Antares 0.965"/1.25" 90-deg Hybrid Mirror Star Diagonal

5.0 A great way to update an older telescope

Easy to Use,Strong Construction,Quality Lenses

I have an older Tasco telescope from the 1960's and wanted to update it to use 1.25 inch lenses. At first I could not get it to focus properly, but after cutting 1/4 of an inch off of the focus tube it works great. It feels like I have a new telescope now!

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Perfect adapter for vintage scopes

Strong Construction,Quality Lenses

After restoring a Tasco 7Te-5 scope I knew that the .965 eyepieces were the weakest link to the scope. This adapter allows the Tasco to use the 1.25 eyepieces and of course, better quality eyepieces. The right angle diagonal is perfect for viewing on a scope of this length.

Very happy with the quality of the mirror and the construction overall.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Excellent!

Strong Construction,Accurate,Quality Lenses

This is an excellent (and comparatively rare) product which will allow you to use your 1.25" lenses in older scopes that accept only .965" eyepieces. A side benefit is that the view is considerably improved because almost any 1.25" eyepiece will be superior to almost any .965" eyepiece. Two birds with one stone! [Side comment: There's a good chance that your old Tasco isn't as bad as its reputation suggests. Put in a decent 1.25" eyepiece and you might be astonished at the results!]

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Antares .965x1.25 Hybrid Mirror Star Diag

Accurate,Compact

I use this hybrid in my excellent quality vintage 80mm Tasco refractor. This allows the use of high quality 1.25 inch eyepieces with this older TOWA Japanese product instead of the usual .965 x 1.25 adaptor in addition to the cheap low quality .965 diagonal which came with it. The only thing lacking is a newer compression ring-type eyepiece locking system. The older style machine bolt retainer can scratch my eyepieces.
My suggestion is to have the manufacturer update this product to 2000 standards as there are quite a few "vintage" refractors still in service and a modern hybrid would be preferred. Maybe even include the latest dielectric coatings for better light throughput.
Good mirror quality and was collimated well. This is the best of what's out there for this purpose.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Great way to upgrade an old telescope!

Strong Construction,Accurate

Replacing the factory 0.965" prism diagonal with this high-quality 1/10 wave mirror will give you better resolution, more light throughput, and of course allow you to use 1.25" eyepieces. The cost is minimal, too. Highly recommended.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Nice quality for the nice price :)

Accurate,Strong Construction

Difficult To Focus

I bought this with hopes I could update my old 60mm telescope to 1.25" EP's, but it's focuser is too restrictive as-is. Will try to attain a short extension and try again. The stepped .965-1.25" end is a nice feature so you can also use this for future 1.25" scope purchases. This unit is mostly metal and feels nicely made.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

5.0 Quite surprised!

Accurate,Strong Construction

For the price, I really didn't think this diagonal would provide the quality that it has. One drawback was the need to cut off about 1/2 inch from the eyepiece drawtube on my scope to accommodate the increased path length - but this wasn't too difficult. Highly recommended!

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Great to improve your 60mm Refractor

Quality Lenses,Strong Construction

I used this Hybrid diagonal to use 1.25" eyepieces rather than the standard .965" eyepieces. The focus changed due to the increased size and added an additional 1/2" or so to the focus point. You may need to shorten the refractor tube to compensate. Being able to use higher quality eyepieces you currently own is worth it.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Very Good Value

Accurate,Strong Construction,Optically very good

I use this diagonal on an older long FL 60mm refractor that only accepts .965 eyepieces.
I had long suspected the little 60mm had good glass in it, but the .965 eyepieces available to me really hampered the view. This diagonal solved the problem.
Prior to getting this one, I tried one of the "ultra cheap" ones from another place, and that one was just about useless.
This one has solid construction, good mirror and works well. The only negative, if it is, is that it's heavier than the usual .965 diagonal.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Step Up to Your Quality 1.25" Eyepieces

Strong Construction,Compact,Accurate,QUALITY MIRROR

Tired of Kellner, Ramsden, or Huygens .965" eyepieces ? Want to use your quality 1.25" Plossls ? Step Up from .965 to 1.25 with this excellent hybrid diagonal. All-metal construction, quality mirror, and safety undercut makes this an easy choice. No vignetting, even with my narrow baffle C90 Astro!

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com

4.0 Newer eyepieces in an older scope

Expands EP selection

None

Purchased diagonal to use on an older Bushnell refractor that would only accept 0.965" eyepieces. The diagonal is well built, provides good quality optics and gave new dimension to an old scope. Now allows a wide selection of 1.25 eyepieces to use in a 0.965 scope.

This review was provided courtesy of AgenaAstro.com