C-7 Home Page C-7 News Consignment Library Products & Services Product Lines Order Search C7.com

Distribution News Notes & Interesting Articles Overview Pricing Products Service or Repair

Questar Telescopes LD Surveillance Systems LD Microscopes Accessories

Heretofore, astronomical telescopes tended be complicated, large and heavy instruments made of brass and steel installed onto complicated to use (usually German equatorial) mounts. The optical tube alone of a Zeiss 80mm (3.1 inch) refracting telescope of the day in our collection is over four feet long and weighs 20.2 lbs - that is with no mount or tripod. But the basic principle behind the development of the Questar concept, as explained by Lawrence Braymer, was:

The year 1950 was notable in Bucks County, Pennsylvania as Questar became incorporated on 3 April, and Lawrence married Marguerite A. (Peg) Dodd (b. 25 Mar. 1911, d. 27 Oct. 1996). As Lawrence focused on the telescopes it was Peg who provided administrative and bookkeeping. As Mrs. Braymer also continued her career work in New York, her income supported their initial efforts. But 1950 marked the beginning of the Korean conflict, and owing to the allocation of some critical materials and components for the war effort from then through 1953, the production of the first Questar telescopes would have to wait.

The production 3-½ telescopes of the 1950’s and those of today incorporate optics that are variations of or fully a Maksutov-Cassegrain optical design. Drawings and prototypes were in development from 1946 until finally entering commercial production in May 1954 as a variation of the original Maksutov-Cassegrain design the Denny Triple-Passage Meniscus arrangement. This was suggested late in 1949 by Braymer’s attorney Joseph Denny to avoid patent conflicts with established Maksutov-Cassegrain designs of the time. The design was ray traced and optimized by Braymer’s friend, optical designer Norbert Schell. The initial early production telescopes and those made during the late 1950’s and throughout the manufacturing of some mid production telescopes were based on the original design. In time this was tweaked to improve various aspects including notable changes instituted in the 1960’s by relocating the Secondary Mirror from the original front (r1) surface of the Corrector Lens to the inner surface (r2), and by configuring the telescopes for use with more state of the art eyepieces.

The mechanical components and accessories too were results of experimentations with materials and designs. The result became a telescope noteworthy for its compact form, excellence of materials and craftsmanship, and unprecedented ease of use. It rewards the owner at the eyepiece or when pursuing photography at a prime focus of 1,070mm f/12 with stunning image sharpness and clarity. The high measure of user friendliness was attained by the incorporation of a Control Box housing numerous patented built-in convenience features.

The first Questar telescopes were hand assembled by Lawrence and their employee in a small shop on South Main Street. Their first advertisements by the company appeared in the June 1954 issue of Sky and Telescope magazine, and again in August. Questar advertisements would continue to appear there monthly, eventually residing on the inside cover page from 1961 to 1993. Soon they expanded advertising into other reputable publications including National Geographic and Scientific American magazines.

Right: the first advertisement in 1954 features a photograph of the very first Questar shown in its case and also shown Pole Aligned on its tabletop tripod (52,066 bytes). Interestingly enough, the facing page features a book review of “Conquest Of The Moon” by authors including Wernher Von Braun who would come to own his own Questar in 1959. From Company Seven archives.
Click on image to see enlarged view (464,166 bytes).

The Questar advertisements tended to present the features of the telescope or host letters and or photos provided by Questar owners pointing out its ease of use, unprecedentedly convenient design, fine craftsmanship and choices of materials. The presentation was always professional and well-written, and usually accompanied by a photograph of the telescope or of some astronomical or terrestrial object taken by a Questar owner. The advertisement invited the reader to contact Questar to obtain literature; the materials provided in return would be similarly professionally laid out and printed culminating in the beautifully printed brochures of the 1980’s. The Questar was (and remains) such a unique instrument that it really did not have any direct competition, though its advertisements and customer testimonials occasionally mentioned how favorably it compared to similar aperture refracting telescopes of the day.

By 1955 they moved their business to the present site on Route 202 in New Hope, PA. Between 1954 and 1955 the production rate grew from one or two hand-assembled instruments per month to six or more units per month. The original production telescopes were marketed simply as the Questar, but as other models were developed the improved successors of the original fork mounted telescopes were designated the Standard Model.

