As a child in the ‘70’s, I wondered at owning a proper telescope after listening to my grandfathers celestial Greek myths and his telling of old astronomers and a subsequent wonderful lesson at school on astronomy. I devoured science and astronomy books thereafter, building simple refractors following Galileo’s experiences out of surplus optics from the local optician -They weren’t good ones, but fortunately good enough to discern craters on the moon, and a little oval shaped object as well as a fuzzy Zeus and its moons. Just like Galileo had seen
One day I received a post addressed to me!
It contained a brand new 60mm scope beautifully boxed which was to become my most precious possession- it opened my eyes - I literally had a gob smacked expression for months. My mother would joke the wind had changed on me, and in fact it had. The things I saw that at that time I felt no one was seeing!
Of course, there was a little handbook we all know that came with the scope, ‘Worlds Beyond’, – In it, was my little 60mm refractor !
That scope and indeed that little book became my passage to the Cosmos. I absorbed all information I could and the sights I was gifted. I was perpetually eager and excited, rushing home every night, despite my friends beckoning, just to spend time under those hazy street lit suburban skies. It was a wonderful time and a magical experience that will never be forgotten.
I was forever altered and felt truly privileged.
I still have that little scope, and every time I open that box just to check in on that old friend, those young feelings come back. Worlds Beyond is still with my friend, always cradled beside.
But the most beautiful instrument those young eyes had seen was a picture in the book of a 108mm pedestalled telescope, on page 20 right next to that 60mm (labelled as a 76mm). Never in my young mind did it ever occur to me to own one. Want was certainly overwhelmed by impossibility. Nevertheless I would be transfixed by the image and funnily, and I don’t know how I came to think of this – but I would wonder if I was tall enough to reach the eyepiece !!
Another book that came to me in time was Terry Maloney’s 'Telescopes How to Choose and Use Them'. From within those pages complemented by a showroom display in the city, grew another desire … Unitrons – (Polarex in Australia). The photos were a marketing miracle – every angle was glamour.. And yes I have come to own some of those scopes depicted in those pages much later in my life … BUT gracing page 4 ( see below image) of that 1968 publication and to my surprise …was that 108mm -only this time a line illustration of the same. This Tasco 20TE or a.k.a. Royal Astro R-102- always seemed to me a depiction of the perfect scope, to tease and to dream of- but did it really exist?
Fast forward many years – and after seeing Mike and Alberts actual scopes on the forum, as well as other submissions on the web, owning one was now almost a possibility –albeit a very remote one. Well ......suffice to say, I now have one! -
It has been living in Australia for the last 5 years, I think. I don’t know the details on how it got here but it’s Alberts scope!! – I recognised it immediately – It had been advertised for an incredibly large sum but was subsequently significantly price dropped, but alas still gravely out of my range of affordability and practicality – However I grasped the opportunity, spoke to my wife, (pleaded in fact), negotiated a win win with the seller, journeyed over 1500 km ( with my lovely wife!) and for the past 3 months I have been restoring the scope-
Its condition …
well, time unfortunately had not been all that good to it.
It was well used after all, and I have its published history and use by virtue of the last owner preserving Alberts information and also what has been shared in the forum. Its a complete scope as far as I am aware less the original 50mm f10 guide scope for which I am still searching, but it has a replacement which I believe is doing the original justice.
Regarding its restoration…Many would argue that I may have erased its history – but it needed to be restored.
Holes and dents in the tube everywhere due to aftermarket additional tube weights and brackets, guide scopes and finders, weighting the scope and distorting the tube considerably. Not to mention heavy bumps and scuffs down to the metal. The paint on the majestic tube was so significantly chipped and scraped that corrosion was evident, There was also a significant tube shear/tear behind the 30mm finder bracket base, a result of a strong and sharp fall on the finder mount causing the tube to dent and tear and a setting screw to be permanently imprinted on the finder metal as a consequence. The injury was bad and the finder base had to be crudely levelled by wedging a coin between the base and the tube to render it useable. The dew shield was also chipped and dented in some places but fared better than the rest of the OTA .
However, over the past three months everything has been measured, aligned, welded and fully repaired and the tube looks and works wonderfully –It has been painted with Dulux Vivid white epoxy enamel, color matched to my original Royal Astro branded 76mm scope of the same period. I swore I would not use this paint again due to the long drying times – but I have used this paint on another project, and it has proven to be resilient, scratch and chip resistant –I have also worked out the trick to reduce cure times – It is also mistake resistant. As it takes longer to touch dry, runs or imperfections have time to blend in and disappear compared to faster drying paints
The scope is huge and heavy, It is imposing and it does overwhelm the Unitron /Polarex 102mm but more detail on any comparisons later
Its performance
After collimation and resetting of the lens- it is amazing- I have been reading some notes on the scope in the forums and I know that many have noted or assumed the lens was made by Carton but I think I may have information that may dispel that- I may be wrong . The tolerances, identified after dismantling the tube and its components, are tight and it has been well engineered – the focuser needed work as a tooth was missing from the pinion, but has been repaired. However one thing is sure - the pedigree of engineering is exact to the other Royal Astro’s I own
The mount is also huge, its larger than the 76mm which uses a mount the same as the Sears 6345 (a scope which I sadly sold) and about the same size as the Polarex. However I have to say its not 100% stable and could be due to the triangle of detachable rollers under each pod, but it seems sufficient for the scope – Not Surprisingly the mount also needs to be restored as it is missing large chunks of enamel, and the metal in places is exhibiting some minor corrosion
However that’s the next project
In the meantime its been another wonderful experience and something I can’t really articulate well– to own a piece of history and an instrument that for me has been admired almost as if a piece of art, to know that many eyes may have also felt the same. An instrument that God willing I may be able to use for quite a few years, maybe decades and then later to hopefully pass down to the more discerning future generation of enquiring eyes and hearts
I again feel altered and privileged for the second time
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Edited by stevenk, 27 June 2022 - 08:39 AM.
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