TeleVue 102

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TeleVue 102
Beatiful build quality and easy to set up. Images have stayed with me weeks after i had seen them...and thats from the heart of London!

Overall Rating: 8
Optics:9 Mount:7 Ease of Use:9 Value:9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=72921

TeleVue 102
I have owned this scope since November 2001 and have enjoyed it very much. I use it on a CG-5 mount as I wanted a mount with a motor drive for tracking purposes at high power. I use this scope mainly for planetary and lunar viewing and it does a great job and handles high powers nicely. It has a perfect star test!

This telescope is very well made and looks beautiful. The focuser is very smooth and there is no doubt when optimal focus is acheived. The lens cap is a screw on type and will not fall off when the scope is moved. Also, the hard case that comes with the scope is solid as a rock and fits the scope perfectly. I believe that this case would probably cost about $300 if it was sold separately. It is custom form fitted to the scope with a nice hard outer shell.

As to the optical performance of the scope, one word comes to mind: "SUPERB". I have seen absolutely no color when viewing the moon regardless of phase. I have seen 4-craterlets in Plato and the terminator is a sharp jet black. Nice....

Jupiter looks gorgeous showing no false color anywhere with 6 to 8 bands during good seeing. The Great Red Spot is easily seen even when rotating onto the edge of the planet. It is very easy to follow a transit of one of the moons as it crosses in front of the planet. Detail in the planets bands is very easily seen due to the contrasty image provided by the TV-102.

Saturn looks fantastic as well and I easily see the A,B, and C rings. Cassini's Division is visible at very low magnifications. No false color is seen when viewing Saturn.

Lastly, I would like to say that I believe that this telescope is the best value right now on the market for a high quality APO refractor. The image quality is superb and the scope is very well built.

Thank you Televue!

Jeff

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 10 (Trustworthy Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=106758

TeleVue 102
The telescope is excellent. The gibraltar mount is a bit flexible, but on the GM8, high powers and changing eyepieces cause no problems.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=131450

TeleVue 102
This is an update to my vote on 06/20/01. I've been using my TV-102 for over a year now and more than 280 deep sky objects later. This scope not only exceeded my expectation but has turned into a valuable teacher and a great pal whom I've christened the "TV-102 Light Cup". To find out more details of I've seen through this APO, please visit this site.
http://members.cox.net/ronby/Palatable_4-inch.htm

Ron B[ee]

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=133090

TeleVue 102
I've had this scope for about a year now, the only thing I can say is WOW!!! The optics on this little 4" scope are just fantastic. Did a side by side comparison with a 8" SCT. The 8" had what appeared to be slightly brighter images, were as the TV102 seemed have better contrast giving what was viewed thru the EP. much more of a pleasant view. On the Orion nebula my 4" easily picked out the 4 main stars, and to my surprise it also picked out the 2 fainter stars with no problem, I had always thought you needed a larger scope to do this. On M31 again I was surprised to accually see some structure, I was able to see one of the spiral arms instead of just seeing a bright blob of light, where as the 8" SCT. showed just a bright cotton ball. The planets were razor sharp and showed quite a bit of detail, again it seemed the 4" beat out the 8". Make no mistake larger apeture scopes will show dimmer objects much better, this is a great scope for bright objects and planets. I have the scope mounted on a Gibralter mount, which is rock steady, and I use Nagler EP's. This scope is defintely a keeper, and a gem. Clear skies!

Nick T. Concord CA.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Mount:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=164664

TeleVue 102
I put my 9mm (original) Nagler into my generic 2" diagonal and trained my 102 unto the Orion nebula, which was then relatively low in the horizon. I peered into the eyepiece and . . .

When I came back to, I knew what the term "spacewalk" meant, as widely applied to the works of Al Nagler. This scope has so far given me the best, most pleasing views of the skies that I've ever seen. I've been heavily into astronomy since 1995, and I've owned anything from Questar to C-11 and many in between. I have no idea how to upgrade from here.

What a joy it is on the planets. Saturn looked as if I could reach into the eyepeice and roll its orb around my fingers - the term "3d" came to mind. Jupiter's bands and detail leapt out at me. I wonder what a Maxbrite or an Everbrite would do to this thing?

