Astronomy buffs of a certain age know about Questar telescopes, the subject of amazing ads in Sky and Telescope in the '60s and '70s. In 2007, a family friend asked me if I could help her sell this Questar Duplex. Her late husband bought it new in 1991 and after he passed away, she no longer wanted it. "Sure," I said, "but can I use it for a few months?" She told me to use it for as long as I wanted.

So I have a Questar.

It renders extremely sharp views of the moon, planets and double stars. The telescope is a mechanical jewel and fun to use. It has surprised me on deep sky, revealing dim NGC galaxies that I thought would not be easily seen with 3.5 inches of aperture. I mounted it on a sturdy Meade tripod, which I purchased for $99.