Just bought a TS-614, need eyepiece help (1 Viewer)

[jragsdale]

Howdy y'all! I just came into an older Kowa TS-614 60mm ED Spotter for $150 in excellent condition. For some reason it came equipped with an older TSN model 25x "Ø77 Japan" Eyepiece. The views are crisp, don't get me wrong, but I'd like a little more FOV and a little more magnification. I was wondering if it would be worth upgrading to the 30x Wide Angle Eyepiece or if I should be content with this one? Any extra info on this scope and eyepiece? I'm not finding much history online. Thanks! -Jordan

 

[jring]

Hi,

congratulations, 150 USD is a great price. You can either go 30x wide which is very much recommended but the current 20-60x zoom could also be good as your body is ED glass. The question is, if it is good enough for 60x - you might try a star test...

The 25x must be fairly old as it is marked 77mm diameter - and the last 77mm bodies with the small body bayonet were the single digit TSN-1/2/3/4 which afaik were not produced after the late 90s.

Joachim

 

[jragsdale]

Hi,

congratulations, 150 USD is a great price. You can either go 30x wide which is very much recommended but the current 20-60x zoom could also be good as your body is ED glass. The question is, if it is good enough for 60x - you might try a star test...

The 25x must be fairly old as it is marked 77mm diameter - and the last 77mm bodies with the small body bayonet were the single digit TSN-1/2/3/4 which afaik were not produced after the late 90s.

Joachim

Yeah, from what I've read the TSN-2 is the scope that this eyepiece originated from, wish I knew how/where/when/why, the person I bought it from had no idea either. I'm hoping to scope a good deal on a 30x eyepiece then and go from there. I'll give this scope a star test, I have many astronomy pieces I'm sure I can rig something up to do an appropriate test. Thanks!

 

[normjackson]

Ditto what Joachim said. Probably going through threads on this forum is a good place to get info about your scope. Here's an earlier thread on Kowa eyepiece compatability :
https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=163110
The scope is not waterproof. Pretty sure the TS-611/2/3/4 series postdates the TSN-1/2/34. I think the TSN-3/4 were the first commercial spotting scopes to use a fluorite element for colour correction. The TS-611/2 were allegedly much bettered from the improvement of the ED element in the TS-613/4. The magnifications given on the eyepieces apply to both 77mm scopes and the 65mm models.

 

[Rotherbirder]

I used a 613 (angled) version for a few years with a 30xW eyepiece and would strongly recommend this combo. Be careful though as the bodies aren't very robust. Mine came apart at the join between barrel and prism housing, at the drop of a hat!

RB

 

[jring]

The magnifications given on the eyepieces apply to both 77mm scopes and the 65mm models.

Hi,

actually the magnifications are correct for all Kowa small body scopes (except the rather strange SV82).
All others have a focal length of 420mm - which makes the smaller aperture models a bit slower and less critical designs - and thus they work nicely with ED glass where the 77mm used fluorite.

Same thing in the large body series - 880 as the fast instrument uses fluorite, 770 is a bit slower and has ED.

Joachim

 

[normjackson]

Yep apologies, the 65mm was a typo; I meant the 60mm scopes under discussion the TS-611/2/34 series.
Also seems my recommendation of looking at earlier Birdforum threads doesn't quite cut it when pages linked to have disappeared |^|
https://www.birdforum.net/showthread.php?t=57821
Makes undignified retreat...

 

[jragsdale]

Thanks for all the info guys! What do you think would be a good going price for an excellent condition TS-614 with a 25x Eyepiece? As always with these older scopes, used price info is hard to come by. What would you consider a "fair" price?

 

[slingworks]

Those are great little scopes in HD. I have a couple myself. I use the newer 25x LER eyepieces on mine. the 30W is excellent as well- but it's not having that great 30+mm eye relief. It's a little easier to get behind a straight scope with the LER eyepiece also...Just depends what works for you I guess.