If this review appears like a short collection of overly emotional and euphoric rantings, that's because it is meant to be that way. I don't pretend to be capable of quantifying my observations to you with scientific precision. That is not what got many of us into the hobby. What this scope does to me every night is remind me of what it was that got me to look up to begin with - it reveals to me the beauty of the universe, beautifully. And it looks like it is built to last a few lifetimes. I'm not sure which of my two kids will inherit this one.

Like all high-quality APO's, this OTA is not cheap. But I submit to you that it does still represent a great value, considering the options. None of my previous scopes moved me to review them in any forum. This one does - maybe it is worth its price if it can do that. When you get to the point of settling down to a select few scopes (or, like I have, to one), please consider the Tele Vue 102.

Thanks, Al.

Best regards,

Luis B.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Ease of Use:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=206359

TeleVue 102
At a starparty beaten by: AP Traveller (very easyly)
AP Stowaway (easyly)
Tak FS-102 (easyly)
Vixen (orion) FL 102S (as good as the Tak)
TMB 4" (little better than Vixen and Tak)
So why rate so many people this thing a "10"? (love should not be ratet)

I rate it a "1" (it's a good "8") to correct the average.

Overall Rating: 1
Optics:1 Mount:1 Ease of Use:1 Value:1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=274053

TeleVue 102
I recently purchased a used TV102 made in 2004. I have a larger refractor and a 83mm f/15 refractor. I wanted a grab-n-go scope that would show me a little more planetary detail than the 83mm. The 3.25 inch scope is great, but IMO a 3-inch refractor doesn't quite show enough detail on planets to warrant taking it out every night.

Pros: Optics are great. I was initially disappointed to see some false color. Many reviewers say there is no visible CA, and they are wrong. I quickly saw some purple when looking at the moon. However, the false color is minimal, really only noticeable on the Moon & bright stars. This is a high-contrast planetary performer. IMO, a 100% color-free triplet is not worth the additional cost and weight for visual observing.

The size and f/ratio of this scope are near perfect. It's big enough to be fun on deep-sky and planets, and yet the OTA weighs under 9 pounds! I saw good detail on globulars, and lots of nebulosity in the Pleaides (from a dark site). It's well worth taking this scope out every clear night to look at Jupiter & Saturn, with lots of details visible. The f/8.6 ratio gives a nice flat field with simple eyepiece designs.

The OTA is skinny at 114mm diameter, and the scope is compact when the dewshield is retracted. With the lightweight and small diameter of the tube, it is easy to attach to my Tak Teegul mount, which is very stable with this scope, even on my flimsy wood tripod. I considered getting a Tak F102, but it's a few pounds heavier, which turned me off.

My only complaints with this scope are minor. The dewcap is nice and compact, but it requires a lot of force to slide it in and out. I know TV says that their black flocking paper in the tube works as well as baffles, but frankly, I don't believe it. And, if I'm keeping a scope for 20 or 30 years, I'd prefer to see nothing but metal inside the tube. Maybe the flocking stuff will never flake off, maybe it will.

Also, the focusser is high quality, but it could be better. It struggles a bit with 2-inch eyepieces when the scope is pointed up near the zenith. They now offer a 2-speed option for $200, which seems pricey. The focusser is decent, but not up to Feather-touch or Astro-Physics quality.

One last tip for other TV102 owners - B&G Photo has a padded soft-case that fits this scope PERFECTLY! If you want something smaller than the OEM case, check out the Tundra tripod case II, part #33S2TRIP2. It fits the scope perfectly with a 2-inch diagonal on there. This makes the scope an incredibly small and lightweight package.

Also, I did not care for the TV clamshell tube holder. You can score some Vixen-type mounting rings from Orion that fit the tube perfectly for less than $20.

Overall Rating: 9
Optics:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:9
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=433124 

Respectfully, I've used my 102 dozens of times in the last two years.  I have never seen any color on the moon that's been caused by chromatic aberration from the telescope.  Some eyepieces can introduce color, atmospheric refraction can do the same, humidity, etc.  But this scope is  simply colorless when focused.

The only time I've seen color was when I pushed the scope to a little over 300X, while on Vega.  Then I saw traces of a distinct dark, marroonish purple (in a tight fringe around the star) when the seeing was turbulent.  Under no other conditions have I seen any trace of color from this scope.

I know that my Orion Expanse eyepieces do introduce some color (a bright neon blue, particularly at the edge of field), but my Naglers, Panoptics and Meade 5000 series SWA don't.

