Televue worth the $?

[samgray128a]

Personally I'd go with the TV Panoptic! Sorry Chris for the dilemma! It really is my favourite eyepiece though and I prefer it over my Naglers but think that's more to do with the focal lengths. Must try and avoid looking through an Ethos or may really start something I can't finish!

[astronymonkey]

Im not sure if tv is worth the money any more than I know if a £7 bottle of wine is better than a £5 one. But they give nice views and I can be happy knowing I have the best views I can afford.

Cheers

[RT65CB-SWL]

Yikes! I hope they don't look at my signature :lol

Yikes! I just have...

[Piero]

My philosophy is to buy little and very good. This does not work for everyone for many reasons (e.g. desire to explore other brands etc). Preferring fast telescopes because I love wide fields, I go for TV.

Said this, if I had a slow telescope (e.g. F10) possibly my choice would be different.

Roy is very right in what he said. I never heard about a faulty TV tool. Their quality control system is just outstanding and to me it is well worth the price. This price is of course reduced if they are bought in the used market. If you decide to resell your TV items later you don't lose much money, possibly anything.

[DRT]

Im not sure if tv is worth the money any more than I know if a £7 bottle of wine is better than a £5 one. But they give nice views and I can be happy knowing I have the best views I can afford.

Cheers

I tend to find that it is the quantity of wine rather than the price that affects the views

[YKSE]

So I've been comparing Televue ep's and Meade ep's and i can't understand why there is such a dramatic price difference. TV offer their ethos SX which offers 110 degree AFOV, while Meade MWA offers 100 degree for quite a bit less. Anyone have opinions on either of these?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you use the eyepieces as much as you can, then it's certainly worth the money, how expensive it may be. On the other hand, if the eyepieces are just collecting dusts, then even the cheapest ones are waste of money. Just my 2 cents.

[John]

....Just my 2 cents.

50 cents if it's a Tele Vue

[estwing]

Personally I like quality glass at both ends of my telescopes...

[estwing]

so really is there any point having £**** ep being used with below par mirrors...no thanks

[John]

so really is there any point having £**** ep being used with below par mirrors...no thanks

What would you call below par for a mirror Calvin ?. I believe the vast majority are at least diffraction limited these days which, as I understand it, equates to 1/4 wave PV, strehl of .80 and 1/14th wave RMS.

Personally I've seen improvements when I've used quality eyepieces in practically any scope. I think large aperture and really fast focal ratios test them

[DRT]

I strongly suspect that for most people the advantage of spending money on better kit is that they benefit from the effect of compound marginal gains.

Think about your very first telescope when you were standing outside in your slippers and a t-shirt looking through a £10 Plossl in a £50 scope under the glare of the neighbour's security light wandering around freezing cold, frustrated, underwhelmed and lost in a sky that you didn't know. Over years you have upgraded the quality of your eyepieces, telescope, socks, warm clothing, a comfy chair, knowledge of the stars, added some filters for particular objects, found a darker spot in the garden, etc. Each thing adds only a small amount to the experience but when you multiply them all together the difference between the start and the end state is enormous.

So, part of the decision on whether or not to invest in a great scope or great eyepieces should probably be whether or not it is a one-off investment or part of an overall journey towards having the best set-up you can.

[estwing]

Agreed that most modern day mirrors are way above the quality of the production line stuff of say 15 yrs ago whether that's down to QC or production techniques is another thing but let's be honest here most plum for O.O.Zambuto,etc over others for a reason which is top class glass. I don't think it's wise to spend a fortune on eyepieces when the quality of the mirror isn't the best it could be,granted below par wasn't the best description I could of used...

[estwing]

I strongly suspect that for most people the advantage of spending money on better kit is that they benefit from the effect of compound marginal gains.

Think about your very first telescope when you were standing outside in your slippers and a t-shirt looking through a £10 Plossl in a £50 scope under the glare of the neighbour's security light wandering around freezing cold, frustrated, underwhelmed and lost in a sky that you didn't know. Over years you have upgraded the quality of your eyepieces, telescope, socks, warm clothing, a comfy chair, knowledge of the stars, added some filters for particular objects, found a darker spot in the garden, etc. Each thing adds only a small amount to the experience but when you multiply them all together the difference between the start and the end state is enormous.

So, part of the decision on whether or not to invest in a great scope or great eyepieces should probably be whether or not it is a one-off investment or part of an overall journey towards having the best set-up you can.

...my first telescope is in my sig...so I suppose I'm lucky on my first purchase...and my slippers do need replacing!

[DRT]

...my first telescope is in my sig...so I suppose I'm lucky on my first purchase...and my slippers do need replacing!

They will make all the difference, Calvin

[John]

Agreed that most modern day mirrors are way above the quality of the production line stuff of say 15 yrs ago whether that's down to QC or production techniques is another thing but let's be honest here most plum for O.O.Zambuto,etc over others for a reason which is top class glass. I don't think it's wise to spend a fortune on eyepieces when the quality of the mirror isn't the best it could be,granted below par wasn't the best description I could of used...

I guess most folks can afford an excellent eyepiece or two now and then, if they wish, but prices of the very best scope optics put them out of reach of all but the fortunate, and patient, few.

I'm not sure that I'd put OO in the same category as Carl Zambuto really

[Piero]

I guess most folks can afford an excellent eyepiece or two now and then, if they wish, but prices of the very best scope optics put them out of reach of all but the fortunate, and patient, few.

I'm not sure that I'd put OO in the same category as Carl Zambuto really

I would be curious to know the differences between these two now that you pointed this out, John. Are these due to mechanics or optics or both?

