Having a Ranger for the past year, I knew I'd really like the TV-85. I just didn't know how much!
This scope is so clear and bright on both celestial and terrestrial objects, it's hard to describe it accurately.
On a good, steady night, detail on Jupiter, Saturn and the moon is quite astonishing for 85mm. I've had the scope up to
200x on the above objects with no problem at all, but that only on good night. Realistically, in my skies in Manhattan, 150-175x
is a more useable power. Splitting doubles is huge fun. Castor looks like a pick-up's headlights
coming at you on a country road at 200x. Nature viewing with the TV-85 is also quite an experience. I've found I even enjoy it more that I would have thought. Even looking at common birds
like Jays and Juncos is like seeing them for the first time. Not to mention hawks and waterfowl. The Ranger is a great little scope, but the optics on the TV-85 are simply in another league.
This scope is not cheap, but it is worth every penny! If you're on the fence about shelling outthis kind of dough (like I was), just buy it! I guarantee you won't regret it!

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:10 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 10
Date: 03/20/2002 04:18:45 pm PST

Replies: 0

Tremendous bang for the buck! I briefly had the XT8, but have to climb stairs to observe. The XT8 is not easily carried up flights of stairs as a single unit, so I reluctantly sent it back for the XT6. I needn't have worried. This scope from city skies has actually been better for me. I can easily carry it fully assembled in one hand up the stairs. I know it's only 5 pounds heavier but it's balanced much better. The optics are actually sharper in this XT6 sample than the XT8 I had. I have split the double-double routinely under 100x in the 6, while never under 120x in the XT8. Cassini Division is very apparent in the 19mm Panoptic (63x) in the XT6, while it took over 100x in the XT8 to see it, and never as sharply. I saw the Great Red Spot clearly in the XT6 the other night and I doubt I could have seen it in the XT8 given that I never saw more than 4 cloud bands in it. I've seen 6 clearly in the XT6. I realize that the 6 inch scope is f/8 while the 8 inch is f/6, but didn't expect it to be this much sharper! Of course I could just have gotten a subpar mirror on the XT8. Regardless, this scope is a 10 weighing performance and value! By the way, views on deep sky objects that are availalbe in my skies are so close between the two scopes as to be a non-issue. From a dark site, try them both if you can, but if you're in the city, the XT6 is a great deal.

Overall Rating: 10
Optics:8 Mount:9 Ease of Use:10 Value:10
Weight: 10
Date: 01/14/2002 02:23:47 pm PST

Replies: 0