5823 replies to this topic

[DouglasPaul]

Regarding my recent Vixen purchase above, can anyone tell me what these are for? Guide scope? Mounting a small refractor? Needs a mounting bracket? They seem placed rather far back on the ota. [ edit, last page, not above]

 

Edited by DouglasPaul, 28 July 2024 - 11:33 AM.

[flyboyu777]

Kitty approved. Or did it come as a package deal?

They for sure approved it!  Cat approval!

[flyboyu777]

Picked up this nice C-8 with Byers drive.  Looks like the owner never took it outside-crinkle paint still looks new! 

 

I forgot to post the paperwork bling-I especially like the 1/10 wave optics guarantee!! 

 

 

They guy forgot to give me the still in the box eyepieces that were in his trunk.  Said he will send them along with the diagonal and I think a barlow this week. . . .

[cavedweller]

I forgot to post the paperwork bling-I especially like the 1/10 wave optics guarantee!! 

 

 

 

 

They guy forgot to give me the still in the box eyepieces that were in his trunk.  Said he will send them along with the diagonal and I think a barlow this week. . . .

 

Since I was shorted twice at meet-ups, I insist on the seller providing me an inventory of what they are bringing if we are meeting anywhere other than where the merch is stored.

 

Once shorted a binoviewer that he said he would send and after much insisting was finally shipped to me. The other a finder which later the seller offered to "sell" to me.

[flyboyu777]

Since I was shorted twice at meet-ups, I insist on the seller providing me an inventory of what they are bringing if we are meeting anywhere other than where the merch is stored.

 

Once shorted a binoviewer that he said he would send and after much insisting was finally shipped to me. The other a finder which later the seller offered to "sell" to me.

I have pictures from FB Marketplace of what he forgot to give me.  If he wants a good review It'd be in his interest to send them pronto!

[DouglasPaul]

Regarding my recent Vixen purchase above, can anyone tell me what these are for? Guide scope? Mounting a small refractor? Needs a mounting bracket? They seem placed rather far back on the ota. [ edit, last page, not above]

 

20240724_155151_copy_640x480.jpg

I realize this is probably a stupid question but I would like to know, I've looked at other scopes but haven't figured it out.

[deSitter]

I realize this is probably a stupid question but I would like to know, I've looked at other scopes but haven't figured it out.

Edit - you're talking about the small reflector? Isn't that the original attach point to the saddle plate? Many period reflectors had fixed tube orientation (no rings). The rings may be an afterthought.

 

-drl

Edited by deSitter, 31 July 2024 - 11:07 AM.

[spartan1]

What is better than a 'Lifetime' guarantee on a telescope?  Well, Tasco were giving this one in the 1980's.  The 'Forever' guarantee...now THAT'S confidence in your product!

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[flyboyu777]

I forgot to post the paperwork bling-I especially like the 1/10 wave optics guarantee!! 

 

 

 

 

They guy forgot to give me the still in the box eyepieces that were in his trunk.  Said he will send them along with the diagonal and I think a barlow this week. . . .

I got the eyepieces and diagonals today, plus a bonus eyepiece I didn't know about:  A Celestron 7mm Orthoscopic.  All of the eyepieces and diagonals (no pics yet) appear to be mint or very close to it.  Only negative is the writing on the eyepiece boxes. The other 2 eyepieces are Plossls: 26 and 17mm, I'm guessing Vixen is the source?

 

Edited by flyboyu777, 02 August 2024 - 07:57 PM.

[John Rogers]

 

Brown-tube 10-inch Coulter Odyssey Compact.  Given the simplicity of the mirror mounting mechanism, I was pleasantly surprised that it held collimation after moving it from the indoors and setting it up.

 

Apparently, these were shipped without finder scopes and this one is as original as the day it was sold. 

 

Anyone know what year these were produced?

 

 

[CHASLX200]

10-inch_Coulter_Odyssey_Compact.JPEG

 

Brown-tube 10-inch Coulter Odyssey Compact.  Given the simplicity of the mirror mounting mechanism, I was pleasantly surprised that it held collimation after moving it from the indoors and setting it up.

 

Apparently, these were shipped without finder scopes and this one is as original as the day it was sold. 

 

Anyone know what year these were produced?

Mine was in 1982 but true blue.

[flyboyu777]

What is better than a 'Lifetime' guarantee on a telescope?  Well, Tasco were giving this one in the 1980's.  The 'Forever' guarantee...now THAT'S confidence in your product!

Actually, it says FOREVER!  That's even better!

[John Rogers]

Mine was in 1982 but true blue.

Do you know if the brown rocker-box version was produced before or after the blue?

[apfever]

No guarantee but I believe the brown were the first ones, then blue, then the big butt box went away and they turned red. 

