5727 replies to this topic

[CHASLX200]

Just manual, which was fine for casual viewing and the added solidity was good.  The DEC slow mo worked ok, except when it inevitably came to the end of its sector run.  The R.A. is free operating on the ball-bearing base and needed a bit of dexterity at high power.  

Forget high power with any ALT- AZ mount once past 500x. At least with well made Dobs it is better but once you get past 700x just too much time to keep the planet in the FOV.

[flyboyu777]

Just goes to show some know no better jetter.  It jitters like a tuning fork and did with 2 LX50's i had so it is not me. While what may be a solid mount to others brother maybe bad to me. Kinda like optics as many know no better if they really have freaky sharp optics or so so.  It is bad and that is a fact.  Just start a thread on the SCT cection and ask.

[RichA]

If there were a thread on wedges, I would post this:

 

I upgraded the wedges on all of my Meades:

 

ETX125 on the LX90 wedge

8" LX90 on the LX200 wedge

10" LX200 on the Super Wedge

10" RCX400 on a custom billet aluminum wedge

 

Much less shaking.

 

PS This is really not a good argument that it is not you: "...did with 2 LX50's i had so it is not me."

Meade had to balance cost, weight/size and stability. 

[clamchip]

This Criterion tripod bag came with the Dynamax 8 Alan (Alanvogt) gave me a few weeks ago. 

I can't wait to show up at some star parties with this kit !

Robert

 

Edited by clamchip, 03 September 2024 - 10:22 AM.

[deSitter]

Picked this up a few weeks ago - as I wrote elsewhere the mechanics are wonderful but the optics were not. I replaced the cemented f/5 objective by an air-space 60/360mm f/6 from AliExpress. Initial tests are very good. At this f/ratio there is almost no color, even on branches against the sky. This is focused at infinity. I had a 60/300mm in my stuff that was too short. Here, there is one 1" spacer and the Borg shorty Vixen adapter. I can use a porro prism straight through or a right-angle roof prism as well, or a standard diagonal. But this is destined for sweeping with my 32mm and 40mm Plossls for 11x 6mm exit pupil or 9x 7mm exit pupil. So this becomes a fine spotter as well as astronomically ready and takes all my 1.25" accessories. A little later I will finally get to try my new Herschel wedge!

 

The lens came with a well-made thin metal spacer. Hard to believe they can sell these good achromats for $30. It arrived very well wrapped and spotlessly clean. The coatings are standard MgF2 on both elements. There is also a green coating option but I wanted the original look.

 

I will probably buy a 60/400mm next for one of my cut-down click-zoomers which is my main super finder. It's very fun to install a brand new objective

 

-drl

Well the adventure continues! Today I did some serious testing of the new objective and the issues with focusing with various accessories given the short travel of the helical focuser.

 

The 60/360mm objective is alas a fail. It has much more color than it should, and pretty serious spherical aberration. That explains why they are cheap. They are probably seconds from a batch that QC flagged.

 

Well I had a nagging feeling about the original cemented objective. It's Pentax after all. Maybe I should re-evaluate it. I have a short fuse for cemented objectives. I didn't really test it much. I saw some mush and color and said "that's gotta go".

 

I cleaned it up and put it back in place. To my amazement, it's fantastic! It must have been in backward. For f/5 there is very little color and a Baader filter knocks that out. But this scope can do 30x per inch of aperture with a crisp image - very very good spherical correction. That's as high as I can get with a 4mm eyepiece. There isn't enough focus travel to use even a short Barlow.

 

I apologize to Pentax for doubting them!

 

Having returned to f/5, I lose the ability to use my 1.25" porro prism or 45 degree erecting prism. But with the shorty Vixen adapter, I can use my 90 degree roof prism for a RACI view. Standard diagonals are fine as well. So, no great loss. I'll have to try the screw-in porro that came with my Sears 3".

 

This is a fine little scope and should be considered if it crosses your radar! Pentax put some effort in here. I'm still sort of in shock about how good the cemented objective is.

