95 replies to this topic

[rolo]

I would like to keep this topic on 50mm or smaller refractors and 3" or smaller Newtonians and Maks.I've only had a couple of tiny classics like the Tak FC50(which I still own), Meade's 50mm x 600mm model 155 and that Tal 65mm Newtonian.

 

What type of observations have you done with yours? Lunar, planetary deep space? My little FC50 surprises me every time I use it (which isn't much). With some patience and careful observing I have seen considerable detail on Jupiter including the GRS. The moon goes without saying, tons of detail there and some of the brighter M objects from my light polluted skies. Have you ever taken yours to a dark site?

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[roscoe]

Well, this isn't totally an astro-scope, but I bought it almost 60 years ago, and it has since gathered more photons than probably all my other scopes combined.... it's a Monolux 20 x 40 spotter, it has been a stand-alone, it has been a finder on bigger scopes, it even, at the last (partial) eclipse here, got a mylar filter to show folks the eclipse.  At some point back a long time ago, I epoxied a threaded insert into it, in this photo, it is on a cheap little tripod, not the original, which is long-lost.

 

[rolo]

Mods and Admins,Looks like there's no interest in tiny classics so feel free to delete or lock this failure of a topic....

[Chuck Hards]

Give it some time, Rolo.  I'm sure people will post.  It hasn't even been 12 hours.

 

I've got lots of Classics that fit this thread, but won't have time to get to them until the weekend at the soonest.    

[jcruse64]

Patience, Rolo. I have 2 tinies, both Sears. I'll try to post pics later today of both. I like these small scopes, too. I'm taking one of the Sears scope with us when we go out to the Black Hills later this summer.

[CharlieB]

Gosh, I don't even know where to begin.  Most of my viewing is Lunar, Solar, planetary and double stars.  I do look for brighter DSOs and globulars when it's dark enough.  I'm always surprised how many DSOs I can see with 50mm and less.  

 

Here are about half of my 40 & 50mm scopes.  I'll post more photos when I get a bit more time.  For fun, try to guess what these scopes are from a small photo.

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[terraclarke]

Oh well, what’s an extra half an inch?

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[shredder1656]

Gosh, I don't even know where to begin. Most of my viewing is Lunar, Solar, planetary and double stars. I do look for brighter DSOs and globulars when it's dark enough. I'm always surprised how many DSOs I can see with 50mm and less.

Here are about half of my 40 & 50mm scopes. I'll post more photos when I get a bit more time. For fun, try to guess what these scopes are from a small photo.

Do I see Bushnell or Shrine Manon, RAO, Unitron x 2, another RAO, SPI, more Bushnells that are flying low, TAL, Tasco, and Monolux?

[terraclarke]

I used to have this Tiny Traveler, (SV 50mm F4 Li’L Rascal). It’s not a classic but it is small. Then I realized that it still needed a decent tripod, and by the time that was included it still couldn’t go above 25X, and most importantly, it was almost as easy to take the Questar or a small 80mm refractor and either of those would show a lot more. So now, if I really need to minimize space and I still want some aperture, I just take my Obie 12x60s which are fine hand held. The only thing in my mind worth sub 60mm is a dedicated solar H-alpha scope.

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Edited by terraclarke, 10 July 2019 - 10:46 AM.

[CharlieB]

Two new ones to the fold.  Nippon Kogaku 50/750mm and Mirador Super 50/600mm.  The NK is phenominal.

 

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[CharlieB]

Tinier still.  Unitron 127 and SPI 523.  40/700 & 40/800 respectively.

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[CharlieB]

A pair of RAO 40/500mm scopes.  These are excellent scopes.  I also have one that is the finder for a Lafayette Galactic 76mm. 

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[Van Do9:3]

Rolo, 

 

That Tak is gorgeous. Here's my (daughter's) 50mm f10 RAO: No DSOs but lots of planetary and lunar. Love the smooth and easy Unitron mount. Thanks to Chuck for the lead sheet to help stabilize the draw tube slop.