[Kasmos]

I got the eyepieces and diagonals today, plus a bonus eyepiece I didn't know about:  A Celestron 7mm Orthoscopic.  All of the eyepieces and diagonals (no pics yet) appear to be mint or very close to it.  Only negative is the writing on the eyepiece boxes. The other 2 eyepieces are Plossls: 26 and 17mm, I'm guessing Vixen is the source?

 

You might want to check how the 26mm is marked on the barrel.

I assumed and could have swore I saw a 'V' on mine, then much later gave it another look and turned out it to be a NJ!

[CHASLX200]

Do you know if the brown rocker-box version was produced before or after the blue?

Maybe 83 or 84?  I never saw a brown 10".

[flyboyu777]

You might want to check how the 26mm is marked on the barrel.

I assumed and could have swore I saw a 'V' on mine, then much later gave it another look and turned out it to be a NJ!

Mine has the V. . . . still nice though.

[cavedweller]

I picked up the 8" Starsplitter Dob with Zambuto mirror. Forecast is for clear skies tonight, but we know how that can change.

[davidmcgo]

Jeff (woodsman) brought this fella by today!  Here is him helping to unload in my garage.  Doing a bit of light cleaning and setting up in the yard tonight.  Will post more when it cools off enough to finish the setup.  Surprisingly I am finding the fork harder to deal with than the tube.  It is a BEAST!  Going to start taking fork arms off the drive base from now on.

 

Very early C14 with fork, wedge, tripod, stove pipe diagonal, drive corrector, hand paddle, et al.  Plus the 3.25” rear cell LPR filter, I didn’t even know they made that.

 

Dave

 

 

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[ccwemyss]

Glad somebody here got that C14! Welcome to the club! Now we just need to get that registry going. 

 

Like the Unitron 152, until you see one in person, it's hard to appreciate how BIG it actually is. Makes a C11 look small when they are side by side. But it's also hard to appreciate how much more you can see with one. Wispy nebulae and galaxies turn solid. On things where asking guests, "Do you see it?" elicits a noncommittal, "I think so," with smaller scopes, you don't even have to ask for the C14 -- they just go, "Wow! That's amazing!"

 

The fork is definitely a beast, and yes, people did take the arms off to make it easier to transport. You have to loosen them anyway, to slide the OTA out. So as long as you already need the tools on hand, why not?

 

Chip W. 

[davidmcgo]

Here is a picture of it all set up.  Loving the electric slewing, not so much the straight through finder. Sharp and looks the part but my neck is not happy.  I have a couple orange 8x50 right angle finders but only brackets for attaching them to the C8 and C11.

 

Taking a brief break after Vega, Epsilon Lyra, M13, M5, M57, M27, M5, and NGC6572.  Fun fun scope!

 

 

Dave

 

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[Kasmos]

That's a hard act to follow!

 

Anyway, There was a yard sale around the corner and I went over late and had a look.

 

Not a telescope, but I bought a potential Eyepiece box for $5.

 

Then I noticed a box of Sky & Telescopes and a few others called Reflector.

(never heard of it)

I asked the lady if they already sold or had a telescope?

She said she still had her late husband's old 8"and that he worked at Celestron!

Turned out it's in a locked closet and when she has the time and finds the key she'll call me.

On my way out she said his job was doing the coatings. I'll have to find out how long ago he worked there.

 

After cleaning up the inside I found it could instead be used for this ex Vari-Power cutdown.

 just ad some dividers and some slots for EPs and accessories.

 

 

[Weisswurst Josef]

Here is a picture of it all set up.  Loving the electric slewing, not so much the straight through finder. Sharp and looks the part but my neck is not happy.  I have a couple orange 8x50 right angle finders but only brackets for attaching them to the C8 and C11.

 

Taking a brief break after Vega, Epsilon Lyra, M13, M5, M57, M27, M5, and NGC6572.  Fun fun scope!

 

 

Dave

Your garden chairs are very small. Aren`t they?

 

[ericb760]

That's a hard act to follow!

 

Anyway, There was a yard sale around the corner and I went over late and had a look.

 

Yard-Box.jpg

Not a telescope, but I bought a potential Eyepiece box for $5.

 

Then I noticed a box of Sky & Telescopes and a few others called Reflector.

(never heard of it)

I asked the lady if they already sold or had a telescope?

She said she still had her late husband's old 8"and that he worked at Celestron!

Turned out it's in a locked closet and when she has the time and finds the key she'll call me.

On my way out she said his job was doing the coatings. I'll have to find out how long ago he worked there.

 

After cleaning up the inside I found it could instead be used for this ex Vari-Power cutdown.

806-In-Box.jpg

 just ad some dividers and some slots for EPs and accessories.

You live pretty close to Torrance don't you? I imagine that there is a lot of old Celestron stuff hidden away in the surrounding closets and attics.

[davidmcgo]

Mostly in mine now! 
 

You live pretty close to Torrance don't you? I imagine that there is a lot of old Celestron stuff hidden away in the surrounding closets and attics.