| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 02:35 PM |
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AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Last night I attended my first full-moon star party on the front driveway of John Pons' home in North Hollywood, California. John provided the telescopes, his wife the refreshments. The guest list was impressive: Caveman and wife Debbie, Dan Mounsey of Woodland Hills Camera, my wife Carla and myself, a number of refractor friends of John and Dan, and some of his neighbors.
The real celebrities of the evening were Pons' 6-inch Goto prototype refractor, built in 1954, and his larger custom-made refractor, based on Zeiss designs, that was made to hold a number of different objective lenses (more on this later).
But first, the little star of the show was Caveman's circa 1953 Nippon Kogaku 50mm refractor on its original mount. Its performance amazed everybody! It provided color-free, ultra-sharp views of Venus. It also provided comparatively better views of Jupiter than its larger brethren because it was less sensitive to seeing conditions. The "Little Scope that Could" is a definite keeper - I wish it were mine.
Here's a picture of the "Little Scope that Could" and its owner, Caveman (aka Clint Whitman), looking thru one of the two original tack-sharp eyepieces.
| Siderea |
| (Astronomess) |
| 06/30/07 02:41 PM |
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Isn't that something!
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 06/30/07 02:44 PM |
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Sweet little scope.
Bigger is not always better.
It reminds me of my little Tasco white tube 60mm. Although, that's like comparing a AMC Pacer to a Shelby Cobra.
Regards and clear skies,
MikeG
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 02:55 PM |
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Here's the business-end of the amazing 6-inch Goto refractor owned by John Pons. Originally built in 1954, acquired by Joe Choate of Los Angeles, CA in 1956, it was destined for the landfill when John acquired it some years ago. It was a basket case until John's magic brought it back to its former glory. Today, it appears exactly as it looked in mid-1950s Sky & Telescope advertisements.
I'll let you in on a little secret. The objective lens presently installed in the Goto is actually a prototype 6-1/4 inch clear aperture Unitron lens. The Goto objective is carefully wrapped and stored elsewhere, but can be reinstalled at any time. Both objectives are superb examples of the opticians art.
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 06/30/07 03:01 PM |
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English language and CN graemlins cannot express my envy.
Awesome scope. And a great story about how it was saved from the trash heap!
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 03:04 PM |
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Here's the Goto with its proud owner, John Pons. Of the many telescopes John owns or has owned, I get the impression that this one is his favorite.
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 06/30/07 03:07 PM |
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The pier, mount, and drives are as amazing as the scope.
What workmanship and quality.
It exudes an air of days gone by when real craftsmen took pride in their work.
Amazing.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 03:20 PM |
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Here's the nameplate on the east side of the Goto mount.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 03:21 PM |
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Here's the nameplate on the west side of the Goto mount...
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 03:26 PM |
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Here's the Goto objective - actually a Unitron 160mm (6.3 -inch clear aperture), 2600mm f.l. objective lens.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 03:34 PM |
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The 6-inch Goto clock drive is powered by a falling weight, just like a grandfather clock. The falling weight is regulated by a ball governor, seen here in the enclosed glass case. It can truly be said that this scope has balls!
| 93alien |
| (sage) |
| 06/30/07 03:40 PM |
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| JWW |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 03:41 PM |
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Simply amazing ...
-JWW:
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 06/30/07 03:42 PM |
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Jon looks to be in as good a shape as his instruments. He's got to be pushing 70 if I'm not mistaken.
BTW Is it Jon or John? I've seen both spellings an equal number of times.
Keith
| Siderea |
| (Astronomess) |
| 06/30/07 03:54 PM |
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pushing 70?
Those scopes must weigh more than that!! That guy needs an observatory!
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 06/30/07 03:58 PM |
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Jon or John is as hyper as a person can be at 12 years old much less less at nearly 70 he amazed me. Some people say I a litter hyper he zooms past me like i am standing still
| JWW |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 04:32 PM |
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must be all the health food. <grin>
-JWW:
| GeneDiG |
| (sage) |
| 06/30/07 06:47 PM |
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I bet he gets that build by lugging that 'scope around! I on the other have a body sculpted by Tasco 9VR!
| ngc2289 |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 06/30/07 06:52 PM |
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Quote:OOOoooo....thats terrible!
The 6-inch Goto clock drive is powered by a falling weight, just like a grandfather clock. The falling weight is regulated by a ball governor, seen here in the enclosed glass case. It can truly be said that this scope has balls!
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 06/30/07 08:00 PM |
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Aa advertisement from March 1957 Sky and Telescope, reads: This complete GOTO 6" EQUATORIAL was recently exported to the TITAN OBSERVATORY in Los Angeles.
Same one?
Keith (I'd post a pic, but I'm having trouble figuriong out how to convert TIFFs to JPEGs)
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 06/30/07 08:12 PM |
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Keith,
Open the image file in a program like Adobe PhotoShop or PaintShop and simply save the image as a .JPG
Should work?
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 08:43 PM |
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Keith,
You know, I can't recall wether it's Jon or John. The next time I talk to him, I'll ask. Pons is age 66 (2 years older than me), and, unlike me, he works out daily at the gym and is very proud of his physique.
These next series of photos relate to his bigger refractor, which you can see in the following pictures. Every piece of it - except the optics - was built by a local precision machine shop to Pons' exacting specifications. You can imagine how expensive that must have been!
In this first photo, Caveman is on the right setting up his 50mm Nippon Kogagu and the Pon's big lawn cannon is to the rear. Which is the 'grab 'n' go?
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 08:49 PM |
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Here John is dwarfed by one of his many creations. This is probably his finest work.
For the star party, the refractor employed an 8-inch f/19 George Carroll apochromat (3 elements) objective. Absolutely superb. Too bad the seeing didn't allow it to perform to its full potential.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 08:53 PM |
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Here's the other objective John uses in this refractor, a Zeiss 10-inch f/16 apochromat. This lens is over 80 years old. John built an adapter cell to accomodate either the 8-inch Carroll or the 10-inch Zeiss.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 08:55 PM |
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Even the finder scope on this OTA is a Zeiss, a 3-1/2 inch semi apochromat.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 09:01 PM |
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Another shot of the big gun with Caveman, left, and Pons, right. Caveman looks kinda reverent, doesn't he?
