Gosh, the Tele Vue 60 is tiny!

[Luke]

Well I thought my and Sarah's Tele Vue 85 was a small scope, until our Tele Vue 60 arrived today

We weren't expecting to add the 60 for a while, but one came up second hand in good condition. It even came with a Tele Vue baseball cap, so Sarah and I have one each now

Longer term we'd love to add one of the older bigger Tele Vue's, non-Petzval that can be used with a Herschel wedge. The 85 is giving some cracking views in solar white light, I was taken aback by just how clearly I could see the granulation cells the other week with it.

I am really looking forward to a little shootout between the TV60 plus the Daystar Quark h-alpha solar eyepiece versus our Solar Max 60, hope the Quark turns up soon!

[swamp thing]

Looks like a finder scope to me

Albeit a very nice one.

Enjoy

[ChrisLX200]

Pretty little thing - is it a Petzval also? Despite its diminutive size it would be good for WF imaging I would think.

ChrisH

[Luke]

Steve, I wouldn't have thought 60mm was big enough for a finder for your monster dob   Funny enough, we got a free guide scope included! A lovely little Tak 30mm. It's not much bigger than a pencil   Takahashi Alley, here I come, never thought I'd own a Tak

Chris, the TV-60 is an air-spaced doublet. Sarah has already managed a sneaky white light solar view with it today, using a Lunt 1.25 inch wedge. Can't wait to get back to give it a try if the Sun is still out after work. I hope to grab quite a few quick views of the Moon as well, I should get about 120x mag with a 3mm Radian, that should give enough detail to amuse me on the Moon I would hope. Imaging-wise, I've sorta given up on DSO's at the mo (selling the imaging kit has helped us rejig things), I am more doing solar and lunar video imaging now. The 60 should give me easy peasy full disc white light imaging on a non-tracking mount with my video camera and ditto the Moon. For DSO imaging folks, I think there is a special TV-60is version with a dual speed focuser etc. if that works out better?

And hopefully this will work well with the Quark for solar h-alpha viewing. The Quark has a built-in 4.2x Barlow, so you need a short focal length scope if you want to view full disc (not essential for me, as the Quark is mainly for closeups with my bigger fracs, but nice if it's possible with the 60 to see the full disc and proms).

I have not viewed through the TV-60 yet. I am relieved that the helical seems to be backlash free, unlike the example on my SolarMax 60   You do rough focus using the draw tube, then fine focus using the helical.

A few other things I've noticed compared to the TV85: the end cap for the TV-60's dew shield is plastic rather than metal (doesn't really matter, but a metal cap feels posh!). And I didn't actually check this yet but have read that the 60 has little baffles machined into the tube rather than the black flocking paper in the 85. It looks like a finder bracket might be possible to be mounted using the two screws on the dew shield. I'm thinking of getting some kind of quick release finder backet so that I can swap over between a solar finder and a night time finder.

I know, bit pathetic needing a finder for a 60! I'm thinking it would be handy though for whizzing between planets while at higher mag.

[Sarah]

Looks like a finder scope to me

Albeit a very nice one.

Enjoy

Very funny Steve!

It feels quite heavy for its compact size, but this makes it feel very solid and well built, like all TV scopes.

Luke meant to say we had a Tak finder scope included, rather than a guide scope!

Before the clouds rolled in, I did manage a quick view through the TV60 in white light. Very nice it was too. Lovely and sharp and lots if detail to be seen. Probably helps as the white light has been looking awesome recently. I was trying to decide if I could see some granulation or if it was wishful thinking! I think this is going to make a great compact travel scope for holidays, for solar white light, hopefully solar ha with the Quark (when it arrives!) and for a spot of widefield DSO viewing, as well as lunar viewing. It is the ultimate grab 'n' go!

Sarah

[Stu]

Very nice addition to the family Luke & Sarah :-)

Look forward to hearing all about it

Stu

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[Sarah]

Very nice addition to the family Luke & Sarah :-)

Look forward to hearing all about it

Stu

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I am blaming you Stu! your 'family' photo made us want to start a TV family of our own! And as you did well with your Romanian purchase, we decided to go ahead with buying this one from Cyprus. Posted on Thursday and delivered yesterday lunchtime.

Sarah

[Ben Ritchie]

Nice! I had a TV60is once which was a terrific little telescope, tiny but built like an absolute tank. One of the ones where I wish I'd never parted with it

[Stu]

I am blaming you Stu! your 'family' photo made us want to start a TV family of our own! And as you did well with your Romanian purchase, we decided to go ahead with buying this one from Cyprus. Posted on Thursday and delivered yesterday lunchtime.

Sarah

Well, I'm very happy to take the blame for that one :-).

It's a little nerve wracking buying from abroad, isn't it? Very glad it turned out well, I've been delighted with the condition and quality of my 85 so the risk was worthwhile.

