Tessaro Quarry 127 ED refractor, tube with GoTo 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

Every configuration of the Tessaro Quarry 127 ED refractor shares the same optics; the choices below change how the telescope is mounted, finished, and equipped. Motorized tracking on the GoTo mount keeps objects in view, which helps when several people take turns at the eyepiece. The GoTo mount needs a 12 V power source, so plan for a power pack when you observe away from a mains outlet. Gloss white paint is easy to wipe clean, and the tube stays easy to spot in a dark yard.

This configuration comes without extra accessories, so budget for at least one more eyepiece if you are starting out. This is the 2024 edition, which revised the packaging and the accessory fittings of the Quarry line. 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
• GoTo mount with steel tripod
• Hand controller and 12 V power cable

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.