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 09:03 PM |
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I layed on my back to get this perspective of the tailpiece. Impressive, isn't it?
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 09:05 PM |
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Here's another shot of the tailstock. Note the quartz star diagonal.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 09:21 PM |
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If you thought that Pons is exclusively a refractor man, you'd be wrong. He is working on a 12-1/2-inch high-performance Newtonian based on a highly improved Optical Craftsmen mount. He claims he has a "perfect" Ed Beck (?) mirror. Pons has designed an ultra precision mirror cell and secondary adjustment supported by a curved spider of his own design. He also designs and builds the drive electronics. This scope is still a work in progress. Everything he does is 1st class.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 09:26 PM |
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Here's a close-up of the clock drive built by Pons for his 12-inch Newtonian on a highly modified Optical Craftsmen mount which now utilizes helicoptor rotor bearings - ye gods!
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 09:29 PM |
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And here is a Bill Schaeffer mount being modified for a 9-inch refractor that Pons is making for a customer.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 06/30/07 09:37 PM |
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And finally, here's a picture of yours truly in front of
Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles (well, actually, in front of a picture of Griffith Observatory).
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 06/30/07 10:03 PM |
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I would have to ask John about the titan, I do know the Goto came out of a house in beverly hills that had a 18 foot observitory built into its structure about 4 years ago and as taken out just ahead of the demolishion crews. John is not a driver so he told me the story about how him and his girlfreind moved it piece by piece on the subway to save it from the dump I spent the day over there watching him go like a mad man rebuilding my 4" unitron objective! he said bring it by and I will culminate it for you I just left his house 5 hours later with a completly rebuild custom locking lens cell and a custom re-made unitron super focuser, also some 6" unitron weights for my byres drive. John and I hit it off I guess. He is a great guy and I am soaking up his knowlage like a sponge. At last someone that really knows what he is doing to show me all the stuff I could only guess at.
| Bonco |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 06/30/07 10:07 PM |
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Thanky Lew great report. Saved almost all of the pictures.
A yard party like this can only happen in California.
Bonco
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 06/30/07 10:08 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Thats A super unitron 2" bad to the bone Focuser in case Lenny gets back in time to see this!!!!
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 06/30/07 10:46 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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It sure looks like the same scope. Since I've never heard of 'Titan Observatory', it very well could have been the name of a private/home dome. The timing is right. 1956 on the scope, early 1957 advertisement. The location is right. I'd say its an almost certainty.
Keith
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/01/07 01:20 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Keith,
Here's the Titan Observatory as it was covered in a Los Angeles Times article on September 8, 1960. I hope you can read it. The provenance of this telescope is impeccable!
John Pons took the Titan Observatory door which he keeps in his house.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/01/07 01:25 AM |
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Here's the 6-inch Goto owner plate which is screwed to the pier. I took this shot at Pons' house at last night's star party.
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 07/01/07 02:22 AM |
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Lew, this is amazing. With your permission, I'd like to send these pictures to my contact at Goto Japan. I believe they will be very excited to see the refractor's continued existance. I'd like to send the one with Jon, too, if you can get his permission. Thanks.
Amazingly, now that we know what to look for, you can see Choate Telescope, ***, 1956 plate on the Sky and Telescope advertisement, too!
Since this LA Times article was from 1960, the young Joe Choate should only be about 65 years old. Any ideas why this telescope was left for the wrecking ball, or where he might be? Most probably lost interest when he moved away from home, the father died, and the house was sold to a new owner who had no interest in the hobby and neglected the poor thing.
Keith
| Daniel Mounsey |
| (Vendor - Woodland Hils) |
| 07/01/07 12:46 PM |
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Nice work guys. Lew, why don't you post that classic picture of you at Charlton in the 60's That photo blows me away.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/01/07 03:20 PM |
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Dan,
Your wish is my command. Here is Ralph Nye (behind my homemade 8-inch Newt.) and me in front of it. Taken at Charlton Flats, California (near Mt. Wilson Observatory), circa 1961.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/01/07 03:23 PM |
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Here is a picture of Ralph Nye recently featured in an Arizona magazine. He's been the observatory engineer at Lowell Observatory for over 30 years.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/01/07 03:29 PM |
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And here is a photo of Ralph Nye and a Brashear astrograph that he painstakingly restored.
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 07/01/07 05:05 PM |
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Boy you look like a real hellraiser Lew!
| mikey cee |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 07/01/07 05:12 PM |
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Yeah Lew!.... you guys are suppose to look like nerds not like punks daring somebody to touch your scope!
Mike
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/01/07 06:25 PM |
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Here's another view of the 1961 Charlton Flats star party. Check out the old cars! If this picture had been taken in 2007, you'd think it was an antique car show instead of a star party.
| ngc2289 |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 07/01/07 06:27 PM |
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Mmmmmmmmm. Nice red and white Ford!
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 07/01/07 07:04 PM |
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Looks like a herd of Cavemen desended from the past to take over the place!!!
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 07/01/07 07:05 PM |
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Well at least one
| Daniel Mounsey |
| (Vendor - Woodland Hils) |
| 07/01/07 07:12 PM |
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That picture gives me goose-bumps
The greatest planetary views in my life are where you stood. I just can't believe it, it's like a time machine. You look so young Lew. Clint, you must visit Charlton.
| Daniel Mounsey |
| (Vendor - Woodland Hils) |
| 07/01/07 07:12 PM |
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Lew,
Did Ralph know Robert Burnham Jr.?
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 07/01/07 07:20 PM |
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If you guys keep this up, I may have to pin this to the top of the forum for a while.
| Bonco |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 07/01/07 07:27 PM |
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It should be pinned and added to if other pictures are available. So much history here and not available anywhere else.
