Tele Vue-60 APO
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Excerpts from Randy Roy's comments on Cloudy Nights Telescope Reviews website.
- First, let's define the TV-60. It is first and foremost a 60mm F6 APO that is capable [of] pristine color-free views from about 9X (with a 40mm plossl) to about 180X. The field of view is huge and maxes out at 4.3°, or approximately 8-9 moon diameters. Televue recommends the 24mm Panoptic as the best way to achieve the widest field. I took them up on their suggestion and bought a 24 Panoptic and all I can say is wow! For high power, I can recommend the Nagler 2-4mm zoom which gives and incredible range of 90X to 180X magnification with this scope. For the ultimate mid-range eyepiece, go with the 9mm Nagler T6. It gives 40X magnification with a field of view of a whopping 2 degrees.
- The scope itself weighs about 3 lbs. Add to that a 1.25" Everbrite diagonal, 2-4mm Nagler zoom and an 8-24mm click-stop zoom and you are up to 4 lbs. My carbon fiber tripod and Bogen fluid head weigh a total of 4 lbs. For the first time, I have a scope setup that is capable of a magnification range from 15X to 180X that weighs only 8lbs for the scope and mount! I am not "into" birding, but for those who are, this setup should be a dream with one difference. Get the Televue 60-degree Everbrite diagonal instead of the 90-degree I got specifically for astronomy. The 60-degree gives you the same view as the 90-degree (correct up and down, but reversed left and right), but at a more comfortable position for terrestrial use.
- If you want wide field, pristine, color free views throughout a wide range of magnification—if you want a scope that is a superfinder, a guidescope, a piggyback refractor, or an ultra-light travel scope—and if you demand the best in fit, finish and build quality—buy this. I've not seen anything else in its class that does so much.
- For those interested, I've observed the Moon, Saturn, Jupiter, M42, M31, M44, M45 and a few other bright objects from my light polluted driveway. The views are crisp and color-free at all magnifications from 15X to 180X.
- The scope is outfitted with a marvelous sliding dew shield of the quality of the other TV scopes as well as a two-stage helical focuser that I suppose is the same as the Ranger. ... . There are no provisions made to mount a finder to this scope. You don't need a finder; this scope is a finder. Using the Telepod and a 9mm eyepiece, I had no trouble pointing at Saturn and Jupiter.
- The scope comes with a nice Gortex carry bag (really a stuff bag, but large enough to hold scope with diagonal and eyepiece affixed), but get the optional shoulder bag. It will hold the scope, diagonal and your three favorite eyepieces in a case as small as many leather notebook holders.
— Roy, R. "Televue-60 APO." Cloudy Nights Telescope Reviews. (Feb. 4, 2004): link