I really hope you enjoy it. I know I loved my little WO66 which had a 388mm focal length. The optics in the 60 will be much better so I'm sure you will have some fantastic widefield views, whilst also being able to push the magnification pretty high too. Floaters will be the only issue for higher mags with a very small exit pupil but it should be lovely, and so easy to get under good skies! Plus the Quark will nicely show full disk views of the sun, all good!

Next stop.... TV101, or straight for the 127? ;-)

Have fun

Cheers,

Stu

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[Luke]

Well I was so excited to be heading home, with a bit of Sun breaking through, only to be held up 100 yards from home by roadworks. Had to wait 50 minutes!!

Which maybe was a good thing in a way as I was tempted to get my 120mm out earlier, with those amazing sunspots begging for some imaging. So instead I thought I'd try the TV60 for imaging and visual.

It did not disappoint! Sarah and I both found the view was a bit better than we were expecting. I agree with Sarah about the granulation, it was not nice and clear like I had in the TV85 the other day but it was definitely there. A 5mm Radian gave a lovely view and we got to try our new 3mm Radian which was partly bought for the TV60. It handled the 120x mag pretty well.

The focusing mechanism I seemed to get on quite well with. I could not detect any backlash and it was happy to be fine tuned in either direction.

Imaging-wise, I was impressed with the view on-screen. Very contrasty and sharp and it was no problem finding a good focus with the helical. Okay, it is a lower focal length, but it didn't feel that much different in terms of ease to find the focus than with the dual speed focuser of the TV85.

The scope was a joy to use, it felt fun and low hassle to image with and it looks and feels a bit quirky to use in a good way, it certainly has a bit of character to it and for a 60mm I am very impressed by the white light image. I wonder how the Moon will be with it?

[Luke]

Some nice glass you've got there, Ben!

Stu, it would be lovely to add another Tele Vue long term, I am loving using our 85 and already the 60 has charmed me, I just know I am going to love using this. I see they did a 140 too! Wonder what those are like and what price they fetch? Wonder how it would compare to a Tec 140? I think long term, I'd love to have a 140 or 150 (as well as scopes around the 100 and 120 mark), though I guess that is way off as on top of cost it would also need something a little chunkier than a HEQ5.

[Stu]

Some nice glass you've got there, Ben!

Stu, it would be lovely to add another Tele Vue long term, I am loving using our 85 and already the 60 has charmed me, I just know I am going to love using this. I see they did a 140 too! Wonder what those are like and what price they fetch? Wonder how it would compare to a Tec 140? I think long term, I'd love to have a 140 or 150 (as well as scopes around the 100 and 120 mark), though I guess that is way off as on top of cost it would also need something a little chunkier than a HEQ5.

Not seen the 140 around, but either a TV 127 or a TEC140 would be rather nice, wouldn't it. That's getting to lottery win stage though :-). The Atlux would cope with either of those for visual at least so I am future proofed ;-)

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[Sarah]

Well, I'm very happy to take the blame for that one :-).

It's a little nerve wracking buying from abroad, isn't it? Very glad it turned out well, I've been delighted with the condition and quality of my 85 so the risk was worthwhile.

I really hope you enjoy it. I know I loved my little WO66 which had a 388mm focal length. The optics in the 60 will be much better so I'm sure you will have some fantastic widefield views, whilst also being able to push the magnification pretty high too. Floaters will be the only issue for higher mags with a very small exit pupil but it should be lovely, and so easy to get under good skies! Plus the Quark will nicely show full disk views of the sun, all good!

Next stop.... TV101, or straight for the 127? ;-)

Have fun

Cheers,

Stu

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We haven't purchased much second hand, so yes it was a little nerve wracking Stu, but the chap I dealt with patiently answered all my questions and was very helpful, and a great communicator, which definitely helped!

For me, it would have to be the TV102, so it would be suitable for solar, none of these petzval types!

Just waiting to test the TV60 this eve if it stays clear.

Sarah

[faulksy]

thats a lovely lovely finder, luke and sarah, what scope are you putting it on

[Joves]

There was a 140 for sale a little while ago and I believe they were chasing US$9000, from memory.

[Joves]

Congrats on the new scope, btw guys

[Sarah]

There was a 140 for sale a little while ago and I believe they were chasing US$9000, from memory.

I think I saw somewhere that there only about 37 of these made. I think they might be out of our price range!

Sarah

[Luke]

I had a bit of a surprise yesterday. A Tak TSA 102, although it costs a lot, is not as much brand new as I was expecting. Hmmm, not possible right now, but sell my ED100, my 120mm, their two upgraded focusers, and it's not a million miles away from a second hand TSA 102. That said, my fracs are pretty good and I would probably notice losing the 120.

Don't worry, Sarah, I am just saying that when you are on the scope ladder your mind can start racing away with bonkers ideas!

I think I saw somewhere that there only about 37 of these made. I think they might be out of our price range!

Sarah