"Telescope
Talk: The TMB 130 Signature Series Refractor"
Refracting
telescopes using expensive glass in multiple lens elements, to
correct for false color inherent in traditional refractors, are
called apochromats. The TMB 130 SS uses an air-spaced ED
(extra-low dispersion) 3 lens "triplet" objective.
Combined with multiple lens coatings and sharp-edged internal
tube baffles, this design is optimized for the best possible
image contrast. Add the straight-through, unobstructed light
path, and you help enhance distinctions between light and dark
shades, making image details "pop" in human eyes.
Telescope fans will argue forever about the merits of expensive
refractors versus much larger objective mirrors in reflectors and
compund scopes. I'll tell you there is plenty of room to use and
enjoy all types of scopes - but you'll also hear me gush about
this scope's performance.
External impressions: This scope is really
handsome, plus it fills that classic image - it's what many
people expect a 
telescope to look like.
Looking at it from a few steps away, I think of those sketched
images from 19th century astronomy books, in which a polished
optical tube reaches high into an old wooden dome. The long white
enameled tube is a real eye-catcher at public viewings and other
astronomy events (image: right). The smooth machining, and
precise fit and finish are obvious to anyone taking even a
passing look. It comes in a high quailty, well-padded alluminum
case, and feels very substantial as you lift it from the cradle.
Extending the self-stowing sliding dew shield really changes the
scope's appearance (note the difference in the two images, left
and below right). This scope weighs only about 20 pounds / 9 kg,
making it really easy to set up and take down using the included
mounting rings. I'm happy to see this sort of old-fashioned
precision construction in a modern instrument every time I upack
this scope.
Observing
impressions: The weather in south Texas since I purchased the
scope in Spring 2007 has been terrible, with nearly constant
clouds and rain, so I've only had about seven decent observing
sessions this year. The scope has been in action about half the
time in the light-poluted suburban skies around 5th magnitiude,
and at dark sites well into the west Texas open spaces. Despite
being based on this limited number of observing runs, I'm still
overwhelmed with this scope's performance. The triplet lens
system is very well colored corrected, with no violet or yellow
halos around bright objects such as the Moon, Jupiter, Saturn, or
bright stars. However, pushing the magnification really hard on
Venus, our brightest planet, will generate a small fringe of
false color. In the one chance I've had to push up magnification
under stable seeing, star images test very tight and sharp, with
the expected Airy disk rings. As I'd hoped for - and expected -
in a true apo with a medium objective size, images have a fine
sharpness all the way to the edge of the field. I'm working at
much higher powers with this scope than its bargain apo little
brother, the Orion 80 ED, but have yet to see the
image break down appreciably above 200x. 
Saturn has been
the biggest planetary target thus far, and the 130 shows a full,
belted disk with good color saturation among the tans and golds
of the planet's "stripes." It splits out the A, B, C
main belts with a full Cassini Division, under stable seeing of
course. Apart from easy-to-spot Titan, it easily to resolves
Tethys, Dione, and Rhea under medium magnification. As expected,
this scope is a killer on the Moon, with smaller craterlets,
valley/rille floors, and anything along the terminator looking
tack sharp. On deeper space objects such as globular clusters,
the contrast offers three dimensional depth, resolving the
"grains" within the core. Here we're just below 30
degrees north latitude, so "super cluster" Omega
Centauri just clears the horizon during the spring months. On
it's first dark sky trip, the 130's "in-your-face" view
of this massive object just floored us all!
The TMB 130 SS
offers an opportunity to own apochromatic performance in a
medium-sized scope. Definately worth putting on your list of
afforable bigger refractors. -- JW
External impressions: This scope is really
handsome, plus it fills that classic image - it's what many
people expect a 
telescope to look like.
Looking at it from a few steps away, I think of those sketched
images from 19th century astronomy books, in which a polished
optical tube reaches high into an old wooden dome. The long white
enameled tube is a real eye-catcher at public viewings and other
astronomy events (image: right). The smooth machining, and
precise fit and finish are obvious to anyone taking even a
passing look. It comes in a high quailty, well-padded alluminum
case, and feels very substantial as you lift it from the cradle.
Extending the self-stowing sliding dew shield really changes the
scope's appearance (note the difference in the two images, left
and below right). This scope weighs only about 20 pounds / 9 kg,
making it really easy to set up and take down using the included
mounting rings. I'm happy to see this sort of old-fashioned
precision construction in a modern instrument every time I upack
this scope.