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Kowa - Ts-1?? (1 Viewer)

Skomer

Member
I own an old Kowa scope with a thin red band around it between the focus ring and tripod mount. The focus ring has No.8 stamped on it.
The eyepiece has TS-1 25X TS-2 and TS-3 20X written on it.
My colleague has the same scope but his has a thin green band around it.
Does anyone know what model of scope we have and what is the magnification?
 
The Kowa TS-1 was a 60mm/angled, the TS-2 a 60mm/straight, the TS-3 a 50mm/straight which focused at the eyepiece and the TS-4 a 50mm/angled. If your scope has a 60mm objective the magnification is 25X. I once had a TS-2, rebadged as a Bushnell which had a red band. I don't know what the green band means unless it was used either on the angled or perhaps the 50mm models. To complicate matters there were also other variations (TS-5 - TS-7) with different types of focusing and shorter overall lengths. The TS-1 and 2 were long, 16"-17".
 
henry link said:
The Kowa TS-1 was a 60mm/angled, the TS-2 a 60mm/straight, the TS-3 a 50mm/straight which focused at the eyepiece and the TS-4 a 50mm/angled. If your scope has a 60mm objective the magnification is 25X. I once had a TS-2, rebadged as a Bushnell which had a red band. I don't know what the green band means unless it was used either on the angled or perhaps the 50mm models. To complicate matters there were also other variations (TS-5 - TS-7) with different types of focusing and shorter overall lengths. The TS-1 and 2 were long, 16"-17".

Thanks for the reply,
It seems my scope is a TS-2 - it's definately a 60mm lens and badged KOWA despite this thin red band. I assume then that it's 25x magnification. The scope isn't 'straight' - the first 4" or so where the eyepiece screws into which also houses the focus ring(no.8) sits slightly higher(but parallell) to the remaining 12".
 
Re : Kowa

Skomer said:
I own an old Kowa scope with a thin red band around it between the focus ring and tripod mount. The focus ring has No.8 stamped on it.
The eyepiece has TS-1 25X TS-2 and TS-3 20X written on it.
My colleague has the same scope but his has a thin green band around it.
Does anyone know what model of scope we have and what is the magnification?

Skomer - I think you'll find the green band Kowa T2 means it has a better eye piece (typically 20-50x zoom) whilst the red band is a more limited eye piece (probably only 20x).
 
Broadsword said:
Skomer - I think you'll find the green band Kowa T2 means it has a better eye piece (typically 20-50x zoom) whilst the red band is a more limited eye piece (probably only 20x).

I've got a Kowa TSN-4. It has a thin red band which means it has flourite (ED) glass. The equivalent TSN-2, which is identical in appearance apart from the red band does not have this better quality glass.

In fact I though this was true of all Kowa scopes, i.e. the red band denoted ED/fluorite coated optics. This is true of the current batch of scope sin the TSN-660 series too.
 
trealawboy said:
I've got a Kowa TSN-4. It has a thin red band which means it has flourite (ED) glass. The equivalent TSN-2, which is identical in appearance apart from the red band does not have this better quality glass.

In fact I though this was true of all Kowa scopes, i.e. the red band denoted ED/fluorite coated optics. This is true of the current batch of scope sin the TSN-660 series too.

'Fraid that's not the case.

I have a TS-601, non-fluorite (for sale in the classifieds BTW) which has a red band on it. See
http://www.birdforum.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=23699

My TSN-663 (ED glass) has a red band on it too. Don't think the band has anything to do with ED or plain vanilla glass.

Duncan.
 
I have a TS7--and very good it is too, even if it is a bit of a museum piece now! It has the angled body but not the rather ugly 'lump' shape that some of the early Kowas had. I don't know if it's got a red ring or not 'cos I covered it in masking tape to improve the waterproofing!
Ken
 
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