Bonco
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 07/01/07 07:30 PM |
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Well my fridays are tighted up for a while. Dan John put a super focuser on my Unitron yesturday !!!! cool
| JWW |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/01/07 07:56 PM |
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Quote:
Dan John put a super focuser on my Unitron yesturday !!!! cool
What would that be? Have any pictures and/or more information?
-JWW:
| ngc2289 |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 07/01/07 09:27 PM |
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OH! I hate needles!
| Daniel Mounsey |
| (Vendor - Woodland Hils) |
| 07/01/07 09:58 PM |
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John can build anything and fix anything with scopes. He's been doing it for 54 years.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/02/07 01:31 AM |
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Here's another Charlton Flats memory. I took this the morning after the star party, when most people had packed up and left.
The last scope on the field was Frank Grow's 14-inch fork mounted Newt. which he transported on a homemade trailer behind his pickup and camper. In this shot the scope is ready for loading. Among those helping Frank to load the scope was Leif Robinson, seen at right wearing a white sports car cap, standing behind Jack Eastman's Renault. Robinson is editor emeritus of Sky & Telescope magazine.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/02/07 01:36 AM |
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In this next shot taken at Charlton Flats in 1961 (looking west), the people helping Frank Grow load his scope are, from left, Ronny Thomas, Frank Grow, unknown, Leif Robinson (wearing white cap) and Jack Eastman.
| mikey cee |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 07/02/07 01:47 AM |
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That 14-incher looked like a big cannon that just recoiled after letting loose with a round! Neat picture!
Mike
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 07/02/07 12:02 PM |
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Here is some information from Goto on production numbers for the 6".
This thread is amazing!
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/02/07 02:45 PM |
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Here's a picture of the Frank Grow telescope as it appeared on the cover of the August 1958 issue of Griffith Observer magazine, the publication of the Griffith Observatory and Planetarium in Los Angeles. Griffith's then director, Dr. Clarence Cleminshaw, is on the sidewalk; Frank Grow is on the ladder. When this picture was taken, the scope had a 16-inch mirror, but when it was donated to the Los Angeles Astronical Society in the early 1970s, after Grow's death, it had a 14-1/2 inch mirror.
This is the same mount design utilized by Clarke Harris and discussed in another forum thread, "Cave 12.5" F6 - Alika Herring Mirror," page 3.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/09/07 03:08 PM |
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Back in 2001, John Pons took possession of the 6-inch Goto described earlier in this thread. Here's the Goto when it was owned by Joe Choate in 1960.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/09/07 03:36 PM |
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In 2001, the Choate residence was in a dilapidated state and the new owner wanted to dispose of the dome and its contents, the 6-inch Goto. She offered the telescope gratis to Griffith Observatory, but the offer was declined because of the expense involved in dismantling the observatory and restoring the telescope.
Griffith Observatory, which had previously employed the services of Pons to refurbish its 12-inch Zeiss refractor and upgrade the planetarium's sound system, contacted him about the Goto offer. That is how Pons acquired that wonderful, old instrument and how it restoration to it original glory began.
The snapshots that follow show the state of the Choate house, dome and Goto refractor at the time Pons began the dismantling process.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/09/07 03:46 PM |
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Here's the beginning of the teardown of the 6-inch Goto. The dome had leaked for years and corrosion and dirt had taken a toll.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/09/07 03:53 PM |
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Another view...
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/09/07 04:01 PM |
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The Goto's new owner, John Pons, dismantling the historic refractor. John spent the next 4 years restoring this Goto to its former glory.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/09/07 04:08 PM |
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Here's the way it looks today.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/09/07 04:10 PM |
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And another view of the 6-inch Goto...
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 07/09/07 04:17 PM |
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That home looks like something out of the Addams Family. What a change in just 40 years.
Keith
| mikey cee |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 07/09/07 05:32 PM |
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Lew...The new owner must be redoing the home. I wouldn't think you would go to the trouble of stripping wallboard off the observatory interior. Any way you or Jon can find out what happened to the Choate family. Sounds like a good mystery to unravel. Must be a paper trail there somewhere in public records?
Mike
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/09/07 10:44 PM |
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Mike,
I took your advice and did a little on-line research and believe I located Joe Choate, Jr. He's about Pons' age. I left a telephone message and hope he returns my call.
I also located the record of Joe Choate and his family's return from Tokyo on April 27, 1956 aboard Northwest Airlines. I'm attaching a copy of the air passenger manifest. I believe this was the trip when the 6-inch Goto was procured. I've found even more information, but it's not really relevant to this thread.
| Daniel Mounsey |
| (Vendor - Woodland Hils) |
| 07/10/07 11:00 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Lew,
How in heavans do you find all this stuff?
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/10/07 02:35 PM |
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Dan,
It's not that big a deal. It helps to be a retired investigator and an amateur genealogist.
| Rinaldo |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/13/07 03:48 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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I'm movin to the west coast!
| Daniel Mounsey |
| (Vendor - Woodland Hils) |
| 07/13/07 10:52 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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You da man Lew
| kimballdog |
| (newbie) |
| 07/18/07 08:08 PM |
|
Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Joe and I were classmates at USC law school (Class of 1966). He invited several of us to dinner with him and his parents at his home (in the Wilshire district in LA) sometime in the 1960's and showed us the dome and telescope. I was not "into" astronomy then, but was amazed that there was an observatory dome on top of his house and amazed at the size of the telescope. My memory, vague after all these years, is that the scope had to be bigger than 6" in aperture, but I'm sure that's just a failure of memory.
I saw Joe again in the mid-1980's when he was in San Jose (where I had relocated) on business. We had dinner together, but we've had no contact since then.
It's tough to see the former Choate house looking so shabby.
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 07/18/07 10:25 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Welcome, and thanks for the information. It is indeed a small world. How did you discover this particular thread, as I see this is your first post?
I hope to eventually see Mr. Choate himself here on CN telling his own personal stories with this telescope.
