Tasco 11TR

Ratings:Top:Astronomy:Equipment Reviews:Telescope Reviews:Tasco 11TR

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Brand and Model:Tasco 11TR
Price ($USD):$1000
Type:Plain Refractor
Attributes: un-checked Go-To un-checked PEC
Aperture:
f Ratio:f/0
Focal Length:900mm
Finder:
Electric Power:No
Mount:Equatorial
Tripod:Wood
Weight (lbs):lbs.
Dimensions (w/h/d):
Description:
Reflector

Vote Highlights Vote
Tasco 11TR
I couldn't vote for the mount,as I only purcased an OTA,to make a Dob with and because I used to have the Later Tasco 302012 114/900mm model,which was an excellent telescope.

After mounting it on an EQ2 mount and collimating it,the views were very good.

Replace 5x24 finder and cheapy ep's and you'll have a very good telescope.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:9 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 5 (Veritable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=489399 

>I couldn't vote for the mount,as I only purcased an OTA,to make a Dob with and because I used to have the Later Tasco 302012 114/900mm model,which was an excellent telescope.
>
>After mounting it on an EQ2 mount and collimating it,the views were very good.
>
>Replace 5x24 finder and cheapy ep's and you'll have a very good telescope.

My final vote is for the OTA only,which is why I have rated it slightly higher than I did the 302012.Had it come with the mount the  result would have most likely been equal.
Tasco 11TR
I bought mine second hand and didn't pay much for it ($25 US dollars). It's really not worth much more. Like others have said, the supplied eyepieces aren't much good. Neither is the finder as originally built, but the mirror optics are decent.

You'll need to do a bit of tweaking to get this scope to work. Here's what you'll need to do to get the 11TR up to decent standards:

1. Upgrade the focuser from 0.965 to 1.25. That way you can use readily available good eyepieces. Decent 0.965 eyepieces are very hard to find.

2. Upgrade the finder to 6x30 or replace it with a red eye BB gun type finder. 3. Learn to collimate (align) your optics.

With decent eyepieces and collimated mirrors, this isn't a bad scope at all. The mount could use some improvement as it is hard to set and keep the proper latitude for polar alignment. However, the mount has wooden legs which help with vibrations.

Bottom line is, if you can get this scope cheap enough, have good eyepieces, and are prepared to do some tinkering you'll have fun with this vintage telescope. If you are looking to go observing right out of the box, you'll be disappointed.

Overall Rating: 7
Optics:7 Mount:5 Ease of Use:5 Value:6
Weight: 3 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=484851 

>I bought mine second hand and didn't pay much for it ($25 US dollars). It's really not worth much more. Like others have said, the supplied eyepieces aren't much good. Neither is the finder as originally built, but the mirror optics are decent. 
>
>You'll need to do a bit of tweaking to get this scope to work. Here's what you'll need to do to get the 11TR up to decent standards: 
>
>1. Upgrade the focuser from 0.965 to 1.25. That way you can use readily available good eyepieces. Decent 0.965 eyepieces are very hard to find. 
> 
>2. Upgrade the finder to 6x30 or replace it with a red eye BB gun type finder. 3. Learn to collimate (align) your optics. 
>
>With decent eyepieces and collimated mirrors, this isn't a bad scope at all. The mount could use some improvement as it is hard to set and keep the proper latitude for polar alignment. However, the mount has wooden legs which help with vibrations.
>
>Bottom line is, if you can get this scope cheap enough, have good eyepieces, and are prepared to do some tinkering you'll have fun with this vintage telescope. If you are looking to go observing right out of the box, you'll be disappointed.


Finding reasonable quality 0.965" eyepieces can be quite difficult,but if you keep a regular check on ebay,you will eventually find some.

I managed to buy some excellent quality Japanese made 0.965" orthoscopic and kellner eyepieces,which I originally purchased for my thirty year old 90mm f9.3 reflector,made by "Astro" of Tokyo,a great little scope!

The orthos are actually superior to my 1.25" Plossl ep's and way better than the ep's that came with my Skywatcher.

Having been made in Japan,the kellners are also very good.
I purchased an old Lunagrossa/11tr OTA off ebay for only £12,I intend to use it to make a small Dobsonian.The 0.965" focusser is of all metal construction and far superior to the modern plastic 1.25"units that come with 4.5" scopes these days.

