Bye Bye 12" SCT...Hello TEC140

A few days ago I came to an arrangement with a guy in Italy which involved me sending him my 12" SCT and I acquired a TEC140. For those who don't know what the TEC140 is, it's a 140mm (approx 5.5") f/7 Apo refractor. TEC are a company in the US mainly comprised of opticians who moved there from Russia. The optical quality of their scope are reputed to be excellent and up there with the likes of AP. For example, this scope is designed to have a colour correction of 0.02% of focal length, which is considered pretty good. the mechanical aspects and the whole fit-n-finish of the scope is also superb.
Anyway, here are a few pics:

Overall image of the scope on the mount:


Image of the 3.5" Starlight Instruments focuser. Note that there are no set screws - everything tightens via what I can only describe as a clamping system whiuch tightens as you rotate it. The entire focuser can also rotate. Difficult to describe but works very well.


Image of the lens and inside of the OTA:


Unfortunately, as with any new astro purchase, the weather has turned foul so please accept my apologies.

I still need to get a losmandy plate to take my Pentax piggyback on it.

Looks like a cool piece of kit Michael. You now need to update your equipment list and do you now need to get a new robofocus motor?

do you now need to get a new robofocus motor?

The same motor will do. The only question is whether I have the correct adapter to connect the focuser to the motor, but that's a cheap item anyway.

With the feather touch focuser it should not be a problem to get up and down and up and down and up and down until you get the kit. Of course you have now condemed us all to 100% cloud cover.

PS Looking at the first image of the new scope it almost looks like the 12" was robbed with all the dew heater tapes and robofocus cables lying loose like that.

Michael,

Congrats on the new toy! You certainly have better optics with this APO (!) but the 12" of aperture are also a good thing to have since it helps with smaller objects and at the same time it permits for better signal.

Anyway, I suspect you will now be addicted to APO-fever once you start using this scope. I now I have been hooked and addicted.