Keith
| kimballdog |
| (newbie) |
| 07/18/07 11:10 PM |
|
Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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There was a reference to the thread in the Astromart forums. That the thread would refer to Joe Choate was a complete surprise.
I have posted rarely on Astromart, and never before here, even though I've browsed both sites frequently for several years.
What I think I remember about the scope was that it had a brass-like finish. Again, maybe a created memory. Also, that the scope was much bigger than six inches. In fact, my memory (imagination?) is that the finder scope must have been close to that big, with the main scope much bigger.
| JohnG |
| (sage) |
| 07/20/07 11:38 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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I've been sitting here looking at the telescopes with admiration and awe. John Pons did an amazing job restoring the GOTO telescope. Even more amazing is how he obtained it. From the way it looks now John must have torn it down completely for the rebuild. A great accomplishment and a lot of history preserved. Let us hope that John and his fine telescopes will be around for a long time to come.
You guys living in Southern California are some of the most fortunate amateur astronomers in the world! By that I mean, it seems like that's where the majority of the old classics are located.
I can easily imagine a set-up like the Choate dome and the GOTO sitting on a mountain away from the lights and far above the smog and haze that marks so much of modern suburban living.
The only way I can end this is with a few words like...Astounding and Wonderful.
JohnG
| Dan /schechter |
| (sage) |
| 08/01/07 04:24 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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It has been a blast following this thread. Please let me know when the next full moon star party is and if I am around, I would love to receive an invite. Dan
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 08/02/07 03:08 PM |
| Attachment |
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Here's a shot looking along the tube of John Pons' 10-inch Zeiss from his front yard. That's Jupiter to the left of the palm tree with Antares left below.
| BHunt |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 08/02/07 08:24 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Know anybody who does palm tree removal?
Bill
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 08/02/07 08:59 PM |
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I can.
1 good climber with a harness and spikes.
1 good chainsaw.
1 good groundman.
1 hour.
| droid |
| (rocketman) |
| 08/06/07 05:45 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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This is an excellant thread. I just found it during lunch at work.
I'm in love , eery time i see that telescope my heart goes pitter patter.
....ok maybe its envy ...but in any case. more please.
| twhite |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 08/06/07 09:53 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Quote:
I can.
1 good climber with a harness and spikes.
1 good chainsaw.
1 good groundman.
1 hour.
I'll be the groundman. Let's do it.
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 08/06/07 10:23 PM |
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I know a great climber. But I don't climb. I run the bobcat, chipper, stump grinder, and bucket truck. I chop, slice, dice, haul, lift and drive. But I don't climb higher than 10 feet into a tree!
I'll get on a roof, but I won't climb into a tree canopy.
There's a reason climbers get paid so much money.
| john D |
| (All you have to do is ask!!) |
| 08/25/07 05:42 PM |
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wow those are some great scopes!
| Ziggy943 |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 08/29/07 02:55 PM |
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Quote:
I know a great climber. But I don't climb. I run the bobcat, chipper, stump grinder, and bucket truck. I chop, slice, dice, haul, lift and drive. But I don't climb higher than 10 feet into a tree!
I'll get on a roof, but I won't climb into a tree canopy.
There's a reason climbers get paid so much money.
Not to worry. With a chain saw the tree will come to you
| BHunt |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 08/29/07 03:51 PM |
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Yep one came to my buddy. He has no more worries. Dangerous business.
Bill
| dbledsoe |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 09/01/07 10:45 PM |
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Lew,
This thread is incredible, no beautiful!. One of the finest I have ever read. You're like a walking history book of astronomy in So. Cal. I also note that you're featured in Robert Piekiel's E-Book, "Celestron The Early Years."
Thank you for sharing so much wonderful history and information with us here on CN Classics. We are indebted to you.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 09/15/07 12:57 PM |
| Attachment |
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Here's a recent shot of John Pons with his 10-inch Zeiss. In 1979, John had Daystar custom build him a 0.42-inch aperture, 0.4 lamda 1/2-bandwith solar filter, seen here at the tailpiece.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 09/15/07 01:13 PM |
| Attachment |
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About 10 years ago, John cleaned and collimated the 30cm Carl Zeiss achromat at Griffth Observatory, a task he's done on a number of occasions over the years.
In this shot, you can see the tube straigtening rods behind the objective.
This telescope, built by Carl Zeiss Jena circa 1934 for the new Griffith Observatory being built in Los Angeles, almost didn't get delivered because of the Nazi government's export policies. Pons believes that the less than stellar performance of this achromat was intentional due to these policies.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 09/15/07 01:18 PM |
| Attachment |
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Here we see John replacing the 30cm Zeiss achromat after its cleaning and re-spacing. Note the dew shield on the stool in the background.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 09/15/07 01:22 PM |
| Attachment |
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Here we see John squaring the Carl Zeiss Jena 30cm f/16 achromat with an auto-collimator of his design.
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 09/16/07 08:11 PM |
| Attachment |
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Saturday, September 15, 2007 found John Pons taking down his 10-inch Zeiss and 6-inch Goto refractors for the season and storing the components in his garage. And he did it by himself! (Now you know why he's so muscular.)
John says he's getting too old for this and wonders how long he can continue doing it. It's at times like these that he wonders if he should sell the Goto.
In the accompanying picture, John is getting ready to apply a coat of paste Wax to the powder coated tube.
| BHunt |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 09/16/07 08:58 PM |
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Looks like John could do this for several more years.
Bill
| Bonco |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 09/16/07 09:10 PM |
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Lew, These pictures are priceless. Please pass on to Jon that he has tremendous respect from classic enthusiasts around the world. Bonco
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 09/16/07 09:54 PM |
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Hi Bonco,
I think John (not Jon - I asked him) is enjoying the notoriety he's getting from my thread and the ones posted by Caveman. For all of John's tech-savviness, it's confined mostly to telescope design and construction, audio sound systems and electrical theory. (He rebuilt my old 1965 Fisher vacuum tube multiplex receiver to better than new condition. I ditched my solid state Technics receiver.)
