21 replies to this topic

[Awesomelenny]

Hi there Unitron fans,

I am not sure if this is really the place for this but to the moderators...hey, eat your heart out! I got the nicest Unitrons around the town!

Well, I was in my observatory tonight playing with my toys. I have my Losmandy mount set up, my 14" Meade LX200R setting on top of the TV in there, waiting for its dovetail setup so that I can mount it and get started. I put my Moonlite focuser on it that I kept from the 8 inch Meade SCT OTA that I sold just recently. I got a flange adapter from Scott Losmandy so that I could use it on the 14 incher.

In the meantime, I turned the 4 inch Unitron on the Moon which was just about 30 degrees high and just as I was about to take pictures, the doggone fog clouds came roaring in from the northwest.

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Awesomelenny]

I had to work fast, and ended up taking at the f/15 prime focus, a most ridiculous set of exposures to get anything~ like 1/4 second at ISO 800 !!! But ahaaa, using Registax, I stacked 2 good images together, processed them in Adobe Photoshop, applied all kinds of junk on the work-in-process like Gradient Exterminator, Unsharp Masking, Gaussian Blur, curves, etc... until I got this...

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Awesomelenny]

As of this writing I now own this lovely 4 inch Unitron, with a 60mmx900mm guide scope which is actually a OTA from the Model 114. This particular model was in excellent condition which came with a altazimuth mount that was in need of work. I fully restored that and was able to scavenge around for some good parts to replace and now it is fully functional and in pristine condition. I also got lucky on ebay and secured a very nice altazimuth mount there too. Both altazimuth mounts are from Model 114's. I also have another Model 114 OTA but that really needs work on the tube. I worked on the dents but those are really hard to finish off smooth. But I won't give up. I am still looking around for the exact tube thickness id and od to replace that tube or continue to work on the older tube until it is smooth as original.

Also, if you look closely at that guide scope on the 4 inch above, you will notice the white "safety" rings that I built from PVC pipe pieces cut to 3/8" wide and fitted in place there inside the rings so that the thumbscrews don't scratch the painted tube which is virtually mint.

I just got hold of an old 2.4 inch equatorial mount that needs work on really bad. That is going to be my winter restoration project!

[Joel F.]

Nice scope enjoy.

[firestar]

how does the multiple ep holder work?
any closeup photos?
nice scope!

[ngc6475]

I am officially jealous, Lenny! Congratulations on the beautiful equipment!

[JWW]

I also have another Model 114 OTA but that really needs work on the tube. I worked on the dents but those are really hard to finish off smooth. But I won't give up. I am still looking around for the exact tube thickness id and od to replace that tube or continue to work on the older tube until it is smooth as original.

Hey Lenny,

Nice job on everything. Exactly what are you looking for dimensionally for the OTA?

-JWW:>)

[Serenity Now]

So thats where they all went!

Really cool rig and great restoration work...awesome Lenny

[Awesomelenny]

Hi JW,

Actually the aluminum tube for the guide scope is exactly 25.5 inches long with an id wall of 2.4375" (2 7/16) As for the wall thickness, this is the problem, I don't have calipers to figure that out but it appears to be definitely no greater than .0625" (1/16"). I have been searching the internet for that kind of wall thickness with a id of what I have indicated above, but seems like I can't find anyone that could supply me this.

Might you know?

Len

[Mark Lancaster]

Lenny, are you sure the tube is NOT metric? You may have to search for an overseas supplier. Just my $0.02.

Mark

[JWW]

Lenny,

You should give Barry a call at D&G. He's been extremely helpful to me.

-JWW:

[Ralph Marantino]

I know EXACTLY how you feel Lenny I am enjoying my "new" 130mm f8 Brandon APO in its Unitron hardware built like a battle :bow:ship

Attached Thumbnails

• 

[Robert Provin]

That's one gorgeous setup Len!

Best regards,
Robert

[Mert]

Oh Wow!!!!!

That remembers me to my old days doing astronomy
with a friend of mine who had the same 4", however
he had no guide scope, but sure the mount :-))))
rock stable.
It was simply awful, great, out of this world,
and so on.
For me in these days it was too expensive, but I
bought a 3" OTA and made a mount for it.
Nowadays I still have it, and it still performs
nice, even for a 3" aperture

Congrats, Lenny, simply beautifull!!

Mert

[Clive Gibbons]

Also, if you look closely at that guide scope on the 4 inch above, you will notice the white "safety" rings that I built from PVC pipe pieces cut to 3/8" wide and fitted in place there inside the rings so that the thumbscrews don't scratch the painted tube which is virtually mint.

Those safety rings are a great idea, Lenny.

Quite the "Uni-Zoo" ya got there!!

[Awesomelenny]

Uhm I don't know why but lady luck appears to be on my side for a change. I just won on ebay, a 60mm x 700mm Unitron guide scope which is the proper one that should be with the 4 inch Model 160. So now that frees up my 60mm x 900mm Unitron OTA from its temporary service on the 4 incher as the guide scope so that it can function on a Unitron 2.4" equatorial mount. That mount is Polarex. Virtually the same as the Unitron. I got it from Europe. Now that needs to be cleaned and restored. I will post pictures of the final step in the retoration of the Model 160 that I now can lay claim as an owner. Really, just placing the old Unitron Model 220 astro camera onto the 4 inch telescope renders this setup as a Model 166V. ( I have that camera too)

In the mail today I received the 1982 Unitron Catalog which is in excellent condition from an astro friend of mine that just bought something from me. In our discussion of the sale, we chatted to some length about our hobbies and in that the subject of Unitron telescopes came up. That is when he mentioned owning a catalog but he had no use for it so he mailed it to me. It was well cared for too.

In that catalog was a wealth of information regarding not only the telescopes of that era, but also the lengthy line of accessories that were also sold with their line of telescopes.

[Jae]

Hey Len,

I was wondering why the crazy dudes were going mad bidding on a 60mm 700fl guide scope as if it were more desirable that the 900mm Unitrons. Now I see.....anyone trying to complete a photo equatorial would find greater value for it.

I never looked to see who won...congratulations, now we'll both have complete 4 inch photo equatorials to compare - made by the same darn company, if not the brand.

Mine's coming with a 50mm guidescope though.

Jae

[Awesomelenny]

Hey Jae, don't forget, post a ton of pictures on that beauty, ok?

[Jae]

Ok ! It shipped today in 3 boxes from sunny Ca. Double boxed, massively bubble wrapped, insured. Should get it next week.

[kysunlover]

That is such an awesome setup!! I am envious!!

Greg

[Awesomelenny]

Thanks Greg!

[kysunlover]

Len,

I don't have a classic scope, but I do have a 4" f15 coming from Parallax for a little old school feel. I snagged an old Meade 826 EQ head for it today from my club president. I see a lot of classic long focal length refractors attached to those old mount heads, so I thought it was a good choice. I can see myself trying to find my very own old refactor sometime. That bug has crept up and bit me I think.

GM