Gary T
member
Reged: 06/02/08
Posts: 40
Loc: Burbank CA
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As I drove down the road the corner of my eye just caught a large blue box with a barrel sticking up sitting on the lawn of a yard sale. Ding…ding…ding! I pulled a U-turn as my wife’s eyes rolled. There it was… an early blue Odyssey Compact 10.1” f/4.5. (I was hopping it was a 13.1”). It was pretty beat cosmetically. The mirror was heavily water spotted and dusty, The particle boards were starting to crumble at the corners. There was even an old vacant hornet’s nest inside! But it was intact and appeared functional. The seller wanted only $20. Heck the Telrad finder on it was worth that much. So I pulled out all my cash (and my wife’s) but only came up with $17. Of all time not to carry cash. But with a smile the seller was satisfied and let me have it for $17!
I did a quick tear down inspection at home. I found that the mirror was remounted in an aluminum mirror cell instead of the sling as originally equipped. The coatings on the mirrors also appear to be good except for the dust and water spotting. Hopefully the mirror is not scratched from the dirt. The tube is good. All particle boards have to go. At minimum the Telrad works!
I’m not sure what to do with this beast except for the satisfaction of saving it. I certainly don’t need another scope (true for most of us). Storage space in my garage is at critical mass. This will be #3 on my restoration list.
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Meade model 300, 80mm f/15, Vixen-Polaris
Mead 8" f/6, Statliner-Deluxe
Parks 8" f/3.6, Cave
C-8 Celestar-Deluxe w/ NGC-MAX DCS
Odyssey 10.1" f/4.5 Compact
Edmund 12.5" f/6, mount needed
C-90, Sears 4-6333,.....
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clintwhitman
Caveman
Reged: 01/01/07
Posts: 2427
Loc: ValVerde CA(SoEasyaCavemanCanD...
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Gary the telrad is worth the cost. These are usualy good mirrors but I am not a hugh fan of the heavy box construction. Great price!
Clint
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Clint&Debbie Whitman (aveman
1960s 6"F15 Jaegers-Unipons by John Pons on a Byers 812, 1947 4" F15 TINSLEY, 1965 10" F8 CAVE, 1950 5CM & 6.5CM Nippon Kogakus (the twins), 1960s UNITRONS a 152 restored a 160 numbered green lens original mint a 114 original 50s mint, 1950s UNITRON M100 100mm F15 OTA, WO 80mm Florite, ASTROPHYSICS 155 EDFS on LOSMANDY G11, a bunch of Tascos,Sears Mayflowers The list goes on Add infinitum.
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magic612
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/30/08
Posts: 548
Loc: Somewhere south of Chicago, IL
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Sweet deal - nice find!
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- Celestron C8+, Orion 90mm f/10, Orion ST-80, 5" f/8 Dob, 127mm f/9.4 refractor, 114mm f/8 on DS GoTo, 60mm Sears 6333-A, 127mm f4.4 refractor lens (current project), 12" f/5 mirror (future project)
- Orion Vista 10x50s (5 deg), Sears #6207 7x35 (7 deg), Jason #138 Statesman 7x35 (11.5 deg)
Yes, I'm addicted to telescopes and binoculars. I am getting help. Every time I look at the heavens, it helps.
http://www.eyesonthesky.com
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ssatko
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 03/05/05
Posts: 902
Loc: NC
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Cool! I need to start going to more garage sales.
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Scott
SV80/9D
SV102ABV
Orion 4.5" Starblast
Meade LX90 8" UHTC
Orion XT12i
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albert1
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 01/01/07
Posts: 1368
Loc: Northern New Jersey
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Got me beat Gary - I paid $50 for one of mine. I think these old odyssey's get a bad rap, the mirrors on both mine are pretty good. Good for deep sky anyway. What, did your eye pick it up with peripheral vision at 40 mph? Congrats on a nice find.
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Albert
1 Great 'ole Newt
4 Good 'ole Newts
2 Great 'ole Cats
1 Lousy 'ole Newt
One of these days I'll try a Refractor better than my 90mm finderscope
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droid
rocketman
Reged: 08/29/04
Posts: 4030
Loc: ohio
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you guys live in the right areas, out west , here in weather ugly Ohio, I have never seen anything like this.An occasional 60mm in the garbage, or a badly treated 4.5 inch at a yard sale.
But wow, is all I can say
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102mm Celestron C102HD
Tasco 7TE5 60mm Classic
Tasco 9TE5 60mm Classic
Celestron Ultima 2000 SCT
Remains of an 8 inch dob
Celestron Comet catcher(orange tube)
1960 Edscorp Space Conquerer 6inch f/8
10x50 Bushnell Binoculars.
11T 4.5 inch Tasco reflector Lunograsso?
60mm Telescope Club
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Gary T
member
Reged: 06/02/08
Posts: 40
Loc: Burbank CA
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Quote:
I think these old odyssey's get a bad rap, the mirrors on both mine are pretty good. Good for deep sky anyway.
Albert, that's good news. I never had a chance to look through any of these scopes before. I glad I found something useful for at least visual work. 
