New scope TV 85

[inspectapart]

Well, I just bought a new second hand scope.After much deliberation followed by an impulsive buy, I got myself a televue 85. The scope was left to a gent in Kent by his Uncle and I managed to buy it along with some extras which included two televue zoom eps, a binoviewer and a televue tele-pod tripod to name but a few.The first thing that strikes me about this scope is the weight. It seems heavy compared to other scopes I own. I feel that this is due to the quality of materials used in its construction. Any one had experience with this scope?

Bob

[Qualia]

Congratulations on finding such a gorgeous instrument, Bob. I have its smaller brother, the TV 76 and I find it a real joy to use. Everything about the scope breaths quality and personally, I think it is one of the most attractive scopes I've ever seen. In terms of performance, it's basically what you would expect from Tele Vue. Beautiful wide fields with crisp, pinpoint stars.

Even taking into account its small aperture, the scope takes magnification well and on a good night of seeing pushes way beyond the usual 50x for each aperture inch. It can reveal a surprising number of DSOs and the Moon and the Sun (with Herschel Wedge etc) are stunning. There isn't a trace of purple haze around even the brightest of objects (Moon, Sirius etc), double stars retain their true colours at high magnifications and Jupiter reveals multiple belts, festoons, shadow transits and even the pale puff of the Great Red Spot. Needless to say, rich star fields and open clusters are exquisite.

I find the little widefield 3" a perfect companion to a more punchy 10", both revealing distinct worlds and perspectives from the same horizon. You're going to have so much fun with the TV 85 and I look forward to hearing your reports on the little gem

[bond19]

I have owned a few scopes and earlier this year I too purchased a used TV. It has literally transformed by observing due to:

1. Hassle free maintenance

2. Light weight grab n go

3. Premium optics punching well about their weight

4 (and the biggest for me) Mechanical and engineering quality. This for me makes it a really joy to use and means much more time under the stars

Have fun with your new TV. It will bring much joy.

[Stu]

Nice one Bob, welcome to the club,you won't regret it [emoji3]

I had a TV76 for a while, and now have a TV85 and a Genesis. As you say, the build quality is fantastic, they will last for several lifetimes if looked after and are designed to be serviced and repaired, not thrown away.

Whilst the optical performance is perhaps just below some of the more exotic (and expensive!) refractors, to me they give really lovely views of both widefield and high power objects. Splitting double stars with the 85 is a joy, such lovely star shapes and contrast.

They are certainly chunky and weigh more than other equivalent scopes, but it is always an 'event' to use my 85. I take mine with me quite often if I am travelling in the UK so I have the chance to observe under dark skies.

Here are some pics of mine, set up for solar viewing with a Herschel Wedge, something you should consider acquiring if solar observing interests you. The views are astounding!

Enjoy!

Cheers,

Stu

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Stu]

Meant to say, please do post some pictures of your scope, would be great to see

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[jabeoo1]

I don't own one bit I reckon you made a very wise choice there.  By the sounds of what others write its a hands down winner. Please feel free to include images & a first light report  

[ollypenrice]

Well done. I think your own post and those of other owners behind yours hit the nail on the head. These are simple instruments, beautifully made without regard to fashion, without gimmicks and made to last several generations. I've had two old TeleVues and I hope to have one or two more before I pop my clogs. At the risk of upsetting people (and I am a William Optics owner myself) TeleVue are the antidote to William Optics. WIth TV substance is everything.

I really must buy a used TV85. One of my regular guests is a big fan. Scroll down to the bottom of this page. http://www.franskroon.nl/equipment.htm

In fact 'Buy a TV85' would be a darned good new year's resolution...

Olly

[Luke]

Congrats on the Tele Vue 85! I am a very happy owner of one. It's especially close to my heart as although I use it for the night time stuff too, it also makes a good solar scope (solar is my main thing!) with the appropriate safety filters (I use a Herschel wedge for white light and Daystar Quark for hydrogen alpha).

Bigger scopes may of course give more resolution (my Skywatcher ED100 edges it there) but it punches very well for its size (a touch sharper and more contrast than the ED100 I felt), is nice and compact and its great build quality and engineering make it a real joy to use. Sometimes it is nice if funds allow to spoil yourself with a quality item, and this is one of those luxuries!

[RT65CB-SWL]

Which one is it? The white or green one or even the brass one?

...and welcome to 'TeleVue Anonymous'!

[A McEwan]

Ye I had a TV85 too and enjoyed every minute with it. I owned it for a couple or more years, and when I sold it, got back what I'd paid for it. That's another good thing about them - they hold their value. But the views through them and the use of them are the real icing on the cake!

Congratulations on your purchase!

Ant

[John]

Congratulations on your TV85

I've used / owned virtually all the eyepiece types that Tele Vue have made but I've never had the pleasure of looking through one of their refractors. Must do something about that in the new year

[NGC188]

Congratulations on your purchase of the TV85. I, too, bought my TeleVue used and I must say that it looked like it had never been used. I found mine at an estate auction, and I have to believe I was the only person there who knew what a TV-101NP was and what the value should have been. It was a sealed bid silent auction and. I put in a ridiculous low bid knowing my bid would not be 'in the running'. Lo and behold, I won the bid and the people accepted the bid above the protest of the auction house; apparently they wanted to clear all the hard assets of the estate on that day. For one time in my life, I found luck sitting beside me...

My point -- TeleVue telescopes are of the highest quality, regardless if you find one used or not. I just assumed the optics would be in collimation, that nothing was broken, and that the accessories were in line with the 101NP...

Your TV-85 should serve you more than well. It can be a 'grab & go', but it will never be a 'I made a mistake'. Like me, you will wish for a bit more aperture now and then, but then the crystal clear images and quality overall override those thoughts. You might still wish the 85 was my 101, but nothing is ever perfect. I think you should just feel fortunate that your purchase in Kent made it possible for you to own one of the better telescopes ever made...

Good luck and I promise you, the 85 will grow on you like no other telescope. It won't only be your extended vision into the heavens, but it will become a partner in your hobby for a long time to come...cya

[Druid]

Lovely little scope.

I've got an older 101 myself but I've fondled an 85 and I must admit that in some ways (primarily portability) it's even more desirable than its bigger sibling. If you need something bigger than 85mm, you probably need a *lot* bigger than 101mm if you see what I mean. 

[inspectapart]

Thanks for all your encouraging remarks about my new scope.Sorry guys for not replying sooner. I have attached a couple of pics. Not too good quality i`m afraid but will try to do better later.

I had a bit of trouble with the tele-pod at first. The horizontal movement kept slipping off bearing contact.( becoming loose) I managed to nip up the 3 small screws under the domed cover and it seems o/k now, although there Isn`t any tension adjustment via the hand knob. It seems o/k though now.

[Stu]

Very nice [emoji3]

[russ.will]

It's a point I've often made in this and other hobbies of mine - Even if you ignore the fact that you do have an optically first class instrument, the fit, finish and build contribute to an enjoyable viewing experience. When it feels nice to the touch and you don't have to fight or work around mechanical foibles, you're going to find excuses to use a given scope more often.

Top buy.

Russell

[Luke]

So true, Russell. I have in the past year or two come to really apprecaite scopes being light for their size, like the Skwatcher 100DS-Pro and Celestron Edge 8. It encourages me to use them, as they are such little effort to carry out. The TV85 is downright heavy for its size. But it doesn't matter