 

-drl

[Cavs56]

Nobody wanted this it was up for auction twice on SGW. Finally but it now for$6.99. It was pick up only in Atlanta and I was driving by there on the way to a cruise. Cleaned up very nice will have a shoot out with the Sears 6344. I will sell one of them.

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[jragsdale]

Nobody wanted this it was up for auction twice on SGW. Finally but it now for$6.99. It was pick up only in Atlanta and I was driving by there on the way to a cruise. Cleaned up very nice will have a shoot out with the Sears 6344. I will sell one of them.

Wow, nice score! That's a great classic.

[CHASLX200]

Looks good. Slap it on a much bigger mount and find a way to use 1.25" stuff and i would love it.

[flyboyu777]

Nobody wanted this it was up for auction twice on SGW. Finally but it now for$6.99. It was pick up only in Atlanta and I was driving by there on the way to a cruise. Cleaned up very nice will have a shoot out with the Sears 6344. I will sell one of them.

Very nice score!  I really want one of those. . . . .

[flyboyu777]

Looks good. Slap it on a much bigger mount and find a way to use 1.25" stuff and i would love it.

Wow.  It's not your telescope, it belongs to someone else.  Leave it at that. . . . .
 

[cavedweller]

Looks good. Slap it on a much bigger mount and find a way to use 1.25" stuff and i would love it.

 

Nothing wrong with any all-original classic.

[CHASLX200]

Nothing wrong with any all-original classic.

NJP 160 pops up in here. But it is green and has no SLO- MO's but price is good. Wished a older Gray version would pop up as it may get me out of my no buy mood. That would be perfect for a long 80mm as they put a lot of demand on a mount.

[Cavs56]

I’ve had the 44540 out a couple of times now I like it. I sold the 6344 today. The slow motion cables are much better than the 6344 no wiggle or jiggle Chas. I can view while moving the cables. Very good star test. The Unitron and 12.5 Goto eyepieces are sharp with good contrast.
If you want a light portable scope Chas get a 90 mm Vixen with alt-az mount. Solid a a rock no vibration smooth slow -mo.

[CHASLX200]

I’ve had the 44540 out a couple of times now I like it. I sold the 6344 today. The slow motion cables are much better than the 6344 no wiggle or jiggle Chas. I can view while moving the cables. Very good star test. The Unitron and 12.5 Goto eyepieces are sharp with good contrast.
If you want a light portable scope Chas get a 90 mm Vixen with alt-az mount. Solid a a rock no vibration smooth slow -mo.

I got this.  But like long 80mm scopes.

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[flyboyu777]

I got this.  But like long 80mm scopes.

The AT 80ED is one of my favorite OTA's-performs well above it's modest price.  Freaky sharp at a low price

[ErnH2O]

The Marines would use passwords like "Lilliputian" because it is impossible for most Japanese to pronounce And they surely have consonants that would break our tongues.

 

-drl

My uncles used the word "linoleum" for the same reason.

[Nick Will]

I found this old orange tube Celestron C100 on FBM on Monday and brought it home last night.

It’s big and it’s beautiful. That’s a C8 and a Tak EM100 in the frame to give you an idea of its size.

The  seller was gifted it just recently from who he says was the original buyer.

He tried using it but it didn’t fit their lifestyle.

It looks to have sat indoors for its 40+ years after its initial use.

Includes all caps..even both finder caps, 25mm & 6mm ortho. sun filter and an extra prism diagonal. 
It seems to be all there, no dents it the tube that I can see yet.

The mount is smooth and solid and seems like it can be made more solid with some simple fastener upgrades.
This one looks like it just needs to be cleaned up. Looking forward to comparing this with my FC-100.

Just in time for planet season. 

 

[CHASLX200]

The AT 80ED is one of my favorite OTA's-performs well above it's modest price.  Freaky sharp at a low price

Ya it is, 450x easy.

[davidmcgo]

I found this old orange tube Celestron C100 on FBM on Monday and brought it home last night.

It’s big and it’s beautiful. That’s a C8 and a Tak EM100 in the frame to give you an idea of its size.

The  seller was gifted it just recently from who he says was the original buyer.

He tried using it but it didn’t fit their lifestyle.

