613 replies to this topic

[jjbird]

Hello Bill,

 

I wound up paying quite a bit more than $3000 since it involved professional packing and shipping, as well a subsequent find of some of the accessories/drive parts which the seller found later.

 

I’m still at work today, but this weekend I’ll take some pics and post them. 
 

Best regards,

Julio

[Vitez]

Thanks Julio!

[jjbird]

Pics as promised

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[jjbird]

And a couple more

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[jjbird]

Not included in the pictures are the giant finder and  finder mount.

 

No paperwork with this. I did exchange emails with Jim Riffle, owner of Astro Works, who convinced me to leave the mount as originally built. Great advice!

 

Julio

[Vitez]

Hi Julio,

 

Thank you for posting the pictures.

 

Although the scope looks very familiar, the mount is very different. The one I remember had a much larger and longer horseshoe base. The ends of the "horseshoe" extended beyond the end of the cradle of the mount (it also looked like it was metal cast). The entire mount was painted in the same "sand" color as the end rings, focuser, finder scope rings, etc (BTW, you can use RUST-OLEUM Satin Fossil paint for touch ups). The other thing I remember is that the controls were placed on a panel on top of the RA Shaft and the "bones" of the drive unit was nicely shrouded with some sort of case (probably to hide the Astro Works drive as it would have been 2 to 3 times the cost of the scope and dominated the branding, I distinctly remember this as in the mid to late 80's, I made many trips to Edmund in Barrington and always drooled over this scope. At the time I didn't even own a camera (film only back then).

 

Your mount may be an earlier version, used as a display and then replaced by what I remember. The good news is that you have the same Astro Works mount and the horseshoe base on yours is much more compact.

 

I do see that there is an extender tube on your 2-inch focuser (I have the same focuser and invested in extensions f various lengths) which are needed for any FL eyepiece to focus but this is great for using a 2-inch filter wheel (just remove the extender and replace with the wheel). Where's your finder scope? I can assist to identify what came with the scope (one of the items I paid full price for due to the fact that it was sold with other scopes and as a separate stocked item).

 

I had great difficulty finding any dust caps that would fit the OTA, especially due to the taper of the end rings. Did you get dust caps supplied with the scope or do you have something else?

 

I'm thinking that there is at least one more out there (not twins but triplets)!. We should form a very exclusive club!

 

Thanks again!

Bill

[jjbird]

Hello Bill,

 

Interesting. I recall a photo by the seller which displayed this particular scope/mount combination in the Barrington showroom.
 

Also ran it by an expert on all things Edmund who stated the same.

 

Unfortunately, the photo predated digital cameras and I do not have a copy of it; and maybe Paul can join our conversation if he’s following it.

 

Maybe there was more that one scope/mount combination displayed sequentially?

 

Regards,

 

Julio

[jjbird]

Bill,

 

Forgot to answer your other questions.

 

No dust caps came with this scope, none found, so covered with a plastic bag.

 

The finder is the Edmund Giant Finder with a single stalk holder and only two mounting holes in the OTA, matched by those in the holder base.

 

The focuser had the extension installed when I received it.

 

 Best,

 

Julio

Edited by jjbird, 16 March 2021 - 09:00 PM.

[Vitez]

Hi Julio,

 

Thank you for the reply and answers.

 

My large phenolic tube was predrilled with all of the holes for the end rings, focuser and finder scope. There were 4 holes predrilled for the finder rings which were for the 6 x 30 finder with right angle prism diagonal and what appeared to be a Jaegers Cross Hair Recital. All of the other tubes were similarly drilled. I remember looking through them all to find the one with the least chips at the ends. I remember paying $100.

 

Again, I do not doubt that your scope had been in the showroom but do remember a different fork mount color and treatment.

 

Best,

Bill

[jjbird]

Hello Bill,

 

Yes, it may be that a series of those were displayed. Needless to say, I would have loved to see the painted fork mount from the eighties!

 

Best regards,

 

Julio

[clamchip]

Astroscan optics test over in the ATM forum:

https://www.cloudyni...-of-the-optics/

 

Robert

[John Rogers]

Their Foucault tester was first introduced in the 1968 catalog. 

 

 

 

 

I was surprised to discover that it is still available from Edmund Optics, with the same part number: https://www.edmundop...dge-test/11887/

 

Its cost however is 4x the inflation-adjusted price from 1968!

[clamchip]

Wow that's great it's still available.

I wish I'd known that, I ended up building the one in All About Telescopes.

Robert

 

Edited by clamchip, 08 September 2021 - 01:54 PM.

[John Rogers]

Hi Julio,

 

Thank you for posting the pictures.

 

Although the scope looks very familiar, the mount is very different. The one I remember had a much larger and longer horseshoe base. The ends of the "horseshoe" extended beyond the end of the cradle of the mount (it also looked like it was metal cast). The entire mount was painted in the same "sand" color as the end rings, focuser, finder scope rings, etc (BTW, you can use RUST-OLEUM Satin Fossil paint for touch ups). The other thing I remember is that the controls were placed on a panel on top of the RA Shaft and the "bones" of the drive unit was nicely shrouded with some sort of case (probably to hide the Astro Works drive as it would have been 2 to 3 times the cost of the scope and dominated the branding, I distinctly remember this as in the mid to late 80's, I made many trips to Edmund in Barrington and always drooled over this scope. At the time I didn't even own a camera (film only back then).

 

Your mount may be an earlier version, used as a display and then replaced by what I remember. The good news is that you have the same Astro Works mount and the horseshoe base on yours is much more compact.

 

I do see that there is an extender tube on your 2-inch focuser (I have the same focuser and invested in extensions f various lengths) which are needed for any FL eyepiece to focus but this is great for using a 2-inch filter wheel (just remove the extender and replace with the wheel). Where's your finder scope? I can assist to identify what came with the scope (one of the items I paid full price for due to the fact that it was sold with other scopes and as a separate stocked item).

 

I had great difficulty finding any dust caps that would fit the OTA, especially due to the taper of the end rings. Did you get dust caps supplied with the scope or do you have something else?

 

I'm thinking that there is at least one more out there (not twins but triplets)!. We should form a very exclusive club!

 

Thanks again!

Bill

I found this ad from the June 1979 issue of Sky and Telescope.  I don't know if it will solve any of the mysteries surrounding this telescope or create more questions.

 

At first glance, it appears that they were separate ads, but then it dawned on me that they might be related, since the size and font of "Announcing" and "At Last" appear to link the two together.  Is it just a coincidence that the TeleDrive mount is specified for 10-inch and 12.5 inch telescopes?  Did TeleDrive and Edmund have a relationship and coordinate this advertisement?

 

Has anyone seen one of the 10-inch siblings?