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Seizo Goto-san - Another Great Innovator

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#1 Stew44

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Posted 04 August 2017 - 08:07 AM

I don't know if there is anything better about amateur astronomy (besides the obvious) than getting to know a little about the people that bring us all these fabulous bits of hardware that so stimulate our senses and make viewing the heavens so enjoyable.  When collecting Questars I learned a lot about Larry Braymer, a consummate innovator.  I also learned about a few people who were immensely helpful in areas that Larry needed assistance from in bringing the Questar to fruition  It turns out that the Goto telescopes I've been able to bring together also show this same very high degree of innovation; and I wanted to learn a lot more about the man that created them.

 

You all (that are following things Goto Kogaku) have seen this book before.  Little has been shared from it.  Goto USA graciously shared it with me for a brief period and a large portion of it was developed from an autobiography that Seizo-san wrote shortly after he stepped down as chairman of Goto Optical Corp (Tenmon Yawa - Nighttime Tales of Astronomy).  It is of course the 70th Annivarsary volume published in 1996.  Already I am finding answers to questions, and when a little more well versed in its pages, I will try to provide a feel for the man, a few of those folks that were important along the way, and the company.  This background greatly adds to the history of the development of the hobby, and greatly increases my appreciation for these fine telescopes.

 

P8040560.JPG

 

 


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#2 Stew44

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Posted 05 August 2017 - 08:34 PM

I am going to do my best to relay the facts presented in this book in a meaningful way without quoting the text.  I apologize for any cultural faux pas ahead of time.  My intent is to provide background for the maker of our very fine telescopes.  If I have erred in some fact or statement, please let me know. 

 

 

Seizo Goto-san was born on January 31, 1891.  He was the first son of his father Masaki and mother Kusuki.  The Goto family branch went back eleven generations to Saburoemon Masamori Goto.  They were samuri and had been under retainer to the Yamanouchi family, who were lords of the Tosa clan.  The Tosa clan, and a number of other clans that were favored by the emperor, attained positions of authority in government during the Meiji Restoration. (The samuri as a warrior class during this period were depicted in the movie The Last Samuri, with Tom Cruise.)   Goto-san's father was a judicial officer, who transitioned to retail sales and then became a reporter.  He became ill and passed away at the age of 48 when Goto-san was only 12 years old.

 

'Seizo' comes from two Chinese characters 'sei' and 'zo'.  The first means 'to set in order', and the 'zo' means three.  His father named him based on a three-standard phrase he found -  "to set in order one's body, one's home and one's land - that is the path of the saint."

 

Graduating from middle school Goto-san became employed at the age of thirteen with the Tosa Bank of Agriculture as an office boy.  He worked there eight years until 1913, rising to full employee.  To further help support his family he raised chickens, and then opened a stationery store.  He was mechanically inclined and developed a process to use newspaper printing presses to make the lined paper he sold.  Later this process was employed by the Takasaki Cardboard Company (now Takasaki Paper Manufacturing Co), but Goto-san was not a part of that company and had moved on. 

 

Using his financial skills, at the age of 22, he became the head of the sales department of a mujin, or savings and loan company called the Kochi Financial Trust Co.   There were about 600 of these mujins in Japan.  The system he developed to administer the loans and repayments became known as the 'Goto-type  Mujin' system and he had licenses sold to almost a 100 of the mujin companies.  Had they received government approval to operate, Goto-san would have been a very wealthy man for that time.  The government changed with election results and the approvals did not come.  He worked for a Nippon Nitrogen Co subsidiary, Nichiei Mining Co, as a prospector for sulfide ore and then moved to form Nihon Nail Co to make nails for the military.  These last two ventures also did not pan out.  Finally, after attempting to start a produce business selling oranges to the government and being cheated by an intermediary, with his savings depleted, on April 21st, 1921, at the age of 30, he began working at Nippon Kogaku K.K., or as we know it today - Nikon.


