Testing a 3" Tasco Newtonian from 1985

[terrynak]

Finally got a scope outside for the first time since April 30th. The scope is a red Tasco 76/700mm Newtonian from 1985 (3T-RB):





The scope appears to be made by Towa – a circle “T” on the label:



I bought it in February but never managed to test it on the skies until tonight:



For tonight’s session, I used three 0.965mm Meade Kellner EPs – 17.5mm, 12mm, and 9mm. The EPs that came with the scope were two-element Huygens (23mm, 12mm) and a Ramsden (5mm).

Doing a star-test, the scope appears to be well-collimated. At 78x despite being somewhat low on the horizon, Jupiter looked sharp with equatorial banding obvious and all four Galilean moons present. At 78x, Saturn looked crisp, with Titan visible as well. The moon looked equally sharp at 40x. Archimedes was stunning at 78x.

Despite the mount being somewhat wobbly, I was very pleased with the optical performance of this “classic” Tasco.

[Don Quixote]

Very nice Tarry.
I have something that looks just like that. I think it is a 4 inch version and mine has a clamshell mount. Otherwise same, same !
I confess I have not taken it out very much.
I am glad you got out under the starlight !

[Lady Fraktor]

A nice looking telescope Terry, I hope you get a lot of use from it

[Peter802]

Terry.
Thank you for your report on this classic scope.
It is looking good for its age.
Thank you.

[bladekeeper]

Nice scope, Terry! Love the red color. It is of similar vintage to the little 60mm refractor that I had when I was a kid. It looks to be about the same color. In my mind's eye I've always thought my little scope was a Meade, but it must have been a Tasco. I wish I still had it.

[Richard]

Nice I like the old scopes they were made well I have a Celestron C5 that will shame many newer scopes it just works so well , my Tasco 10 TE is amazing not Practical but gives great views of the planets for a 3 inch scope with a 1.25 conversion can get up to 150x , amazing considering its 50+ years old

[Makuser]

Hi Terry. I started out with a 3" Tasco Newtonian reflector telescope many years ago. And, I got the 1964 solar eclipse with this telescope, using a solar eyepiece filter and a Kodak Brownie 620 camera.

We have come a long way from this old and dangerous scenario today. Thanks for your fine photographs Terry, and the best of regards.

[kt4hx]

Nice looking vintage you have there Terry. Sounds like you have a nice blast from the past.

Marshall is quite right - solar observing back in those days was fraught with danger! Those "solar eyepieces", what were they thinking? They got hot and sometimes cracked potentially flooding the observer's eye with unfiltered sunlight! There are still some of those things floating around, especially with old scopes pulled out of someone's garage or basement. There were also the screw-in sun filters (see below) that according to the manuals you were to screw into the bottom of the eyepiece - another no-no. Some screwed them into the diagonal instead in order to keep them out of the concentrated light at the focal plane. That sounds safer, but then again, not a good practice. My vintage Jason refractor came with a small metal sun projection screen - the safer way to do it back then.

[Bigzmey]

Looks like a fan little scope. Thanks for sharing!

[Juno16]

That sure is a handsome scope! Wow, I was only 30 years old when that scope was born!

Very nice photos Terry!

Thanks,
Jim

[Thefatkitty]

Terry, that is one fine looking scope! Same as mine except for the color Glad you got out to use it as well. I wouldn't mind getting some half decent .965 lenses. The R&P focusers on these things were so rock solid!

Again, fine looking scope, and mint as well. I hear you on the tripod, though, not the most stable. If I come up with anything for that I'll let you know

All the best and thanks for a great report,

[terrynak]

Very nice Tarry.
I have something that looks just like that. I think it is a 4 inch version and mine has a clamshell mount. Otherwise same, same !
I confess I have not taken it out very much.
I am glad you got out under the starlight !

Thanks Mark! Yup, your 4.5" 11T - I'm trying to add that one to my collection, whether red or white! It has a reputation for excellent optics. In fact at the RTMC 2019, the first prize for the children's raffle was a used red Tasco 11T on an EQ mount (it had a diamond "Z" on the label, identifying it as made by Tanzutsu). In other words, early- to mid- 1980s, like my circle "T" model (Towa).

A nice looking telescope Terry, I hope you get a lot of use from it

Thanks Lady Fraktor!

Terry.
Thank you for your report on this classic scope.
It is looking good for its age.
Thank you.

Thanks Peter - when I got it, it came in its original box with all the accessories intact (including all paper materials - map, brochure, manual for scope, manual on Halley's Comet).

Nice scope, Terry! Love the red color. It is of similar vintage to the little 60mm refractor that I had when I was a kid. It looks to be about the same color. In my mind's eye I've always thought my little scope was a Meade, but it must have been a Tasco. I wish I still had it.

