Telescope Reviews: Criterion Days

· 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

Announcements and News >> Discussion of CN Articles, Reviews, and Reports

Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | (show all)

Charlie Hein
Postmaster

Reged: 11/02/03

Loc: 26.06.08N, +80.23.08W

Criterion Days
#5560535 - 12/08/12 08:56 AM

Criterion Days

By Gil Violette

Post Extras:

rmollise
Postmaster

Reged: 07/06/07

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: Charlie Hein]
#5560546 - 12/08/12 09:11 AM

Very nice article. I love and use my RV-6 regularly. The SCT? All I will say is it's a shame for the people who worked so hard on it that it never really came together.

Post Extras:

Gil V
member

Reged: 09/09/12

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: rmollise]
#5560583 - 12/08/12 09:46 AM

I agree with you 100%, Rod.

Thank you very much for publishing it. If it is well-received, I might expand the article in the future.

Post Extras:

highfnum
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/06/06

Loc: NE USA

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: rmollise]
#5560586 - 12/08/12 09:47 AM

I waited a long time for a story like this from the inside
photo's are great
i have a 4 inch dynascope - 1967
i have dx8 from 1979

when did switch to B+L take place?
anything special happen in 79

Post Extras:

Masvingo
sage

Reged: 01/10/12

Loc: Ayrshire, Scotland

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: rmollise]
#5560607 - 12/08/12 10:06 AM

Thanks Gil, I've been waiting for this ever since you mentioned you had submitted it to CN.

A fascinating insight into life at Criterion, really interesting to see the pictures of the plant too. Wonder if you did any of the build of my Dx8 (1980)?

James

Post Extras:

highfnum
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/06/06

Loc: NE USA

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: Masvingo]
#5560716 - 12/08/12 11:21 AM Attachment (111 downloads)

my dy8

Post Extras:

highfnum
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 09/06/06

Loc: NE USA

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: highfnum]
#5560717 - 12/08/12 11:22 AM Attachment (115 downloads)

front view I added thumb screws for easy collmination

Edited by highfnum (12/08/12 11:23 AM)

Post Extras:

Andy Howie
super member

Reged: 09/10/05

Loc: Paisley, Scotland

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: highfnum]
#5560739 - 12/08/12 11:34 AM

Great, great read.
Thanks for sharing your memories and experiences.

Cheers,
Andy.

Post Extras:

Masvingo
sage

Reged: 01/10/12

Loc: Ayrshire, Scotland

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: highfnum]
#5560772 - 12/08/12 11:53 AM

Quote:

when did switch to B+L take place?

Sometime in 1981 According to Company 7 which ties in with the dates for a change in position given on this page on John Krewalk Jr's site, the Krewalks being the owners of Criterion prior to the sale to the Bushnell division of B&L.

James

Post Extras:

Astrosetz
professor emeritus

Reged: 10/05/03

Loc: Wisconsin

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: Masvingo]
#5560834 - 12/08/12 12:45 PM

Loved the article! I'm a big fan of the Dynascope RV-6 and 8 Newtonians. I don't think I've ever looked through a Dynamax 8, though.

Post Extras:

rdandrea
Carpal Tunnel

Reged: 06/13/10

Loc: Colorado, USA DM59ra

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: Charlie Hein]
#5560891 - 12/08/12 01:26 PM

Fantastic article. Thanks for taking the time.

Post Extras:

mdowns
Pooh-Bah

Reged: 06/12/10

Loc: Englewood,FL

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: Astrosetz]
#5560901 - 12/08/12 01:35 PM

Nothing beats the insights of those who were there! Great read,I really liked it.

Post Extras:

ukcanuck
Vendor (Skylight Telescopes)

Reged: 11/07/06

Loc: London, UK

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: Astrosetz]
#5560902 - 12/08/12 01:36 PM

A great story...and a nice piece of history. I was hoping you still owned one

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great piece.

Post Extras:

Gil V
member

Reged: 09/09/12

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: highfnum]
#5560914 - 12/08/12 01:44 PM

I might have worked on your scope, but it's impossible to be certain. I will say that your scope is my favorite vintage - powder blue arms, white finder, removable finder brackets. I did a bunch of those. The switch to the removable bracket happened when I was an optical assembler.

Edited by Gil V (12/08/12 01:48 PM)

Post Extras:

astrogeezer41
super member

Reged: 08/27/10

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: Andy Howie]
#5561004 - 12/08/12 02:50 PM

I agree with Andy, Gil.
I enjoyed reading it.

Thanks for telling the story,
Robert

Post Extras:

Mark Swanson
member

Reged: 03/09/07

Loc: Irving, Tx

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: astrogeezer41]
#5561070 - 12/08/12 03:30 PM

Good job Gil. Very good article. I have a Criterion Dynamax 8 that is just as good as the one I sold you. That is why I let the one I sold you go. I have bought several of these over the years and played with them. I will never sell the one I have now.

I would not have sold the one I sold you if it did not have great optics, because you would have only been disappointed with it. I resolved the green companion of Antares in spectacular fashion and several doubles, including Struve 359 in Hercules in your scope. I knew that it was good to go. Planets were great too.

Mark

Post Extras:

Gil V
member

Reged: 09/09/12

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: Mark Swanson]
#5561088 - 12/08/12 03:40 PM

Thanks for the scope - and the kind words.

Post Extras:

Bob Abraham
sage

Reged: 05/17/05

Loc: Toronto, ON, Canada

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: Gil V]
#5561246 - 12/08/12 05:34 PM

What a great article! Many thanks for this.

Bob

Post Extras:

BrooksObs
super member

Reged: 12/08/12

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: Gil V]
#5561270 - 12/08/12 05:55 PM

A most interesting read addressing the company's background and evolution from a personal perspective. And I must add that my connection with Criterion products dates almost from their beginnings in the telescope business as in my youth I was the proud owner of one of their very early 4" alt-az head Dynascope Newtonians, the first scope the company ever offered, back about 1956-57. I still have its optics around here some place.

BrooksObs

Edited by BrooksObs (12/08/12 05:56 PM)

Post Extras:

mrlovt
member

Reged: 09/08/12

Loc: Smyrna, TN

Re: Criterion Days new

[Re: BrooksObs]
#5561315 - 12/08/12 06:34 PM

Thanks for the inside look at Criterion. I wish they were still in the marketplace. Good quality inexpensive scopes on solid GEMs will always have a place in amateur astronomy. I know I'll always love pushing my RV-6 around the sky.

Post Extras:

Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | (show all)

Extra information

1 registered and 9 anonymous users are browsing this forum.

Moderator: droid, iceblaze

Print Thread

Forum Permissions
      You cannot start new topics
      You cannot reply to topics
      HTML is disabled
      UBBCode is enabled

Thread views: 5123

Jump to

CN Forums

Home

Cloudy Nights LLC
Cloudy Nights Sponsor: Astronomics