Above: the Questar 3-½ telescope optical arrangement put together by Mr. Braymer for a magazine advertisement
showing the optics suspended over a copy of Johannes Hevelius Selenographia, sive Lunae descriptio published in 1647,
38 years after Galileo used his first telescope (97,215 bytes). From Company Seven archives.
Click on image to see enlarged view (409,743 bytes).

Questar sales from May 1954 through the end of the year showed them delivering $40,000 of product sold but at a $50,000 loss. In 1955 Questar sold some fifty units but lost $27,000. Questar was selling up to eight telescopes per month when the Space Age officially began in 1957 and production skyrocketed. By the second quarter of 1959 Questar operated at a profit for the first time since Braymer started work on his vision in 1946! By mid 1961 Questar had delivered 1,000 Standard Model telescopes. In 1962 sales continued to increase with about 326 telescopes produced. Sales accelerated and in 1964 they surpassed the 2,000 mark. Yet throughout the process Braymer’s high standards, insistence on numerous steps of quality control testing, and a by then refined optical and mechanical arrangements, resulted in customers telling their friends or sending letters of praise and photos taken by their high resolution and easy to use telescope. The letters and photos were published in Questar advertising and these too motivated more people to buy.

Left: Questar Standard telescope Declination Axis cover as provided on those instruments made from 1954 through early 1956 (30,306 bytes).

Many schools and universities bought one or more Questar telescopes since it is so quick to set up, simple to use, demands little space for storage (in a locker or on a shelf), and they endure with high reliability and low maintenance. For example Company Seven received for service two Standard telescopes bought by the the U.S. Naval Academy in 1964, their first check up and servicing in about thirty years. While the instruction manuals and some detachable parts had been lost and there were signs of wear and tear and pulling and other tampering, the controls on both telescopes were still smooth and precise and the images sharp and clear! And all parts remained supported so that both were reconditioned for yet newer generations of students at the USNA.

From the first year Questar worked to make improvements to design and of materials to increase the durability of the internal components of the telescope. Over time Braymer’s refinements including changing the sources of the optical components (eyepieces, internal prism) but for the main optics he had settled on the one company that proved to be reliable and consistent to this day. The original telescopes optical design and manufacturing tolerances allowed the telescopes to be used with either of two provided eyepieces at maximum magnifications of about 160x. By late 1961 Questar made several changes to the design of the main optics, this resulted in an intermediate production focal length of 1,156mm before finally settling in on 1,280mm that has been the standard for Questar 3-½ telescopes since. There would be some other notable refinements of the optical design, and by 1973 a change of eyepieces arrangement that resulted in a more versatile telescope even better suited for astronomically high magnification views of planets, the Moon, etc.

One of The Twenty Best Industrial Designs...: five years after it was introduced, in 1959 and 1960 a Questar was part of a touring exhibit Twentieth Century Design, USA organized by the Albright Art Gallery of Buffalo, New York. Following that the United States Information Agency brought a Questar as a part of its world-wide tour World Science and the U.S.A. In a subsequent exhibit by the same agency the Questar was shown in the Soviet Union where the Questar was stolen!

Other noteworthy acclaim followed when the Questar was included in the list "The Twenty Best Industrial Designs Since World War II" compiled by Walter Dorwin Teague. Walter Dorwin Teague was an internationally acclaimed architect and industrial designer. Teague and his company designed aspects of aircraft interiors for Boeing including that of the famous 707. His article was published later among a collection of articles in the 23 May 1964 issue of the weekly magazine Saturday Review, Company Seven has a copy of this in our archives and we read the article (pages 16 to 19) where the Questar 3-½ Standard telescope is item No. 10 in order of how these products came to Mr. Teague’s mind. The Questar is mentioned alongside the Karman Ghia Coupe, Triton Sloop, Honda motorcycle, Boston Whaler, Porsche 904, Head skis, Wegner chair, and the Boeing 707. In the article Mr. Teague goes on to explain “Another answer to the person who says we can’t produce fine craftsmanship in the US.A. Designed and built in the little Pennsylvania town of New Hope, this beautiful little telescope is the finest instrument of its kind in the world.”

The complete article by Teague is available for browsing as an Adobe .pdf file at our Questar Virtual Archives and Museum index.

Left: Questar 7 prototype with (L to R) Ernest Arndt, John Schneck, and Lawrence Braymer (33,815 bytes). From Company Seven’s collection.
Click on image to see enlarged view (106,971 bytes).

