Rod Mollise wrote:

Tasco products *used* to work well.

Hi Michael:

Yes they did. I had a Tasco 11TR for a little while in the mid 70s (the
red-tube 4.5") as a young G.I. I bought it to tide me over while saving up for
a better scope. But I was...surprised. I picked it up on sale at the BX, and
didn't expect much at all. But, dang, it was alright. The mount, while not the
Rock of Gibraltar, was OK, and despite the spherical mirror, it did a
respectable job on the planets, and impressed me with what it could do on the
deep sky under the dark skies I had up in Arkansas.

I had essentially the same scope though it was a white tube that I got
in 1969, I think. I think it was the 11TE. I didn't know anything so I
wouldn't have known if it was good or bad but I lucked out. By the time
I got my 8" I knew the difference and knew it was OK. Later I realized
I should have kept it! But boy, that metal tube sure did get cold and
the eyepieces I can do without.

Mike Simmons