4" F/7 ED refractor

[Franklin]

Every amateur astronomer should own a good old 4" refractor, they're great.

Here's a few I've had, all Vixen of course😁.

FL102S F8.8

SD103S F7.7

A102M F9.8

A105M F9.5

and currently the ED102S F9

 

 

[Louis D]

I like how Vixen couldn't quite decide where to put their logo or even what that logo should look like over the years.

[Franklin]

7 hours ago, Louis D said:

I like how Vixen couldn't quite decide where to put their logo or even what that logo should look like over the years.

😁Yes I agree and it can cause confusion when trying to put a date on things. Decals seem to have gone in trends over the years and Vixen were influenced by another well known Japanese telescope manufacturer in that department.

[John]

I've owned my Vixen ED 102mm F/6.5 refractor for longer than I've owned any other scope (16 years) because it is such a useful scope. Such an instrument can deliver really low power views of over 4 degrees in true extent one moment and then 250x high resolution views the next. It's really great for solar observing as well (suitably filtered of course).

Very portable, quick to cool down, easy to mount, compact to store. It's just "win-win-win-win" with such scopes which is why they are so popular. The Vixen F/6.5's are long out of production now but there are a number of other fine alternatives available today, a number of which have already been mentioned in this thread 🙂

[Alan White]

Another 4" ED devotee here. owned a number, varying focal lengths but all super and all so versatile.
All the reasons others have said.
My 4" scope/s would like others be the last scopes to ever be gone, just too versatile and work for me and my location.

 

[Mr Spock]

FLO have just posted a bargain. I expect it to be gone quickly! 

 

[RobertI]

52 minutes ago, Mr Spock said:

FLO have just posted a bargain. I expect it to be gone quickly! 

 

There’s also a 125ED at an equally bargain price. 

[IB20]

4 minutes ago, RobertI said:

There’s also a 125ED at an equally bargain price. 

Stop it!!! Must… resist…

[badhex]

4 hours ago, IB20 said:

Stop it!!! Must… resist…

Doing a great job so far 😂

[IB20]

They’ve both been purchased… phew!!

[John]

9 minutes ago, IB20 said:

They’ve both been purchased… phew!!

Thank goodness for that !

I was starting to make a case to myself that I really need something that fits in between my 120mm and 130mm refractors ....... 🙄

[The Lapwing]

Personally, I use nothing else 

[RobertI]

3 minutes ago, The Lapwing said:

Personally, I use nothing else 

Simplicity itself. 🙂

[The Lapwing]

4 hours ago, RobertI said:

Simplicity itself. 🙂

Indeed. I’m proper old school I am afraid, no wires for me. I learned the night sky with a star map and a red touch. 

[The Lapwing]

On 15/11/2023 at 10:04, John said:

I've owned my Vixen ED 102mm F/6.5 refractor for longer than I've owned any other scope (16 years) because it is such a useful scope. Such an instrument can deliver really low power views of over 4 degrees in true extent one moment and then 250x high resolution views the next. It's really great for solar observing as well (suitably filtered of course).

Very portable, quick to cool down, easy to mount, compact to store. It's just "win-win-win-win" with such scopes which is why they are so popular. The Vixen F/6.5's are long out of production now but there are a number of other fine alternatives available today, a number of which have already been mentioned in this thread 🙂

If I could have found one I would have bought it. As rare as hen’s teeth as far as I can tell, mind you getting hold of a TV102 wasn’t easy, I was actively searching for one for a few years before I found mine. I won’t be selling it. 

[Saganite]

16 hours ago, John said:

Thank goodness for that !

I was starting to make a case to myself that I really need something that fits in between my 120mm and 130mm refractors ....... 🙄

Ha Ha.

Been there done that and still doing it John.  Only controlled by limited funds...🤣

[John]

6 hours ago, The Lapwing said:

If I could have found one I would have bought it. As rare as hen’s teeth as far as I can tell, mind you getting hold of a TV102 wasn’t easy, I was actively searching for one for a few years before I found mine. I won’t be selling it. 

That's interesting because I was looking, in vain, for a TV Genesis or 101 when the Vixen came up for sale on here back in early summer 2007 🙄

 

 

[The Lapwing]

45 minutes ago, John said:

That's interesting because I was looking, in vain, for a TV Genesis or 101 when the Vixen came up for sale on here back in early summer 2007 🙄

 

 

Indeed. I don’t know if it’s true, but I understand that only 900 102’s were made and as one would expect the majority remain in the US. There can’t be too many survivors in the UK. I imagine the same could be said for your Vixen. I still haven’t seen one for sale anywhere. 

[Franklin]

On 16/11/2023 at 17:45, The Lapwing said:

I imagine the same could be said for your Vixen.

The Vixen ED102SS F6.5 was released in 1999 and production continued until 2004 which makes it quite a rare bird these days.

[John]

20 minutes ago, Franklin said:

The Vixen ED102SS F6.5 was released in 1999 and production continued until 2004 which makes it quite a rare bird these days.

I have seen a couple of used ones for sale since I bought mine, but only a couple.

I've no idea how many were made in total. A couple of thousand I guess ? 🤔

Quite common though, compared with the (off-topic) TMB/APM/LZOS 130 F/9.2's and the Tak FC100-DL's which seem to have total production runs at the sub-200 units level 🙂

 

[Franklin]

You have a great collection of extremely fine refractors John and the DL must be something very special.

[John]

6 minutes ago, Franklin said:

You have a great collection of extremely fine refractors John and the DL must be something very special.

Thank you. I'm very fond of them all, even the old Skywatcher ED120 🙂

This could prove problematical if and when I want to downscale my equipment though 🙄

Edited November 17, 2023 by John

[Franklin]

I know this thread is about 4" ED F7 scopes and they are great but there is something in an F9 4"doublet that works and the DL combines this, not only with fluorite glass but Takahashi's legendary optical figuring, definitely a keeper if you do downscale, I would think.

[The Lapwing]

13 hours ago, Franklin said:

I know this thread is about 4" ED F7 scopes and they are great but there is something in an F9 4"doublet that works and the DL combines this, not only with fluorite glass but Takahashi's legendary optical figuring, definitely a keeper if you do downscale, I would think.

Which is what attracted me to the TV102, a focal length of 8.6 with a well figured doublet objective. As far as I can tell it’s the only out and out planetary telescope TeleVue made 🔭 

Edited November 18, 2023 by The Lapwing
Poor grammar

[John]

13 hours ago, Franklin said:

I know this thread is about 4" ED F7 scopes and they are great but there is something in an F9 4"doublet that works and the DL combines this, not only with fluorite glass but Takahashi's legendary optical figuring, definitely a keeper if you do downscale, I would think.

I was attracted to the F/9 100 Tak because I already had the F/6.5 Vixen. I was on the look out for a Vixen FL102 at that time but, as is often the case when you start to look for something specific, they became like hens teeth to find 🙄