Tessaro Quarry 127 ED refractor, tube with equatorial 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 equatorial mount follows the sky along one axis once you align its polar axis with the celestial pole. With the equatorial mount, slow-motion controls let you keep a planet centered at high magnification with one hand. A matte white finish reduces glare from nearby lights while keeping the tube easy to see at night.

No accessory kit is included, which suits observers who already own eyepieces and want to reuse them. The 2023 edition uses the same optical design as later years, with small differences in fittings and labels. Check the specifications table for the optical figures, since they stay the same across every configuration of the Quarry line.

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
• Equatorial mount with steel tripod
• Counterweight and counterweight shaft

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.