Thanks Bryan! This is my third Red Halley's Comet-era Tasco telescope circa 1984-1986 (including a 60/800mm refractor and a 60/400mm push-pull refractor). I also own Tasco field glasses from the Halley era.

Nice I like the old scopes they were made well I have a Celestron C5 that will shame many newer scopes it just works so well , my Tasco 10 TE is amazing not Practical but gives great views of the planets for a 3 inch scope with a 1.25 conversion can get up to 150x , amazing considering its 50+ years old

Thanks Richard! With the old 0.965" focuser refractors - the focuser has enough length on it so that you can use a 1.25 converter. Not so with the Newtonians.

Hi Terry. I started out with a 3" Tasco Newtonian reflector telescope many years ago. And, I got the 1964 solar eclipse with this telescope, using a solar eyepiece filter and a Kodak Brownie 620 camera.
Eclipse 1964.jpg
We have come a long way from this old and dangerous scenario today. Thanks for your fine photographs Terry, and the best of regards.

Cool vintage pic from '64 Marshall, thanks for sharing! I remember we had a Kodak Hawkeye Brownie camera that we (my brother) won at a school raffle. I don't think he ever took photos with it though - I'll shoot him an email and ask.

Nice looking vintage you have there Terry. Sounds like you have a nice blast from the past.



Marshall is quite right - solar observing back in those days was fraught with danger! Those "solar eyepieces", what were they thinking? They got hot and sometimes cracked potentially flooding the observer's eye with unfiltered sunlight! There are still some of those things floating around, especially with old scopes pulled out of someone's garage or basement. There were also the screw-in sun filters (see below) that according to the manuals you were to screw into the bottom of the eyepiece - another no-no. Some screwed them into the diagonal instead in order to keep them out of the concentrated light at the focal plane. That sounds safer, but then again, not a good practice. My vintage Jason refractor came with a small metal sun projection screen - the safer way to do it back then.

Thanks Alan!

A lot of the vintage 60mm scopes I've purchased come with a solar screw-on filter, including the 50mm 66T Tasco I purchased new back in 1980. But some of the better ones came with a metal sun projection screen, like my mid-70's J.C. Penney turquoise blue refractor with a push-pull focusing tube.

Looks like a fan little scope. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks Andrey - I'm very pleased with its optical performance!

That sure is a handsome scope! Wow, I was only 30 years old when that scope was born!

Very nice photos Terry!

Thanks,
Jim

Thanks Jim! Back in '85, I owned a white Tasco 66TE 50/600mm refractor that I purchased back in 1980.

Terry, that is one fine looking scope! Same as mine except for the color Glad you got out to use it as well. I wouldn't mind getting some half decent .965 lenses. The R&P focusers on these things were so rock solid!

Again, fine looking scope, and mint as well. I hear you on the tripod, though, not the most stable. If I come up with anything for that I'll let you know

All the best and thanks for a great report,

Thanks Mark! You are right - the focuser on this scope (and my other Tasco pre-86 scopes with R&P) were solid and smooth. Again, I would like to add a Tasco 11T (114/910mm) Newtonian to my collection.

[helicon]

Reminds me of my 4.25" Edmund red-tube reflector. Really cool Terry!

[Don Quixote]

For what it's worth, Terry.
My 11T is looking for a new home...

[Kanadalainen]

Oh man, that is such a sweetheart of a scope. Double thumbs up!!


I feel an induction log phase of scope fever.

Ian

[Richard]

Thanks Mark! You are right - the focuser on this scope (and my other Tasco pre-86 scopes with R&P) were solid and smooth. Again, I would like to add a Tasco 11T (114/910mm) Newtonian to my collection.

Yes that is a nice scope I used to have one but gave it away , only issue is the focuser is a .965inch and the only way to convert it to the new format is to change the focuser

[terrynak]

Reminds me of my 4.25" Edmund red-tube reflector. Really cool Terry!

Thanks Michael! I would snap up a good condition Edmund Palomar Jr. 4.25" inch if I came across one.

[terrynak]

For what it's worth, Terry.
My 11T is looking for a new home...

Thanks Mark! I'll hold back (for now)...

[terrynak]

Oh man, that is such a sweetheart of a scope. Double thumbs up!!

I feel an induction log phase of scope fever.

Ian

Thanks Ian! I'm slowly getting back into my scopes...

[terrynak]

Thanks Mark! You are right - the focuser on this scope (and my other Tasco pre-86 scopes with R&P) were solid and smooth. Again, I would like to add a Tasco 11T (114/910mm) Newtonian to my collection.

Yes that is a nice scope I used to have one but gave it away , only issue is the focuser is a .965inch and the only way to convert it to the new format is to change the focuser
Tasco 11TE-5 on Dobs mount.JPG

Thanks Richard. Very nice Tasco 11T Dobsonian!