Somehow, he's managed to steer clear of computers and won't have anything to do with them. He hadn't seen the pictures of himself or his telescopes on this forum until I brought him to my house about a month ago and showed them to him. I could tell he was really tickled about the publicity but insists that the facts be told accurately.
More to come!
Lew
| Bonco |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 09/16/07 10:09 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Thanks Lew, I hope John knows his preservation of these classics is appreciated. Likely he's doing it out of love and dedication and not too concerned about who's looking. Reguardless let him know he has become a hero for many of us interested in these wonderful scopes. He too is a "Classic". Bonco
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 09/21/07 09:29 PM |
| Attachment |
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On this thread, we've mentioned the great instrument maker, George Carroll. John Pons owns one of his 8-inch objectives, which he describes as near to perfect as an achromat can get, but when coupled with a Roland Christian chromacor, becomes an absolutely perfect apochromat.
Well, here's a picture of George Carroll that I took at the 1980 Riverside Telescope Makers' Conference in Big Bear, California. He is standing in front of a 4-inch instrument that he made in the late 1940s for Les Mawhinney who gave it to the Los Angeles Astronomcial Society in 1976. Unfortunately, someone stole the objective out of the tube at the LAAS observing site within a year or two after this picture was taken.
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 11/27/07 10:04 PM |
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Here are a few pictures of the eyepieces, diagonal, wedge, and other accessories that are with the scope.
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 11/28/07 12:02 AM |
| Attachment |
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Here is a nice door
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 11/28/07 07:31 AM |
| Attachment |
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Hey Steve am I the only one that isnt wondering why you have GOTO and Titan stuff in your living room?? Heres to you Mr. White you went thru one of the strangest transactions I have ever been involved in and didnt faulter enough to blow it. Your paitence has been rewarded 10 fold!! You are the owner of one of the best and coolest telescopes in the USA today!! It will reward you every time you wind that clock. Have fun on your trip. The Caveman with sore arms!!!!
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 11/28/07 08:35 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Steve,
You got the DOOR, too? I suppose it will now lead to your bedroom?
Keith
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 11/28/07 09:43 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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So Steve, did we miss an official announcement?!?!?
Didya gettit? Didya gettit?
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 11/28/07 02:38 PM |
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Steve and I hauled it to his house last night lock stock, door and 500 lbs of pier. Steve I belive is on his way to Yosemite with his wife and kids but rest asured he is the owner of the GOTO from hell!!! John Has some money! Caveman got pats on the back and my ARMS a sore!!! OOO Johns having the finder scope brakets he designed for the Unipon fabricated for me!!!
I am just glad it all worked out after all the hubub! you wouldnt belive it if I told you. Well Keith would!
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 11/28/07 04:12 PM |
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That is great news!
Well, great news for Steve, bittersweet news for Mr. Pons who I am sure hated to let it go. But it passes on into the hands of another grateful astronomer who can give it the respect it requires. So it's a story that is beginning another happy chapter.
Of course, when Steve finally gets back, we'll barrage him with questions and photo requests. I'm curious where he plans to install the beast - build something in the house to accomodate it or house it in a seperate observatory.
Regards and clear skies,
MikeG
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 11/28/07 04:21 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Well, I am on the way out the door right now. But, I will have some interesting pictures and additional information when I get back home.
I may set it up once soon just so I can get it done right. There is still quite a lot of cosmetic restoration necessary. I suspect a complete restoration will take a few years, depending on what I do and what I send out. Function is perfect on the scope. John has it ticking like a fine clock.
I would like to also publicly thank Clint for facilitating this purchase and helping me get the beast home. Wow!
Steve
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 11/28/07 04:39 PM |
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Congratulations Steve on a truly enormous score of epic proportions!
It's very rare that a scope of this size and vintage (with this kind of history) changes hands on the amateur market. Many people would consider themselves lucky to ever see such a scope in person, less yet OWN it. I'm sure it is going to be well worth every hard-earned penny you spent on it.
AND TO THE GROUP : Nobody ask Steve what he paid for this titan. I'm sure it wasn't cheap, and Steve might not want to volunteer what he gave for it. If he does, then he can do that.
Wow, it's actually pretty cool from the perspective of someone in our little Classics group here. I "know" somebody who owns this scope and can ask him questions about it personally, right here on CN. It's like, in a small way, be able to look through mighty scope by proxy, vicariously, through Steve's membership here in the group.
Have a safe fun trip to Yosemite, and then come back and fill us in on the details!
Regards and clear skies,
MikeG
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 11/29/07 12:05 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Quote:
I am just glad it all worked out after all the hubub! you wouldnt belive it if I told you. Well Keith would!
I hope Steve spoke of me only in generalities
.Keith
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 11/29/07 12:25 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Quote:Quote:
I am just glad it all worked out after all the hubub! you wouldnt belive it if I told you. Well Keith would!
I hope Steve spoke of me only in generalities
Keith
From the deep woods...with verizon air card...
Yes, of course Keith.
As you all can imagine, it was very hard for John to sell the telescope. It was his baby. I wanted to do best by him and even planned on returning the telescope after seller's remorse hit him hard. A couple hours later, things worked out and we finalized the deal. It was made extra interesting by myself going through some personal job issues.