Edited by Stew44, 05 August 2017 - 08:38 PM.

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#3 Stew44

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Posted 06 August 2017 - 07:34 AM

So do you own a fine Nikon camera?  I don't, having started with Minolta and then moving to Canon.  Once you commit to seriously good lenses it's hard to switch.  If you do own a Nikon camera, you have Goto-san to thank for encouraging Nippon Kogaku to start making and marketing them in the early 1920's.  And what about those Zeiss ties to Japan optical companies?

 

When Goto-san started with Nippon Kogaku K.K. he was appointed head of the General Affairs department.  To give you an idea of the degree of influence such a position entails look at this definition I found on the web:

 

"Although specific functions of general affairs officers vary significantly, they share many common duties. For example, officers perform administrative tasks to ensure that their staffs can work efficiently. Equipment and machinery used in their departments must be in good working order. If the computer system goes down or a fax machine malfunctions, the officers must try to correct the problem or alert repair personnel. They also request new equipment or supplies for their department when necessary.
Planning the work and supervising the staff are key functions of this job. To do these effectively, the supervisor must know the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the staff, as well as the results required from and time allotted to each job. Officers must make allowances for unexpected staff absences and other disruptions by adjusting assignments or performing the work themselves if the situation requires it.
Officers help train new employees in organization and office procedures. They may teach new employees how to use the telephone system and operate office equipment. Because most administrative support work is computerized, they also must teach new employees to use the organization’s computer system. When new office equipment or updated computer software is introduced, officers train experienced employees to use it efficiently or, if this is not possible, arrange for their employees to receive special outside training.

General affairs officers often act as liaisons between the administrative support staff and the professional, technical, and managerial staff. This may involve implementing new company policies or restructuring the workflow in their departments. They also must keep their superiors informed of their progress and any potential problems. Often, this communication takes the form of research projects and progress reports. Because officers and managers have access to information such as their department’s performance records, they may compile and present these data for use in planning or designing new policies."

 

Nippon Kogaku from it's inception in 1917 performed work primarily for the military, presumably in optics.  After WWI there was a post-war depression in Japan and the company was actually faltering in the early mid-1920's.   Technology transfer was occurring however between Germany and Nippon Kogaku.  A team of eight German technicians and skilled workers, including Professor Max Lang and Heinrich Acht, talented camera lens designers, had been hired in an effort to incorporate German optical technology.   Although Goto-san was heavily involved with labor negotiations he became friendly especially with Heinrich Acht.  And incorporating marketing and product development ideas from Acht, he went to the board and suggested that the company should shift focus to meet civilian product demand that was currently being met through importation.  He spent a year doing marketing research.  Of the two primary products considered, microscopes and cameras, Takachiho Seisakusho Ltd. (Olympus) was already meeting the demand for microscopes.  For Goto-san,  the camera was the best product to focus on for Nippon Kogaku.

 

In 1926 Nippon Kogaku's board made the decision to lay off 700 of its 2000 employees.  Goto-san chose to leave the company.  Nippon Kogaku was making telescopes, but selling only one a year.  They were very expensive.  Goto-san saw an opportunity to expand the market with a much less expensive telescope, based on the educational needs of schools and what they could afford.  He departed Nippon Kogaku in August of 1926 and was manufacturing and selling a single lens 30mm telescope with 25mm effective diameter by November of 1926.  The lenses were provided by Nippon Kogaku and the telescopes were assembled in Goto-san's home.  Marketing, sales and distribution were handled by Kagaku Gaho-sha, a magazine publisher.  Sales quickly reached 100 units per month.  Because of the education institutional focus, Goto-san developed that eyepiece solar projector we have often wondered about with the wall projecting prism.  That device alone helped raise the stature of the company and within a year the Goto Optical Manufacturing Co. was independently operating.


