82 replies to this topic

[clintwhitman]

STOODY SCOPE
I needed to give this scope a post, As I was directed not to discuss individual scopes in the Ebay thread.
This scope is worth looking at especially by Bill Griffith. It reminds be a lot of the 4" Carroll look alike scope I purchased in Orange County and then sold to Bill.
Also Keith and Brian are telling stories and posting photos of some of the coolest Classic scope information ever!
Remember This wonderful telescope.

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[clintwhitman]

Ed Turners Zeiss Mobile. 2 things that blow me away about this photo.
Why Would you need a whole dew shield on an Alt Az scope? answer. You dont!
2 eyepieces must be better than one on a large refractor. So use a bino viewer with a Poro Prism,Before they really had made to orders like Denks.
To my knowledge the Guy looking in the scope is Shelly Stoody, Must have been buddies with Ed Turner who built the Zeiss Mobile. This scope is now the Guide scope on the 12" At Griffith Observatory... Do I have this right?
Clint

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[clintwhitman]

Anyway I still don't understand the whos whos of the Zeiss Mobile? From what I remember, I thought someone said this was called the Stoody Scope. But Griffith Observatory says it was Ed Turners??? Fill Me in,,

[starman876]

I like the zeiss mobile.

[tim53]

I'd like to see the car! (I've looked through the scope).

Bet it didn't survive, though.

-Tim.

[clamchip]

I have this photo in my files at the Griffith Observatory, no details though just "portable refractor".

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[turk123]

This just looks much too dangerous for the scopes and the drivers!

[tim53]

Looks like Jeff Schroeder's 13". At least I think that's what it was.

He used to work at JPL. Don't know if he still does, but I haven't seen his car in the parking lot in several years. He looks to have a newer Volvo wagon in that photo. Teh previous one was dark red-brown, IIRC. He would take the optics out and put the tube on the roof to transport to star parties.

There was a writeup on this scope in S&T in the late 70s or early 80s.

-Tim.

[Terra Nova]

Just don't attempt to look through the telescope while driving! :dabomb:

[tim53]

Actually, it might have been an 11", now that I think about it some more.

[dgreyson]

Just don't attempt to look through the telescope while driving! :dabomb:

Not to mention dont drive under any bridges or parking buildings. That had to leave a mark on the car.

[strdst]

Clint,

As usual my post on the other thread about Stoody was confusing. The quiet brilliant, man enjoying his highball and sharing a bit about the project he was involved in was an employee of Stoody, not the owner.

I don't recall seeing that telescope/car driving around Whittier but what a sight on a Friday night dragging the gut that would have been!

[Happy-Idiot]

Clint,
I stumbled upon the scope on ebay and it took awhile before my pickled brain cells were crackling and spitting back to life to recognized the name. HERE is the Griffith Observatory link that shows a image of Stoody looking through the Zeiss Rod. I don't know any history other than matching the name on the ebay scope with the name under the photo.

[turk123]

Just don't attempt to look through the telescope while driving! :dabomb:

"Caution, objects may appear larger than they really are"

[starman876]

now this is interesting information from the Griffith

Originally mounted on automobile owned by Ed Turner of Whittier California in 1933

Shelly Stoody of Whittier, California and his mobile 9-1/2 inch Zeiss Refractor in 1933.

Now which is correct?

[Dan /schechter]

Hi Clint,
I do not understand why a alt/az mounted telescope that is aimed at the stars would not need a whole dew shield.

The binoviewer in the picture is very much like my Zeiss binoviewer. I can`t tell from the picture if it is a celestial binoviewer or a terrestrial binoviewer. However, my guess is that it is a terrestrial binoviewer.
Remember, the one you tried to collimate is a terrestrial binoviewer. I wonder if the one in the picture is collimated.
Cheers,
Dan

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[DavidNealMinnick]

Hi Clint,
I do not understand why a alt/az mounted telescope that is aimed at the stars would not need a whole dew shield.