Steve
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 11/29/07 08:13 AM |
| Attachment |
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Just a brief mention that he had spoke to you Keith! John and I are good friends and he needed to sell this scope. I didn’t really know how bad until Steve and I loaded and unloaded the mount head at 200+ lbs it is really heavy! We only loaded it into his Magnum and the two part pier into my astro van. The bottom I would guess at close to 400 lbs. John at 5'7" or so and coming up on 70 years old could not put this together by himself without serious risk to his health but has kept doing it anyway. He would not call for help; he had no good system for doing it alone. He just kept saying it was dangerous. His 10" Zeiss is easier to assemble than the Goto. I could not buy it right now due to Debbie and me buying the new house and property. John has been asking me to find a buyer for it for months, the right buyer! Not some warehouse collector, or reseller but an Astronomer. After going to Mnt. Pinos with Steve and watching how excited he became over that little Tak he had and how he spent all night helping a guy with a new 10” LX200 Meade. Then when asked if he was interested in the Goto he didn’t falter and sold every scope he had in order to purchase the Goto I think John new he was the one that would get it!! The big reason that I wanted Steve to get it was so it would stay local and be setup in a permanent location, an observatory!!! Not rolling around in a driveway waiting for a minor earthquake to topple it over, sending it to its death or falling while being assembled. John is a great man and if I was going to guess has an IQ up in the 150s somewhere as with many folks that fall in this category they can be a challenge to deal with when it comes to social event such as selling something as loved as this scope or taking them home for the holidays. The important thing is John’s heart is bigger than his 10” telescope and that’s why you have to give him a lot of latitude when it comes to friendship or business dealings. I am glad Steve is as patient as the day is long,and has a heart as big as John, that is what got him this telescope more than anything else! Clint (Caveman) Whitman
Here~s to you Steve. 
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 11/29/07 08:44 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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I agree, its good that this scope will be used, not boxed up in a warehouse or sitting in a collection room.
Keith
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 12/10/07 12:17 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Well, now that the 6-inch Goto has passed from John Pons to Steve Miller, a chapter ends and a new one begins.
However, John, not one to live in the past or remain idle for long, has embarked upon a new project.
Remember that superb 160mm f/16 Unitron prototype objective that he sometime used in the 6-inch Goto? Well, now he is designing a tube assembly for it so that he can mount it piggyback on his 10-inch Zeiss.
Everything that John makes reflects the highest level of craftsmanship, and this new scope will be no exception. So stay tuned for further developments.
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 01/15/08 09:46 PM |
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Just an update....
I have spent the past 6 weeks disassembling the telescope and mount to remove all the heavily corroded parts. I was left with 72 pieces, not including bolts/screws...just the big stuff. I decided the best way to do this was to interview platers. As it turned out, one in particular was willing to strip and re-plate several parts with different techniques and see what I liked and match the original finish the best. By the way JWW, I spoke to several platers about the technique you told me about and I researched quite a bit. Seems the technique has been somewhat abandoned in CA due to some explosion that occurred a few years ago.
When I brought the parts over, the owner and production manager spent about 90 minutes with me going over every part and my concerns as to each specific part.
So, today I examined the samples. Wow! This place, Highland Plating, does some amazing work. They stripped and replated 4 focus knobs and both of the setting circles with varying plating from Nickel to Chrome to Satin Nickel and Satin Chrome. The also did "touch" polishing that left every part looking incredible. When they were right there in front of me, it was so easy to pick.
Just a note...as I was driving over today, the owner called me to tell me he was out of town and had not finished the final pricing quote, but he had most of it done. He then gave me a number...there was a slight pause and then an "OH MY GOD" came out of mouth. But, the samples were just incredible and looked very close to original. I decided do it right once and be happy. I was able to get a lot discount of $600 and left ready to have the whole shebang done.
It all should be done on Friday 1/25.
I still have not picked out my land at Clint's place yet for an observatory, but I am hopeful that maybe we can have a star party during the lunar eclipse on Feb 21st.
I can't wait to get everything back and finally assemble the telescope.
Steve
| BHunt |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 01/15/08 10:10 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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I still have not picked out my land at Clint's place yet for an observatory, but I am hopeful that maybe we can have a star party during the lunar eclipse on Feb 21st.
Steve, Just have Clint subdivide a little slice off his property for your observatory. I am sure he would be happy to do that for you.
Glad you found a good man to do the replateing.
Bill
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 01/15/08 10:24 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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That is the plan. I almost had a great trade for the land, yes Clint, a Nikon o-12.5...still looking.
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 02/21/08 01:46 AM |
| Attachment |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Always be very careful with your Goto.....
| Time on my hands |
| (sage) |
| 02/21/08 02:06 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Steve, PLEASE say those are staged shots for the shock effect!
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 02/21/08 08:42 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Those pics look like the Choate Observatory. Is that how John found it? Yikes.
Keith
| rwiederrich |
| (Goldfinger) |
| 02/21/08 10:20 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Quote:
Those pics look like the Choate Observatory. Is that how John found it? Yikes.
Keith
I believe those images are of sever vandalism..or a storm..I can't remember which...
It is a horrible scene.
Rob
| mikey cee |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 02/21/08 11:44 AM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Pier bolt ripped out of the floor like earthquake damage. Maybe it happened in Japan.
Mike
| rwiederrich |
| (Goldfinger) |
| 02/21/08 12:14 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Quote:
Pier bolt ripped out of the floor like earthquake damage. Maybe it happened in Japan.
I've seen these images before, and if memory serves me, they were from vandalism. Then again...my memory has been a victim of vandalism itself...
So....Rob
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 02/21/08 01:06 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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It is from an earthquake in Japan.
| rwiederrich |
| (Goldfinger) |
| 02/21/08 01:23 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Quote:
It is from an earthquake in Japan.
See..there you go. Earthquake vandals...
I saw somewhere..images of several observatories that had been vandalized in some country, by very upset rioters...
Thanks for clearing it for us...
And how is that new 6" of yours coming along?
Rob
| Mr Magoo |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 02/21/08 01:50 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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I remember 2 stories of vandalism at observatories. One involved a nut taking a sledge hammer to a mirror and the other a shotgun blast to a mirror. I only remember that one of them was okay because the damage was confined to the area of central obstruction.
| PureHeaven |
| (member) |
| 02/21/08 02:41 PM |
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Re: AMAZING FULL MOON STAR PARTY!!
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Wow. I'm completely blown away!
Quote:
In this next shot taken at Charlton Flats in 1961 (looking west), the people helping Frank Grow load his scope are, from left, Ronny Thomas, Frank Grow, unknown, Leif Robinson (wearing white cap) and Jack Eastman.