It looks to have sat indoors for its 40+ years after its initial use.

Includes all caps..even both finder caps, 25mm & 6mm ortho. sun filter and an extra prism diagonal. 
It seems to be all there, no dents it the tube that I can see yet.

The mount is smooth and solid and seems like it can be made more solid with some simple fastener upgrades.
This one looks like it just needs to be cleaned up. Looking forward to comparing this with my FC-100.

Just in time for planet season. 

IMG_2024-09-11-181054.jpeg

IMG_2024-09-11-181515.jpeg

OMG, That is superb!  I used to drool over that in a 1982 catalog as my dream scope but never saw one in person ever.  And this might only be 2nd I’ve seen posted on CN the whole 20 years I have been here.  Use it lots on Saturn, Jupiter, and. Are and share with us what you see.

Dave

[upwinddan]

I found this old orange tube Celestron C100 on FBM on Monday and brought it home last night.

It’s big and it’s beautiful. That’s a C8 and a Tak EM100 in the frame to give you an idea of its size.

The  seller was gifted it just recently from who he says was the original buyer.

He tried using it but it didn’t fit their lifestyle.

It looks to have sat indoors for its 40+ years after its initial use.

Includes all caps..even both finder caps, 25mm & 6mm ortho. sun filter and an extra prism diagonal. 
It seems to be all there, no dents it the tube that I can see yet.

The mount is smooth and solid and seems like it can be made more solid with some simple fastener upgrades.
This one looks like it just needs to be cleaned up. Looking forward to comparing this with my FC-100.

Just in time for planet season. 

IMG_2024-09-11-181054.jpeg

IMG_2024-09-11-181515.jpeg

Congratulations on obtaining this rare beauty. BTW I believe I bought a C80 from you a couple of years ago. It is scary sharp and is a scope I will never sell. I appreciate that you passed it along to me. 

[Bomber Bob]

Fresh off the FedEx truck...  1990s BORG K10-76AB F6.6 OTA:

 

 

Overall very good condition.  Lens is dirty, but I've seen worse.  There's a "grime ring" around the tube made by years of the dewshield back / retracted, but nothing a little Formula 409 & a rag can't clean.

 

There's a dinky black thumb-lever on the top right to flip the prism mirror up / down.  Turret rotates smoothly.  BORG kept the weight down with lots of plastics & synthetic rubber.  We'll see how much effort & expense they put into the optics.

Edited by Bomber Bob, 12 September 2024 - 07:55 PM.

[clamchip]

Telescopes have a habit of following me home.  Someone donated these to our club and the club didn't want them. I rescued them from going to the dumpster!  First is a Criterion Dynamax 8 with a focuser issue. Next is a Criterion B&L 4000 4" SCT.  Both need a good cleaning, and I don't need either one. The B&L came with 2 Criterion eyepieces.

Dynamax.jpg

B & L 4000.jpg

Here it is all finished and assembled for the first time.

I may need to do some collimation after bonding the tube back on to the rear cell, but not too bad after cruising

around the valley. I was hoping for a glint I could check collimation but no such luck today.

I like this telescope. In a way it seems like an ATM and not a commercially made job. The blue really brightens

up a dull day. The focuser is OK now, and I'm going to need to tighten it up a little, it's too buttery for me.

All the sand castings are just wonderful, and a phenolic tube, two of my favorite things.

Robert

 

[scout]

Beautiful Criterion SCT, Robert. I love colors on mounts and telescopes. Mine are all boring white and black.

Edited by scout, 15 September 2024 - 03:05 PM.

[Cavs56]

I picked up this 2080 Meade today got it from an auction in Indiana. Cleaned and collimated today and tonight. Focuser is awesome I had a lx10 that had horrible image shift, this one is smooth. Haven’t tested the drive it came with everything I’ll add a couple more pictures I’m beat. Collimated the 826 tonight also. Seeing was pitiful. I’ve never seen a finder like this it’s nice, illumination works.

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[Cavs56]

Only one eyepiece, diagonal, power cord, controller, misc. adapters and the all important cassette tape.

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