TEC 140 first light.

[ollypenrice]

It iwas about four years ago that I first saw a TEC 140. It belonged to Dutch imager Ton Couperus and has since made many visits to my place. A year ago another Dutch regular, Frans Kroon, Emailed me to say that he knew of a different 140 TEC available for sale in the Netherlands. Was I interested? I was, but my bank balance wasn't and, as I suspected he would, Frans bought the instrument himself. That, too, has made a few visits and taken some mighty fine images.

Knowing the scope quite well by thiis time I hesitated for about ten seconds when one came up on Astrobuysell and now it is sitting in observatory number one looking really rather nice! The TEC website

Telescope Engineering Company

does not list a UK importer so you may not have encountered one yet. They are stunning instruments both optically and mechanically so here are some initial reactions.

140mm is an intereesting size. It is, if you like, a small 'big refractor'.

It costs about half the price of a six inch Tak yet gives away only half an inch of aperture. The saving certainly does NOT come from compromses in the build quality, which is pure Rolls Royce. For a change, let's star at the back;

A 2 inch collet device, very nicely done, holds in your camera or diagonal and is locked by a delightful and very chunky flanged wheel. The action feels delicious. Just putting in an accessory is a pleasure! (And it means I won't have to rant about stupid brass compression rings incompatible with other makers' EPs, diagonals and camera adapters...) The 2 speed Crayford is little short of gargantuan with a mm graded scale, large knobs and impeccable action. It is a special, made for TEC by feathertouch and is unlikely to be bettered on any amateur telescope. You can forget any worries about heavy cameras not holding. You can also forget drooping drawtubes, play or any other woe in this department. (On the other hand a customs official might suspect you of smuggling in a dismantled submarine.)

The whole lot rotates, too. Just before the white part of the tube a large capstan turns to free the focuser enough to allow you to turn it to any angle without loss of focus. It feels very reasuring indeed and, again, whispers Quality in a velvety and seductive voice... It would have been a bonus to have a protractor scale on this, too, for use when coming back to an image after changing your camera angle.

The tube is a satin creamy white. I was pleased to see this because the earlier TECs were a harsh, cold white in an eggshell finish which I didn't really like, not that I care about such things. The tube rings are very fine CNC jobs all set for Vixen or Losmandy and have adjustable camming clips to hold them shut. Handy and convincing once again and made in stainless steel. The rings are identically drilled top and bottom for guidescope attachment, etc.

Next up is the alloy dewsheild with distinctive rolled upper baffle intended to help the optics. I can't remember how! It moves well and doesn't sag. (I was asked about this specifically by a forum member.) A camera lens type metal cover clips in here and can be fitted with the dewsheild extended or retracted, in which case it keeps the dewsheild retracted to boot.

There is some kind of big glass thing in there somewhere. An oil spaced triplet of 140/980. Boy, is this a clean piece of glass and reflection free? I have rarely seen the like. All the numbers regarding its spec and performance are on the website. It really is, on paper, a truly top class optic. If ever it needs attention the whole cell can be removed easily so that only the lens assembly needs to go back to the USA for servicing. Since I knew the images produced by the visiting TECs I had no hesitation in believing the claimed correction.

When I get the Atik 4000s in the back I will be able to tell you how it performs for imaging. I hope to get away without the expensive flattener on a 15mm square chip but DSLR users certainly will need it. This reducer takes you out to full format and is a big old lens. Frans has one for his 40D. You can see his images at www.franskroon.nl

Last night we (Dave, the original owner and I) just looked through it. Incredible! The stars were the tiniest I have ever seen and had lovely delicate colour. M44 is not an object in which I have previously paid much attention to star colour - this may be my own carelessness - but the TEC showed a whole range of colours quite beautifully. The very bright moon was totally fringe-free. When it had at last cleared off we swung onto Saturn and that was perfect. The seeing was good so at about 200 times in a Nagler 4.8 the rings, now opening up a little, showed darkeness between them. On the planet the ring shadow was contrasty black and fine and you sensed the bright edge of the ring in front of the disc. Some banding showed as well. The view just oozed detail, contrast and refinemnet. I'm not very planetary but this view was gripping.

Wherever we looked the stars were just what they should be in a premium refractor. My injured neck was giving me hell so rather reluctantly I left Dave to enjoy a last night with the 140 - but he does have a new TEC 110 coming sometime so he should survive the bereavement!

At a little under four thousand pounds with rings and Scopeguard case this was hardly a cheapo scope even second hand. Compare it, though, with the best of the six inch refractors and it starts to look pretty reasonable. Spoiled by the Tak FSQ at short focal lengths I craved similar quality at around a metre. I now feel that my little enterprise can hold its head up in any company and I look forward to hearing what my next SGL guest will think of it when he arrives with the departure of the present moon.

Imaging reports and a few snaps to follow if I haven't bored youu nuts already.

Olly

[Beyond_Vision]

A great discription of a great scope looking forward to some pics taken with it

Regards

Kevin

[A McEwan]

Sounds wonderful - and a change from the "usual" premium small big refractors we hear about!

[MartinB]

Ooooh ooooh oooooh! Looking forward to that moon going down. Counting the days!

[JCJC]

Sounds awesome Olly! Can't wait for some images from it.

Jordan.

[Astro_Baby]

That looks rather beautiful.

[moocher]

Can`t wait for first light Olly!!!!

Alan

[geoff_k]

Olly

I'm not in any way envious!

Sounds like a superb acquisition to your stable especially at that price.

Can't wait to see some images taken with it.

Geoff