FLO

You are well known for your fondness for Tele Vue eyepieces. I'll share this with you without mentioning a name (if you guess who, please don't say it). Some time ago, someone asked if I knew somebody at SGL who would review a new eyepiece series. Before I could answer, he added, "But not John. He compares everything with his Tele Vues, and that is a very high bar". Steve

Yes, Paul. I remember now. I will add his name to my post. Thank you 🙂 I am over most of my jet lag, so have remembered something else from the visit. I won't add this to the post because it is sad. Al took me aside and showed me a wall displaying his optical patent certificates. He was understandably proud but concluded the conversation by saying we don't file patents anymore because people copy the designs anyway, and the info in a patent only makes it easier for them to do so. Steve

Ditto. The Tele Vue 85 APO is winking at me, particularly after seeing Al use one to demonstrate the edge-to-edge sharpness of an eyepiece. They have multiple ways of testing an eyepiece, including the usual optical resolution charts. But Al's favourite methods are less techie and more DIY. I.e., a row of ball bearings that, when illuminated with a high contrast light, provide pinpoint highlights across the field, enabling multiple airy discs to be observed. And shiny aluminium filings sprinkled and glued onto a black surface to simulate stars. I remember something else I should have included in my post: the Ethos was David's project, not Al's. David wanted to take the Tele Vue 'Spacewalk' philosophy ('ethos') to the next level with an even wider field. When David showed Al his initial drawings for a new Ethos eyepiece, Al said he thought the design might be too ambitious. But later, when progress was made and demonstrated to Al, he was impressed, and, together with one of their optical wizards, they finished the design and brought it to market. I'll add both of the above to my post. Steve

One Coronado SolarMax II 60 RichView Solar Telescope with BF10. Open Box Open box - used for product photography. New and unused. Excellent condition. Open box. Full manufacturers warranty. £2,198.00 £1,978.00 (saving £220.00)

One Celestron 8" Rowe-Ackermann Astrograph (RASA 8). Damaged B Grade 8" RASA - has a slight paint blemish on the OTA tube otherwise in excellent condition and optically A-OK. Scruffy box. Full manufacturers warranty. £2,469.00 £1,999.00 (saving £470.00)

One Celestron 8" Rowe-Ackermann Astrograph (RASA 8). Damaged B Grade 8" RASA - has a slight paint blemish on the OTA tube otherwise in excellent condition and optically A-OK. Scruffy box. Full manufacturers warranty. £2,469.00 £1,999.00 (saving £470.00)

FWIW, the SM125 ED is manufactured to a minimum Strehl of 0.92. When considering Strehls, 0.8 is diffraction-limited 1/4 wave, 0.92 is very good, 0.95-0.98 is exceptional, and 0.98+ is essentially perfection. The manufacturer assures us no other version of this telescope is made to a higher specification. (We always seek this assurance before adding a StellaMira telescope to our stock). HTH, Steve

What he said ^ 🙂 It matters most how the telescope supplied to you works and that there is sufficient redress if it does not work as expected. Steve

Many people are asking why I didn't post photos of iOptron mounts. I intended to, but iOptron didn't have a stall at NEAIC, and the two times I visited their stall at NEAF, they were busy. Next year, I'll contact them beforehand to arrange a time. Sorry ☺️

That is good to hear 🙂

Probably best that I do not comment on another retailer's sales spiel 😇 Some manufacturers include a Strehl report, but I wish they wouldn't. I don't like the way they are used for marketing. A Zygo is intended for use during the manufacturing process. And, let's face it, you don't have to search far on this or any other large astronomy forum to find telescopes that don't match their included report. FWIW, we have two optical benches and a Shack Hartmann. We use them when appropriate. HTH, Steve

