Tasco 11T telescope help?

[DJRNY]

OK, remotely related to rocketry. Very remotely.......
I recently picked up an old Tasco 11T 115mm X 900mm reflector telescope I plan to give to my grandkids. I realize these are "department store" telescopes but I am hoping it is one of the better ones. It is all metal construction, including a steel tube and cast metal frame parts, stainless steel gears and fittings, etc. I believe it is old, but I have no idea how old.
The eyepiece holder is for 0.965" eyepieces, which is an outdated size. From what I can find out, nobody makes good quality 0.965" eyepieces anymore. Other than taking your chances on Ebay or someplace similar, does anyone know a source of good 0.965" eyepieces?
It also didn't have the manual with it, and I haven't found the manual anywhere online. I did find a posted 11TE-5 manual, but I don't know what the differences are between the 11T and the 11TE-5. Does anyone know where I could get an 11T manual (or a copy)?
Thanks!

 

[mhanna]

I don't know a good source for .965 eyepieces but as I recall there is an adapter to fit a .965 into a 1 1/4. Perhaps there is some sort of adapter to adapt a 1 1/4 down to a .965.

 

[Titan II]

This is where you want to go for any telescope/astronomy questions....
https://www.cloudynights.com/

https://optcorp.com/collections/0-965-eyepieces

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/785657-retro-965-eyepieces/

 

[DJRNY]

I don't know a good source for .965 eyepieces but as I recall there is an adapter to fit a .965 into a 1 1/4. Perhaps there is some sort of adapter to adapt a 1 1/4 down to a .965.

I have found adapters online which enable you to put a 1.25" eyepiece in a 0.965" holder. However, I have also read that they change the distance of the seated eyepiece so the range of travel to focus is reduced. For that reason I am reluctant to go down that path, at least until I can learn more about it. Thanks.

 

[DJRNY]

This is where you want to go for any telescope/astronomy questions....
https://www.cloudynights.com/

https://optcorp.com/collections/0-965-eyepieces

https://www.cloudynights.com/topic/785657-retro-965-eyepieces/

I took a quick look and it seems like a great forum. Thank you! I'll have to spend some time there. Just what I need - another rabbit hole!

 

[mikec]

I recently picked up an old Tasco 11T 115mm X 900mm reflector telescope I plan to give to my grandkids.

FWIW, this was the first serious telescope I had as a kid in the 70s. At that time it was possible to buy high-quality 0.965" eyepieces, but I could imagine this is no longer true. cloudynights is a great resource.

 

[Titan II]

I did find a posted 11TE-5 manual, but I don't know what the differences are between the 11T and the 11TE-5.

Info here...
https://www.google.com/search?q=dif...IMTM5MGowajmoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8

 

[MarsLander]

Telescope warehouse has a good rep on their .965s.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_dk...=telescopewarehouse&_oac=1&_nkw=.965 eyepiece

 

[prfesser]

OK, remotely related to rocketry. Very remotely.......
I recently picked up an old Tasco 11T 115mm X 900mm reflector telescope I plan to give to my grandkids. I realize these are "department store" telescopes but I am hoping it is one of the better ones. It is all metal construction, including a steel tube and cast metal frame parts, stainless steel gears and fittings, etc. I believe it is old, but I have no idea how old.
The eyepiece holder is for 0.965" eyepieces, which is an outdated size. From what I can find out, nobody makes good quality 0.965" eyepieces anymore. Other than taking your chances on Ebay or someplace similar, does anyone know a source of good 0.965" eyepieces?
It also didn't have the manual with it, and I haven't found the manual anywhere online. I did find a posted 11TE-5 manual, but I don't know what the differences are between the 11T and the 11TE-5. Does anyone know where I could get an 11T manual (or a copy)?
Thanks!

Just want to confirm that it's a reflector. (115mm would have been a pretty big refractor for way back when). 0.965" was the standard for most Japanese scopes for some years. Surplus Shed carries some fairly decent inexpensive optics, including a few in 0.965" (orthoscopics were the standard for image quality for many years). But rather than looking for good quality eyepieces in that size you might replace the focuser with a 1.25" unit . This one is meant for 114mm scopes. The base is plastic; I couldn't find a metal one.

 

[mikec]

BTW, this is a very old-school telescope with a manual equatorial mount and the optical quality is nothing special, the mount is pretty flimsy, the finderscope is crummy. It worked for me as a kid, but it certainly doesn't have any of the features that modern telescopes have (no goto, automatic tracking, video, etc). Kids today, yada yada. So YMMV as to whether your grandchildren have any interest at all.

 

[prfesser]

BTW, this is a very old-school telescope with a manual equatorial mount and the optical quality is nothing special, the mount is pretty flimsy, the finderscope is crummy. It worked for me as a kid, but it certainly doesn't have any of the features that modern telescopes have (no goto, automatic tracking, video, etc). Kids today, yada yada. So YMMV as to whether your grandchildren have any interest at all.

