1800 replies to this topic

[fjs]

This looks like it might have potential for any Sears refractor researcher. I don't have a Sears scope, so didn't sign up in order to find out.

Sears Catalog on Ancestry.com

You click on the snippets, then sign up for your 14 day free trial.

[clamchip]

Hi!

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[fjs]

[davidmcgo]

Now I know I am not the only one who had that thought cross my mind!

Dave

[tim53]

Yeah, you guys are the only two!

[clamchip]

I bought a dovetail and now the C8 is as light as a butterfly

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[clamchip]

Its a Farpoint FDC8 for Celestron C8. Dovetail plate and radius blocks.

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[clamchip]

If you ever defork your C8 do not put the fork screws back in the holes, they may hit the edge of the primary mirror. Here I plugged the old holes with 1/4" long set screws.

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[clamchip]

The Unistar is such a great mount. Having 8 inches aperture in a grab-n-go scope is mighty sweet. Its a 200mm X 2000mm spotter!

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[A6Q6]

Hi Robert, I picked up a Classic C5 at a pawn shop for $100 last winter and it wasn't until this summer that I had good enough seeing to realize this little scope had very good optics. I am having a lot of fun with it, a true grab and go. Most of the SC scopes I looked through had soft views. This thing is unbelievable. Its hard to believe a 5" telescope can be smaller than an Astroscan. Anyway I just got a case that I can use for it at a yard sale.

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[A6Q6]

yard sale case

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[A6Q6]

case closed

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[A6Q6]

A great little scope.

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[Dave M]

Just dont set it on your front step

[clamchip]

Or get candle wax all over the corrector!
My wife would never let the neighbors see it she thinks its silly, its a scientific instrument not a toy. She's right you know.
Nice grab and go C5! and Astroscan. It looks ready at a moments notice.
Next time I go to any sports event I'm taking my C5. I usually bring 7X35 binoculars but why not a C5! you could see so much more. Like a golf tournament wouldn't it be perfect, or a baseball game.

Robert

[clamchip]

Take a "Trip to the Moon":
http://panam1901.org/tour_1/moon.htm
In 1901 the refractor was the instrument of choice and the moon and solar system was what you observed.

Robert

[wfj]

Hi Robert, hope this fits here.

I was sorting through my piles of astro junk, and out of the blue noticed that the old 2" finder had a tube and thread about the same size as the WWII 38mm Erfle I had.

So I screwed the 1.25" adapter into the Edmund "Giant finder" the Erfle came from, and the Erfle into the classic, japanese 2" high profile finder. The threads are a perfect match.

Perhaps this was intentional?

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[clamchip]

Anything goes here!
Its just a place to put any and all miscellaneous stuff we find, links photos articles, anything.

Amazing the threads are the same. I wonder if Edmund did that or if it is just lucky.

Robert

[Bill Griffith]

:foreheadslap:I never thought of that...

I'll try it right now!

Thanks for the heads up William!

Same ocular threads into a Parks 2.00" drawtube of the focuser and the focuser adapter works on an ATM finder that was (I thought) going to be exclusive for the Erfle!

Wow!

Thanks


Bill

[Jon Isaacs]

Hi Robert, hope this fits here.
I was sorting through my piles of astro junk, and out of the blue noticed that the old 2" finder had a tube and thread about the same size as the WWII 38mm Erfle I had.

Here's a bit of Miscellany that is probably totally useless to anyone...

The Asahi-Pentax 60mm x 800mm scopes have a full sized drawtube so that a 1.25 inch visual back allows the use of 1.25 inch eyepieces. The actual diameter required appears to be identical to the standard Vixen visual back but unfortunately the pitch of the threads is wrong.

I was scrounging through my parts box and discovered that the eyepiece adapter from a particular 1.25 inch Burgess Optical diagonal is a perfect fit and makes a fine visual back for the Asahi-Pentax. This particular diagonal is probably quite rare, it was supplied by Burgess along with the infamous 102F/6 when the promised 2 inch diagonal was having production line problems.

After I discovered this serendipitous coincidence, I happened to see this same diagonal for sale on Astromart. Knowing that it would be useful to someone, probably not me but nonetheless someone, I purchased it. A few years later, another 60mm x 800 Asahi-Pentax showed up on a nearby Craigslist and I was ready to go... The only downside to this is that I now have two diagonals without eyepiece adapters.. but I am fine with that...

Below is a photo of the scope with a 16mm Type 2 Nagler. The ability to use 1.25 inch eyepieces without vignetting is one thing that I like about these scopes.

Jon

[wfj]

Jon,
I tried this on my 60mmx800mm ATCO-labelled "pentax", but found that the baffles in the draw tube vignetted. Brought the effective aperture down to 52mm.

Did you have to alter the draw tube / baffles any? If not, when you next get a chance, could you find the location/size of the baffles, as maybe mine are misplaced somehow.

One can get size/distance of the endmost baffle w/o disassembly just with a caliper's depth gauge, and a inserted drill that just fits. Thanks, William.

[wfj]

Found in a old sears telescope box rattling around ...

Has 20mm fl 12mm dia PCX coated lens behind a multiblade adjustable iris.

Iris side accepts a .965" outside threaded tube. Lens side accepts a 1.5" outside threaded tube.

Two red dot's about 180 degress apart on chamfer above delicate linear knurl around lens side.

Not a camera part - no shutter, no scale on slot for adjustment of iris size.

No clue as to origin. Very carefully made.

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[wfj]

other side

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[wfj]

opened up

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[Falcon-]

My first though was an enlarger lens (those do not need shutters, only an iris).... but with such a short focal length and what *appears* to be rather a simple optic that seems unlikely.