After NEAF, before catching our plane home, we visited Al and David Nagler at their premises in Orange County. Together, they gave us a tour of their facility. We left with a renewed respect for what they do. Some thoughts, observations and learnings from our visit, in no particular order: Tele Vue is a family-run company headed by David Nagler and his wife Sandy. The company was founded in 1977 by David’s father, Al Nagler (centre of photo), an optical engineer who designed simulators used in the Apollo space program. Al still takes an active interest in the company and often attends events. Al Nagler’s enthusiasm, curiosity and drive are palpable and inspiring. He is not simply a figurehead. I have been pronouncing Nagler wrong. It is pronounced N’ay’gler (like Nay or Nay-sayer). Although, they pronounce coffee c’oi’ffee. So, hey, what do they know 😄 They are obsessed (in a good way) with QC! They will reject an eyepiece or telescope with the tiniest mark or imperfection. I noticed a rejected telescope dew-shield on the shelf with a barely visible, insignificant 2mm blemish in its anodising. I haven’t seen QC done to this level anywhere else. Tele Vue eyepieces must surely be the most copied—especially their Ethos series. There are now multiple copies of the Ethos. So many that, ironically, the copies are competing against each other! The Chinese copies are copies. They are NOT the same. They are made using Chinese equivalent glass types and optical coatings. (I wondered if one of Tele Vue’s manufacturers had been naughty, but no. The copies are not related in any way to Tele Vue or their manufacturers). People say copying is a form of flattery. I sense the Naglers disagree (and I don’t blame them). The Ethos was David's project, not Al's. David wanted to take the Tele Vue 'Spacewalk' philosophy ('ethos') to the next level with an even wider field. When David showed Al his initial drawings for the new eyepiece, Al said he thought the design might be too ambitious. But later, when progress was made and demonstrated to Al, he was impressed, and, together with the late Paul Dellechiaie (their optical wizard at the time), they finished the design and brought it to market. The building was explicitly designed for Tele Vue. I.e. entrances/exits are lined up so that when all the doors are open, they provide a very long path for optical testing. Their optical testing and assembly rigs are all made in-house! I didn’t take photos because I felt that wasn’t appropriate. But they were fascinating. I could easily lose a whole day playing! They have multiple ways of testing an eyepiece, including the usual optical resolution charts. But Al's favourite methods are less techie and more DIY. I.e., a row of ball bearings that, when illuminated with a high contrast light, provide pinpoint highlights across the field, enabling multiple airy discs to be observed. And shiny aluminium filings sprinkled and glued onto a black surface to simulate stars. Tele Vue's staff don’t wear nuclear fallout suits or masks (neither do we when we test optics), but they are very strict about separating clean and dirty processes. Interestingly, though their eyepiece and telescope designs are modern, their admin and procedures are old-school—mostly pen, paper, and lots of cross-checking. I sense Al’s influence here. If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Whilst Tele Vue is known primarily for premium eyepieces, their telescopes are also designed, assembled and QCd in-house. The telescopes have benefited over the years from numerous incremental improvements in design, materials and glass. The NP101is astrograph has matured into an especially impressive telescope! We will add one to our demo stock, lend it to Gary Palmer for testing and then send it to our remote observatory in Spain. Tele Vue's focusers are also designed, assembled and QCd in-house. (For years, I suspected Starlight Instruments made Tele Vue's tubes, focusers, and hardware. But I was wrong. They are designed and assembled by Tele Vue). Tom (on the left of the group photo, behind David Nagler) does most of the telescope assembly. His enthusiasm for his role and the telescopes is palpable. Tele Vue will happily repair and restore a TV eyepiece or telescope, regardless of age. So if you accidentally damage yours, please get in touch with them or your supplier. Most members of the Tele Vue team have been with the company for many years (i.e., Tom has been with them for over twenty years). Rick (fourth from the left, behind Sandy and Al Nagler) has a wicked sense of humour and makes excellent ‘New York Black & White’ cookies! Tele Vue’s newest optical designer (not in the photo) mentioned that new products are in development. We are guessing that at least one will likely be released this summer. We sincerely thank Al, David, Sandy, Rick, Tom, and their colleagues for the tour and hospitality. We look forward to seeing you again next year 🤗

It wasn’t there. I asked, they said it is still in the design and development stage so not ready for reveal. HTH

I've just learned the smaller of the two new Sky-Watcher harmonic mounts can be used with a scope fitted on either side.

The large telescope is a Sightron 75mm f/5 6 element / 6 group astrograph. The smaller telescope is a Sightrom 50mm f/10.9 doublet achromat.

Japanese-made Sightron goodness 😊

Just visited the Pegasus Astro stall 🤗

NEAIC is over, and it's day one at NEAF. Here's Gary Palmer, Grant and Alz (Astron Scientific) on our Remote Observatory stall. (The photo was taken before the doors opened). NEAF is 'much' busier than NEAIC, but sometime today or tomorrow, I'll visit other stalls in the hope of finding more to photograph.

It's a Starlight Express SX-EFAO 'electronic focuser with internal active optics'. HTH, Steve

Michael Hattey at SX says it is one of a new series of CMOS cameras. They will launch soon with, initially, IMX571 and IMX455 sensors. HTH, Steve