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#4 Stew44

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Posted 06 August 2017 - 08:05 AM

I've already drawn what I think are parallels in business development between Goto-san and Larry Braymer, founder of Questar.   Braymer had an idea and brought together through friends and colleagues the technology and ability to manufacture a final product.  His optics developer was Norbert Schell.  He ordered optics from Japan (now I would love to know who those companies were) and Tom Cave before Steve Cumberland started providing them.  FJR in Wisconsin was a long time supplier of mechanical hardware.

 

Goto-san wanted to broaden his offerings and with Nippon Kugaku colleagues Masashige Tomioka of Tomioka Optical supplying the achromatic lenses and Yasukazu Suzuki of Toyo Optical Co., Ltd. supplying the eyepieces Goto Optical began manufacturing three types of telescopes:  the Uranus (58mm), the Apollo (50mm), and the Diana (42mm).  Sales continued to increase over the years and in 1933 Goto Optical opened its first factory in Setagaya-ku with 198 square meters (2,131 sqft.) of manufacturing and office space and 40 employees.


Edited by Stew44, 06 August 2017 - 08:06 AM.

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#5 Stew44

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Posted 06 August 2017 - 09:00 AM

From what I've read, Goto Inc. is the world's primary supplier of Planetarium projectors.  What were the events that provided the sparks that led to this singular product focus even today for Goto Inc.?

 

First, I believe that the business model imparted to Goto-san by Heinrich Acht, to focus on a single product and to become the world leader in the development of that product was always in the corporate background of Goto Optical.

 

Secondly, Goto Optical contributed a number of models to the 1930 Sea and Sky Exposition in Tokyo.  One of the models was an orrery of the solar system.  Given the precision of the mechanism the model took Top Prize at the Exposition.  Dr. Issei Yamamoto of the Kyoto Imperial University dubbed it the "Japanese Planetarium" because it very closely followed principles used by planetary gears of a planetarium.  Goto initiated planetarium development in the 1930's and Goto-san took every opportunity to learn about their form and function in the thirty years that followed.

 

Thirdly, the first planetarium was built by Karl Zeiss in 1923.  With over 30 built worldwide and both sides of the Post WWII Zeiss companies still building planetariums, Zeiss never patented the design.  With the freedom to develop the product without concern of patent infringement, the planetariums developed by Goto Inc today far surpass those of its competitors in capability and employment of hybrid media technology.


Edited by Stew44, 06 August 2017 - 09:02 AM.

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#6 Stew44

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Posted 06 August 2017 - 09:11 AM

Goto Optical was the lead member of the filming and plate photography expedition for the Okoppe total eclipse in 1936.  The success of this team brought high praise from the Japanese astronomical community and worldwide recognition of Goto Optical's commitment to providing equipment that set the standard for optical and mechanical excellence.

 

In March of 1938, as the country prepared for war with China, Goto Optical Manufacturing Company became a public stock company.


Edited by Stew44, 06 August 2017 - 09:11 AM.

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#7 Stew44

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Posted 06 August 2017 - 09:33 AM

During WWII, Goto-san stepped down as President of Goto Optical and focused on research in support of the war effort.  In 1942, at the direction of the government, Goto Optical was merged with the Tokyo Clock company.  Its optical department was transferred to Fuji Film. 

 

Goto Optical, the private company, was still owned by Goto-san and he acquired property with manufacturing space of 1155 square meters in Komazawa, Setagaya-ku.  This facility became Goto Optical's primary site for telescope manufacture, and included capabilities for metalworking, lens polishing, finishing, assembly and optics testing.  It was completed in September of 1942 and employed 30 people.

 

The facility survived the war with minimal damage in spite of the virtual collapse of Japanese industry from bombings during the war.  When things began to return to normal, educational demand for telescopes returned, with strong interest from Nakamura Scientific Co., Ltd and Uchida Yoko Co., Ltd. to supply parts and market Goto Optical's products.  Production resumed on the Uranus and Diana telescopes.


Edited by Stew44, 06 August 2017 - 09:33 AM.

