Guido Santacana
member
Reged: 04/09/09
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: WillCarney]
#3818485 - 05/20/10 09:05 PM
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Nice looking refractor William. My 1965 Sears 2.4" looks just like it except for the color and a bit different finder mount. In 2005 it webnt through an overhaul except for the tube paint. It looks and works as good as new. The lenses in these telescopes were quite good and if you attach an adapter for 1.25" eyepieces, they really work great. I still use mine for casual stargazing.
Clear Skies,
Guido
|
Guido Santacana
member
Reged: 04/09/09
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: Napersky]
#3818494 - 05/20/10 09:13 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
60mm refractors are a lot of fun and my early variable star estimates for the AAVSO were done with my 65 Sears 60mm. They are easy to carry and locate anywhere. With proper eyepieces these telescopes provide excellent images for their aperture and the long focus ones (900 to 1000mm) are superb for doubles.
Clear Skies!
Guido
|
7331Peg
Sirius Observer
Reged: 09/01/08
Loc: North coast of Oregon
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#3818723 - 05/20/10 11:47 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
I enjoyed reading the article... The image of Jupiter is pretty stunning.. So who all is getting the itch for 76mm F/16 achromat?
Jon
I've got one, and I'm still itching and twitching. 
Seriously, for those who have never looked through a long focus 60mm (or 76mm) with a good lens, give it a try. They're a whole lot more than dime store scopes!
John
|
Mitrovarr
sage
Reged: 09/12/04
Loc: Boise, Idaho
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: 7331Peg]
#3818865 - 05/21/10 01:42 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I have a scope quite a lot like this - it's the Sears Discoverer model, so I think it's probably not as old. It's still 76mm and F/16 and blue, though. Unfortunately, the original owner (I picked it up from a yard sale) sprung for the 'upgraded' metal tripod legs, which I am relatively sure are made of recycled tuning forks. Still, the optics are phenomenal.
Someday I'll buy a better mount for the scope so it's more usable - it would really benefit from tracking, especially. A scope like this just begs to be pointed at the planet that is best placed in the sky and then cranked up to the highest power it can handle. Although it is surprisingly good on deep sky.
|
Doug76
Long Achro Junkie
Reged: 12/05/07
Loc: Refractor Heaven
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: Guido Santacana]
#3820524 - 05/21/10 09:16 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Quote:
Thank you Doug. Nice triplet of refractors that must be optically superb. Nothing like a good long focus refractor. Sheldon found the exact objective plus the exact lamp for the accesory tray. The small lamp was an mint as the objective.
Guido
Yeah, Sheldon is the man when it comes to getting the vintage stuff.
And yes, the views I get are superb!
Doug
|
gmartin02
sage
Reged: 04/11/05
Loc: Santa Clarita, CA
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: Doug76]
#3823034 - 05/23/10 02:10 AM Attachment (80 downloads)
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I have a similar scope - a Tasco 76.2mm 1200mm f/l - I bought it in 1989 for $150 as my first telescope off a friend who had picked it up at a garage sale . I have since repainted the outside of the tube, replaced the mount, added baffles to the inside of the tube, and reduced the length of the inner draw tube to reduce vignetting with longer f/l 1.25 eyepieces. Adding the baffles noticeably improved the contrast on bright objects - works great on moon, planets, and double stars. Here is a picture (from 2002).
Edited by gmartin02 (05/23/10 02:13 AM)
|
Guido Santacana
member
Reged: 04/09/09
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: gmartin02]
#3823427 - 05/23/10 09:45 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Nice upgrade of a great telescope. The mount is very stable and the optical upgrade is excellent in order to use it with 1.25" eyepieces. I always wonder why they don't make long focus 76mm refractors anymore when there is a market for them.
Clear Skies,
Guido
|
Retentive
sage
Reged: 02/16/08
Loc: Florida
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: gmartin02]
#3824435 - 05/23/10 06:50 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Beautiful picture! I missed a classic tasco at a garage sale not too long ago, someone bought it while I was reviewing the pics sent to me by phone by my brother.
