Telescope Reviews: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more!

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tim53
Postmaster

Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: tim53]
#5416313 - 09/11/12 10:29 PM Attachment (30 downloads)

Then we rolled the mount around to the other side, took off the pier cap bolts and gently lifted it up and set it on the bed. Wasn't that heavy, I was surprised to find. But with the help and the fact that I didn't have to lift it much, I think is what saved the ol' fuselage wear and tear!

Post Extras:

tim53
Postmaster

Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: tim53]
#5416317 - 09/11/12 10:31 PM Attachment (32 downloads)

The pier, and the whole 6" were a cinch to load. Here everything is, ready to go!

Edited by tim53 (09/12/12 02:18 AM)

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tim53
Postmaster

Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: tim53]
#5416318 - 09/11/12 10:31 PM

bloody Preview! LOL

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sgorton99
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 04/30/08

Loc: Wisconsin, Madison

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: tim53]
#5416336 - 09/11/12 10:42 PM

Nice find!

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vvalmiki
member

Reged: 06/22/12

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: sgorton99]
#5416342 - 09/11/12 10:47 PM

That is a pretty massive mount!! Size envy anyone?

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Bill Griffith
sage

Reged: 08/12/09

Loc: Ca.

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: vvalmiki]
#5416401 - 09/11/12 11:29 PM

Yes, quite envious! Those Caves are really nice as well.

Congratulations Tim!!

Can;t wait to see some of your planet images through your 12.5,

What a mount!

Your pickup is awesome it's perfect for Cave haulin!

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tim53
Postmaster

Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: Bill Griffith]
#5416451 - 09/12/12 12:11 AM

Okay, so curiosity got the better of me. I've moved the 6" OTA around to my shop for storage, but stopped in the kitchen on the way, took out the mirror, and cleaned it.

Well, I was going to show pics, but my email application won't load. Anywho, the mirror was grody as all get out. I cleaned it, and now? It's grody as all get out. Translucent as well. Going to need a recoat, for sure!

F/8, 47 1/16"
M694513
August 18, 1969

So, it's a real Cave mirror!

It's after dark and so I don't want to try removing the 12.5" in the dark. Besides, I have to go to Mars in an hour or so.

-Tim

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tim53
Postmaster

Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: tim53]
#5416474 - 09/12/12 12:30 AM

Seller was a really good guy, too. I was trying to hurry since he had to leave at 5pm. So I paypal'd the money to him, but he got 3% less show up in his account. I gave him the two $20s I had in my wallet. He didn't have any change, so he went and got a telephoto lens out of the garage that he asked if it went with the scopes. It's a "Lentar" 500mm f/8 mirror lens with a nice tripod mount and looks like T-threads on the back. Cool.

-Tim.

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john gabriel
sage

Reged: 12/13/11

Loc: Southern California

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: tim53]
#5416553 - 09/12/12 01:41 AM

Tim, those are great finds - real beauties! I can only dream about a classic long newt like that 12.5". It's much too large for my space, so I'm glad it has a good home. The thing needs it's own house! (aka observatory!)

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clintwhitman
Caveman

Reged: 01/01/07

Loc: CALI SoEasyACavemanCanSlewIt

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: tim53]
#5416644 - 09/12/12 04:07 AM

Great Job Tim, I have been avoiding these and it took all I had not to go get them last week when the add first listed. I have reached my limit with astro projects and need to live and work on the ones I have. I don't want the hoarders show to start sniffing around star oak ranch.

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CHASLX200
Post Laureate

Reged: 09/29/07

Loc: Tampa area Florida

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: clintwhitman]
#5416705 - 09/12/12 06:22 AM

I would 5K for that 12.5" Observatory without batting a eye.

I would have to have it housed as just trying to mount the OTA to it's mount would be a back breaker.

Chas

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RLTYS
Post Laureate

Reged: 12/18/04

Loc: New York (Long Island)

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: CHASLX200]
#5416713 - 09/12/12 06:36 AM

Tim, beautiful scopes and true classics. I liked the three eyepiece turret, had one of them many years ago.

