Telescopes

Cute Little Kitten? Or Tiny Tiger…

When Vic Maris at StellarVue announced they’d be producing a 4 inch doublet at a cost of less than $1,600 including a case and FeatherTouch focuser, it seemed like small reflector Nirvana. StellarVue (SV) is known for their high quality and standards, and every scope going out their door is star tested under the real sky – so the opportunity to purchase one of Vic’s new gems at such a low price was just too good to pass up.

SCT correctors and refractors pose similar problems in shipping. Removal the SCT corrector, and the refractor's lens cell, makes shipping easier and more secure.

The TeleVue-85 is an ideal small telescope. It will reveal all of the major phenomena of the heavens, from high magnification views of planets to low power Milky Way starfields.

A pictorial on how to disassemble a c8. Many owners are wary of touching their instruments, but it is sometimes the right thing to do. Watch seven year old Geoffrey show that "even a child can do it" (most of it).

Redefining value in high-quality refractors by Lawrence Carlino

I have two telescopes I've built over the past year that have an interesting commonality - I paid the same for the "new" primary mirror in both. Last night I pulled both out and compared them side by side.

Impressions and first light of a very special fast racing apo

Save some coin and save the Earth at the same time.

Most portable 8 inch scope

What changes after one year of use?

Experiences with DSLR astrophotography

Can a home-made spotting scope work as well as one made in a factory? Can a home-made spotter equal the quality of one from the store? This reviewer attempts to answer the question when he pits two factory-made spotting scopes against three of his own creations.

Redefining the Standards of Optical Excellence

Have you ever received a new, prized telescope only to have cloudy skies for what seems to be weeks at a time? Here's a very useful way to occupy that time...