TV-85 Review

Hi, I posted a review of the TeleVue-85:

http://www.astromart.com/articles/article.asp?article_id=596

Thanks.

Regarding the the TeleVue 85, I bought a factory fresh brand new model at the beginning of this year after wanting one since they were introduced back in 1998. The price had always set me back, but FINALLY "bit the bullet" after working some decent overtime. I believe that you get what you pay for in this life, and after owning this scope and comparing it to several other apos in that size class (including the bargin import apos), the 85 always seems to display the most perfect IN FOCUS classic diffraction disk and ring during good seeing. It shows the least amount of scattered light and absolutely perfect collimation. Not saying some of the others weren't any good (most are excellent for the money), I'm just saying if you're critically examining the tightness and crispness of the in focus stars at high power, the 85 wins. Stangely enough, the other scopes displayed nearly identical inside and outside of focus diffraction patterns - VERY similar to the 85. I wasn't a fan of the triplet designs because of cool down issues during very cold outdoor temperatures. The doublet design suits me just fine with its use of less glass and for me, the color correction is satisfying. The tiny little hints of blue surrounding only the very brightest stars and Venus during viewing doesn't bother me one bit. EVERYTHING else I view through the 85 appears color free to my eyes. Thanks for the review Michael. Dave Sewell

Hi Mike,

I think that the Tele-Pod-Bogen combo is very stable. I know that some TeleVue owners use this setup for 4-inch scopes. Personally, I think that the TV-85 is probably max for this setup.

The original Tele-Pod tripod is convenient to setup, but not stable enough for scopes larger than the TV-76. I also never liked how the legs lack a central support.

The original Tele-Pod is really ideal for a Coronado PST.

Thanks.