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Post a Picture of Your Classic Telescope- with or without you!

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#4801 jgraham

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Posted 05 July 2024 - 05:01 PM

Ouch! :(

 

Reminds me of my worst incident with a classic 12.5” f/10 Newtonian. We installed a new secondary in the scope and for some reason it cut loose from its mount with the tube pointing nearly straight up. Yes, it fell 10 feet onto the edge of the primary and shattered, taking a huge clam out of the back of the mirror. The front didn’t look bad, but strain release ruined the mirror. Fortunately, we had a twin of the antique 12.5” green Pyrex mirror blank and I fabricated a nearly exact replacement mirror, hitting the original focal length within 1/2” of the original. It’s one of the best mirrors that I have ever made and it is still catching starlight.

Ugh. Safety tip… don’t do that again!


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#4802 AaronM

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Posted 07 July 2024 - 09:00 AM

Today I cleaned a little brass.....wink.gif

 

 

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#4803 Bomber Bob

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Posted 07 July 2024 - 10:42 AM

Lovely Eye Candy!!



#4804 AaronM

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Posted 07 July 2024 - 10:48 AM

Tasco rulez !!!

 

 

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#4805 AaronM

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Posted 07 July 2024 - 10:49 AM

Tasco rulez !

 

 

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#4806 Bomber Bob

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Posted 07 July 2024 - 10:57 AM

Should've kept my 1978 15 (Special) K...

 

Tasco 15K - 1983 Red OTA.jpg

 

Oh... and, Go Bearcats!!

 

[For the Newbies / Surfers:  I still have that 1979 TANI 1.25" prism diagonal.]


Edited by Bomber Bob, 07 July 2024 - 10:59 AM.

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#4807 AaronM

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Posted 07 July 2024 - 12:01 PM

Great !!



#4808 Werckmeister

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Posted 08 July 2024 - 04:20 AM

Today I cleaned a little brass.....wink.gif

Looks a bit like the Starship Enterprise!
I see no brass?



#4809 deSitter

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Posted 08 July 2024 - 06:38 AM

Looks a bit like the Starship Enterprise!
I see no brass?

Ha! put NCC 1701 on it smile.gif My friend has a camper van he named "Galileo", and I promised him I would paint the name on the side one day smile.gif Like the shuttlecraft!

 

-drl

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#4810 Werckmeister

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Posted 08 July 2024 - 07:14 AM

Ha! put NCC 1701 on it smile.gif My friend has a camper van he named "Galileo", and I promised him I would paint the name on the side one day smile.gif Like the shuttlecraft!

 

-drl

Yes, NCC 1701 with the starboard nacelle missing


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#4811 flyboyu777

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Posted 08 July 2024 - 09:19 AM

Should've kept my 1978 15 (Special) K...

 

attachicon.gif Tasco 15K - 1983 Red OTA.jpg

 

Oh... and, Go Bearcats!!

 

[For the Newbies / Surfers:  I still have that 1979 TANI 1.25" prism diagonal.]

The Belly Scope!  or Prone-O-Scope. . . .



#4812 hasebergen

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Posted 08 July 2024 - 01:32 PM

Yeah folks ... like AaronM said ... Tasco rules ... my 10/15k on a more stable stand ... and so, also the mount does work very well ;-) No more trembling, still focusing up to 200x.

Now ... a real great scope ;-)

 

best regards Hannes

 

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#4813 Cavs56

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Posted 08 July 2024 - 01:43 PM

I find with my scopes if I plant them in the ground as god intended they do very well. Patios and driveways not so much.


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#4814 Mickeyemer

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Posted 10 July 2024 - 10:26 AM

After a lot a digging it looks like this Tasco 10TE dates from about 1959. It is the model with the slip-fit tailpiece, no styrofoam in the cabinet, serial number 970358. Gorgeous scope!

Yes, 1959. I have the same scope. Both versions actually but I like this one way better as it takes the Vixen adapter.
I bought mine from a woman in the northern most part of Michigan who had it since she was 17, I'm guessing she was in her 60's?. She bought it from a school in the area. She took very good care of it; she had leg warmers over the tripod legs.
Serials are not that far apart.
 

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Edited by Mickeyemer, 10 July 2024 - 10:42 AM.

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#4815 deSitter

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Posted 10 July 2024 - 10:52 AM

Yes, 1959. I have the same scope. Both versions actually but I like this one way better as it takes the Vixen adapter.
I bought mine from a woman in the northern most part of Michigan who had it since she was 17, I'm guessing she was in her 60's?. She bought it from a school in the area. She took very good care of it; she had leg warmers over the tripod legs.
Serials are not that far apart.
 

As I've mentioned several times, and as Garyth also points out - the focuser on the 60/910mm with a single focuser tube can be unscrewed from the tube and used on the flange of the 76/1200mm scope. The drawtube version also had advantages because of the short main tube - I'm still waiting to test if it works with a binoviewer but I suspect it will.

 

-drl


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#4816 upwinddan

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Posted 10 July 2024 - 11:36 AM

Just picked up this little cutie and it looks like she’s wiggled her way into my heart. The lens is dusty on both sides but appears perfect overall. The alt/az mount is probably the nicest I have ever operated. As I am cleaning her up I realize that if she performs well during her first star test she has found a forever home with me. 

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#4817 deSitter

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Posted 10 July 2024 - 11:43 AM

Just picked up this little cutie and it looks like she’s wiggled her way into my heart. The lens is dusty on both sides but appears perfect overall. The alt/az mount is probably the nicest I have ever operated. As I am cleaning her up I realize that if she performs well during her first star test she has found a forever home with me. 

Does it have slo-mos? I'm sure that's an optical winner. And I have those knobs on a Monolux - they are the best!

 

-drl



#4818 Kitfox

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Posted 10 July 2024 - 01:27 PM

Just picked up this little cutie and it looks like she’s wiggled her way into my heart. The lens is dusty on both sides but appears perfect overall. The alt/az mount is probably the nicest I have ever operated. As I am cleaning her up I realize that if she performs well during her first star test she has found a forever home with me. 

 

These little Asahi's may very well be the very best 60mm achros ever made.  Mike drop moment when you look through one the first time.


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#4819 upwinddan

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Posted 10 July 2024 - 10:27 PM

Does it have slo-mos? I'm sure that's an optical winner. And I have those knobs on a Monolux - they are the best! Yes, the slow motion controls are smooth as silk.

-drl



#4820 davidmcgo

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Posted 09 August 2024 - 09:16 PM

Big cat little cat

 

IMG_3262.jpeg

 

1965 Q3.5 and 1973 C14.  Both cost me about the same amount secondhand.

 

Dave


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#4821 Roger Belveal

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Posted 09 August 2024 - 09:22 PM

Just a couple Old Celestron Comet Catchers!

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#4822 Roger Belveal

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Posted 12 August 2024 - 03:50 PM

My collection of various vintage telescopes it keeps on growing smile.gif

That Discovery looks out of place, you really need to send it to me!



#4823 mjsyphers

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Posted 12 August 2024 - 04:10 PM

My 2.4-in Unitron I bought in High School in 1972.   Lots of lawns mowed...

Here, set up to watch the 2004 Venus transit.     

 

UnitronTelescope.jpg


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#4824 BIG

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Posted 12 August 2024 - 04:47 PM

Just a couple Old Celestron Comet Catchers!

Nice Comet Catchers! Really like the matching dew shields. I'm assuming you made them...details on what you used? Here's mine on its original tripod:

 

Comet Catcher.1.jpg


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#4825 Roger Belveal

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Posted 12 August 2024 - 07:59 PM

That's a nice setup my friend!


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