Frank Grow was my grandfather. I remember traveling around with him my grandmother and mom and dad, with this scope in tow. He was also an avid rock hound. During these outings, daytime was spent exploring the geology with picks and sacks, and nights were spent exploring the heavens. He died when I was only 8, so my memories are hazy. He had 5 shops in his backyard (in burbank california, literally a mile or so below the Griffith Park Observatory)- a machine shop, a lens & mirror grinding shop, a rock & mineral "processing" shop, an assembly shop, and a sort of laboratory/wharehouse/assembly area that was about 4 garages large. I don't really know a lot about him, other than he was an inventor who created arcade games (the very early skee-ball and sport themed ones), and started his own small manufacturing company called "Grow Gear" that landed many aerospace contracts for various gear assemblies during and after WW2.
Oh yeah, he also had his own observatory built in the back yard.
I've been meaning to get into astronomy my whole life, but haven't done so till now, having just bought a 10" orion classic dob about 2 months ago (and have since spent over twice the price of the scope on eps and accessories, with no end in sight).
I saw this forum on classic scopes and decided to click on the most recent post just for fun!
Please, if anyone else has any info/memories of my grandfather, or knows anyone who might, please PM me.
Thanks Lew- for providing me with such a heart lifting and exciting surprise.
Frank Grow III
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 02/21/08 04:02 PM |
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Hi Frank,
Welcome to Cloudy Nights "Classic Telescopes" Forum. Your grandpa was indeed a classic and rightfully belongs here among the great telescope makers from an earlier era.
I knew him - not well - but admired him and his accomplishments vis-a-vis our membership in the Los Angeles Astronomical Society. I visited him and your grandmother a few times at their home in Burbank. He showed me his shops and various projects. There is a picture of him on the cover of a 1958 issue of Griffith Observer magazine (publication of Griffith Observatory).
Below is a picture of him with his student telescope makers in the basement of Griffith Observatory in 1954. Can you spot him?
| PureHeaven |
| (member) |
| 02/21/08 06:20 PM |
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Wow...
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Thanks so much- that's one of the coolest pictures I've ever seen of him.
And that's definitely a class I wish I had taken.
Like I said, I didn't know him well, but have managed to save a few of his old technical/historical books on making optics and telescopes. A few have rough formulas and notes sketched out on old notepad paper. Very cool.
Do you know if the Griffith Observatory or the LAAS has a library? I'd like to see if there's any articles he's written, etc.
| Bonco |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 02/21/08 07:04 PM |
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Absolutely amazing picture. Really brought back some memories. I and several others in the same time frame and members of the Junior Texas Astonomical Society (Dallas, Tx)set up a mirror grinding shop. We were a small group but the picture posted by Lew took me back to that time...In 1961 I was 13 years old and would have been like the younger members in this picture. Thanks Lew
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 02/21/08 09:40 PM |
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Quote:Quote:
It is from an earthquake in Japan.
And how is that new 6" of yours coming along?
Rob
The 6" Goto is coming along fine. Been working on it most days. I should have it set up again in a month or so. Then, I probably have another year on two problematic parts and many small parts.
I expect it will spend much time this summer at Clint's for all who want to stop by.
Steve
| Bob A (SD) |
| (sage) |
| 02/21/08 10:44 PM |
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Gentlemen,
This thread is absolutely awe inspiring. I've been a member of CN for some time but rarely pop in this area. For whatever reason I have been the last couple weeks but the title here never tweaked my interest. On a whim tonight I opened this up. My! My! My! As a 60 year old retiree the history here acted as a catalyst for old dormant data stored away deeply in my own gray matter. As an example I hadn't thought about a trip I made in my late teens 4 hours north of Lake Ontario after crossing the St Lawrence Seaway where I saw what still stands in my mind as the darkest clearest skies I've ever experienced. Ah...... thanks to all!
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 02/21/08 11:02 PM |
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Bob A,
Glad you decided to look in on the "Classic Scopes" forum. Hope you visit often and contribute from time to time.
Comments like yours are extremely gratifying and confirm our suspicions that the coolest of the cool can be found on this forum.
| Awesomelenny |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 07/04/08 07:52 AM |
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I just got done reading this for the first time! I remember seeing the title last year but it didn't strike me as a classical historical topic.
This was absolutely the best thread I have read. The history, the stories, the pictures are so beautiful! Lew, this thread should really be permanently pinned. Thank you for sharing this with all of us on CN!!!
| Glassthrower |
| (Vendor - Galactic Stone & Ironworks) |
| 07/04/08 01:34 PM |
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Quote:
If you thought that Pons is exclusively a refractor man, you'd be wrong. He is working on a 12-1/2-inch high-performance Newtonian based on a highly improved Optical Craftsmen mount. He claims he has a "perfect" Ed Beck (?) mirror. Pons has designed an ultra precision mirror cell and secondary adjustment supported by a curved spider of his own design. He also designs and builds the drive electronics. This scope is still a work in progress. Everything he does is 1st class.
Any update on the other projects Mr. Pons was working on? How about that big newtonian?
Lenny, I've read this thread before, but it's been a while. I just sat down and re-read it again.
(it's going to stay pinned up for a long long time)
Regards and clear skies,
MikeG
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/05/08 01:55 AM |
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Lenny and Mike,
Don't have much to report on Pons, except that instead of building an OTA with his 6.3-inch Unitron objective as he intended, he sold it to someone in Oregon.
Pons was kinda negative about undertaking any new telescope projects after selling the Goto to Steve Miller, but that was several months ago when I last saw or spoke to him. Hopefully by now he's out of his funk and back to planning something new.
I ran across some other pictures I took at the "amazing full moon star party" in June of 2007 that I never shared with the CN gang.