However, Lawrence Braymer was a three pack a day smoker, and in 1959 he was diagnosed with throat cancer. After one hundred seven days of treatments at the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland it appeared the cancer may have been diagnosed and treated in time. But the treatments left him weakened and although he remained optimistic and wanted to stay involved with his company’s projects some of the developing new ideas including the planned Questar 7 were shelved. Lawrence Braymer succumbed in 1965, and is buried at Thompson Memorial Cemetery, in New Hope. His widow Marguerite (Peg) Braymer became the sole owner, operating as President of The Corporation through 1976. She continued as Chairwoman until her death in 1996.

Under the direction of Mr. John Schneck their Vice President, the Questar 7 telescope design was completed and the first production telescope delivered in 1967.

The original 3-½ telescope, now marketed as the Standard Model instrument, had been the basis for other telescopes that would be come to be highly regarded for other applications. For birding, nature watching, for use as a long ultra telephoto lens and for surveillance there were variants of the original Questar developed. These include the Field Ranger 3.5, the Questar Field Model, and many more specialized industrial models too. The Duplex was introduced in 1966 to provide users versatility in both astronomical and terrestrial theaters. By 1967 the primary mirror substrate choices for the Questar included Corning Pyrex, fused silica (quartz), or Owens-Illinois Cer-vit C-101 ceramic. These telescopes remained the standards of excellence against which others are measured.

every Questar telescope made up to 1976 was a visual system that could also accommodate a camera for photography, then in May the first twelve sets of optics for the new Questar 700 were delivered. The Questar 700 is a purpose-built 700mm f/8 ultra telephoto mirror lens made for use with 35mm format SLR cameras; this is not optimized for visual uses. Focus was controlled by in the MKI variant by rotating the rubber-clad focus dial on the lens barrel, or in the MKII variant by a rack and pinion focuser attached at the rear of the lens. The lens includes a Swivel Coupling at the rear so an attached camera could be rotated throughout from portrait to landscape configurations. Therefore the lens could be adapted for use with most popular film or video cameras of the day by use of an optional T-Adapter. At first glance the lens resembles a Questar Maksutov optical arrangement but with a more prominent larger central obstruction, but the 700 was a completely new design patented by Questar. This is a catadioptric lens incorporating a magnesium-fluoride anti-reflection coated Corrector Lens with a pretty severe hyperbola correction, matched to a Mangin style aluminized Primary Mirror and with two field flattening lens elements in line.

Right: Questar 700 lens (21,065 bytes). From Company Seven’s collection.
Click on image to see enlarged view (197,631 bytes).

With no variable diaphragm (typical of mirror lenses and telescopes too) the exposure brightness is controlled either by adjusting the camera shutter speed and or by use of a filter threaded into the rear of the 700 lens or with an optional Quick-Change Filter Holder. Questar provided filters including Polarizing and UV Haze that could be stored into the custom fitted red velour lined brown leather lens hard case. The hard shell leather cases were made in either a cylindrical case profile with flap open lid, and later a rectangular arrangement with flap lid and with spaces in the lid for filters. The lens was a well regarded mirror lens in its day; when reviewed in the January 1977 issue of Modern Photography magazine it was highly regarded in terms of resolution for this class of optic, and medium in contrast. These lenses show only barely perceptible chromatism owing to the two refractive elements within, quite acceptable given the state of lens tech then. In June 1980 Questar evaluated increasing the light throughput and contrast by assembling three 700 lenses (SN’s 106xx-xx) with Broad Band coatings. This was such a noteworthy improvement that all Questar 700 lenses assembled after July 1981 (SN’s from 107xx) incorporate the higher efficiency coatings. By the time the last optics sets made for the Questar 700 were completed in November 1986 some 822 lenses had been made, by the late 1980’s almost all of these sets had been sold in assembled lenses.

The Questar 12 is a Maksutov-Cassegrain arrangement with aluminized mirrors and magnesium fluoride anti-reflection coatings. The production of the optics proved to be complex and time-consuming, hence resulting in a higher cost per unit than what had been initially hoped for. The system incorporates a very difficult to figure precise asphere on the concave side of the BK-7 (Borosilicate Crown) glass Corrector Lens. The optics feature an uncommonly smooth figure (RMS) for systems of this period owing to the time consuming polishing process. It turned out that one experienced technician might devote as many as six months of labor in figuring and testing the system, matching the optics as a set. Worse still, it was possible to actually to work on the optics and pass the point of nominal figuring so that one might need to start all over again with new components!