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Meade model 300, 80mm f/15, Vixen-Polaris
Mead 8" f/6, Statliner-Deluxe
Parks 8" f/3.6, Cave
C-8 Celestar-Deluxe w/ NGC-MAX DCS
Odyssey 10.1" f/4.5 Compact
Edmund 12.5" f/6, mount needed
C-90, Sears 4-6333,.....
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BRisley
sage
Reged: 09/04/06
Posts: 345
Loc: SW Florida
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I got him beat, 8" f5 ota with 4 eyepieces- FREE 
Brian
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3 C-8's (2 OT 72/80 and SPC-8)
8" f5 Dob
Meade 4450 on EQ-2
Meade 4501 on EQ-2
Tasco 4.5" on EQ-2
Tasco Starguide 60GT
C-90/Cometron Sky Scanner 80 mounted tandem in a C-8 Fork
Cometron CO-62
Meade 11x80 Bino
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droid
rocketman
Reged: 08/29/04
Posts: 4030
Loc: ohio
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I hate to suggest it ...but these original blue Coulters show up so infrequently, it might be worth rebuilding as is , just for the sake of saving one.?????
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102mm Celestron C102HD
Tasco 7TE5 60mm Classic
Tasco 9TE5 60mm Classic
Celestron Ultima 2000 SCT
Remains of an 8 inch dob
Celestron Comet catcher(orange tube)
1960 Edscorp Space Conquerer 6inch f/8
10x50 Bushnell Binoculars.
11T 4.5 inch Tasco reflector Lunograsso?
60mm Telescope Club
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droid
rocketman
Reged: 08/29/04
Posts: 4030
Loc: ohio
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my scope karma needs to change ....lol
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102mm Celestron C102HD
Tasco 7TE5 60mm Classic
Tasco 9TE5 60mm Classic
Celestron Ultima 2000 SCT
Remains of an 8 inch dob
Celestron Comet catcher(orange tube)
1960 Edscorp Space Conquerer 6inch f/8
10x50 Bushnell Binoculars.
11T 4.5 inch Tasco reflector Lunograsso?
60mm Telescope Club
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Bill Griffith
member
Reged: 08/12/09
Posts: 11
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Gary,
Great find! I think Odyssey's typically had Coulter primaries,
The wife's eyes rolling speaks volumes
My wife's do the same when asked " How many telescopes do you have!! Truth is she loves it.
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woodsman
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 03/12/08
Posts: 1071
Loc: Colorado Springs, CO
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Quote:
I got him beat, 8" f5 ota with 4 eyepieces- FREE
Brian
Yeah, well I went to Chick-Fil-A and got a free chicken sandwich the other day. 
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artisticwoods
C-14 Orange Tube, C-8, C-5, C-90 Astro Model, C8 Schmidt Camera 8" f1.5, C5.5 Schmidt Camera f1.65, SPI 42mm f/19 Refractor, Sears 90mm f/15.56 Ref, Sears 80mm f/15 Ref, Swift 77mm f/13 Model 831, Scope 60mm f/11.7, Sears 50mm f/12
Unitron Model 140 75mm/1200mm, Unitron model 128 60mm/900mm
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BRisley
sage
Reged: 09/04/06
Posts: 345
Loc: SW Florida
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Did you have to dress up as a cow?
Brian
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3 C-8's (2 OT 72/80 and SPC-8)
8" f5 Dob
Meade 4450 on EQ-2
Meade 4501 on EQ-2
Tasco 4.5" on EQ-2
Tasco Starguide 60GT
C-90/Cometron Sky Scanner 80 mounted tandem in a C-8 Fork
Cometron CO-62
Meade 11x80 Bino
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grendel
sage
Reged: 04/12/09
Posts: 241
Loc: Canterbury, Kent, UK
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WellI think the wives dont mind really- it could have been worse it could be another woman, I think they figure with that many scopes at home you will never leave.
grendel
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rocco13
Got Milk?
Reged: 07/29/06
Posts: 2643
Loc: Phoenix, Arizona
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Makes me feel good...Back in '06 I traded mine in (toward a brand new C8 GoTo) and was given $150 towards the C8 price!
But I'd definitely buy it back for $17! LOL
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Rocco
Zhumell Z12
Super C8 (1984 vintage)
Celestron 102 f/5
and a cheap pair of binoculars
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sarastro
sage
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 402
Loc: Seattle
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Quote:
I hate to suggest it ...but these original blue Coulters show up so infrequently, it might be worth rebuilding as is , just for the sake of saving one.?????
I don't think it's worth it. If the mirror is good the best thing you can do is put it in a decent structure. For one thing the mirror "cell" is wholly inadequate. It consists of a plastic sling and 3 rubber tipped bolts. I don't think there is any way possible it can properly support a 10.1" dia 1" thick mirror!
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JIMZ7
sage
Reged: 10/22/05
Posts: 321
Loc: 3rd-Planet from the Sun
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I got a Meade 826C 8"/6 equatorial with clockdrive, 2 eyepieces and barlow for $100 and thought that was a great deal. There's always someone out there with better deals!.....Jim
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refractory
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/05/05
Posts: 1233
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I'd say whip out your wand (make sure first that it is legal in your neighborhood...) and convert the mirror to a lens.
