Tessaro Quarry 127 ED refractor, tube with alt-az mount

Specifications

Description

The Quarry 127 ED is a doublet refractor built around one extra-low-dispersion element in a 127 mm objective. With a focal length of 889 mm, it works at f/7. That ratio gives a moderately wide field at low power and enough magnification for lunar craters and planetary detail when you add a shorter eyepiece.

The ED element brings blue and red light closer to the same focus as green light. On bright targets such as Jupiter and Venus, you will see only a faint residual color fringe, less than an achromat of the same aperture and focal ratio would show. The objective is fully multi-coated. The tube carries internal baffles and a retractable dew shield, which limit stray light from nearby streetlights and keep the background dark when a bright planet sits near the edge of the field.

The 2.5 in dual-speed rack-and-pinion focuser supports a star diagonal and a heavy eyepiece or camera adapter without slipping. The fine-focus knob gives a 10:1 reduction for critical focusing on the Moon. At 5.4 kg for the tube, the Quarry 127 ED needs a sturdy equatorial mount or a heavy alt-az mount with a rated payload well above that figure, so check the mount's capacity before you buy.

Typical targets include the Moon, the phases of Venus, the rings of Saturn, and double stars such as Albireo and Epsilon Lyrae. Wide open clusters such as the Pleiades and the Double Cluster in Perseus fill a low-power field. Under dark skies, the brighter galaxies and planetary nebulae show more structure than they do in smaller refractors, although a catadioptric of similar aperture will reach fainter deep-sky objects.

About this configuration

The Tessaro Quarry 127 ED refractor is offered in several configurations, and the notes below describe what this particular combination adds or changes. The included alt-az mount moves up and down and side to side, so you point the telescope by hand without polar alignment. Manual alt-az motion suits visual observing, though you need to nudge the tube now and then to follow objects as the sky turns. The matte white coating resists fingerprints and smudges better than a gloss surface does.

With the starter kit, begin with the low-power eyepiece whenever you search for a new target, then switch up. This is the 2025 edition, which updated the knobs and clamps so you can operate them with gloves on cold nights. If you plan to add accessories later, compare the compatibility notes with the parts you already own before choosing a configuration.

What's in the box

• Optical tube with retractable dew shield
• Tube rings with dovetail bar
• 2.5 in star diagonal with 2 in adapter
• 6x30 right-angle finder
• Front and rear dust caps
• Alt-az mount with aluminum tripod
• 25 mm and 10 mm eyepieces (1.25 in)
• 2x Barlow lens (1.25 in)

Compatibility notes

• Accepts 2.5 in eyepieces directly and 2 in eyepieces through the supplied adapter.
• The dovetail bar fits most small and medium mounts.
• The focuser has a T2 thread for camera adapters once you remove the 2.5 in nosepiece.