Rich (RLTYS)

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tim53
Postmaster

Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: clintwhitman]
#5417484 - 09/12/12 03:10 PM

Quote:

Great Job Tim, I have been avoiding these and it took all I had not to go get them last week when the add first listed. I have reached my limit with astro projects and need to live and work on the ones I have. I don't want the hoarders show to start sniffing around star oak ranch.

LOL! Just don't tell them where *I* live either!!

I very seriously almost passed on them myself. I'm going to have to get creative with my garage space to squeeze the Cave in front of the Model A and not run into it when I roll the scope in and out. What really clinched the deal for me was just how easily the scope moves around on those big industrial casters it's riding on. That, and the ease with which it fit in the VW truck. I might even haul it up to Pinos next summer, though I might need to rebuild the engine in the truck first! Those old VW trucks don't get enough respect - unless you're a VW Transporter enthusiast! The bed is workbench height, the sides fold down, and it's 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 feet! VW still makes them, but because of the "Chicken Tax" (funny story, look it up), they haven't imported them since ~1974.

This would be ideal for the really big classics out there! Transporter flatbed

-Tim.

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: RLTYS]
#5417502 - 09/12/12 03:21 PM

Quote:

Tim, beautiful scopes and true classics. I liked the three eyepiece turret, had one of them many years ago.

Rich (RLTYS)

Real Beauties... The 12.5 inch would make a great Dob...

Jon

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tim53
Postmaster

Reged: 12/17/04

Loc: Highland Park, CA

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5417513 - 09/12/12 03:29 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Tim, beautiful scopes and true classics. I liked the three eyepiece turret, had one of them many years ago.

Rich (RLTYS)

Real Beauties... The 12.5 inch would make a great Dob...

Jon

OUCH!

Some ideas just need to be illegal!

-Tim.

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amicus sidera
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/14/11

Loc: East of the Sun, West of the M...

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#5417551 - 09/12/12 03:49 PM

Quote:

Real Beauties... The 12.5 inch would make a great Dob...

Jon

Dob? What is this Dob of which you speak? Perhaps you meant alt-azimuth, and mis-typed it...

If so, even considering placing a Cave OTA on anything other than an equatorial mount must be some form of transgression!

Tim, great 'scopes, and they're now in excellent hands!

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Bonco
Post Laureate

Reged: 04/17/06

Loc: Florida

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: amicus sidera]
#5417558 - 09/12/12 03:52 PM

Nice Caves but do you wanna sell the truck??
Bill

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Jon Isaacs
Postmaster

Reged: 06/16/04

Loc: San Diego and Boulevard, CA

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: tim53]
#5417633 - 09/12/12 04:37 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Real Beauties... The 12.5 inch would make a great Dob..

Some ideas just need to be illegal!

Very true. It was a bad idea... It would be too tall...

Jon

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Datapanic
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 10/17/09

Loc: Tucson, Arizona

Re: Only had 2 Caves, so bought 2 more! new

[Re: tim53]
#5417891 - 09/12/12 07:01 PM

Quote:

Quote:

Great Job Tim, I have been avoiding these and it took all I had not to go get them last week when the add first listed. I have reached my limit with astro projects and need to live and work on the ones I have. I don't want the hoarders show to start sniffing around star oak ranch.

LOL! Just don't tell them where *I* live either!!

I very seriously almost passed on them myself. I'm going to have to get creative with my garage space to squeeze the Cave in front of the Model A and not run into it when I roll the scope in and out. What really clinched the deal for me was just how easily the scope moves around on those big industrial casters it's riding on. That, and the ease with which it fit in the VW truck. I might even haul it up to Pinos next summer, though I might need to rebuild the engine in the truck first! Those old VW trucks don't get enough respect - unless you're a VW Transporter enthusiast! The bed is workbench height, the sides fold down, and it's 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 feet! VW still makes them, but because of the "Chicken Tax" (funny story, look it up), they haven't imported them since ~1974.

This would be ideal for the really big classics out there! Transporter flatbed

-Tim.

I use the tailgate on my F250 to hold the tube of the Horsetrail Cave if I need to do some work on it. The 12.5" Transportable is just as transportable as the 6" - just bigger, heavier and the center of gravity is a little higher - watch out for that tipping point!

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gelkin
scholastic sledgehammer

Reged: 09/22/10

Loc: Western, MD.