· Get a Cloudy Nights T-Shirt · Submit a Review / Article Click here if you are having trouble logging into the forums Privacy Policy | Please read our Terms of Service | Signup and Troubleshooting FAQ | Problems? PM a Red or a Green Gu… uh, User You are not logged in. [Login] Entrance · Main Index · Search · New user · Who's Online FAQ · Calendar Equipment Discussions >> Classic Telescopes Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | (show all) actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Company Seven Unitron 114       #5552072 - 12/03/12 01:40 PM Attachment (59 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I thought I would try my C5 spotter on my 114 mounting for a nice grab-n-go. It's too dangerous and I don't recommend it. If you release the altitude lock the OTA can get away from you and damage it or knock your front teeth out before you even knew what happened. It looks like it would work and I see all kinds of scopes on Unitron alt-az mounts but the geometry is wrong here: Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5552088 - 12/03/12 01:49 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   After that failure I got to wondering about the forward facing counterweight on some of these Unitron alt-az mountings and then became completely side tracked when I came across Company Seven's 114 and noticed it is exactly the same as mine in every detail. No date is stated in the article and this leads me to wonder if they themselves don't know. Anyone here know the age of Company Seven's 114? I suppose I could email and see if they know but something tells me they don't knowing how difficult it is to date Unitron. Its a great article. Unitron fans I'm sure are aware of it. They have other articles listed like the Unitron 142 and RV6: http://www.company7.com/library/unitron/unitron_114.html Robert Post Extras:       starman876 Carpal Tunnel Reged: 04/28/08 Loc: VA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5552128 - 12/03/12 02:13 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   COMPANY seven is a gret site with a lot of good information Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: starman876]       #5552212 - 12/03/12 03:05 PM Attachment (39 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   A few key items I noticed. Tubes for everything on the telescope are saw cut as I marked here: Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5552219 - 12/03/12 03:06 PM Attachment (28 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   As opposed to the later style die cuts as noted here: Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5552227 - 12/03/12 03:08 PM Attachment (22 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   19mm finder Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5552231 - 12/03/12 03:09 PM Attachment (26 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   No eyepiece tray in the spreader Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5552235 - 12/03/12 03:10 PM Attachment (23 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Leather case handle Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5552249 - 12/03/12 03:15 PM Attachment (21 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Plastic knob (1 only on model 114) and italic print Post Extras:       starman876 Carpal Tunnel Reged: 04/28/08 Loc: VA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: starman876]       #5552251 - 12/03/12 03:15 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   By the way. That 114 mount I would say is a later one. I do not know when they started using plastic knobs, but the earlier mounts had metal knobs. Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: starman876]       #5552273 - 12/03/12 03:28 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   For the focusers Unitron transitioned from precision machined aluminum to the attractive yet durable plastic knobs 1959-61. I can't find anything for mount knobs. Robert Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5552312 - 12/03/12 03:46 PM Attachment (21 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Altitude lock lever round rather than butterfly Post Extras:       greju Carpal Tunnel Reged: 10/13/05 Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5552320 - 12/03/12 03:52 PM Attachment (24 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Love those leather handles. Says 50's to me. And the cork is pure genius! Post Extras:       JonH super member Reged: 04/07/12 Loc: Brisbane Australia Re: Company Seven Unitron 114-plastic focusers [Re: greju]       #5552556 - 12/03/12 06:30 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   The plastic focuser issue is a bit deceptive. I have a 1955 Polarex in original condition that has a plastic focuser knob. I think it's like the Neanderthals - plastic and metal focusers coexisted for a while. Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114-plastic focusers [Re: JonH]       #5552736 - 12/03/12 08:13 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Here is a 114 from Oct. 1966: http://www.chesmontastro.org/node/8462 Robert Post Extras:       starman876 Carpal Tunnel Reged: 04/28/08 Loc: VA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114-plastic focusers [Re: actionhac]       #5552821 - 12/03/12 09:02 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I have an original catalog from 1958 that shows the knobs are metal. Post Extras:       greju Carpal Tunnel Reged: 10/13/05 Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5553073 - 12/03/12 11:12 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   You might need to step down one size. http://yumarin7.sakura.ne.jp/telbbsp/img/7504_1.jpg Post Extras:       actionhac Post Laureate Reged: 08/09/08 Loc: WA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: greju]       #5553217 - 12/04/12 01:14 AM Attachment (19 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Yes a C90 would be a walk in the park. I was having pretty good luck with the C5 and a camera tripod with fluid head, but I needed slo-motion controls to reduce the hairy job of unlocking the clutches to track. A small equatorial would be safer. I did try this: Post Extras:       strdst Post Laureate Reged: 03/23/08 Loc: Oregon Territory Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: actionhac]       #5553251 - 12/04/12 02:14 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I have one Uni. All metal 62mm on the focuser..1954ish maybe 1955. I have a 1957 Goto which is the mirror image. Even the one focus knob is on opposite side. Post Extras:       starman876 Carpal Tunnel Reged: 04/28/08 Loc: VA Re: Company Seven Unitron 114 [Re: strdst]       #5553526 - 12/04/12 08:26 AM Attachment (23 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   You should try this instead. Much easier Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | (show all) Previous   Index   Next   Threaded   Extra information 20 registered and 16 anonymous users are browsing this forum. Moderator:  RLTYS, BRisley  Print Thread Forum Permissions       You cannot start new topics       You cannot reply to topics       HTML is disabled       UBBCode is enabled Thread views: 1751 Jump to *Announcements and News* -----   Cloudy Nights Announcements   Discussion of CN Articles, Reviews, and Reports   Celestial Events*General Astronomy* -----   Beginners Forum   General Observing and Astronomy   Outreach   Light Pollution*Equipment Discussions* -----   ATM, Optics and DIY Forum   Binoculars   Binoviewers   Cats & Casses   Classic Telescopes   Equipment   Eyepieces   Mounts   Observatories   Reflectors   Refractors    Video and Electronically Assisted Astronomy*Astrophotography and Sketching* -----   Beginning and Intermediate Imaging   Film Astrophotography   DSLR & Digital Camera Astro Imaging & Processing   CCD Imaging & Processing   Solar System Imaging & Processing   Sketching   Astro Imaging/Sketching Contest *Observing* -----   NEO   Planetary and Solar System Observing   Lunar Observing   Deep Sky Observing   Double Star Observing   Solar   Variable Star Observing and Radio Astronomy*Telescope Specific Forums* -----   Celestron NexStar    NexStar GPS / CPC Telescopes   Questar Forum   Meade ACF/RCX / LX / GPS    Meade ETX*Speciality Forums* -----   Arizona Science and Astronomy Expo   NEAF (Northeast Astronomy Forum) and NEAIC (Northeast Astro Imaging Conference)   AstroArt   Astronomy Clubs and Star Parties   Astronomy Software & Computers   AstroWebsites   Science! Astronomy & Space Exploration, and Others   Space Rocks   Stellar Media*Swap and Shop* -----   Shop and Swap Audio Components*CN Feedback and Vendor Announcements* -----   Vendor and Group Announcements*International Year of Astronomy 2009 - Forums are now closed.* -----   IYA Archive Info CN Forums Home

Cloudy Nights LLC Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics