBallard, 22 February 2025 - 03:20 PM.

[deSitter]

If I remember correctly, Televue made a handful of 140’s about 20 years ago.  

Vixen made a "Neo-Achromat" NA-140 with 4 elements and a sort of Petzval design (maybe a real one). It had mechanical issues which led to astigmatism, sort of like the big Meade ED. That scope was a hot topic for a while. I don't remember any TV 140s but I don't pay close attention.

 

-drl

[Jon Isaacs]

Well i have had near 10k scopes and want to try a 127 deven.

 

Chas:

 

That number seems to be going up exponentially.  It was not that long ago it was 300.  Then it was 1000.., 

 

10K scopes is 1 new scope a day for 27 years.

 

Jon

[Jon Isaacs]

I guess i am officially wanting a PiFinder

 

Pretty amazing report. I still want to see big red coordinates displayed on the mount or telescope itself! It seems like that should be pretty easy to pull off with dedicated wireless connections (like a keyboard or mouse).

 

It would also be nice to have conversion to say Epoch 1950.0 so you could use the coordinates in Burnham or the like directly. Maybe that is already happening. I keep threatening to make something useful if only to me.

 

-drl

 

If you hook it up like I do to SkySafari, I believe you can use different Epochs in Sky Safari.  

 

Jon

[Jon Isaacs]

Ranger i used showed color.

Rangers and Prontos show some color.  It's not the end of the world...

 

Jon

[deSitter]

If you hook it up like I do to SkySafari, I believe you can use different Epochs in Sky Safari.  

 

Jon

Ah yes! I see that now! I have SS 6 pro.

 

So I think I have a project Stick-on coordinate displays that talk to SS.

 

-drl