Phil
|
trainsktg
Post Laureate
Reged: 08/23/05
Loc: Pacific Northwest
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: Jon Isaacs]
#3828770 - 05/25/10 07:54 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Another great CLassic telescope review. Thanks  .
Keith
|
deSitter
Still in Old School
Reged: 12/09/04
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: trainsktg]
#3830462 - 05/26/10 06:30 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Memory lane - I had the identical experience a couple of Christmases later - I was 10! The telescope's optics were perfect. I was dumbfounded to be the owner of this thing, my first telescope. I later traded it straight up for an RV-6 Dynascope that also had perfect optics. I was a lucky kid!
My Sears made short work of doubles at the diffraction limit. I remember the mount being extremely well made and very smooth. I look forward to buying another one some day.
-drl
|
Wilsonman
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 01/30/07
Loc: S.E. PA
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: deSitter]
#3834140 - 05/28/10 05:43 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Nice story, kinda reminds me of my intro to astronomy with a Tasco scope back in 1960. I know the manufacturer was listed, but was there any connection between them and the Unitron folks? The F/16 focal length peaked my interest. Looks like a nice scope much like the Unitron 3" except for the supplied eyepieces. 
|
Guido Santacana
member
Reged: 04/09/09
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: Wilsonman]
#3837348 - 05/30/10 04:15 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
I may be incorrect but somewhere I read that Unitrons were made by another manufacturer. I really don't think that the objective optics were so much better but the mechanics, mounts and supplied eyepieces were of better quality. I have never been able to see through a Unitron but at the same time the optics in these Royal Astro Optical telescopes is so good that I doubt that Unitron did better than this but then I have no means to test this statement.
Maybe others can give their opinions on this subject. Thank you for your comments about the article.
Clear Skies,
Guido
|
Guido Santacana
member
Reged: 04/09/09
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: deSitter]
#3837359 - 05/30/10 04:21 PM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
It was the space age and many of us were fascinated about it. Science was very important in school at the times and there was so much enthusiasm about this that many of us luckily got our telescopes and were able to develop our interest.
I got an RV6 by chance and for free some years ago. It is still with me and the optics are also superb.
Clear Skies,
Guido
|
JimP
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 04/22/03
Loc: South Carolina
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: Guido Santacana]
#3849523 - 06/06/10 08:20 AM Attachment (59 downloads)
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
Great article!! I was given a small reflector for my 15th birthday in 1965. It was a Gilbert 80X and had a 60mm mirror as I recall. It cost $20 at the time and I used it and kept a logbook for a year (which I still have). From there a 4 1/4" Edmund reflector and finally an RV6 which blew me away. It cost $200 and is the best deal in terms of optical quality and cost of any telescope I believe I have ever owned. Those were heady days with the Space race going on at the same time. Somehow, along the way, I moved to refractors and use them almost exclusively now. Thank you very much for such a wonderful story which brought back many wonderful memories and which reminds me just how much a good quality scope can show the serious observer. And, man what great images you were able to take with this scope also!! Double stars are one of my favorite things to observe. I hope you will continue to use this wonderful telescope.
Here is a pic of my first refractor, an 8" F/13 R.E. Brandt lens in a homemade irrigation pipe OTA. It started my love for refractors.
best,
Jim Phillips
|
Guido Santacana
member
Reged: 04/09/09
|
Re: 1966 Sears 76mm f/16 Equatorial Refractor
[Re: JimP]
#3858805 - 06/11/10 09:40 AM
|
|
Edit
|
Reply
|
Quote |
Quick Reply
|
|
|
That's a great telescope. It must have provided the best of views. I still have an RV6 that came to me about 15 years ago. It came to me in parts as the former owner found them. First the optical tube assembly, then the equatorial head and finally the pedestal. I had the mirror re-aluminized by Clausing and after that I was flabbergasted by the optical quality and views.
Best,
Guido
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