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#8 Stew44

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Posted 08 August 2017 - 08:17 PM

Want to share what Goto-san's first telescope for sale was (1927).  Single lens.  Company apparently used an image of Saturn as logo.  Found in CN archives.

 

G1inch24.JPG

G1inch11.JPG

G1inch2.JPG

G1inch3.JPG

G1inch23.JPG


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#9 Stew44

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Posted 09 August 2017 - 07:05 AM

The privately held Goto Optical company from 1942 continued under Goto-san's management through 1955 when it again was elevated to a public stock company.  Another manufacturing facility was added in 1957 at Yoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo that would focus solely on planetarium development.  Goto-san had acquired the patent rights from Ido Yoshida for a basic planetarium and proceeded to implement the design.  In the end they switched to and further developed a design used by the Morrison Planetarium (that Russell Porter was involved with) that was built in San Francisco by California Academy of Sciences in 1952.  The Goto M-1 planetarium was completed in 1959.

 

Let's move away from a bit of the biographical and company history and begin to focus on telescope manufacture.  You might have come away from the above with the idea that Goto-san was more of an administrator or manager type.  Not so.   The September 1926 issue of Kagaku Gahu (Science Illustrated) reports that the 4.5" refracting telescope presented as a gift to the Prince regent (Emperor Hirohito) was built by Seizo-san at Nippon Kogaku.  In the same issue Goto-san is titled Chief Engineer of Nippon Kogaku with regard to the solar projection device.  It appears he personally held the patent for that as it became a common accessory of many of the telescopes that Goto Optical sold. He was definitely involved in the development of Nippon Kogaku's telescopes.

 

Although history is sketchy on what models were manufactured for sale, we know that The Uranus, Apollon and Diana were marketed from around 1928 through the publisher Shinko-sha in their Science Illustrated magazine Kagaku Gahu-sha.  These were achromats, all with focal lengths of 800mm and apertures of 58mm, 47mm and 41mm.  Goto Optical was not named as the manufacturer and that was puzzling to me.  Also there is the trend to name these scopes marketed by Shinko-sha after constellations or planets or other astronomical features.  An early undated leaflet also describes the Orion, Lyra and Comet.  The Lyra was a 38mm-500mm achromat and the Comet 41mm-750mm achromat.  The Orion was a small table top telescope but there is no mention of it's lens aperture or focal length.  These were listed on a 1938 price sheet.  On a 1945 price sheet the Orion and Diana had been dropped and only the Lyra, Comet, Apollon and Uranus were listed.  And as early as the 1938 price list, a 75mm 1200mm model, with optional motor drive was offered as a likely more professional model.

 

Uranus.jpg

Apollon .jpg

Diana.jpg

Lyra.jpg

Comet.jpg

Orion.jpg


Edited by Stew44, 10 August 2017 - 04:18 AM.

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#10 Stew44

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Posted 09 August 2017 - 09:08 AM

The following is supposition on my part.  Things fit together nicely, but I really think the timing may be fuzzy.  It would be most helpful if perhaps some of our Japanese friends could comment.  The post WWII period from roughly 1945 through 1955 was transitional for Goto Optical (and maybe earlier).  Telescope production appears to have restarted relatively quickly once the war was over and companies returned to a commercial footing.  Demand could only have been met by building telescopes from remaining stores of pre-war parts, and perhaps augmenting with parts from other suppliers (more on the latter later).  Also, Goto Optical, who had relied on Shinko-sha to market their telescopes for twenty years through the classified section of Kagaku-Gahu, transitioned early in this period to marketing their telescopes directly to the customer.

