5229 replies to this topic

[Esso2112]

Well, my wanted ad worked and I have a “new” objective coming for the Tak FC-76. Should be here by the end of the week.  I am very excited to get this 1984 Tak back to working order. I still am amazed with the condition of the optical tube. This will make a great guidescope and grab-go visual scope. For a 3” scope, they really do look more like a 4”. I love the older Taks because of their build.  I could have gotten a recent release of the FC-76, but I like the scale of the originals better and the collimatable objective cell.  
 

My little FC-50 is a gem and looks like a large refractor that got hit with a shrinking ray. 

[Defenderslideguitar]

Good show    it is working out for you,,,,

 I always liked the old   FC series     I will keep my eye out  patiently for an good older FC-76 to pop up for sale 

  From everyone who has one   they all report that it punched above its  3 inch weight class

   Enjoy..............       

[GreyDay]

Bought this today, Eikow 6T-185  (50x700). Never seen one before so i decided to grab it. Most of the mount/tripod is missing but not too worried as i've plenty of other mounts i can use.

 

[walter a]

Nice find, is that part of the mount in the case?

[CharlieB]

Great find.  These are almost identical to the Swift 838.  Should be a fine performer.

 

Charlie

[clamchip]

I just did a 8 hour round trip for a 8 inch f/26 DK Cassegrain built by Walter W. Leight

in 1945.

Featured in the January 1946 Sky & Telescope.

No pictures for now but you can read up on Mr. Leight.

In here within the pages of "Raimakers" Observe a Transit of Mercury:

https://lvaas.org/ob...vember_2017.pdf

and in this article 'John Mellish and the craters of Mars:

http://www.brayebroo...tersonmars.html

 

Robert

Here's some pictures, finally all cleaned up and adjusted.

The last pictures of the scope are with it set pretty much how it will be when Mars clears

my cedar grove. You can see it will be very comfy, like it was built for Mars. It may well have

been, Mr. Leight observed 5 Mars oppositions, 1924, '39, '56, '71, and 1988.

Robert

 

[clamchip]

[AstroKerr]

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posh... quite the CO in that 1st image of the last set...

[Russell Smith]

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Ten days? You have been a busy boy. Fantastic!

[GreyDay]

Nice find, is that part of the mount in the case?

Yeah,  looks like the upper part of the EQ, i only have the auction site pics at the moment. one other close up of the mount and one with accessories. i'll know more when it arrives

 

[clamchip]

I forgot this photo showing the 3 mirrors.

Secondary up front, and you can see the tertiary flat on a stalk just in front of

the primary turning the light out the side of the tube to the focuser, you can

see the focuser plastic film canister in this mirror.

This combination of f/5.25 primary, secondary amplification of 5 yields a focal

length of 17-1/2 feet (5334mm)

Unfortunately when Mr Leight rebuilt the telescope he moved the tertiary stalk

out from behind a secondary vane so now there are 6 diffraction spikes.

My guess is hiding the stalk behind a secondary vane may have produced a

bright spike pair out of 4 in the first edition, not very pleasing to the eye. Just

a wild guess on my part. 

Robert

 

Edited by clamchip, 24 August 2020 - 08:30 PM.

[walter a]

Yeah,  looks like the upper part of the EQ, i only have the auction site pics at the moment. one other close up of the mount and one with accessories. i'll know more when it arrives

 

Yep Like Charlie said similar to the 50mm swift. And a  77mm Eikow.

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[Augustus]

Picking up a 13.1” red Coulter on Thursday....

[starman876]

I forgot this photo showing the 3 mirrors.

Secondary up front, and you can see the tertiary flat on a stalk just in front of

the primary turning the light out the side of the tube to the focuser, you can

see the focuser plastic film canister in this mirror.

This combination of f/5.25 primary, secondary amplification of 5 yields a focal

length of 17-1/2 feet (5334mm)

Unfortunately when Mr Leight rebuilt the telescope he moved the tertiary stalk

out from behind a secondary vane so now there are 6 diffraction spikes.

My guess is hiding the stalk behind a secondary vane may have produced a

bright spike pair out of 4 in the first edition, not very pleasing to the eye. Just

a wild guess on my part. 

Robert

 

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great looking scope.  

[LDW47]

My Tasco 304 beside my Polaroscope, both came in their wooden cases, both in excellent condition. I paid $100 C each for the privilege of owning them and saving them from the wrong buyers. And if a gentleman from Manitoba, a Polaroscope fan, ever comes to North Bay I will give him that scope !

