Tele Vue 60º Everbrite Diagonal - 1.25"
- Reflectivity: 99% Everbrite Dielectric Coatings
- Viewing Angle: 60°
- Barrel Size: 1.25"
- Construction: Machined Aluminum Housing
- Eyepiece Holder: Non-Marring Brass Clamp Ring
The Tele Vue 60° Everbrite Diagonal is a specialized 1.25" star diagonal engineered for observers who find the standard 90° angle awkward, particularly when using refractors on alt-azimuth mounts. By combining a more natural viewing posture with benchmark-setting 99% dielectric coatings, this diagonal delivers both ergonomic comfort and maximum light throughput. It is a direct solution for specific observational challenges where comfort translates directly into seeing more detail.
At the heart of this diagonal is Tele Vue's Everbrite dielectric mirror. This is not a standard aluminum coating. It is an exotic, 10-layer coating system that achieves a certified 99% reflectivity across the entire visual spectrum. The practical effect is a visibly brighter image with more accurate color rendition compared to conventional diagonals, which typically offer 88-95% reflectivity. Faint nebula details and subtle planetary hues are transmitted to your eyepiece with minimal loss.
While a 90° diagonal is standard, it can create an uncomfortable viewing position when observing objects near the zenith with a refractor on an alt-azimuth mount, forcing you to crouch or kneel. The 60° angle of the Tele Vue Everbrite provides a more direct, head-on viewing posture in these situations. This ergonomic improvement reduces neck strain during long sessions, allowing you to concentrate on the object rather than your own discomfort. This is the diagonal you reach for when your Dobsonian-mounted friends are observing in comfort, and you want to do the same with your refractor.
The diagonal's body is machined from a solid block of aluminum, ensuring the mirror is permanently fixed in perfect alignment. This robust construction means you can trust the collimation is held securely, night after night, without the risk of shifts that can soften images in less durable designs. The one-piece body provides a rigid, dependable foundation for the high-performance optics it contains.
Image contrast is just as important as brightness. Tele Vue machines anti-reflection threads and internal baffles into the diagonal's interior surfaces. These features are designed to trap and absorb any off-axis stray light that enters the barrel. This prevents unfocused light from reaching the eyepiece, resulting in a darker background sky and making faint objects stand out more clearly against the blackness of space.
To protect your investment in high-quality eyepieces, the diagonal uses a brass clamp ring instead of a simple setscrew. When you tighten the lock screw, the soft brass ring compresses gently and evenly around your eyepiece barrel. This provides a secure, centered grip that will not scratch or gouge the barrel, preserving the finish and value of your eyepiece collection.
The primary limitation of a 60° diagonal is its specialization. For observers using German equatorial mounts or for viewing objects at lower altitudes, the traditional 90° angle often remains more comfortable. The 60° design is not a universal replacement but a targeted upgrade for a specific use case: making zenith-observing with a refractor on an alt-az mount a more pleasant and sustainable experience. When pointed at Jupiter riding high overhead with a Tele Vue DeLite eyepiece, the difference is immediate; your posture is relaxed, your eye is steady, and you can hold the image for longer, allowing the subtle banding in the planet's atmosphere to resolve from the seeing.
A 60° diagonal is most beneficial when using a refractor on an alt-azimuth mount to view objects high in the sky, near the zenith. It provides a more comfortable, straight-on viewing angle that reduces neck strain compared to the steeper angle of a 90° diagonal in that specific orientation.
Yes, this 1.25" diagonal will work with any Schmidt-Cassegrain Telescope that has a 1.25" visual back. However, the ergonomic benefits of the 60° angle are less pronounced on an SCT, where the eyepiece position is already higher and more accessible.
Yes. The Everbrite's 99% dielectric coating is more reflective, more durable, and has a flatter spectral response than enhanced aluminum coatings, which typically reflect 95-97%. This translates to slightly brighter images and more accurate color, and the coating will not degrade over time from exposure.
Yes, the 1.25" barrel is threaded to accept standard 1.25" astronomy filters, allowing you to easily add a moon filter, light pollution filter, or color filters to your observing setup.
Optically, they are identical, both featuring the same 99% reflective Everbrite coatings and build quality. The only difference is the viewing angle. Choose the 90° for general use, especially on equatorial mounts, and the 60° specifically to improve comfort with refractors on alt-az mounts.
| Model | DPC-6012 |
| Type | Mirror Diagonal (Star Diagonal) |
| Viewing Angle | 60° |
| Barrel Size | 1.25" |
| Coatings | Everbrite 99% Dielectric |
| Eyepiece Holder | Brass Clamp Ring |
| Filter Threads | Yes (Standard 1.25") |
| Body Material | Machined Aluminum |
| Weight | 7.2 oz (204 g) |
Tele Vue 60º Everbrite Diagonal - 1.25"
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1.25" Dust Cap (Top)
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1.25" Dust Cap (Bottom)
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