 

Some of you may have seen Goto telescopes with a little different logo on the case plate.  The Goto logo we see today is a variation on the Nippon Kogaku clipped triangle and lens (which is itself a variation on the Zeiss logo) and the doublet of the Zeiss logo (in my opinion of course).  The clipped triangle has transitioned to an image depicting Mount Fuji, and a quarter moon has been added.  Recently I've encountered the same logo with a different name.  Zeus Tokyo replaces Goto Tokyo in this logo, and all that I've read seems to indicate that Shinko-sha marketed the Goto telescopes under the Zeus Tokyo brand for that twenty year period.  The scopes were named in a manner that followed this Greek deity associated theme.  I haven't seen any reference that disputes this theory, but I have seen examples of exactly the same model of telescope branded under both logos, which I believe were sold during this transition period.  After the war Goto Optical sought more public brand awareness as the manufacturer of these telescopes and established a sales and distribution facility on Harajuku, Shibuya, separate from the manufacturing facility.  Shinko-sha likely sold their remaining stock post war or marketed for a brief period of time in parallel with Goto Optical, and Goto did not renew their marketing relationship.

 

Zeiss Logo.jpg

 

Nippon Logo.jpg

 

Goto Logo.jpg

 

Zeus Logo 2.jpg

 

I could be off base with this but there is a nice evolution here that makes sense of the information I've gathered.  Thanks for any info supporting or contrary.


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#11 Dave Trott

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Posted 09 August 2017 - 10:58 PM

Hi Stew,

 

Thanks for providing some very interesting information about the history of Goto Kogaku telescopes!

 

As you know I own a Zeus. The lens markings show that is made by Goto and the focal length is indicated as 800mm. Oddly it has no indication of the aperture anywhere on the scope. There is no badge on the focuser. It does not look like anything was removed there. It was never present on this scope.

 

I have measured the clear aperture at almost exactly 55mm. The actual lens diameter could easily be about 58mm.  I wonder if the lens diameter was used by the Goto/Zeus company instead of the clear aperture, at least during this time period?

 

This scope has most of the mount present as you can see in the pictures. It appears to be nearly identical to the Uranus pictured in your post. I am working on an appropriate tripod head for this scope and will probably make a video when I finish it.

 

I believe this supports your hypothesis.

 

Thanks for your fantastic job on this research, Stew!

 

- Dave

IMG 1186 (1024x916)

 

IMG 1188 (1024x508)
 
IMG 1187 (1024x940)

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#12 Stew44

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Posted 10 August 2017 - 03:44 AM

Dave,

 

I believe you are correct.  The May 1928 issue of Kagaku Gahu shows a 58mm achromat lens with 800mm focal length for sale for 30 yen.  Selling just the lens of course that number is lens diameter.  And that's how Goto described these scopes apparently.  When the lens rings started showing E.D. on them a number of folks thought that meant ED glass type.  Actually Effective Diameter.  So unless E.D. is on the ring the listed aperture is likely not the clear aperture.  Thanks for sharing your Zeus!


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#13 Stew44

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Posted 10 August 2017 - 04:17 AM

The Science Education Promotion Act of 1954 moved Goto into a dominant position as an educational supplier of telescopes to schools.  They now added four new telescopes to the Kou or school telescope line.  This the first time we see the 63mm (60mm E.D.) f/20 scopes in AltAz and EQ mountings with Cooke doublets.  We know them of course as the 104 and 105 (Laszlo 452) models.  As well, the Eros (63mm, 60mm E.D. 900mmfl) is shown on the list in the book as a school telescope type and listed on the 1958 price sheet as a 104B (in AltAz, not EQ, so actually a later Uranus).  The Eros is a model 202 EQ, and had been produced in the transitional post war period on the interesting pendulum counterweight field mounts that we've seen a few postings on.  So not really newly developed for school use, except for a new EQ mount, and resides in the Best Optics list.  However the model 106 EQ (Laszlo 454) and 107 AltAz (Laszlo 453) 75mm 1300mm Cooke doublet scopes were developed for school use under the act.  And the Comet and Diana telescopes previously discussed are also Cooke doublets and fit under the act as well.  They are numbered as models 103 and 102, which fill out the educational line seen in the later '50s price sheets.