 

Edited by LDW47, 25 August 2020 - 12:33 PM.

[clamchip]

Can anyone guess what's going on here?

Robert

 

[Russell Smith]

Old epoxy?

[oldmanastro]

Picking up a 13.1” red Coulter on Thursday....

That's a really nice scope. I have seen through one of them and the optics are great. Some years ago someone brought one to me for a checkup. The mirror had been recently recoated but stars looked like comets. When we took the mirror mount out, the problem became evident. The original support points of the mirror had been eliminated (silicon) and the mirror sat directly in the wood. In addition three brackets had been added for lateral support and tightened. The result was a warped mirror. The solution was to go back to the original supports. I don't know if it was done.  

 

My experience with the Coulter mirrors was always very positive. I had their 8" f/7 Dob and it provided excellent views and star tests. Later on I bought a 4.5" f/10 mirror from them to upgrade a low quality one in Meade telescope. The mirror was really good.

 

Congrats on that Coulter!

 

Guido

[Kasmos]

Can anyone guess what's going on here?

Robert

 

IMG_0089.jpg

My guess. Looks like a screw raised with a stick and glued with caulk to be used as pivot point for the secondary.

[starman876]

That's a really nice scope. I have seen through one of them and the optics are great. Some years ago someone brought one to me for a checkup. The mirror had been recently recoated but stars looked like comets. When we took the mirror mount out, the problem became evident. The original support points of the mirror had been eliminated (silicon) and the mirror sat directly in the wood. In addition three brackets had been added for lateral support and tightened. The result was a warped mirror. The solution was to go back to the original supports. I don't know if it was done.  

 

My experience with the Coulter mirrors was always very positive. I had their 8" f/7 Dob and it provided excellent views and star tests. Later on I bought a 4.5" f/10 mirror from them to upgrade a low quality one in Meade telescope. The mirror was really good.

 

Congrats on that Coulter!

 

Guido

I had a 13.1 that had a great mirror in it.  I never should have sold that scope.  Should have stopped buying scopes right there and then and just kept that coulter.  

[Augustus]

That's a really nice scope. I have seen through one of them and the optics are great. Some years ago someone brought one to me for a checkup. The mirror had been recently recoated but stars looked like comets. When we took the mirror mount out, the problem became evident. The original support points of the mirror had been eliminated (silicon) and the mirror sat directly in the wood. In addition three brackets had been added for lateral support and tightened. The result was a warped mirror. The solution was to go back to the original supports. I don't know if it was done.

My experience with the Coulter mirrors was always very positive. I had their 8" f/7 Dob and it provided excellent views and star tests. Later on I bought a 4.5" f/10 mirror from them to upgrade a low quality one in Meade telescope. The mirror was really good.

Congrats on that Coulter!

Guido

Thank you!

I bought it for sidewalk astronomy; it’s a little less fragile, a bit taller and a lot more.... flashy than my 14.7” so I think it’ll do well for that purpose. I don’t plan on modifying anything besides flocking the tube. It looks minty right now so I’d like to keep it that way. It does have the Lumicon focuser addon thankfully.

I had a 10” f/5.6 Coulter that gave me my best-ever view of Mars. I think their bad reputation is a little undeserved.

Edited by Augustus, 25 August 2020 - 01:36 PM.

[clamchip]

Can anyone guess what's going on here?

Robert

 

IMG_0089.jpg

Here's a hint, the holes in the tube are the give-away:

 

[GreyDay]

My experience with the Coulter mirrors was always very positive. I had their 8" f/7 Dob and it provided excellent views and star tests. Later on I bought a 4.5" f/10 mirror from them to upgrade a low quality one in Meade telescope. The mirror was really good.

 

Congrats on that Coulter!

 

Guido

I had an evening with a Coulter Odyssey 8, worked okay but if it was mine i would have updated the focuser. The dob mount worked great on the example i tried

[Pete W]

Walter, I really love your tripod legs on the Eikow!   The quick release bicycle wheel clamps are so elegant. 

 

Yep Like Charlie said similar to the 50mm swift. And a  77mm Eikow.

[clamchip]

Okay here's what's going on with my new scope.

It's a Edmund Super Space Conqueror.

This one a amateur decided to chop the stalk and glue the diagonal inside a

4 vane diagonal holder. Moving the focuser became necessary apparently and

cutting off the focuser mount   

Top photo is how it's supposed to look.

Robert 

 

 

Edited by clamchip, 25 August 2020 - 02:50 PM.