Right: Questar 12 telescope on Questar Byers German Mount as marketed in 1979 (155,980 bytes).
Click on image to see enlarged view (230,733 bytes).

For astronomical applications the famous Edward R. Byers company manufactured a precision German Equatorial mount to manage the heft of the Questar 12, this was marketed as the Questar Byers Mount and features prominently in the Questar 12 advertisements (as at right from 1979). The Questar 12 astro telescope was initially equipped with a refractive finderscope, but Questar changed this to a Questar 700 lens. The Questar 700 was set up with the Televid 1.25 inch diameter mirror diagonal use at magnifications as low as 22x, showing 2.1 degrees actual field of view. The Questar 12 optics can provide striking images within the one half degree field of view limitations of this inherently high magnification design. As well as the telescope can perform for visual astronomical applications when at its best, there are many more accounts of the telescopes requiring long hours to acclimate to ambient temperature changes - if ever doing so on some nights.

The first Questar 12 was Serial No. 4001, while the last one sold was 4012. Given recent improvements in design and performance of ten to twelve inch aperture Maksutov systems made by other companies (most notably including Astro-Physics), any future production of the Questar 12 for astronomical applications using the original lens design does not seem likely.

And to clear up any rumors, in the mid 1980’s Mr. L. Benton the Manager of Questar Corporation and Martin Cohen of Company Seven discussed plans for production of an even larger instrument - the Questar 18. However, after considering the production difficulties and other practical issues, the very high cost and uncertain demand, the project was never pursued.

The Long Distance Microscopes: in 1976 Dr. Douglas M. Knight was hired as the new Director of the company by Mrs. Braymer. It was during his tenure that the innovative and award winning Questar Long Distance Microscopes and Questar Birder systems were developed. The first of these QM models were announced in 1980, to be followed in 1981 by the DR, then in 1982 with the M-1 (by 1983 designated the QM-1). By 1990 the QM-100, capable of submicron resolution, would enter routine production. For the first time microscopic images could be made of subjects or objects in enclosures, in hostile environments, in process, and on-line. Microscopic resolution could be achieved from a longer distance without cluttering the work area with instrumentation.

Above: two of the current production Long Distance Microscopes - Questar QM-1 (left), and Questar QM-100.

In 1983 the QM 1 Long Distance Microscope was distinguished by "Industrial Research Magazine" as one of the 100 most significant new technical products of the year. In the past years since the introduction of the QM 1 the Questar microscopes and remote measurement systems have received two “IR 100” awards and a Photonics Magazine Circle of Excellence award including that for the QM-200 in 1989. So a Questar can take you all the way from the macro to the micro!

As Questar production crossed the fifty year mark in May 2004 the Questar Standard (the model closet to the original telescopes) sold for $3,705.00. By this time some 11,100 fork mounted 3-½ telescopes had been delivered, note this production landmark does not include the numbers of other consumer and industrial models that were developed since the original Questar was introduced.

Over the more than fifty years since the first Questar was sold there have been advances in Questar optical and mechanical production including: more transmissive yet durable mirror and antireflection coatings, refinements of the mechanics and optics, electronics that were never imagined in 1954 allowing the modern Questar astronomical telescope to be used world-wide independent of AC wall current, and new accessories that diversify the telescope’s usefulness. The original Standard Model telescope as introduced in 1954 sold for $795.00. From 1956 through the early 1960’s it sold for $995.00. Understand the U.S. Government Consumer Price Index shows $995.00 in 1956 had about the same buying power as something over $7,900.00 in 2010. Yet the current production Standard telescope, notably improved over fifty years, sells today for about one half of that - a price where it should be in 1988!