It came with the mounting sleeve,but without a finder,so I added a Meade 6x30 finder and bracket,which I only paid £5 off ebay for(cost so far £17)

I,ve already tested the scopes optics,by temporarily mounting it on my  Skywatcher 130's EQ2 mount.Once I had properly collimated it,it performed really well and I had some excellent views.
I must admit to having a liking for retro equipment!
Tasco 11TR
suprisingly good for the money, better than a meade4500 for example

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=359590

Tasco 11TR
I brought one of these 2nd hand several years ago, it had the standard lenses (useless crap), and some additional lenses that are worth looking through (a 6.4mm ortho, a 22mm plossel and a 40mm plossel). The mount was rubish, so I re-built the Head, and made a new Tripod.
The scope gives reasonable images, if you can get some decent eeyepieces. The mount is unstable, mostly because of the poor quality of the equatorial mount. Overall the scope is worth looking through, and did not cost much (I could not buy the 2 plossel lenses for what I paid for the whole scope).
Worth owning if you are handy with tools and don't have a lot to spend.

Overall Rating: 4
Optics:4 Mount:3 Ease of Use:6
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=141645

Tasco 11TR
I got this telescope from a friends father for $100 CND. It has better planetary images than any scope I have looked thru including a Questar 3.5.(I have converted to 1.25"). On those special steady nights I have successfully used (and gotten sharp images) 6.7 Meade with Ultima barlow and a 2.5 mm Lanthamun also with the barlow.That was really pushing the optics though. That gives me 360x the aperture with the 2.5 mm! Love this scope. I also own a 12.5" reflector

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Mount:5 Ease of Use:8 Value:10
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=83455

Tasco 11TR
My rating number applies to the 11TR as it stands now - with retrofitted 1.25" focuser and 6X30 finder. There's more to a telescope than the tube & tripod assembly. You have to take accessories and the observer's goals in high account. I received an 11TR fifteen years ago as a starter scope. That's still my only scope, I've always been pleased by the crisp planetary and binary star views and quite pleasantly surprised by its deep-sky reach. With my observing interests dealing with the first two objects, I just haven't felt the need to upgrade yet. It is not without faults: there's a trace of astigmatism with the primary and I've had to do some strengthing of the tripod. And of course there are the improvments mentioned above. But once I've accomplished these, I realized that I've got a pretty decent telescope. Especially when I pop in my 30mm Ultima/19mm Konig to starsurf or use the 5mm Ortho. to view Jupiter's moons eclipsing it.

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40243

Tasco 11TR
Price ? Where to purchase?

Overall Rating: 1
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40242

Tasco 11TR
This was an excellent beginner scope for me way back in 1985... Tripod was sturdy but polar head was rubbish (I know I even bought a clock drive and attempted astro photography!!!). Mirror is fine but eyepieces are, again, rubbish. I later upgraded to a Vixen R150S which is universes away from the 11TR "package". But put the Vixen K25 in the Tasco and lock the mount down hard and the view is fine (albeit passing by)! The 11TR OTA is ok with decent eyepieces and a decent mount.

Overall Rating: 5
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40241

Tasco 11TR
I was looking at reviews of possible scopes to buy. I saw the 11TR was included so I am throwing in my 2 cents worth: This was my first reflector and I got it 3 or 4 years ago. By all means, I wasn't searching to get a Tasco (heard horror stories about their quality), it was just too good a deal to pass up. I highly doubt this scope has a listed price $1000 - probably more like $299. Anyway, I picked it up in a catalog outfit for $130 new (I believe it was called Damark). the heavy wooden tripod makes it suprisingly sturdy. The objective optics are crap - I replaced them with 1.25 plossls (removed the .96 adapter) it was like a totally new scope. Mount identical to Orion Eq-2M. As with all reflectors - collimation important for best results. Good planetary viewing and not bad with a high focal eyepiece for some deep sky panoramas. Adequate to good first scope.

Overall Rating: 4
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40240

Tasco 11TR
I have found that this is a better then most telescope. yes I think that the eyepices need to be better but that's part of the fun. buy new toy's for your toys. Make them better and have fun....

Overall Rating: 8
Weight: 1 (Unreliable Vote)
Date:
By:
Link to this vote: http://www.excelsis.com/1.0/displayvote.php?voteid=40239

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