>I recently purchased a used TV102 made in 2004.  I have a larger refractor and a 83mm f/15 refractor.  I wanted a grab-n-go scope that would show me a little more planetary detail than the 83mm.  The 3.25 inch scope is great, but IMO a 3-inch refractor doesn't quite show enough detail on planets to warrant taking it out every night.
>
>Pros:  Optics are great.  I was initially disappointed to see some false color.  Many reviewers say there is no visible CA, and they are wrong.  I quickly saw some purple when looking at the moon.  However, the false color is minimal, really only noticeable on the Moon & bright stars.  This is a high-contrast planetary performer.  IMO, a 100% color-free triplet is not worth the additional cost and weight for visual observing.  
>
>The size and f/ratio of this scope are near perfect.  It's big enough to be fun on deep-sky and planets, and yet the OTA weighs under 9 pounds!  I saw good detail on globulars, and lots of nebulosity in the Pleaides (from a dark site).  It's well worth taking this scope out every clear night to look at Jupiter & Saturn, with lots of details visible.  The f/8.6 ratio gives a nice flat field with simple eyepiece designs.
>
>The OTA is skinny at 114mm diameter, and the scope is compact when the dewshield is retracted.   With the lightweight and small diameter of the tube, it is easy to attach to my Tak Teegul mount, which is very stable with this scope, even on my flimsy wood tripod.   I considered getting a Tak F102, but it's a few pounds heavier, which turned me off.
>
>My only complaints with this scope are minor.  The dewcap is nice and compact, but it requires a lot of force to slide it in and out.  I know TV says that their black flocking paper in the tube works as well as baffles, but frankly, I don't believe it. And, if I'm keeping a scope for 20 or 30 years, I'd prefer to see nothing but metal inside the tube.  Maybe the flocking stuff will never flake off, maybe it will.
>
>Also, the focusser is high quality, but it could be better.  It struggles a bit with 2-inch eyepieces when the scope is pointed up near the zenith.  They now offer a 2-speed option for $200, which seems pricey.  The focusser is decent, but not up to Feather-touch or Astro-Physics quality.
>
>One last tip for other TV102 owners - B&G Photo has a padded soft-case that fits this scope PERFECTLY!   If you want something smaller than the OEM case, check out the Tundra tripod case II, part #33S2TRIP2.  It fits the scope perfectly with a 2-inch diagonal on there.  This makes the scope an incredibly small and lightweight package.
>
>Also, I did not care for the TV clamshell tube holder.  You can score some Vixen-type mounting rings from Orion that fit the tube perfectly for less than $20.
TeleVue 102
One note to my review above: The tube diameter of the TV102 is 102mm, not 114mm. The Tak FS102 and other 4-inch scopes all have wider tubes. The smaller tube definitely makes it easier to handle the scope, especially on cold nights when you're loading it into the mounting.

Portability is clearly one of TV's top design goals, and they've succeeded here. The narrow tube is one benefit of using the flocking for baffling, and they've succeeded in making an extremely easy-to-handle scope. If you want to save even more weight, ditch the clamshell and order the Orion rings, it's a great combination.

Overall Rating: No Vote
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=436595

TeleVue 102
I have owned a tv102 for 8 months and continues to impress me with its views. I have a 10 inch Shmid-Newt as well, but on bright objects the more portable tv102 on a vixen sphinx gets more usage.

JH Williams

Overall Rating: 10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=449807

TeleVue 102
Great optics, good price!

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=488981

TeleVue 102
The Televue 102 is a superlative 4" apo refractor. It is easier to use than the NP101 ( another excellent performer) but can achive higher magnifications more easily due to the 102's greater focal length. Despite what some gurus suggest, I find the throughput of the TV102 is slightly better than the NP101, despite the latters slightly better color correction and flatter field. If planets, lunar and double stars are your thing, the Televue 102 is highly recommended.

Overall Rating: No Vote
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=578380

TeleVue 102
Took four tries to figure out which telescope was the right one for me. The TV 102 is capable of 3° wide field views (2.7° with the terrific Panoptic 35) and easy 240+ magnification (condition permitting). A veritable jack of all trades with excellent optics, a tad heavy for grab and go, but not if you use a two step process.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Ease of Use:9 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=592812

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