Probably true. But there is a special kind of "yee-HAW!" when you manually find an object. And along the way you learn just how FREAKING BIG the bloody universe is!! Trying to find a sky object by scanning, or by moving just a full-moon-width at a time---one of the methods used in The Land Of Ago--- is less than fun and not terribly productive...

Almost half a century ago I found M1, the Crab Nebula, in my roommate's 8" Celestron (he had lots more money than me...good in a few ways) during a freezing-*ss winter night in central PA. Sam was almost as excited as me. The fact that I recall it so vividly might speak a few words.

Help your grandkids find the Andromeda Galaxy (in dark skies you can see it with the naked eye). Point out that it's an entire island universe like our own Milky Way, billions of stars like ours. Show 'em photos like this one and point out that each thing they can see is probably another island universe, billions/trillions of even more stars like the Sun. Get them to think a bit about the size of humanity. See if they can find the Ring Nebula in Lyra, that can be a bit tough. The central star in the handle of the Big Dipper is actually three stars; two can be seen in any binoculars, the third needs a scope. And you never forget seeing Saturn's rings in a scope. Yes, there are loads of images but...not even close to the same. Jupiter's bands, the Red Spot, and moons are easily seen in almost any scope.

Lots of fun times at the eyepiece of a scope. Don't look at the full moon thru one unless you don't plan to look at much else for the next few minutes/hours. Moon blindness is a thing.

 

[DJRNY]

Telescope warehouse has a good rep on their .965s.

https://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_dkr=1&iconV2Request=true&_blrs=recall_filtering&_ssn=scopehed1&store_cat=0&store_name=telescopewarehouse&_oac=1&_nkw=.965 eyepiece

Good information, thank you!

 

[DJRNY]

Just want to confirm that it's a reflector. (115mm would have been a pretty big refractor for way back when). 0.965" was the standard for most Japanese scopes for some years. Surplus Shed carries some fairly decent inexpensive optics, including a few in 0.965" (orthoscopics were the standard for image quality for many years). But rather than looking for good quality eyepieces in that size you might replace the focuser with a 1.25" unit . This one is meant for 114mm scopes. The base is plastic; I couldn't find a metal one.

Yes, it is a reflector, and most likely a 114 mm if I do a better job with the math (D=4 1/2 according to the sticker on the scope). I didn't realize the focuser was replaceable, thanks!

 

[DJRNY]

BTW, this is a very old-school telescope with a manual equatorial mount and the optical quality is nothing special, the mount is pretty flimsy, the finderscope is crummy. It worked for me as a kid, but it certainly doesn't have any of the features that modern telescopes have (no goto, automatic tracking, video, etc). Kids today, yada yada. So YMMV as to whether your grandchildren have any interest at all.

I know this is an old telecope but it seems to be hardly used, if at all. I don't know how old it is. The mount seems solid, but I suspect it is pot metal (definitely cast, too heavy to be aluminum, but non-magnetic). I don't know if the grandkids will take an interest in it or not, but I figured having it actually usable when they get it would increase the chances they will.

 

[icyclops]

I also still have a Tasco telescope from the late 60’s early 70’s. Even thought they were department store stock as you called them, I have found that the optical glass in many ways is very good compared to the cheap stuff they sell today. I would consider an old Tasco refractor scope to be in the medium to high range of optical clarity. Not seeing your scope this is a guess, but putting optics in a metal tube with all metal mounts , focusing rings and eyepieces stabilizes the image quality a lot. Old Tasco binoculars and telescopes are good, at least the ones I have.

Not 100% sure about reflector scopes….but their refractor scopes were excellent as stated. They probably used the same eyepiece optics for both and I have been told that the older mirrors were superb.

 

[DJRNY]

Not seeing your scope this is a guess, but putting optics in a metal tube with all metal mounts , focusing rings and eyepieces stabilizes the image quality a lot.

I probably should have posted a pic in the first place...

 

[icyclops]

Nice scope…just a tip, you should put a cap over where the eyepieces go as it will allow dust in and its tuff cleaning the mirrors on those… if you don’t have the plastic cap that came with it then just use some seran wrap. Looks like it may be from the early 90’s or early 2000’s maybe. I think their scopes were mainly white or black before that…not 100% sure though. That mount looks heavy enough to motorize for great viewing.

 

[DJRNY]

Nice scope…just a tip, you should put a cap over where the eyepieces go as it will allow dust in and its tuff cleaning the mirrors on those… if you don’t have the plastic cap that came with it then just use some seran wrap. Looks like it may be from the early 90’s or early 2000’s maybe. I think their scopes were mainly white or black before that…not 100% sure though. That mount looks heavy enough to motorize for great viewing.

Good suggestion! My telescope is now sporting a hand made custom plastic wrap and rubber band cover on the eyepiece holder!