20 replies to this topic

[rboe]

Dang! Kinda puts things into perspective doesn't it? It's cool to hear about the old equipment still able to hang in there.

[Bill Grass]

Cool story, Tim!

[desertstars]

I have an old 60mm (one that has significant sentimental value, in addition to being a surprisingly useful grab-and-go scope). And I mean old: I bought this thing when I was a teenager - 30 years ago! Although the OTA has survived very well over the years, the mount and tripod have not. I could make the old thing even more fun to use (while waiting for the resources to buy a bigger 'better' scope) if I could put something steadier under it. In my searching so far, I haven't exactly been overwhelmed with options. Any suggestions (mounts, sources for parts, etc.) would be greatly appreciated!

[rboe]

Any of the 3236 or 3036 Bogen (Manfrotto) tripods would make a good start. Then a head to go between the scope and tripod.

[desertstars]

Any of the 3236 or 3036 Bogen (Manfrotto) tripods would make a good start. Then a head to go between the scope and tripod.

That last is the catch. Tripods are not a big problem, but attaching the scope to a tripod has proven to be a stumbling block. Rings, for example, seem only to be available down to 76mm - close, but no cigar. I'm checking through hardware stores to see if I can solve that problem, but would still need some way to attach such a make-shift rig to a tripod adapter.

It would help if I were more mechanically inclined!

[rboe]

My Pronto has that mounting ring so I just threaded the adaptor to that. Job done.

Depending on your skill set and money bags, you could use duct tape, hose clamps (which hold a bar with the 1/4-20 hole for the mount - and use felt or tape to protect the paint finish) or a ring kit and mounting bar (which if it does not have a hole could be easily enough drilled at tapped).

Sounds like all you need is a 1/4-20 hole to mount the scope to any tripod head. It's just a matter of how you get that hole. Your scope should be light enough to let you use a number of methods.

Your local vendor in Tucson may have a solution. OPT has some nice ring kits (don't know off hand which ones would be good for you).

Good Luck.

[desertstars]

I'd prefer it if I could find some finder scope rings that are about the right size, but hose clamps are definitely an option. I may even have a few kicking around that are close enough in size. Thanks one and all for the input. I'll keep you posted. (Which is not to say I won't be receptive to additional suggestions, of course.)

[BCB]

If the mountinmg rings you find are just a tad too big Go hit home cheapo, and get a package of 1/4 x 1/4 weatherstriping (adhesive backed), and put that inside the rings... Voila!! Nice n snug, and no tube scratches. Might even help with damping as well.. Then all you'll need to do is sort the mounting..

[desertstars]

If the mountinmg rings you find are just a tad too big Go hit home cheapo, and get a package of 1/4 x 1/4 weatherstriping (adhesive backed), and put that inside the rings... Voila!! Nice n snug, and no tube scratches. Might even help with damping as well.. Then all you'll need to do is sort the mounting..

The weather striping idea answers a question my wife brought up about using hose clamps, namely, how to protect the finish (which has survived pretty much intact for 30 years!) That should be useful no matter which idea I apply to the problem. (Or which ideas, I should say. I have a feeling the final solution will be something of a hybrid.)

Thanks! And keep 'em coming!

[rboe]

Up North we had felt weather stripping available - still. That may be preferable to foam. Then again, you can get quite dense foam and NOT suffer from felt sourced lint.

[desertstars]

Up North we had felt weather stripping available - still. That may be preferable to foam. Then again, you can get quite dense foam and NOT suffer from felt sourced lint.

My house here in Tucson was built in 1950 and still has its original crank windows, which are anything but snug when you close them. We buy a very thin, very dense foam-type weather stripping that just fits inside the frames of these windows and allows them to close. It looks like with would be exactly the right width for the hose clamp idea, if a more off the shelf approach does not work out.

The only problem with all these ideas is that I need to wait until Sunday to try anything out! And in the meantime, the skies have cleared! (Good thing I have some good binoculars.)

[jrcrilly]

I dunno what the tube diameter is but you can pick up a Trashco Starguide 60 for not very much and have tracking (and even goto) and the tube might just drop in?

[desertstars]

The one reason I havn't had my old 60mm refractor out of its case is that it's too much of a hassle to assemble the equitorial mount and tripod. But, like Tim described, it sure gave nice views once set up. I wonder if I could rig it up to the parallelogram that I made for my binos. There wouldn't be an slow motion control but what the heck, it may work for some quick peeks at a fraction of the set-up time. Time to dig out the duct tape. :o

Nick

Another reason to go to all the trouble of replacing the tripod/mount on this old thing. I already have a grab-and-go scope that's good enough (for now).

[jrcrilly]

What a real thrill it must be to have an instrument like that to look through.

Hi, Nick.

What a thrill it is to have the cosmos to look at!

I enjoy telescopes (large and small) and have met very, very few I didn't like. I will measure the diameter of the Tasco mounting clamshell and will post it here in case that proves to be suitable for any of the good 60mm scopes for which folks need mounts. If it fits it would make a really inexpensive tracking/goto mount. :jump:They are fairly easy to find for well under $100 complete with a not-very-good refractor. They aren't precision instruments and don't track all that well but they would be much less expensive than the alt/az mounts folks sometimes use with small refractors and those don't track at all!