Edited by Stew44, 10 August 2017 - 03:06 PM.

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#14 davidmcgo

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Posted 10 August 2017 - 04:55 PM

It is interesting that Nihon Seiko also used lens diameter vs clear aperture for their early scopes.  Mine is marked 62mm x 900mm.  Lens diameter is 62 but clear aperture is 60.

 

Doesn't the "Zeus" brand make you think of Planet of the Apes though ;-)

 

Dave


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#15 Joe Cepleur

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Posted 14 August 2017 - 05:44 AM

A great thread! Fascinating scholarship here.

A question about transliteration: We see both "Kagaku" (as in "Kagaku Gahu") and "Kogaku" (as in "Nippon Kogaku"). Are the words related? If "Kagaku Gahu" means "Science Illustrated," does "Nippon Kogaku" mean "Japan Science?"

#16 Stew44

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Posted 14 August 2017 - 06:44 AM

Thanks

 

I think it's been stated elsewhere on CN that Kogaku means something like 'very good glass'.  On quick reading I didn't catch the Ko vs Ka and had to go back and correct the difference. Trying to search on the difference I ran across Kagaku Kogaku Ronbunshu, which is the journal of The Society of Chemical Engineers, Japan.  It's listed under a Science and Education heading.  Conjecture, but might mean something like Science and Best Practice.  Really need Japanese proficient comment here and I am working to just get the right letters in the words. blush.gif

 

More to come.


Edited by Stew44, 14 August 2017 - 07:10 AM.

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#17 Stew44

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Posted 15 August 2017 - 06:11 AM

With additional revisions to the Science Education and Promotion Act over the years, Goto followed with changes to the lineup.  In 1966 they dropped the 60mm alt-az scope and the 75mm 1300 scope and added a 65mm at 1000mm (f/15.8), likely a Fraunhaufer design, and the 80mm, 1200mm (f/15) which is a Fraunhaufer that had been on the price sheet as a 203, but now with a different mount.  These were scopes for teachers.

 

65mm EQ 1.jpg

65 EQ 2.jpg

80 EQ 1.jpg

80 EQ 2.jpg

 

Goto was encouraged by proponents of the Act to get more telescopes into the schools for students.  They developed models that would fit proposed changes to the act for students and these were the Telepac models 50SM, 50AL and 60AL.

 

Telepac 50SM 50AL 60AL.jpg

 

However when the Act was finalized in 1973 these scopes no longer fit the requirements so Goto developed two more scopes that did - the ST-5 and the ST-6.  The ST-5 was a 50mm 800mm f/16 EQ and the ST-6 was a 60mm 900mm f/15.  These telescopes were equipped with azimuth and altitude scales, magnetic needles, levels, and free clamp type fine-adjustment devices.  Goto also employed more mass production techniques with die cast and molded plastic parts.  In 1980 they modified the ST-6 changing from cast iron mount to aluminum.  Apparently there was also a 100mm reflector on the 60mm ST-6 mount that was marketed exclusively by Uchida Yoko.  And in 1984 the 80mm scope's mount was also changed from cast iron to aluminum.  Finally a reflector version at 160mm aperture for this mount was also offered.

 

St-5 St-6.jpg

St-6 2.jpg

 

ST-5 production stopped in 1984.  ST-6 production stopped in 1992.  Goto had stopped amateur telescope production in 1989 and the Mark X mount was adapted to the school telescopes until production was halted in 1997. A little more on the Mark-X Project in later post.


Edited by Stew44, 15 August 2017 - 07:34 AM.

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#18 combatdad

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Posted 15 August 2017 - 06:31 AM

Lots of great information, Stew!  Now you need a website!!

 

Dave



#19 Stew44

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Posted 15 August 2017 - 07:00 AM

Lots of great information, Stew!  Now you need a website!!