The binoviewer in the picture is very much like my Zeiss binoviewer. I can`t tell from the picture if it is a celestial binoviewer or a terrestrial binoviewer. However, my guess is that it is a terrestrial binoviewer.
Remember, the one you tried to collimate is a terrestrial binoviewer. I wonder if the one in the picture is collimated.
Cheers,
Dan

Oh boy, that contraption might produce double vision, I mean, with the light not reaching both eyes at the same time, and all...

[clintwhitman]

Hi Dan!
The tube never rotates on an Alt Az Mount so the top is always the top and dew falls down, so the top half is all the dew shield you really need and would work as well for dew as a tube. I just never really thought about it before.

The bino viewers just seemed kind out of place for a 1940s photo.

Maybe Stoody and Ed Turner were partners? I have seen references to the telescope being called the "Stoody Scope"

[clintwhitman]

THE STOODY BROTHERS These guys invented Hard Facing. If you have ever drilled a hole in metal you used there invention.

[jrcrilly]

The tube never rotates on an Alt Az Mount so the top is always the top and dew falls down, so the top half is all the dew shield you really need and would work as well for dew as a tube.

Dew doesn't fall (unless too much accumulates and it drips from your telescope). It forms on a surface whose temperature is at or below the dew point. Refractor objectives tend to dew up because they are aimed at space, which is very cold, and thus heat is transferred from the objective to space. This cools the objective toward the ambient temperature and when it reaches the dew point, there you are.

A dew shield works by restricting the area of sky to which the objective is exposed to a much smaller circle. This reduces the heat transfer and slows the cooling process.

[Bill Griffith]

Tim,

I remember the red brown Volvo on Telescope Field at RTMC!

Although limited in range of motion with it mounted on the roof of the Volvo the parking was positioned so the telescope faced the southern horizon. The view was breathtaking at least for me! Embarrassingly I commented once how nice M4 looked through the telescope. I presume it was Jeff that commented that I was observing M80! He soothed my embarrassment by explaining I wasn't the first to make that mistake!

Thanks Robert for posting the image! I had not thought of the Volvoscope in a few moons at least.

Clint,

I'm using the link to monitor the Stoody with much interest and have made a call about the scope. Fingers crossed.

I don't have an Evilbay account for good reason.

The DecMaster is in regular use. ATM classics in the herd are far and away the favorites to enjoy custodianship of.

Thanks all for this forum, it's a privilege.

Bill

[clamchip]

A very interesting scope I hope you get it Bill!
Especially nice since it is signed by the maker and we know who he is.
I suppose Mr. Stoody would have chosen a fine lens for his project but just in case Bill take along a eye-piece just to be sure its not a aerial recon film lens. Or I guess it doesn't matter its a pretty cool piece of history in itself.

Robert

[Lew Chilton]

Here's a little more info. about Shelly Stoody.

His home in Whittier, California was previously a Nixon family residence (Yes, that Nixon family!), and it's still standing today. Huell Howser visited it during one of his T.V. programs that he produced and narrated a number of years ago. Stoody had a dome on the roof at one time, but I don't know if the 9-1/2-inch Zeiss was in the dome. Stoody lost the house (and the attached dome) in a divorce.

The guy to talk to about Stoody is Tony Cook of the Griffith Observatory. I also did some research on Stoody in the past. He was one of many fascinating Southern California amateur astronomers.

[Happy-Idiot]

It is my understanding that he did have a Zeiss in his house in use, but that was Shelly Stoody. The scope is WF Stoody which would be his brother Winston, or even possibly a Son of either Shelly or Winston F Stoody. The scope is still a gamble because of the date and W.F Stoody name. I would feel safer if it said Shelly Stoody. We know Shelly had a thirst for fine optics.

On the other hand the Stoody family was wealthy and anyone with that money that put the effort into buiding his own scope probably used the finest optics for that time.

We will only find out when we get the first light review from one of our members.

[starman876]

Now let all of us come down to earth. Does that scope look like it was made by someone that was wealthy. I thought wealthy people bought scopes from companies like Zeiss. That scope looks like it was made in someones garage.