Telescope Reviews: A Mystery Scope!

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Equipment Discussions >> Classic Telescopes

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rfic1
sage

Reged: 10/25/05

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3593903 - 01/30/10 05:03 PM

Perhaps the original owner ground and figured the mirror himself. He obviously was a skilled machinist and possible did the mirror as well..I suspect at some point one of the owners last name was Clark. Perhaps it was labeled on the mirror when it was sent for coating for for identification reasons. Do you think those are the original coatings?

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: rfic1]
#3593957 - 01/30/10 05:28 PM

I haven't found out any more information, but hopefully will later next week. If the mirror is from the same time as the motors (64/65) then I don't think those are the original coatings, but the box for the mirror is virtually air tight so it could be.

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desertrefugee
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 08/06/07

Loc: Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3593963 - 01/30/10 05:29 PM

Arizona is loaded with Black Widows.

Ask me how I know.

(I'd much rather see your pictures, though).

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reddog15
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 11/09/09

Loc: Wyoming

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3593965 - 01/30/10 05:30 PM

Waiting on the pics Black widows like it dark and moist I believe

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: reddog15]
#3593987 - 01/30/10 05:39 PM Attachment (101 downloads)

I started on the mount this morning. First to do is take off the motors and all the wiring. After I removed the nice illuminated Dec circle light housing, I found what was in store for me...

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tim53
Postmaster

Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3593997 - 01/30/10 05:42 PM

Protein drive!

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3594002 - 01/30/10 05:44 PM Attachment (91 downloads)

Rust like this just makes me want to ask why, why, why!? This is worse than what was on the Cave 8" Model B's Dec shaft.

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akman1955
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/07/09

Loc: Alaska, USA

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3594007 - 01/30/10 05:45 PM

sandblast..that will take care of it..john

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3594015 - 01/30/10 05:49 PM Attachment (90 downloads)

This nice outafocus shot is of the Dec worm gear. There is a shim on the block (seen in line with the Dec circle indexes) that prevents it from contacting the rest of the gear assembly and the knob is used for slow motion instead. The worm gear is obviously steel, but the gears are brass and the coupler for the knob is rusted out steel. When it comes time to service this area, maybe I can figure out how it should work.

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: akman1955]
#3594018 - 01/30/10 05:50 PM

Quote:

sandblast..that will take care of it..john

I think so - there's just too much rust there to sand it off. The Cave Legs could use a sand blasting as well.

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3594024 - 01/30/10 05:53 PM Attachment (87 downloads)

This is the back of the RA worm gear block and motor assembly. 3 shims adjust the pressure against the ring gear. Two pins keep them in place. The two allen head bolts are in backwards just to keep the shims from falling off.

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3594033 - 01/30/10 05:56 PM Attachment (76 downloads)

Here is the RA ring gear, the two inside holes are for the pins that hold the shims in place and the outside holes are for the allen head bolts that mount the assembly in place. It's pretty clean in here but the ring gear wont budge.

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tim53
Postmaster

Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: akman1955]
#3594037 - 01/30/10 05:58 PM

Where does anyone get enough water in Tucson to rust anything?

-Tim.

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3594043 - 01/30/10 06:00 PM Attachment (66 downloads)

The Dec ring gear was a little more grungy. I also noticed that the shim pins were in the housing instead of the block, so maybe the RA shim pins can be the same - makes more sense if the shims are on the base and then the block is installed.

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: tim53]
#3594045 - 01/30/10 06:02 PM

Quote:

Where does anyone get enough water in Tucson to rust anything?

-Tim.

It's been a wet winter this year, but normally, we just get the monsoon season in the summer and that's it. I think this telescope may have spent some time up in the mountains where it rains more often.

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3594064 - 01/30/10 06:12 PM Attachment (81 downloads)

And here are the motors and wiring all off the mount! The shims are taped to the worm blocks so they wont get lost.

From left to right, the 3 indicator lights were not connected to anything at all (you're looking at the underside). The big orange capacitor is for the synchronous motor to operate in both directions, the RA and Dec motor and gear assemblies. Both motors are Hurst 2 RPM 120v AC. Finally, the electrical junction block with another round capacitor and the RA illuminated reticule. The blue wires on the top right go to one of the light bulbs that plug into the back of the reticules.

The wiring is not that complicated - two motors and two lights. I will probably redo this area a little to make it look neat by putting everything in a Radio Shack project box like I did on the Cave mount. The wiring is old and cracked with lots of chew marks from pack rats.

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reddog15
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 11/09/09

Loc: Wyoming

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3594075 - 01/30/10 06:16 PM

Looks like fun, you definitely got one of a kind and your work cut out for you,and like I said 1st "looks like fun"

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3594078 - 01/30/10 06:17 PM Attachment (70 downloads)

Once the shell clamp for the polar alignment scope was loosened up, it slide right off. The knob was very rusty, but it was going into aluminum, so it was no big deal to budge it loose.

On the underside, there is what looks like a AA battery mount. This DC voltage is probably for the illuminated reticule. The wiring also goes to a jack that was for something. There is another jack on that junction board and also one on the motor driven focuser block.

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! new

[Re: Datapanic]
#3594118 - 01/30/10 06:36 PM Attachment (63 downloads)

Now that everything is off the RA and Dec housings, the Dec shaft is ready to come out. I was concerned that the rust on the Dec shaft would need to be cleaned up before sliding it out, but it turns out the diameter below the retainer ring (which is threaded on and secured with a bolt) is smaller than the upper part of the shaft, so it's going to slide up and out without any trouble hitting the white plastic sleeve bearing.

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: A Mystery Scope! [Re: Datapanic]
#3594124 - 01/30/10 06:40 PM Attachment (80 downloads)

And out it goes! The area of the shaft sealed from the elements is in good shape. This is a hollow shaft with 1" ID and 1.75" OD.

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