An improvement in mechanics could be substantial I believe. I wonder though how zambuto can offer a much better mirror above 1/10 pv and how this difference would be appreciable by users. Reading on other posts it seems people struggle spotting differences between skywatcher and OO mirrors even when the latter is 1/10 PV.

I apologise for the slightly off topic question. It's just a clarification for non Dobson users (yet!) like me.

Thanks

Piero

[jetstream]

The EP is a huge part of the optical train as is the secondary mirror in a newt. If I was upgrading optics from an unknown spec newt that underperformed, a new high spec secondary would be bought, along with some quality eyepieces- of which TV are one of a few brands that qualify.IMHO...

[John]

I would be curious to know the differences between these two now that you pointed this out, John. Are these due to mechanics or optics or both?

An improvement in mechanics could be substantial I believe. I wonder though how zambuto can offer a much better mirror above 1/10 pv and how this difference would be appreciable by users. Reading on other posts it seems people struggle spotting differences between skywatcher and OO mirrors even when the latter is 1/10 PV.

I apologise for the slightly off topic question. It's just a clarification for non Dobson users (yet!) like me.

Thanks

Piero

I've never (knowlingly) used a scope with a Zambuto mirror Piero. My understanding though is that they and a couple of other mirror makers can produce optics that are in a different league again to what most of us are used to. Different cost league as well !

The mechanicals of the two OO scopes that I've owned have been OK but nothing special. The optics of my 12" seem good to me and have shown me stuff that other scopes I've owned have not but might be rather "ho hum" compared to really top draw optics ?. Perhaps one day I'll get a chance to find out.

Anyway, I don't want to de-rail this thread into a discussion of scope optics. As I've said earlier, I've found excellent eyepieces have offered benefits in all the scopes I've owned. I tend to choose eyepieces on the basis that they will give my eyes, my scope optics and my viewing conditions the best possible chance they can to perform to their limits. The Tele Vue and Pentax brands seem to do this as well or better than anything else I've used

[trazor]

Yikes! I hope they don't look at my signature

Just wait until you discover Bino viewers........You will need to double up on all those eyepieces..............

I do 95% of all my observing with bino's, the difference in viewing is remarkable, Solar as well.

[Piero]

Anyway, I don't want to de-rail this thread into a discussion of scope optics. As I've said earlier, I've found excellent eyepieces have offered benefits in all the scopes I've owned. I tend to choose eyepieces on the basis that they will give my eyes, my scope optics and my viewing conditions the best possible chance they can to perform to their limits. The Tele Vue and Pentax brands seem to do this as well or better than anything else I've used

Thanks for your answer John.

Sure, you are right. Mine was just a curiosity not an enquiry and it is better not to de-rail the original thread.

[DRT]

Just wait until you discover Bino viewers........You will need to double up on all those eyepieces..............

I do 95% of all my observing with bino's, the difference in viewing is remarkable, Solar as well.

I've gone down the bino route three times and just can't get them to work. I think it's my eyes or the shape of my face but I just can't get comfortable with them. The good news is that saves me a small fortune in a second set of TVs

[John]

I've gone down the bino route three times and just can't get them to work. I think it's my eyes or the shape of my face but I just can't get comfortable with them. The good news is that saves me a small fortune in a second set of TVs

I been down that road a couple of times as well Derek. For those who get on with them the results sound great but I just could not get on with them. I'm not that great with big binoculars either. Must be something funny with my eyes

[RT65CB-SWL]

I own four TeleVue eyepieces in my collection; (2x Plossl, 1x Radian, 1x Nagler zoom, plus a few other e/p's). I do receive positive feedback with the TV e/p's when I have been to star-parties from members of my local society and the public.

 

Before I purchased my TV Naglar zoom I was comparing other zoom e/p's. Many of the 8-24mm zoom e/p's look like a clone of each other. I don't know why, but something inside me told me to go with the TV. I don't think I have the expertise to say TV produces a better eyepiece than My Telescopes & My Optical Ltd./Inc. or vice-versa. Personally I think TV e/p's are worth the extra £/$ and they do work well all in my 'scopes. 

[niallk]

I been down that road a couple of times as well Derek. For those who get on with them the results sound great but I just could not get on with them. I'm not that great with big binoculars either. Must be something funny with my eyes

Shhhhh... Don't tell anyone, but the views through my cheap Baader binoviewer with erm a pair of the 25mm 'super' plossls that come with Synta scopes (+2.5x GPC) are... stunning! They must cost €15 each If you can get on with them, I do think the brain does gives a wonderful image processing 'gain' when binoviewing moon/planets/solar.

But I do love my TV EPs for mono viewing - I bought a 13T6 initially, and it was just exquisite to use in my f/4.7 250px - the tfov, quality to the edge, sharp crisp view (and for some reason, I immediately started to see colour in Orion when I bought this ep!). I don't have a vast EP collection or the experience of so many others here, but I consider TV worth the investment to me. I'm getting many years out of my EPs, and they all will hopefully continue to get lots of use in my newer f/4.5 15" scope for many more years. Odds on if I buy another EP, the real question for me would be to justify going for another brand!

[laservet]

Meade systematically and shamelessly copy other manufacturers' designs. (Their SCTs copied Celestron's, their LX90 copied the Questar - not in all its details - and they always copy TeleVue's eyepieces.) TeleVue invented these wonderful ultra-widefeild eyepieces, which personally I love, and if we want them to go on inventing them then I think we should support them. TeleVue also answer the phone and give optical help if you need it. They told me how to sort out a damaged Genesis which I had bought second hand and their advice worked perfectly. To my mind they are a good firm.

Olly

This. TeleVue is a small company that stuck its financial neck out for the R&D needed to bring a new product to a small niche hobby. If we don't reward the innovators they will go away.