Jess Tauber
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rodney
Vendor - Explora Dome
Reged: 03/08/05
Posts: 801
Loc: Asbury, NJ
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Not to beat it up, but I got a Meade 10 SCT LX200 OTA for $100 a few weeks back. Had it cleaned and collimated and the guys that did it said it was the best Meade SCT they have ever worked on. No image shift when focusing. As for Coulter optics. I picked up a 13.1 mirror a few years back for $150 and built a truss out of it and it blew away everything at the local star party. Of course there was an Obsession 18 there that out performed it, but in the 10-13 inch range it rocked.
Great find on your end.
Clear skies,
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My Explora Dome construction is here:
www.exploradome.us
Rodney
Meade 10 SCT
AT 8/F4 imaging scope
13 Truss
C8-NGT
Orion 80mm/F11
Canon 300D
Canon XSi
Two AS-GT mounts
Extremely happy Explora Dome home observatory owner
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Gary T
member
Reged: 06/02/08
Posts: 40
Loc: Burbank CA
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I’ve been kind of lucky with my telescope finds. A few years ago I found my Parks 8 inch, f/3.6 Nitelite for $100. (Nice scope) A few months ago I found a complete Sears 4-6333 Discovery for $20.
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Meade model 300, 80mm f/15, Vixen-Polaris
Mead 8" f/6, Statliner-Deluxe
Parks 8" f/3.6, Cave
C-8 Celestar-Deluxe w/ NGC-MAX DCS
Odyssey 10.1" f/4.5 Compact
Edmund 12.5" f/6, mount needed
C-90, Sears 4-6333,.....
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droid
rocketman
Reged: 08/29/04
Posts: 4030
Loc: ohio
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The only time I see really cheap or free scopes is when some one wants me to fix em up for them, lol.Typically 60mm scopes found at yard sales.Occasionally a 4.5 (twice) both of those were donated to others who I work with.
Id love to find 10 inch scope for 20.00 locally (never happen) here in lake effect north east Ohio.
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102mm Celestron C102HD
Tasco 7TE5 60mm Classic
Tasco 9TE5 60mm Classic
Celestron Ultima 2000 SCT
Remains of an 8 inch dob
Celestron Comet catcher(orange tube)
1960 Edscorp Space Conquerer 6inch f/8
10x50 Bushnell Binoculars.
11T 4.5 inch Tasco reflector Lunograsso?
60mm Telescope Club
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Jim Romanski
scholastic sledgehammer
Reged: 01/02/05
Posts: 842
Loc: Guilford, Connecticut
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It has an upgraded mirror cell and it looks to me to have an upgraded focuser.
I'd clean it up and take it for a spin to see just what you have. You might be surprised and have a real gem.
You could use it the way it is for a while. If the images are good and you have the inclination you can make it into an light weight travel scope.
My old red 13.1" Coulter works fine with the original mirror cell and a new focuser.
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Jim
17.5" Dob "Project"
13.1" Coulter
8” Cave
NP 101 on a CG-5
25x100 binos
Naglers, Ethos, etc.
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Mike Rapchak
professor emeritus
Reged: 11/17/06
Posts: 568
Loc: Indiana, USA
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Gary,
Wow - a blast from the past! I bought one of these in 1982. For a 10" 'scope it was pretty massive, and that original primary "cell" was a joke. But it was true to Dobson's form!
This was a sample of the relatively new "thin mirror technology" which saved weight but made the primary more warp-prone - especially with that Flintstone mirror cell. Sadly, my primary was anything but "precision". Nice for deep-sky objects but not much else (it had worse resolution than my 4" Edmund Astroscan). I'm not saying that the primary in your sample is as, er, "mediocre" - but don't be too disappointed if it is. These were essentially cheap, mass-produced 'scopes (I paid around $300 for mine brand new - an amazingly low price for a 10" back then). However, if yours has a superior primary cell that should help.
Another problem is collimation. If yours has that single flat crossbar secondary mount, beware. Kind of hard to achieve precision adjustments[!}.
Still, for a good-sized light bucket at $17 it's hard to go wrong. And if you're at all mechanically inclined you can really spiff it up.
I don't know if these 'scopes have achieved any kind of "cult" or collectible status, but if they have you may possess something even more special there. 
Mike Rapchak Jr.
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sarastro
sage
Reged: 08/12/04
Posts: 402
Loc: Seattle
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At the very worst you bought a $17 Telrad with accessories! 
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wfj
sage
Reged: 01/10/08
Posts: 259
Loc: California, Santa Cruz County
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Quote:
Quote:
I think these old odyssey's get a bad rap, the mirrors on both mine are pretty good. Good for deep sky anyway.
Albert, that's good news. I never had a chance to look through any of these scopes before. I glad I found something useful for at least visual work.
Last night before getting fogged out, I set mine up on Jupiter, and at 475x got a very nice view of bands with little white dots on them.
Not just DSO's. At least some of the Coulter mirrors do quite well on planets as well.
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