37 replies to this topic

[Stevegeo]

Lurking about the interweb I came across a C14  orange tube .. 

The ad said good optics with case .. mount and drive need work .. ( key word here NEEDS WORK)

 

So I ask for details ... I get a few pics of the OTA , and case .. not too bad ..for a vintage unit .

Then later ( 2days) I get photos of the forks, drive and tripod..   . let's just say it's bad..  corrosion everywhere . Flaking paint and white aluminum corrosion  everywhere .. wires disconnected .. it's a mess  ..

 

That's the bad part.. the good part.. it's close by  ..50 miles so I'm off to check it out .   I will post pics as I see it .. maybe it's worth the trouble . Maybe not .. 

Stay tuned .. 

Stevegeo 

[alphatripleplus]

Good luck with it. It may turn out that you decide the OTA is the only part worth salvaging and deforking. Still could be a good deal if the optics are fine and it is priced appropriately.

[junomike]

For the right price It's worth the effort. 

Awaiting pics (already betting on you buying it.... )

[sg6]

For the right price It's worth the effort. 

Awaiting pics (already betting on you buying it.... )

Of course he is going to buy it.    

He saw the advert, he has communicated and looked at the pictures, including the bad parts. But still he is going to drive 50 miles to "look".

 

I bet he has taken a box or something to wrap it in for transporting back.

[spaceoddity]

Good luck with it. It may turn out that you decide the OTA is the only part worth salvaging and deforking. Still could be a good deal if the optics are fine and it is priced appropriately.

Agreed, price means everything. From the sounds of it, the mount and tripod are worthless. I'd only be making an offer for the OTA and taking into account the cost for a new tripod and mount to put this beast on.

[JMP]

I bought an orange C14 at an estate sale. Put a Farpoint dovetail on it and used it with my G11 mount.

The original fork and drive came in their own trunk and were still functional but it's easier to mount and use on the EQ.

Read Uncle Rod's used SCT guide. The fork weighs more than the OTA, it's a scary two person job to lift the OTA 6 feet in the air and slide it into the fork. And the early optics were not as good as the orange C8's were.

Edited by JMP, 24 January 2021 - 11:33 AM.

[Echolight]

Agreed, price means everything. From the sounds of it, the mount and tripod are worthless. I'd only be making an offer for the OTA and taking into account the cost for a new tripod and mount to put this beast on.

A Berry mount on a wheeled wood post tripod would be my first thought.

[peta62]

I would buy it just for the classic orange scope if the price is reasonable. I would even leave the mount with seller if it is so bad.

Edited by peta62, 24 January 2021 - 01:31 PM.

[spaceoddity]

A Berry mount on a wheeled wood post tripod would be my first thought.

That would work I suppose and be the most cost effective, but at 3910mm focal length (narrow FOV), I would want this type of telescope on something that has tracking and goto. For me anything larger than 8 inches = dobsonian reflector.  

[Echolight]

That would work I suppose and be the most cost effective, but at 3910mm focal length (narrow FOV), I would want this type of telescope on something that has tracking and goto. For me anything larger than 8 inches = dobsonian reflector.  

Probably so.

[peta62]

Definitely tracking, but is GoTo really necessary ? I think it depends on personal preferences, I like to starhop, for me it is part of the process. On the other hand so heavy mounts C14 needs are today sold almost only with GoTo.

[Love Cowboy]

Definitely tracking, but is GoTo really necessary ? I think it depends on personal preferences, I like to starhop, for me it is part of the process. On the other hand so heavy mounts C14 needs are today sold almost only with GoTo.

Goto is so cheap with today's tech that every scope that has tracking also has it. Nobody's making you use it

Sent from my SM-G781U using Tapatalk

[carolinaskies]

As others have said, the price is the factor.  

Be aware the condition you are seeing in the pictures is typical for the older mounts that haven't been stored lovingly.  The castings can experience electrolysis so seeing the whitish corrosion outside and even inside is not abnormal.  In more humid situations it really doesn't matter who built the telescope, this is just 'normal' decomposition of metallic surfaces.  

That being said, there's no reason to believe it can't in some way be brought out of this condition if you want to use the mount in the future.  If I recall the only significant difference from 8-14" was actually the fork arms themselves, the base was exactly the same. This is true as well for Meade.  You might find even a simple fork-arm swap to a good drive base will work, of course ensuring the fork arms are attached orthagonally. 

Someone correct me if I'm wrong on this bit, but I don't recall there being any better internals on the 14" than any of the other models? 

[JMP]

The 14 is different. For one thing there is a DC slewing motor as well as the AC tracking motor. The base also has a built in connector for the dec motor which drives the tangent arm. This is not the same as smaller mounts although the orange C11 mount uses the same tripod and wedge.

[Stevegeo]

First pic of the forks.... maybe restorable, but without what appears to be a lot of work... I know I could restore these.. the drive... well another story..

The OTA photos are still downloading.. stevegeo 

[Stevegeo]

The base, it's bad. Electronics unknown. Probably junk.. looks as if it was left in the rain...

The claim of the OTA being in good condition.is getting slim... I will press on.. if the price is right I may take this challenge on.

Stevegeo 

 

[peta62]

It hurts to see it. Why he did not sell earlier or at least did not pack it ? It is not so much work to do.

[Stevegeo]

Oh it gets better, the tripod.. was told wont open up.  And if you look closely at the base ( previous pic)  there is a corrosion  hole in the casting.. not good. But I have the skills to repair even this.   Still waiting on the OTA.. 

The tripod I could redo as well . Refurbish, or just make new.   

Stay tuned.. photos are dribbling in.

Stevegeo 

 

 

[alphatripleplus]

Thanks for the pics... eagerly awaiting the sight of the OTA.

[Stevegeo]

Well the photos came in.  IIt's bad,  how someone could neglect a scope this bad is beyond comprehension.  I am afraid to look further.  Much like the orange tube C8 we have seen on ebay...  this makes that one look cherry..

And the owner is convinced it's worth 5 k.   Dam. I wont post a pic.. its depressing.

Stevegeo 

[junomike]

Ah come on, post a pic for us (please).....

Also, in post #1 you said he sent pics of the OTA, how is it possible you didn't see the condition then?

 

As for the $5K, I've stopped looking on local classified as most stuff is junk and/or over-priced due to people not knowing the value and assuming "the bill of sale says $3000 in 1998 so this 10" LX3 must be worth at least $2000".  This is pre-pandemic, not just recently. 

[carolinaskies]

Not even a good vintage c14 is worth $5k. Given poor condition, if the mirrors are bad this is a $400 project. If good mirrors and salvageable OTA then $1000.

This is definitely suffering condition for any of us to see!

[spaceoddity]

If the OTA is in the same condition as the mount and tripod, I would say it's not worth anything. If it was mine I'd probably offer it for free to anyone who thinks they can restore it, or use for parts.

Edited by spaceoddity, 24 January 2021 - 05:32 PM.

[jgraham]

Exactly. I was thinking maybe $1k for the OTA if it wasn’t too bad. The mount looks like a complete tear down to have any chance, but it looks ungood. This reminds of the family that was selling their father’s Lightbridge 16; all they wanted was to get back what they thought he paid for it. (I just love that line, somehow that never motivates me as a perspective buyer.) They were asking $12,000!

 

Too bad.

[TxStars]

Fiddy bucks for parts..  lol