 

 

Best,

[Bomber Bob]

I think in time this Tiny Thread will grow quite large...

 

Up first, my newest GEM, a Hy-Score Model 457

 

[terraclarke]

Wow, all these tinyscopes and nobody’s yet to mention....

 

https://youtu.be/bTtM0QTKfnc

 

 

[Bomber Bob]

Just for you, Rolo:  Here I am, recovering from open-heart surgery, and I hauled all this gear outside in midday Swamp heat & humidity, to make this picture...  for your thread...

 

To paraphrase Badback, this one is my Ultimate Dinkerscope -- my Takahashi FC-50 on the VersaGo with Baader prism + TV Radian 4:

 

 

Can't recall if I've looked for the GRS with it, but now I'll try for sure!  I would say the prism & eyepiece are as heavy as the scope, but with a Tak, y'all know that ain't true!!

Edited by Bomber Bob, 10 July 2019 - 11:53 AM.

[Bomber Bob]

I briefly had an SPI 523 (40mm F20):

 

[rolo]

Gosh, I don't even know where to begin.  Most of my viewing is Lunar, Solar, planetary and double stars.  I do look for brighter DSOs and globulars when it's dark enough.  I'm always surprised how many DSOs I can see with 50mm and less.  

 

Here are about half of my 40 & 50mm scopes.  I'll post more photos when I get a bit more time.  For fun, try to guess what these scopes are from a small photo.

Charlie, you stole the show with that collection!

 

Rolo, 

 

That Tak is gorgeous. Here's my (daughter's) 50mm f10 RAO: No DSOs but lots of planetary and lunar. Love the smooth and easy Unitron mount. Thanks to Chuck for the lead sheet to help stabilize the draw tube slop.

 

IMG_73731.JPG

 

Best,

That's a cool little scope and actually using it even more so

 

Just for you, Rolo:  Here I am, recovering from open-heart surgery, and I hauled all this gear outside in midday Swamp heat & humidity, to make this picture...  for your thread...

 

To paraphrase Badback, this one is my Ultimate Dinkerscope -- my Takahashi FC-50 on the VersaGo with Baader prism + TV Radian 4:

 

Takahashi FC-50 S12 (VersaGo Left ZOOM).jpg

 

Can't recall if I've looked for the GRS with it, but now I'll try for sure!

That's a sweet set up and I appreciate you posting it. I think I remember it from a while back when you first got it. I'm doing more observing with small scopes cause of my condition, maybe they'll grow on me

[Bomber Bob]

Before its repaint to all black and assignment to my Edmund 4" F15 as a guidescope, my Monolux 4348 (Towa, 50mm F12), rode very well on an EQ-1:

 

[Esso2112]

I have three tiny scopes. A Unitron 127, Swift 838,and the glorious Tak FC-50. The Tak makes a great finder/supplementary visual scope on the bigger refractors.

[Bomber Bob]

This is on my To Do List, but the hardest work is over.  Taking a cue from Chuck, I converted a Tasco 4VTE click-zoom terrestrial frac into a Kenko-made 40x500 astro frac:

 

 

IIRC, I cut about 6" off the tube.  The tube interior is bare metal -- never blackened.  But initial sky tests look pretty good as-is.  I think this is my first Kenko lens.

Edited by Bomber Bob, 10 July 2019 - 12:26 PM.

[rolo]

They're coming out of the woodwork now! Y'all been holding out?

[CharlieB]

A pair of 50/600 Jupiter/Asahi scopes.  Very good scopes.  The older Jupiter is a smidgen better.  The mounts are tabletop, but they usually are in a full-sized mount.  Cheap camera gives the reddish hue.

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[CharlieB]

And who could forget the Hino Optical 40/800.  Sure wish I could!

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[CharlieB]

Sally Ride's first telescope (not this one, but another SkyRover).  Some of the best 50mm optics I've used. 

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