The older 25x eypieces really don't have any value...I think they're close to terrible I believe they were standard issue on the TS-614?

Rotherbirder is right, they're a lightweight scope and if you knock one over or drop it hard you might have issues. They say "water-resistant" I think somewhere between water resistant and outright water-proof.

Are you looking to sell your 614 or just curious on value? Value wise, I purchased a minty 613 on Ebay UK last fall for $250 w/the old style eyepiece, might be a starting point? If you have a use for a spotter, buy a modern eyepiece. 25x or 30W. Dont get a zoom....You wont gain anything over 30x.

J Ring why do you say the SV82 is rather strange? I thought it was a relatively good idea by kowa. The 821/823 was/is a very popular glass in the target shooting world, and when they did away with the 820x series they kept the TSN-82 "Shooters Version" around just for that clientele. They could have just as easily done away with the 820x style entirely when they did away with the larger dia eyepieces. I'm kinda glad they didnt...I happen to own both an older 821 and the SV... I do find the SV slightly brighter? Maybe improved coatings?

 

[jring]

Hi,

in my opinion a good example of the 613/614 can benefit from the zoom as a higher magnification option - but yes, the 30 wide is so nice that it should be the first pick.

I think the SV82 is strange as because:

- it's the only scope in the small body series which does not have a focal length of 420mm - thus all the EPs are not marked correctly for it.
- it's a very fast plain glass scope - will only work at lower magnifications
- if we assume, that it's targeted at shooters, why is it an angled instrument - from what I have seen in images of shooters with scopes, they tended to have straight versions with the LER EP... but I have to admit that the last time I did fire a weapon was 30 years ago in the army...

Joachim

 

[slingworks]

Hello J Ring

Thanks for your replies.

Generally shooters these days use angled scopes. I have seen a few straight scopes on occasion, but they're usually used by either those that are stubborn or new to the sport and limited on cash. Angled scope are just considerably easier to use all the way around. Most all shooters tend to use a 25x (27x) LER eyepiece. They're favored since you can shoot with safety glasses mostly.

I've shot allot myself and I'm conditioned on the fixed eyepieces.

Those old TSN 821's are really the benchmark optic...I can see why the 82sv sells well. I don't think many who buy the 82sv use anything other than the 25xLER eyepiece.

Here is a photo from Camp Perry Ohio.

 

[jragsdale]

Are you looking to sell your 614 or just curious on value? Value wise, I purchased a minty 613 on Ebay UK last fall for $250 w/the old style eyepiece, might be a starting point?

Yes, I bought it to sell, since it was "broken" when I bought it, one of the internal baffles had come loose and was in the middle of the light path. Super easy fix, just twist is apart, take off the rear element and reach in and correct the baffle. While I was in it gave me time to blow out all the internal dust and clean the real element. So now it works like a charm!

I will probably sell with the 25x eyepiece as-is. That's a good starting point, I might try a little north of that to start. Thanks!

 

[jragsdale]

Here goes nothin!

https://boise.craigslist.org/spo/d/eagle-kowa-ts-mm-ed-spotting-scope/7109310440.html

 

[Gypa]

Hello Jragsdale. I would be interested to know how you disassembled the kowa 614 to access the interior.
I have an old kowa 612 with a dirty interior glass that I would like to clean.
Thank you
(translated with Google)

 

[slingworks]

Gypa, you're probably talking about the small lens right in the middle of the scope body? If so, All you have to do is grasp the scope firmly and unscrew it right in the middle. (Right in front of the prism housing). That lens will be right there on top, easy to see. Clean it very carefully.

 

[Gypa]

Thank you. I think it is the protective glass behind the eyepiece. I think he has fungus on his inner face. I will see if with your help I can access it.
Cheers and greetings

 

[jring]

Hi,

yes, the Kowa scopes come apart from the front - the protective glass in front of the prisms will be the last thing in the disassembly process...

Joachim