QUESTAR 50th ANNIVERSARY MINIATURE TELESCOPE

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the incorporation of Lawrence Braymer's company, Questar announced the Questar 50th Anniversary Model, a limited edition version of the original 3-½ telescope. But for those who are Questar enthusiasts and may already own a Questar, or for those who aspire to own one then a suitable compromise of appearance and the Questar tradition was achieved with the introduction of this hand-crafted miniature sculpture of the Questar Classic Standard Telescope.

Hand-crafted in pewter, this adaptation matches in intricate detail the full size original. Keep it in mind that this is a Questar only for looking at, since it is a 1/3 scale sculpture of the original classic form without optical or mechanical components.

The engraved name plate reads:

The Questar is a family of telescopes made to industrial degrees of perfection and durability being engineered to provide more than a lifetime of rewarding service. The Questar Standard 3-½ has long been regarded as the finest compact personal telescope in the world, a blending of Rolls-Royce comfort and appearance with Ferrari performance if you like. While many other companies have come and gone, Questar remains the only telescope made entirely in the United States in continuous production since 1954. We attribute this to the fact that they have remained a privately held corporation that has never lost sight of what makes them unique and important; this contrasts against many others who came to be managed by persons who knew the cost of everything, and the value of nothing.

Right: Questar 50th Anniversary Miniature 3-½ Telescope in pewter shown on furnished wood pedestal. This unit is displayed among Company Seven's collection (52,011 bytes).
Click on image to see enlarged view (225,993).

SPECIFICATIONS:

Sculpture Actual Size: 7 5-/8 inches (19.4 cm) high, Pedestal is 4 inches (10.2 cm) wide

Telescope OTA is 3 5/8 inches long (9.2 cm)

Weight: 1 lb. 11.2 oz.

Scale 1:3

Telescope is pewter, while the base is solid cherry wood.

Price: $195.00 plus $14.00 shipping and handling

BACKGROUND The Questar is a family of telescopes made to industrial degrees of perfection, and durability - engineered to provide more than a lifetime of rewarding service. The Questar Standard 3-½ has long been regarded as the finest compact personal telescope in the world. In addition to the telescope's legendary resolution, flatness of field and startling clear contrast, the Standard has integrated convenient features several which are not available with other telescopes. The Standard Questar telescope has won for the United States and Questar numerous design awards, and the Questar 3-½ introduced six patented features to the hobby of astronomy. This telescope has been the model of several attempts to mimic its convenience and performance - yet the Questar remains without peer. These features were conceived by the gifted designer, Lawrence Braymer over more than a decade of research and development in what would go into regular production by 1954 as the "Questar Standard". A cutaway version of this telescope was displayed and is retained by the Smithsonian Institution Museum of Technology. The original Questar Standard concept evolved into variants including the Duplex, and the larger Seven models. And for terrestrial applications the Field and Birder models.

Left: Questar 50th Anniversary Miniature 3-½ Telescope rear view (58,628 bytes).
Click on image to see enlarged view (168,221).

The design and engineering features made the Questar telescope "user friendly" well before Jobs and Wozniak gave the world the "Macintosh" computer; if Macintosh is the computer for the rest of us, then a good case can be made that the Questar is "the telescope for the rest of us".

For more information about how to work your way through the decision making process of choosing and specifying a Questar 3-1/2" telescope, the common accessories, and desirable options please feel free to call us, send an Email inquiry, visit our showroom, or refer to article in our Questar "Notes" section "Our Questar telescopes, their most popular factory installed options, and accessories.".

For current dimensions and a construction overview of the Questar Standard 3-½ telescope sold by Company Seven download the Questar illustrated two page brochure from Company Seven's Library. Download size is 348,071 bytes (in Acrobat Reader ".pdf" format).