Here's how the new Goto owner decided to move it to his house some 35 miles away. To save on moving expenses, Steve and Caveman lifted the Goto onto a small furniture dolly and tied a rope from the scope pier to the rear bumper of Clint's van. It was necessary to drive slowly. On the freeway, Clint held his speed down to 55 mph, the maximum allowed in California for towing telescopes.
| trainsktg |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 07/05/08 02:14 AM |
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Hmmm. Steve's lucky the CHiPs didn't catch him. No tow lights and I seriously doubt those tires are highway rated.
Keith
| mikey cee |
| (Post Laureate) |
| 07/05/08 11:31 AM |
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Lew....C'mon now they didn't really do that did they? I'd believe just about anything from the "left coast"!!
Mike
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/05/08 02:29 PM |
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Quote:
Here's how the new Goto owner decided to move it to his house some 35 miles away. To save on moving expenses, Steve and Caveman lifted the Goto onto a small furniture dolly and tied a rope from the scope pier to the rear bumper of Clint's van. It was necessary to drive slowly. On the freeway, Clint held his speed down to 55 mph, the maximum allowed in California for towing telescopes.
JUST PULLING YOUR LEG!!!!
No joking: here's a shot of the 6-inch Goto and the Caveman's 50mm Nippon Kogaku at the amazing full moon star party (June 29, 2007).
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/05/08 02:49 PM |
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Here's a pic of a nifty detail on Caveman's little 50mm Nippon Kogaku. That's a reflex finder attached to the prism diagonal's eyepiece drawtube, same exact principle as the one built into the early Kodak box cameras.
I tried it out and it really works to get the scope sufficiently aimed, or before using the small finderscope for more precise aiming.
And that 18mm Nippon Kogaku eyepiece performed exceptionally well, as you'd expect.
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 07/05/08 03:09 PM |
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Hi All, as Lew knows we loaded it in my van and Steves SUV.. It was not untill later when Steve weighed the mount base alone at 400 and some pounds that I was suprized that we loaded it by hand. I dont know if Steve has estimated the total assembled gross weight but I would guess it to be around 1200 to 1300 lbs.. Monster Classic Goto.. All that for a 6 pound hunk of glass!! Well we will be loading it up next month on the first weekend for its first trip to a real sky!! Mount Pinos at 8500 feet should be a treat.. Cant wait!! Happy 4th****** The birthday of the best country on our little blue marble in space!!! so this is what living on a BB is like!!!
| BHunt |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/05/08 07:09 PM |
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Hey Clint, With that hood on you look alot like Egor in young Frankenstien. Or was that Eyegor!
Bill
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 07/14/08 10:51 PM |
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For an update on the present ownership of the 6-inch Goto refractor, please click on this link...
http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/2475447/page/7/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1
| contrailmaker |
| (sage) |
| 01/08/09 12:46 PM |
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Quote:
Here's the business-end of the amazing 6-inch Goto refractor owned by John Pons. Originally built in 1954, acquired by Joe Choate of Los Angeles, CA in 1956, it was destined for the landfill when John acquired it some years ago. It was a basket case until John's magic brought it back to its former glory. Today, it appears exactly as it looked in mid-1950s Sky & Telescope advertisements.
I'll let you in on a little secret. The objective lens presently installed in the Goto is actually a prototype 6-1/4 inch clear aperture Unitron lens. The Goto objective is carefully wrapped and stored elsewhere, but can be reinstalled at any time. Both objectives are superb examples of the opticians art.
Man I really love the view of that scope from this perspective Gives me the feeling that it's about to launch my mind into space.
cm
I know one day I will drop an absurd amount of money for a fine refractor. That's why I keep playing the lotto.
| Dr Morbius |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 03/14/09 01:07 PM |
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Quote:
Hey Clint, With that hood on you look alot like Egor in young Frankenstien. Or was that Eyegor!
Bill
Actually it's Igor, you see.
| mikesemmler |
| (member) |
| 06/05/09 07:02 AM |
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What a beautiful refraktor - Congratulation to the man he build this thing.
Michael
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 11/12/09 06:06 AM |
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Two years Later and the second anual 2009 Classic Star Party at Mnt. Pinos
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 11/16/09 12:26 AM |
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Hmmm, two years? Seems much longer. Is that good or bad?
I just brought it inside for the winter, so now we get to see it in its glory every day in the living room. My plans for the winter are to
1) Make a video of take down and assembly
2) Finish the repair on the RA slow motion
3) Make cases for all the parts when disassembled
4) Design notched tube rings to mount additional telescopes.
Should be fun!
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 11/16/09 12:27 AM |
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Steve:
You must have high ceilings!
-Tim.
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 11/16/09 12:42 AM |
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20 ft!
| Lew Chilton |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 11/16/09 03:31 PM |
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This thread might go on forever, or outlive us!
(I just noticed: I've been promoted to POOHBAH. Now just how cool is that ?!)
| JamesE |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 11/16/09 05:15 PM |
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Lew "Pooh-Bah" Chilton..........Humm, not too bad of ring to it.
| clintwhitman |
| (Caveman) |
| 11/17/09 12:34 AM |
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Well Lew I know the goto will outlive us all and the memories of the star party at Johns House may or may not! Sure was fun!!!
| JamesE |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 11/17/09 01:35 AM |
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Steve,
Didn't you have pics of your Goto in your house. That was an impressive pic.
Edit: I thought I already posted this question HUM.
Cheers,
| Steve_M_M |
| (scholastic sledgehammer) |
| 11/17/09 02:14 AM |
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Here you go...
| mustgobigger |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 11/17/09 03:51 AM |
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it was great reading this whole post again.
incredible.
great thread.
| RLTYS |
| (Carpal Tunnel) |
| 11/17/09 06:56 AM |
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Quote:
Here you go...
Now that's a scope!
Rich (RLTYS)
| tim53 |
| (Pooh-Bah) |
| 11/17/09 10:12 AM |
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Quote:Quote:
Here you go...
Now that's a scope!
Rich (RLTYS)
And THAT's a LIVING ROOM! LOL!
-Tim.
| Ham Radio |
| (member) |
| 11/17/09 10:14 AM |
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I wonder if one would fit under my Christmas tree??