Computer Control? by the mid 1990’s Company Seven was in discussions with engineering about the practicality of produce a new model Questar 3-½ telescope, one with computer controlled mount to help the user find celestial objects. Several other companies had come out with consumer-oriented go-to technology telescopes, some of them quite compact, so that we recieved inquiries asking when we would offer a computerized Questar 3-½. We already developed an elegant encoder kit for the Questar 7 Fork and Base that matches the materials and finish, and we continue to offer this as an optional new item or retrofit for the customer. And we offered third party go to German Equatorial mounts suitable for the Questar 7. Some third parties developed add-on Digital Setting Circle kits, these may be installed by the owner onto their Questar 3-½ fork mount. But as we evaluated the idea of computer control for the Questar 3-½ we considered:

1. Do we need to make a computer controlled motorized mount that will drive the telescope automatically to find the types of celestial objects that amateurs have been able to find for decades with their Questar 3-½? Martin commented “who needs a ~10,000 object database for a telescope with only 3-½ inches of aperture, even one as good as the Questar?”

2. The hardware and electronics needed to accomplish this and to do this with the accuracy and reliability that is expected of a Questar will change the compact and lightweight form, and add notable costs. Martin concluded "it will be like trying to pack 10 pounds of s___ into a 5-pound bag. This would no longer be our half cubic foot, 7 lb. friend."

3. The equipment will likely take more time to set up, and will add complexity beyond the experience normally associated with the Questar 3-½. As Martin points out in his discussions “there is nothing fully automatic about an automated telescope”.

4. But most importantly we have never been about making disposable telescopes. Consider virtually every other consumer-oriented computer controlled telescope that has been sold including those by Celestron and Meade Instruments, or the first generation Leica Geovid BDA rangefinding binocular; it is often a matter of ten or maybe only a few years after they are out of production that the electronic components necessary to repair them are no longer available. This is more than just a Y2K Bug programming matter, it is just plain unplanned obsolescence.

While in the case of the Questar, most of the earliest ones made even from 1954 are still providing good service. Furthermore, if they need service or repair then we still support them with skilled craftsmen (and craftswomen) and parts.

Questar Represents Traditional Values: so when one looks at the history of the Questar telescope we see it has been improved and yet it has not kept up with inflation. The improvements were accomplished without compromising those aspects that are valued by its owners, or obsoleting older telescopes. It can be argued that in astronomical applications for the cost of a Questar one can buy other much larger telescopes - but that is exactly the point: it requires a much larger, less portable, and more complicated telescope with mount and accessories to match all that the compact Questar provides. And for many people the choice of a telescope that will be used most is truly their best choice. And even after the passing of Mrs. Braymer and Dr. Knight, Questar Corporation continues to be American owned and operated; entirely "Made in the USA". And Questar remains the only American manufacturer of amateur and consumer telescopes that has prospered continuously since 1954 in part because:

When you buy a Questar, you have the same assurance of quality no matter how your telescope is equipped. The options offered with our telescopes represent the state of the art in design and manufacturing processes; there is no compromise in quality of workmanship or materials. And this is how it has been since Questar incorporated on 3 April 1950!

How to choose a Questar: To read a good overview of the decision making process of buying a Questar, we suggest you read our article Selecting an Astronomical Questar Telescope. While this article is geared more towards the astronomical 3-½ inch models, there are concise explanations of the various configurations and of the major optical and accessory choices which apply to most other consumer models including the Birder and Field Model, and the larger Questar 7 models.

Above center: the black and white logo used by Questar from the early 1950’s to the mid 1960’s.

Questars Are Made In The USA: the one noteworthy U.S. company that has endured in this field since 1954. Known for making the Rolls-Royce of precision compact telescopes, they have endured since 1954 by not tampering much with those principles that makes a Questar great and unique. The optics and mechanical components are fully made in the USA. Furthermore, we attain the highest degree of quality control as each of these new instruments that come through Company Seven undergo comprehensive acceptance testing prior to delivery to our customer.

There is no law that requires most products sold in the U.S.A. to be marked or labeled as such, or make any representation about their amount if U.S. made content. However we guarantee our Questar products comply with the United States Federal Trade Commission’s Made In USA policy. For a product to be called Made in USA, or claimed to be of domestic origin without qualifications or limits on the claim, the product must be "all or virtually all" made in the United States. The term “United States” as referred to the FTC's Enforcement Policy Statement Complying With The Made In USA Standard, includes the 50 states (yes including Hawaii), the District of Columbia, and the U.S. territories and possessions. The term “all or virtually all” means that all significant parts and processing that go into making the product must be of US origin; that is to say the product contains none or virtually no foreign content.

Please contact Company Seven to discuss your requirements.