Looked thru my TV102 the other day without using an eyepiece and with the tube pointing toward a well lit window. Saw a bright line where the ends of the sheet of flocking paper nearest the objective failed to meet. The bright line was a reflection from black painted tube metal not covered by flocking paper. The line is oriented lengthwise with the tube and varies in width. It's widest right behind the objective (about an eighth inch) and narrows to nothing about 10 or 12 inches into the tube. Looking in from the objective end it's quite apparent too, though I'd never noticed it before (may have just overlooked it). The flocking wasn't sagging and hasn't separated from the tube. I bought the scope new the Summer of 2001 and have stored it indoors.
This begs the following questions:
1) What effect will this have on the image? What checks should I make?
2) Is it worth returning the scope to Televue for a warranty fix?
3) Can this effect occur over time as flocking paper shrinks?
4) Is this commonly found in tubes lined with flocking paper?
5) If you were to buy a TV102 on Astromart, would you want to know about something like this ahead of time?
6) Am I making a big fuss over nothing?
I'm no optical expert, but always thought this was a good scope. For it's size I haven't seen anything better, but then I haven't seen much; this is the only APO I've ever looked through. That said, I've never been able to relate to people who say the view through a 4" APO "knocks their socks off". Maybe this little gap is where the "Wow factor" leaked out.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Bob Young
This begs the following questions:
1) What effect will this have on the image? What checks should I make?
2) Is it worth returning the scope to Televue for a warranty fix?
3) Can this effect occur over time as flocking paper shrinks?
4) Is this commonly found in tubes lined with flocking paper?
5) If you were to buy a TV102 on Astromart, would you want to know about something like this ahead of time?
6) Am I making a big fuss over nothing?
I'm no optical expert, but always thought this was a good scope. For it's size I haven't seen anything better, but then I haven't seen much; this is the only APO I've ever looked through. That said, I've never been able to relate to people who say the view through a 4" APO "knocks their socks off". Maybe this little gap is where the "Wow factor" leaked out.
Any help is appreciated. Thanks.
Bob Young