 

Dave

Nah, there really isn't the information available or the widespread interest that exists for Unitrons.  VERY few Goto refractors and even fewer Goto reflectors made it to America for the typical amateur astronomer.  Institutional scopes in 4" and 6" are out there, but again no records really of where unless someone posts that they worked on one.  This thread is up to 360 views.  Given the adds over time as to content, I would say roughly fifty people find this of interest.  So I'll keep adding and this will be record enough of what I wanted to document.   Thanks for chiming in and for the great work you do on the Unitron History Project.


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#20 Joe Cepleur

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Posted 15 August 2017 - 07:39 AM

Scholarship matters, regardless of the number of readers who currently find a topic interesting. Digital infrastructure is easily scaled. The same Web design that hosts The Unitron History Project could as easily host pages on Goto, or any other brand that may eventually be researched. Uniting the collections has the advantage of making them easier to backup and archive, protecting what has been learned. Similarly, there should be one registry for all makes and models of telescopes, since all the current, separate ones contain the same kinds of data. The Internet lets people create documents on an ad-hoc basis. That aids in creating knowledge, but then hurts in finding and protecting it. I hope that Cloudy Nights is well protected on Internet archives.
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#21 Stew44

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Posted 15 August 2017 - 08:11 AM

I agree as to scholarship, but the effort has been made here and there are some of my telescope comparisons/reviews online at CN from twenty years ago.  I am past maintaining websites and user groups.  Vehicles like CN and actually Yahoo Groups in general are quite useful in that regard.  But look at the Yahoo Classics group.  Besides hosting an accessible files section, there is little activity there because it is done better here.  Posts that I have made here turn up on just about any Goto search I make on most browsers.

 

I will continue to add content here.  There are a number of additional things to add to make this complete.  Goto-san stayed active in the company well into the 1980s.  He was involved in the effort to re-ignite the amateur offerings by Goto and the Mark-X Project.  Certainly more to be told there.  Won't delve into the planetarium side of the business further, but that is the Goto of today.  Others are encouraged to participate.  I would like very much to see others post on their Goto telescopes.  And I would especially like to see some examples of the newer ones; those made in the 60's through the 80's.  


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#22 bremms

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Posted 15 August 2017 - 09:33 AM

Very nice. I will post my Goto 104 later this week. I haven't had it out in about 10 months.


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#23 Stew44

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Posted 15 August 2017 - 09:38 AM

Very nice. I will post my Goto 104 later this week. I haven't had it out in about 10 months.

Thanks Marc, I think this one of the most artistically wonderful of the alt-az mount designs the company made!


Edited by Stew44, 15 August 2017 - 09:50 AM.

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#24 Mike W

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Posted 15 August 2017 - 10:06 AM

Stew44:

I would like to see my post about restoring a 6" Goto refractor linked to something on-going like this thread.  

 

 

Here is a link to the restoration of a 6" Goto refractor for anyone interested. Plenty of photos.

Mike W

 

https://www.cloudyni...r/#entry7985693

 

BTW there is a Goto planetarium at the Foran H/S in Milford Ct. that is still in daily use and is where the Astronomy class is held. I used to do minor repairs (light bulbs, grease) on it. Of course it's no Hayden but impressive nonetheless.


Edited by Mike W, 15 August 2017 - 01:41 PM.


#25 n2068dd

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Posted 15 August 2017 - 10:20 AM

With additional revisions to the Science Education and Promotion Act over the years, Goto followed with changes to the lineup.  In 1966 they dropped the 60mm alt-az scope and the 75mm 1300 scope and added a 65mm at 1000mm (f/15.8), likely a Fraunhaufer design, and the 80mm, 1200mm (f/15) which is a Fraunhaufer that had been on the price sheet as a 203, but now with a different mount.  These were scopes for teachers.

 

attachicon.gif65mm EQ 1.jpg


 

Great information!

 

The telescope of the first picture model, which me and my friend used at school yard in summer night, is very nostalgic.

 

Hiromu




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